Fall

There's something about fall that always gets me. The brilliant colors, the crisp air, the playful breezes that knock one off one's feet. Everything seems to come alive, in one last great burst of life before winter settles in to lull things to sleep. The weather is perfect, cold enough to wear my favorite coat, but warm enough to go without a scarf and boots.
I love looking out of the back windows and seeing a shifting sea of crimson and orange. My favorite time is when not all of the trees have turned yet, so some are green with occasional bursts of orange. Along the road I take to symphony there is one tree that I always look for, as it always turns earlier than the rest. I drive through a sea of green, and then just around a turn there is this flame of scarlet, shooting proudly towards the sky. It catches my breath every time. I love walking through the carpet of leaves on the ground, crunching busily. I love watching the wind catch a tree, whirling the leaves off of the branches and tumbling them to the ground. I love the smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven (even though I don't actually like to eat it, shocking, I know). The smells of cinnamon and vanilla wafting from candles lighted throughout the house, the sunshine on my sisters' hair, the toothless pumpkins grinning on doorsteps, all of these bring me joy.
Every fall I realize afresh how much stuff the Lord has created, how creative His mind is, and how short I fall of His glory. I am always brought to a new awareness of how far I stand from Him, and how enormous the sacrifice was for Him to bring me closer. May my every thought give Him glory.