Let Those Leaves Fall – Once and for All

Yesterday, for the first time this year, I had to sweep yellow, brown, and orange leaves from my front porch. Company was coming. I wanted a clean, welcoming porch. I realize that in a matter of days, my porch will be overladen with leaves. It seems I must be in a wind tunnel because my neighbors’ leaves somehow make their way to my front porch and bushes.

As their bright green color fades, it seems the leaves fall almost as quickly as they change. Part of me longs for the leaves to hold on a little longer. "Come on. You’ve got this. Think green!” But graciously the tree only listens to its Maker rather than my senseless longings. In order to flourish in the new season, the tree must let go of its decayed leaves. They’ve done their job well for their season, but their time has drawn to a close.

I am reminded that the leaves display an important lesson for all of us to follow. Just as the trees don’t stubbornly hold on to their dead leaves, so we shouldn’t hold on to the unnecessary weights of negativity that has clung on way too long in our lives. I am so ready to move on to a new season when the old one has been filled with stinking thinking, poor self-image, mistakes made, regrets and disappointments. It’s time to move on to a new season and let go of the past. So, I’m getting my game plan ready for “shaking my tree” to get all those “hanging on” negative leaves to let go and fall – especially the ones that try to impede my peace and joy.

Oh, how God longs to empower and strengthen us for the new season ahead! So much awaits us when we let the past go. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18,19

It’s time for us to release the grasp of the “dead and unfruitful” leaves that prevent a freshness to the season ahead. Could it be that the decayed leaves have piled up and our heart needs to discard them for good – once and for all? God longs to help us let go. All we have to do is go to Him in prayer and ask Him to shine His light on any thoughts, circumstances, habits or other “decayed leaves” we might be clinging to.

As you and I watch the leaves fall this season, my prayer is that you are reminded to let go of anything that would hinder a fresh relationship with God. I’m praying that prayer for me, too! I’m “letting go” and letting God have His way in me in this blessed new season.

Our Master-Planned, Changeable Lives

I’m seeing commercials and promos that talk about pumpkin spice candles and coffee, falling in love with fall and promos about the exciting new fall clothes colors. It hit me. Fall has literally sprung up on us. School is back in session and college teams' fans are out in numbers as they sport their favorite team shirts and colors. Soon the leaves will be changing colors. I’ve changed out some of my summer wardrobe for my fall/winter ones – even though we’re still having scorching hot summer days. I also took down my spring/fall home décor. Bring on fall -- my favorite time of the year! I'm ready for change!

I get amused at the FB posts bearing photos of their little ones and mamas crying out to their children: “Stop growing so fast. Don’t get any older!” I know they really don’t mean those words because how awful would it be for our children to stop growing and not getting older but staying as their little baby selves! But I get those mamas, because they are witnessing “time flying” right before their eyes.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1, King Solomon wrote, “There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.” Many of us would be much more comfortable if everything stayed the same; yet it doesn’t. Everything has its seasons. Though we may like the seasons changing in nature, we may get frightened about the seasons changing in our lives. We grip so tightly to the present that it becomes traumatic when things change. Change can be difficult, but not so if we know God’s divine purposes are being fulfilled. God does have a purpose and a season for everything and right now each of us is in one of His seasons. It’s not about the seasons changing. It's about seeing God in the seasons.

Master Planned Communities are everywhere. The developer master-plans a clubhouse, pool, the number of homes, streets, curbs and amenities. I live in one like that. Well, we have the Master Developer and Planner...who is perfectly Master-planning our lives, the seasons we go through. He plans them with our ultimate success in mind. Isn't it time we relax and enjoy each season of our lives.....both in the climate, and in the transitions we go through? And, for goodness sake, mamas and papas, STOP wishing your babies to stop growing. It’s a part of the Master’s Plan to grow them into strong, self-sufficient and God-sufficient human beings that will change our world for good. Trust the Man with the Plan for your good!

It’s Fall -- My Favorite Season of the Year

It rained incessantly all day here in Frisco on Saturday. That beautiful drenching outside made for a glorious indoor day of wearing comfy clothes, thoroughly giving my home a good top-to-bottom cleaning, and then rewarding myself at the end of the day with a sweet Hallmark movie, popcorn, and a chocolate shake. Aw -- the blessing of a rainy day. And what a way to welcome my favorite season of the year – FALL! I sensed I was being powered by a heart of gratitude. I turned a “routine” house cleaning into a charged-up expression of joy. I became very aware of so many reasons to be thankful.

