Thankful for the Lessons of Autumn

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (Jn 12:24)

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, and it rarely lasts long here in Oklahoma. Sometimes, we don’t see much of autumn at all – the weather stays in the 80s and 90s before dropping into the 40s and 50s, and the leaves simply die and fall from the trees.

This year, the leaves have turned glorious colors. We’ve received a lot of rain and had many below-average temperature days in the 50s and 60s. It’s actually felt like fall. While I’m not ready for winter, I’m thankful for the glimpse these cool fall days give us of the beauty of God’s creation through nature.

We can learn many lessons from the autumn season. As the seasons change, I’m reminded that although change is hard, it can also be beautiful. The falling leaves show us how important it is to embrace change in order to move forward. Without autumn, we would have nothing to look forward to in the spring. While it looks as if everything is dead, fall is a time for dormancy – a temporary death, if you will – that results in rebirth in the spring. Fall is a beautiful metaphor for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just as his death wasn’t permanent, neither is the death we see during the fall. Continue reading “Thankful for the Lessons of Autumn” →

The Consolation of a Furry Companion

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” (Ps 94:19)

Lilly, my Yorkie, ran to hide under the bed again as I grabbed my purse and keys. It was time to leave for work, and she was determined to keep me home.

“Lilly,” I called, peering around the corner of the hallway into my bedroom.

Silence.

Then I heard a snuffling noise from under the bed, so I knew she was still there.

I walked into the bedroom and peered under the bed. Two bright eyes stared back at me. I put my hand out, and she licked my fingers, but she didn’t get any closer. I sighed.

“Okay, Lilly, you win. Treat!”

I grabbed the container of treats and shook it just outside the bedroom door. As soon as she heard the crinkle of the packaging, she ran out. I gave her the treat and quickly put the baby gate in place before she could run back into my room. Disappointed, she ran into the living room to hide behind the blankets. Continue reading “The Consolation of a Furry Companion” →

Strangers Among Us

“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.” (3 Jn 1:5)

Recently, an older gentleman with a small dog about the size of Lilly approached me when we were leaving the park after a walk. I needed to get to work and stopping for him was a minor inconvenience. But something about this man and his dog made me pause, and I waited for them to reach us. Continue reading “Strangers Among Us” →

Oh! The Places You’ll Go! Giveaway Blog Hop

Congratulations to Steven Weber from Wisconsin, the winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card in the Oh! The Places You’ll Go! blog hop!

 

As a child, I looked forward to the first day of school every year. I was one of those rare kids who absolutely loved school. For me, the start of school signaled several things: friends; sports; sweater-weather; learning more cool stuff; and my birthday, which was always on or around the first day of school. Even as an adult, I’ve continued my life-long love of learning by earning advanced degrees and attending workshops and webinars as often as possible.

To celebrate going back to school, I’m joining The Kids Did It blog and The Mommy Island blog to participate in the 3rd Annual Oh! The Places You’ll Go! Giveaway Event, which runs from September 4-18, 2018. The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Starbucks gift card.  Continue reading “Oh! The Places You’ll Go! Giveaway Blog Hop” →

Anticipation

This post was originally published in my newsletter, Staci Mauney, Author, on August 10, 2018.

“Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Mt 24:44)

I stayed at my parents’ house recently while they went to visit my brother and his wife in Georgia. Lilly watched the door faithfully, and any noise from that direction of the house caused her to run as quickly as possible to see what was happening. She waited in anticipation for my parents to come through the door, and when they didn’t, she would go back to her spot on the couch, her eyes trained on the door, believing they would come through at any moment. Continue reading “Anticipation” →