Life is ever changing reflects Offaly influencer

It's chilly as I write this thought for the week and Autumn is definitely in the air. I want the summer to linger on longer, yet the cosiness, warmth and eye delight of burnt oranges, mellow yellows, deep reds and crisp browns invite my heart into Autumn.

Part of me screams to stop the calendar from turning from September to October, yet when I see those Autumn colours my will to fight this change flutters away like the leaves will also soon do. The mornings are getting crisper and the trees are becoming more golden.

Autumn is awakening and with it comes the awakening of different blessings in our lives. God is quite an artist this time of year. His hues hints of hope and a purpose to the changes we often struggle with on our journey through life. I used to fight autumn, dreading the coming winter. Now in the second half of my life journey, I am learning to embrace its beauty as part of the transforming process and rhythm of life. The season is changing.

Life is ever changing. How exciting to remember that. If you're feeling sad or anxious about anything, wait just a while. It will change and chances are it will change for the better. Don't give an unhappy situation too much of your attention. For every one thing that isn't going well in your life there are at least a dozen things that are really good. So shine a mental spotlight on those good things. Feel the joy of them. Appreciate the having them. Be glad to share them and before you know it the unhappy situation will right itself. Or you'll find the solution is easily within your reach. Or you'll realise it wasn't all that important in the first place.

Autumn Prayer

Autumn brings with it changes in weather, sending many of us indoors more regularly. We get to experience bright, sunny days that are often quickly followed by torrential rains and cooler temperatures. As we move to the interiors of homes and workplaces for refuge it’s also a good time to consider the interior of our hearts and minds. God is present with us at all times, of course, but autumn invites a fresh look inside to see where God stirs. As the leaves fall from the trees, we are prompted to watch their slow descent to the ground, seeing how at times, a burst of strong wind can blow off half the leaves from a tree in an instant. How well do we watch the movements of our spiritual lives and how often do we reflect on what the slow breezes or strong gusts of wind signal?

Here is a beautiful Prayer for Autumn Days I love to pray by Sr. Joyce Rupp, OSM "God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process. God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so. God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them. God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this. God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings. God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision. God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons. God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful. Amen"

Thought for the week

As your thought for the week, I pray that as the signs of autumn begin to show themselves all around us, that you will remember that each new day is like a cleared field after harvesting. Your thoughts, attitudes, and actions are the fruit and crops of what you planted. This autumn choose only the fruits and crops that produced a bountiful harvest of love, joy, health, kindness, care, prosperity, mercy, compassion and peace and let that which held you back drift away. And may you give thanksgiving not only for the autumn time around you, but also for the autumn time within you. Happy Autumn everyone! I wish each of you as you read this thought, in this moment and on this day, much peace and joy. Feel this autumn, own it, squeeze the autumn fruit out of it. You have arrived at your destination; this is the present autumn of your life. The autumn of life is a strange mixture of nostalgia, blessings, and potential. It yields the harvest of seeds we’ve sown throughout life and braces us for colder days to come. When life’s autumn arrives, we look back and better understand the way God led us; but we still have work to do—the best and fullest. It’s a good transition time. Enjoy a beautiful autumn!