1. Warren was born in the fall and I would not be complete without him. He is my gift from
God and I am very thankful for him.
2. I love the rich warm colors of the leaves turning; the orange, shiny pumpkins; the cool
crispness of the air, and apples.
3. The cool nights and bright stars.
On our first night of fall, it rained and it is still drizzling this morning. It is like the Lord has chosen this time to wash the earth and usher in the fall of the year with a new cleanliness. It is in the fall that the Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. It is also called the "day of remembrance" or "the day of sounding the shofar." (A shofar is a kind of trumpet made from a ram's horn). A popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. I like this custom since I like eating apples. Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. I think both of these acts of symbolism are fun and if I still had my children at home, I am sure we would be observing both of these customs. I think God has provided so many good object lessons for us.
Yesterday, I was impressed by Beth Moore's posting on her blog and turned it into a prayer for the Jewish New Year. Just as God used the Shofar to call His people, God uses us as His trumpet to call others to Him. Here is my prayer based on Beth's blog:
God has called me--to use my mouth for His great glory. I don't want to add just noise, but to become a woman of God who opens her mouth with wisdom and with the law of kindness on my tongue. I want the love of Christ to rule and reign in my heart. May I never forget, kindness is not a weakness! Help me to seek the Lord and to head for Him when I am weary and worn down. May I seek the comfort and encouragement from other believers and let them build me back up. I must remember that Jesus' yoke is kind and to make sure it is the only yoke I wear. God led me with your cords of kindness and let me build a welcoming fire in this cold world. Let me live out the law of kindness. Amen.
Be washed clean by the word of God, and be renewing in your mind. Enjoy the fall in all of its glory and richness. God made it for us to enjoy!
Rain on a leaf
Our crab-apples. Not worth eating, but gorgeous colors
A Caster bean plant. I love the rich reds and huge leaves
Our Maxi million Daisies are in glorious bloom
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