The green leaves of summer are gone; all that greenery, simply vanished overnight.
Or is it that just the way it seems, when November dawns and a new chapter begins?
We mark the pages with autumnal gold and write all sorts of notes in the margins.
There are so many things we want to remember and not forget…
The tapestry of colors in the treetops is like a parade, and we want to march along,
listen to the band and fly some streamers of our own.
Soon enough, the parade will end and the snowflakes will fall; winter comes so swiftly.
We will watch and wait and wonder as those late November snowflakes dance upon a mountaintop.
Like a slow dance, the snowflakes remind us not to rush the seasons of our days;
it is a gift to pass this way through forest and field, mountain and valley.
It is beautiful to look back upon all that summer greenery; just ahead, freshly fallen snow awaits our footsteps.
Here it is November, and a new month has begun! I look forward to Thanksgiving…a time for giving thanks for all our blessings.
We do not get much snow where I live in Virginia. We do get some, and it is always cause for celebration. (Except for icy roads, snow is beautiful.)
The picture above is from my childhood. I think I was about twelve years old in the photo. Those were the days when snow was really all about fun!
Each season of our lives has its ups and downs, its highs and lows. Still, it is wonderful to know that we do have a fresh slate of new beginnings…God allows us to make new tracks each day.
Happy first day of November! There is no snow in Virginia, but autumn is beautiful here. If I walk outside in nature, I will walk through piles of leaves. Like snow, the leaves shift with the wind and are ever-changing.
It is nice to know that our footsteps matter to God, where we walk, and what we do. And whatever we do, we never walk alone. We may have sand in our shoes in summer or snow on our boots in winter; every season of our lives holds miracles, as unique as snowflakes, as wondrous as every grain of sand.
We cannot count the grains of sand. We cannot count the snowflakes. We cannot begin to count the times God has forgiven us, lifted us up, loved us through the most difficult moments of our lives.
It is all about the moments. It is all about God’s gift of grace to make all things new. Yes, the snow is lovely, but there is nothing more lovely than God’s love.
November is the month of Thanksgiving. It is the month when we write in the margins, because the pages are so full of blessings. How can we write it all down? How can we remember all the wonder spilled across the pages of our lives?
All we can do is thank God for His love and mercy. Our blessings surely are without end!
Lamentations 3: 22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
That was just lovely, Linda! A timely reminder that all time is precious, and also that it is all a gift from God.
Yes! We are blessed beyond measure!
A perfect prelude to Thanksgiving! Indeed, we should be thankful for every season of our lives, particuarly the one we’re living right here, right now. Thank you for that reminder.
I am ready for Thanksgiving this year! We are already making plans and getting things ready. These holidays come up quick! 🙂
Yes, they do. My husband is expecting a feast this year. 🙂
Very well said, Liz! “A perfect prelude.”
Thank you, Rebecca!
For sure, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. I’ll be ready, and thankful for all the things you mentioned in your post. Here in Michigan we have the snow Virginia doesn’t get. But for now, it was 70 degrees today. No frost yet, which is very strange. Winter will come soon, and I’ll be ready for that, and thankful too. I loved the picture of you in the snow with your dog. Thank you for the wonderful prose. They read so beautifully, as always.
It is early to wish you a “Happy Thanksgiving”, but I wish you one even so. These weeks before the holidays seem to pass faster and faster every year. November is a lovely month. (It is my birthday month.) It is a season of change as the leaves continue to fall and the temperatures drop. We are having a very mild autumn! I need to get very busy with my rake as my house is surrounded by trees! 🙂
Linda – a profound reflection that reminds me that each season gives us special recollections. Autumn is my favourite season for it is a time of reflection and celebration before the winter rest comes with, as you said, swiftness.
