The Autumns of Life*

Autumn leaves and a canopy of amber painted the walls of my living room warm and golden as the sun flit through the leaves.  I love this time of year.  Crisp air.  Crunching under feet... it is like a pause before a long sleep.

Three day's time and but a breath away, a blanket descends... first, the blanket of leaves, almost instantly and completely to ground, then, snow masking that amber autumn ever resided in this place... hints only from those trees which held tighter to the rainbow stems... they tower and pepper our street with a back-drop of splendor.

It is too early for 'winter'.  But I don't mind.  Winter of the heart has whisped, flowing in-and-out for more than a year... but winter under feet; snow crunch, wind biting nose... did not exist in the warm south and south-west where we traversed these same months a year ago.

And as all this weather climbs and falls, so does the call on my heart which I have attempted to ignore since earlier this year.

God gave me a "One Word" for 2013.  I asked if He might, I saw the memes.  But I submitted... whether yes or no... and He said YES.  He called me to BLOOM.  Blooming in all aspects of life and faith.  It has been hard... accepting Truth and conviction... but it has been good.

Through this process and the many changes in the past 12 months (the past 3 years) I have also struggled.  Struggled with time and struggled with the hard calls like the one I'm here to share today.

The different aspects of BLOOM require time.... time invested in people... time away from the screen...  and brain power poured into noticing, absorbing and responding to all that flows around me.

I have known this for months and fought it.  I love to blog.  I love to share my life.  But as the busy holiday season hits, I can't be and do all God has called me to in this season of year and, most especially, in this season of my life without focus... focus on people and focus on life here.

I humbly admit, when the vision of BLOOM was given to me, I saw a multitude of avenues and I wanted to travel them instantly. However, it is like I tell my children all the time:  I can't get from Montana to Chicago with one giant step... it takes many steps to reach my destination.  I have been trying to transport to my destination since about February!!  But One Word 2013 is a process.  God is processing me and when 2014 dawns, I believe with all my heart, He will bring me to my destination and give me words to share it all!

It is hard for me as a writer to do this... but I must say... I'm taking a bloggy break.  A fully submitting rest to live and breathe and focus and HEAR all of what God is saying to my heart as the blooming of 2013 weaves its way to a close.

I'll be back in January and in the mean time, I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas.

May God give you rest and peace this holiday season!

Blessings,

P.S.  I will still check in on Facebook :-)