Thursday, October 8, 2015

Autumn and Families

 Don’t you love autumn with its crisp, cool days and sunlit leaves adorning yards? I’ve been helping out a few hours every Saturday afternoon at my friends’ apple orchard, Royal Oak, telling people about their new Apple Maze and directing them to the U-Pick apples area. I go home energized by all the hoopla. Such a happy place for families to connect. I can’t think of any greater joy than being with family and friends.


October is my birthday month which makes me nostalgic.  What makes life so special is stopping to ponder what was and looking with hope to the future. The more seasons my body has seen, the more I have to reflect upon. At the moment I’m treasuring the summer that’s been and anticipating the holidays to come. Time truly flies but I've learned we can slow it down and savor special moments.

For forty-some years now I’ve attempted to live in response to the Holy Spirit’s nudges as a wife, mom, grandmom, and Christian counselor and author commissioned to love and serve God’s people. What a fascinating journey this has been.

Next week I’m presenting a parenting seminar to 40 parents on Raising Successful Students and Happy Kids.  I’ll be telling them Happy Kids are holy kids who know they've been created for a purpose by Almighty God. Soon I’ll spend a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with Wayne hiking and attending a novelist’s retreat. Then a visit to see loved ones in Florida. Yes, life is awesome!


 In between my editing continues for Never Tomorrow mystery to be released in January…


Wishing you happy autumn days filled with family fun, plump pumpkins, warm apple cider and time to reflect.

This is a picture of the October family wedding of our son Dan and Stephanie 14 years ago. Can it be?

I found this Bible verse with the word autumn in it - I like it. What do you think? "Rejoice, O people of Jerusalem, rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rains he sends are tokens of forgiveness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as those of spring." Joel 2:23