Fall - A New Season

Can you feel it? The air’s a little crisper, the coffee tastes a little cozier, and the leaves are starting to show off their colors. Well, maybe some are feeling more than we are here in the Houston area, but still—fall is here! There is something about this season that just makes life feel a little more joyful. Maybe it’s the smell of different baked goods, maybe it’s football season, or maybe it’s the way God uses creation to remind us that change can be beautiful.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) tells us, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

Fall whispers that truth with every falling leaf—God is in every season of our lives, even the ones that feel like change. So today, we’re going to have some fun, share some laughs, and talk about what this season can teach us about God’s faithfulness and the joy of small, simple things.

One of the little joys when fall comes around is the slightly cooler temps and the want to be outside because it feels so nice. It’s a break in the heat that we’ve been feeling, a break from the heaviness of life, a break from the new busy schedule due to school starting back up.

Sure, sport seasons really start up, but we don’t mind because the weather is bearable.

When the dryness of the seasons comes, we welcome the relief of change because we are refilled with a hope and refreshing way.

That’s what God brings in our different seasons of life—a refreshing of our spirit.

We have a croquet set, and it comes out two times a year—in the spring and in the fall. This is because we love to be outdoors during these season changes, because they bring change: one from the cold and one from the heat. We just love to be comfortable. But sometimes in that comfort, we can become stuck and stagnant, which is why we welcome the change.

I think of it like this… our houses need fresh air from time to time. That fresh air flows through our houses, bringing in the smell of the outdoors and taking out the smells that we have just been stuck with.

Opening the windows for me is what brings in freshness and what feels like change.

When we are open and ready to receive what God has for us, it is refreshing, and it brings a new crisp feeling of joy to our lives—the change that we have been seeking.

There is just something about the outdoors that resets us and connects us with the Lord.

With the literal seasons of change, we know what’s to come and what to expect for the most part. We have different outfits for different seasons, and we are well prepared for what is to come.

But sometimes surprises pop up. For instance, we down here in Houston have had ice storms and snow in the past few years, and we aren’t prepared or ready for those, but we do make it through with what we have.

That’s the key to any surprise during a season: adapting.

Once we learn to adapt, we can then be ready and know how to better handle it if it comes again. Like I’ve already been thinking about buying gloves and heavier jackets for the winter for all of us, just in case we have more extremely cold days.

God walks us through different seasons to teach us and for us to make changes and adapt.

For me, fall means sweaters and baking.

I’ve already made cookies, scones, and banana nut bread, and fall hasn’t even begun—and I already know there is more to come.

Do you bake more or cook certain things during this time of year that you wouldn’t make the rest of the year?

My kids love the fall season, and I like to think a lot of that has to do with my baking, but I know it’s because it’s cooler out and there will be lots of good food coming—and a lot of it.

I have teenagers, so you know they are all excited for the food.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) tells us, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

This is a great reminder that though we all have seasons that we go through, God has a reason for every one of them—good and bad, easy and hard.

There is a time and place for everything, and in every season, we will experience a few of these. One thing that we can always count on is that God is consistent and constant. He is the only thing that never changes, and because of that, we can walk through all seasons knowing that He is the one who knows the answers and will guide us and help us to understand the reasoning for everything when the time is right.

No season is a surprise to God.

We have this hill on the property, and it needs to be cleared off. This was something we talked about doing during the summer, but it was just so hot. So, I suggested that we clear it off in the fall or even winter, as that’s when most of it will die off, and we can get in and see things more clearly.

Isn’t that the truth… we have places that need to be cleaned out, and some seasons we think, “This will be the season for that,” but we find that it just isn’t time for it for some reason. But then the time comes around, and it’s perfect because now we can see more clearly what needs to be taken care of.

There is a season for everything.

There are many signs of fall—like pumpkin everything (gross, in my unpopular opinion), blackbirds everywhere, the grass growing slows up, and the leaves begin to change.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have these types of signs for new seasons that may come in our life? Okay, well, sometimes we do have some signs, but sometimes we don’t—and either way, seasons come and go. So, we just need to stay firm in our faith.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) tells us, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

With the seasons changing, it seems like things slow up some. We spend more time indoors and with family, and it’s just a nice way to spend the season.

Those are good seasons, but we have all experienced some pretty hard seasons as well. And when life slows up a bit, we think it will help, but it can almost make it seem longer. It is in those seasons of uncertainty where we can really lean into the Lord and see some peace and understanding.

The good news is that God is with us in every season—slow or fast, good or bad—and as we walk this life, we can rest assured that He is with us.

I don’t like the taste or really the smells of pumpkin anything, and I was thinking about that a few weeks ago, and I said, “I think I just don’t like the spices that are associated with pumpkin stuff.” My husband said, “That’s what makes all those things taste and smell good.” But regardless of the spices, you actually won’t see me trying just plain pumpkin either… so maybe it’s all of it.

If the fall flavors and smells are apple-related, I’m all in.

I think it is so funny how we can just outright not like something, and we stick to it without wavering—especially when it comes to food—but in other things in life, we struggle to stick to our preferences and beliefs and waver.

Our human nature is tricky, so as you learn and grow, find out what you want to stand behind and stick with it.

I hope fall’s cozy charm has put a little warmth in your heart. Maybe it’s a perfect day for a drive with the windows down, or maybe it’s just about savoring a slice of pie and remembering that life doesn’t have to be rushed.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that every season has its purpose. The same God who paints the trees with fiery colors is at work in your life—even in the quiet, ordinary days.

Go enjoy the crisp air, the laughter with friends, or even that extra pumpkin-spiced treat. And as you do, remember—God’s fingerprints are all over this season. Fall isn’t just about leaves changing… it’s about hearts being reminded of His steady, unchanging love.