I was thankful for my home and the fact that I had a home to clean. I was so thankful for the rain that watered my thirsty yard and plants. My grandson in Austin was playing two baseball games and through technology, I was able to watch his game on “Game Changer”. More technology gratitude was sensed as I read so many “praise and thanksgiving” posts from others on social media AND I was able to make my own gratitude post.
I walked out on my patio and saw my plant pots overflowing from the rain. I saw. I could see. I heard the symphony of rain hitting all the various objects: my BBQ pit, the trees, the brick porch, the roof. I heard. I could hear. I breathed in the smell of that heaven-sent rain. I breathed. I COULD breathe without devices to help me breathe. I was moving – bending, reaching, pushing and pulling as I cleaned my home. Psalm 107:1 says "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever."

Fall really is my favorite time of the year. Just around the corner, the leaves will begin turning into their gorgeous colors and soon we'll be able to turn up the thermostat in our homes. We'll start thinking about our families gathering together, and all the other stunning symbols of this multi-colored season. Oh, the genius of our God. And like the spectacular array of beauty in this season with all its variety of colors and uniqueness, so are we. Yes, we are alike in so many ways, but His purpose in making each one of unique is just the way He rolls in all of creation.

The most beautiful part of the Fall season is the attitude of gratitude that comes along with it. I was lavishing in it on Saturday. And that gratitude includes being thankful for the season I am in right now. For each of us, every day is a gift and whether that day includes joy, happiness, peace, and comfort or whether it's stress-filled and challenging -- we know it's a part of this season that God has us in -- and in this season God is working ALL of the seasons for our good. Regardless of what season we are in, let's savor everything that it holds -- because THE ONE who controls the seasons, is THE ONE who will carry us through each one. So, let’s turn up the volume on gratitude. Let's awaken our hearts of gratitude and let’s amp up our bodies, souls, and spirits to the goodness of God, the blessings He’s given us, and our todays and tomorrows that are in His hands. Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

Plenty of Room at the Table -- We Have Leaves!

Ever wonder why the extensions on a table are called "leaves"?
I wondered that last week when my sis and I were selling three tables with leaves at our estate sale. We wondered "Why do they call them 'leaves'?

My word for today is "leaves" -- and I had to do some searching to find the origin. My conclusion is because originally, the first "leaved" tables had a hinged section on the end or ends that could hang down (pictured here), and it's similar to a leaf of a book (pages have been called leaves for a very long time) and because, with a tree, leaves are considered the middle section. When they started putting detachable expansion sections in the middle of tables, they still called them leaves. So there you go, now you and I both know. You're welcome.

I remember as a young child, my mom adding the leaves to the table to accommodate my big brother and his growing family and my sister and her family. And around that table, was laughter, celebration and conversation. I remember at that table, when I was about 8 years old that I called my brother a "queer" (a word that I had heard often at school) and he corrected me and said to never call anyone a "queer" again. Funny, how some things come back to our memory. What I remember most, was that there was always room at that table for friends and family.

Then I was a mom and grandmother and I remember adding the leaves to my table and the piano bench and fold up chairs for additional guests at our table and for Bible studies, and then as a single, in my small home, I still make sure to have my leaves ready to add for my family and small groups.

I wonder if we are making enough space at our tables these days. What’s more, I wonder if we are making enough space for others in other areas of our lives: our churches, our small groups, our circle of friends. I wonder if we are always making room for more or simply saying, "us four and no more".

How good does it make us feel when we come in late and the table is full -- yet, someone says "Oh, come and join us. We can squeeze in another chair. There's always room for one more!"

What would happen if we had that kind of crazy open table obedience all the time? To seek out those who look, act, and think differently than we do. To implore those who are anything but fine and to care for them with the hands and feet of Jesus.

What if we continued to make space at the table? That is one table where I need to be at. The one that keeps growing and including, adding leaves and mismatched chairs. I want to be the one who scoots over and then scoots over again to make room. I want to be at the table that is in the main business of making space.