I know through your posts that you cherish the seasons of life. Throughout our lives we gather many memories. It is like a huge bouquet of flowers. Each flower has its own magic, its own beauty. We cannot compare the flowers because every flower is unique. When we bundle them together in our hearts, it is as if a whole field of wildflowers burst into being. All the seasons collide in a wondrous way. No two fields are the same. That is both the mystery and beauty of life.
a wintry warm reminder to count our blessings and enjoy our ‘now’ 🙂
Yes! Now is a gift we open moment by moment! 🙂
There’s always something in your posts to tuck into my heart and ponder in the quiet hours. And today doesn’t disappoint. I hear God say once more that it is time to begin winding down and to slow my steps, to pause more often and learn quietness again. November is that month. When the trees let go of their summer and autumn finery, it is heaven speaking through them, reminding us we too must begin to shed the weight of the year.
That is a beautiful comment: “When the trees let go of their summer and autumn finery, it is heaven speaking through them, reminding us we too must begin to shed the weight of the year.” The sky was awesome this morning, all pink and blue at an early hour. I think you are right; heaven is closer than we know, and if we ponder that mystery long enough, we come to see things in a new light. God teaches us so much through the trees. They are always reaching toward heaven and that is a thing itself to ponder.
This was a beautiful post, Linda!
Thank you! I hope the month of November is a very good one for you, and I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving season. 🙂
Thank you, Linda. I hope you do too!
Yours words offered as praise, thanksgiving and hope really resonate, Linda. Winter’s approach is always a time for deep reflection as we grow older day by day, season by season.
I believe that deep reflection increases our awareness of all that is good in our lives. Life can get so very busy. It is so easy to get caught up in things. When we stop and count our blessings, we feel the joy that God intends for us to have.
Linda, you always have a way of making me look at a season with new eyes. I love your description of November- “the month when we write in the margins, because the pages are so full of blessings.” Today we would get occasional breezes the skipped through the trees, sending leaves cascading down. At times it looked as if it were snowing.
That is a beautiful image, all those leaves tumbling down like snow! Every season has its magic, but autumn fills us with wonder. There is that feeling that anything is possible, we can just start fresh. 🙂
Amen! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
God’s blessings never cease!
My favorite time of year. Our leaves don’t turn as quickly here in Texas, but they will. Blessings galore for your November.
I wish you blessings as well! 🙂
Snow sure outlines everything. It also turns the world black and white unless the colors can somehow show themselves. There is such beauty in snow. It’s a perfect sparkling white.
I can remember as a young girl going up to ski in the mountains of Vermont. Sometimes, before I would ski down, I would just wait for a bit at the top of the mountain. In my mind, I can see that scene over and over…the bright sun overhead, and all that sparkling white snow. Some things are so beautiful that there are no words to describe them. It is that way with snow in the mountains.
so beautiful
Thank you! 🙂
These are amazing images..we have much snow here. Anita
We should get some snow late in the season. 🙂 It is quite warm right now. I have not brought my lemon tree or orange tree indoors yet. For now, the porch is just fine!
A lovely ode to the changing seasons, Linda. I love the images of the snow “spray painted” on the limbs of the tree. We’ve had snow a couple times here & are expecting more in a few days. The final verse you quoted above took me years to understand, but now is a favorite. 🌞
It is a wonderful verse and one to ponder often! Life is full of mysteries; faith is the lens that helps us see so clearly. Wishing you blessings in the coming weeks, and enjoy that wondrous snow!
I love the changing of the seasons and all they bring, Linda. The snow brings a quietness and sense of coziness that I relish. A beautiful post, as always.
Thank you! 🙂 There is something magical about the snow…it conjures up memories of seasons past, and invites us to start afresh at the same time.
Such a beautiful Thanksgiving post, Linda. The snow makes me nostalgic though I am thankful for warmer temps here!
Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We lived in Myrtle beach, South Carolina, for a time, and the warmer weather was nice there. I did miss the snow! I wait for it every year!!! Once, we had a big Carolina snowstorm and that was really something. I have more pictures of that snow than any other time. It was unexpected and so much fun!