it's that time of year that i love! cooler weather, holidays, the smell of cinnamon, apples, pumpkins; the changing colors of the leaves (and they are beautiful around here, let me tell you), festivals, a free day at colonial williamsburg on veteran's day (can't wait!), and i could go on...
these bible verses always come to my mind at the start of this season. i have always thought this passage beautiful... it always seemed sort of poetic to me... the words of solomon...
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born , and a time to die ; a time to plant , and a time to pluck up that which is planted ; 3 A time to kill , and a time to heal ; a time to break down , and a time to build up ; 4 A time to weep , and a time to laugh ; a time to mourn , and a time to dance ; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time togather stones together ; a time to embrace , and a time to refrain from embracing ; 6 A time to get , and a time to lose ; a time to keep , and a time to cast away ; 7 A time to rend , and a time to sew ; a time to keep silence , and a time to speak ; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate ; a time of war, and a time of peace. 9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? 10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice , and to do good in his life. 13 And also that every man should eat and drink , and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth , it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. 15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past .
i also like how the message puts it...
There's a Right Time for Everything
1 There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace. 9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.
14 I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.
15 Whatever was, is.
Whatever will be, is.
That's how it always is with God.
we live in a world of changes, and there so many seasons in our lives that we go through. through those changes and seasons, it is a blessing to know that God is in control of it all, and i am so thankful for that.
this season will bring another deployment for our family, drew leaves in a few days for two months. i am not used to his patrols yet, although i don't think you could ever be "used" to it. it never seems to hit me that he will be gone for that long until days after he leaves. that's when i get that sudden gut-wrenching anxiety feeling at the realization that he's gone and i won't see him for a while. as positive of an outlook as i try to have during his patrols, it's always hard to keep from feeling that way.
God knows that though, and already i have seen how He has been working in my life to let me know that He's taking care us. what a blessing... truly=)
i hope this season brings to all of you so much joy, laughter, love, whether it be with friends, family, or our church or adoptive families for those of us who don't live near our relatives... and also the realization of how blessed we really are. happy fall everyone!
love, me=)
p.s. a few of you guys have commented on previous posts, and somehow, my computer savvy self deleted them all=/ didn't mean to guys, and i want you to know that they were very much appreciated=) also it was brought to my attention that some can't comment? i have no idea why, and i read on someone else's blog how that is blogger's problem. oh well, hopefully they'll figure that out soon and fix it=)
No comments:
Post a Comment