We are the body of Christ — made up of all our different, broken, and mended parts. Not only do we need each other, we are made far better by being together. And when we make space for one another, we may just find a lot more room for God Himself to join us at THE TABLE!

Too Much Christmas Before Thanksgiving?

It's been "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" for MONTHS now. And, this year I’m noticing more and more families are skipping right through Fall and Thanksgiving and are fast forwarding the Christmas spirit of lights and decorations everywhere. In fact, last week while in Austin, I helped with Christmas decorating, and when I arrived in Frisco, Staci's home was already decorated so beautifully.

It's been "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" for MONTHS now. This year I’m noticing more and more families are skipping right past their Fall and Thanksgiving decorations and are fast forwarding the Christmas spirit of lights and decorations everywhere. In fact, last week while in Austin, I helped with Christmas decorating, and when I arrived in Frisco, Staci's home was already beautifully decorated..

I was amused at some FB posts a while ago as some folks were complaining about the early sales of Christmas decorations and hearing Christmas music playing since back in August. I get that retail stores, needing their bottom lines increased, amp it up to get us into the "buying" spirit waaay before the Christmas season. I can’t fault them for that. In order to vacate those shelves as quickly as possible, there are already 50% off sales.

I get that most of us want to embrace each season and make it as memorable as we can. We want to savor Fall with the leaves changing colors, candy corn, pumpkin spice coffee, autumn décor, and we want to remember the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving and make this Fall season special and meaningful.

But, what's the big deal? Why should it matter when people begin to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. Different strokes for different folks. What matters is that we open our hearts and our homes to gratitude at Thanksgiving and to the joys, delights, thrills and celebrations of CHRISTMAS – Christ and His coming to this earth. Actually, Thanksgiving AND Christmas are seasons that could easily be merged together as one.

I’ve been pondering Advent and Christmas for several months now, partly because I’m a guest speaker at an Advent by Candlelight event back in Tulsa. AND because I packed up my home to move all my belongings to Texas, I sifted through a lot of Christmas décor and sold it in my garage sale. With fifteen tubs of Christmas décor remaining, I think I’ll still manage! Oh me! But, I won’t need to be decorating this year as I’m in Texas for the holidays and my girls have made this Mama proud with their exquisite decorating abilities.

My grandson is creating a melody of Christmas music and hearing those familiar tunes causes me to embrace this season even more. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I’m already allowing myself to get enraptured by the miraculous Christmas story -- the UNLIKELY turn of events that altered the course of our present and future. And, as I’m embracing Christmas early, pondering and thinking about all that Christmas means, when my family is all together here in Frisco this Thursday, this mode of thanksgiving, will simply open the door for all the joys and beauty of Christmas.

I didn't complain about the early sales of Christmas decorations and music playing in the stores. It has just caused me to hone into the beautiful journey that will lead to the most HOLY DAY – and, it would have been alright if I started way back in July! After all, it’s more than a season or a day, it’s about a REASON for unspeakable joy, indescribable love, and amazing sacrifice – that the ONE who placed the stars in the sky and Who knows them ALL by name -- chose to come to this earth as a little baby to be with me, understand me, live in this world like me -- HE totally gets me and my frailties, but better yet, He is my all powerful, incomparable, awesome and GREAT, amazing God. I'd say that's plenty reason to be celebrating ALL YEAR ROUND! So the next time you're tempted to complain about "too early".....turn that around to being thankful for the reminder to thank God for THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. It’s just too great a story to compact it into just one celebration.

The Donkey -- Jesus' Limo

Happy Palm Sunday! Today, we celebrate our Lord's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where He was welcomed by crowds praising and worshipping Him and laying down palm leaves to honor Him. The palms, the "hosanas", the worship and praise is typically our focus today.

But, I'd like to add some focus to the donkey -- he was Jesus' special "ride" into Jerusalem. That little donkey did what he could do. His greatest calling in life was to answer the invitation of the Master when He called, “I have need of him!” He was a “limo” for the King. He was only a donkey, but he did what he could do!

Isn’t that the way our “love” service should be for Him. When He says, “I have need of you”, our greatest response should be, “Here I am Lord, send me! I will do what I can do!” So I'll start with what I can do today -- praising, worshipping and declaring "Hosanna in the Highest -- all praise, honor and glory be to You, Lord Jesus Christ!"