O – Opportunity
Opportunity to experience new sights, sounds, and adventures arrives.
October kicks off local fall festivals exhibiting lights, smells, and crafts that only appear this time of year. October ushers in the opportunity to explore a variety of outdoor venues, taste seasonal pumpkin treats, and to inhale the crisp air of fall.
C – Cooler/Cold Temperatures
Cooler and even cold temperatures begin to slip in. Warmer sweaters, hats, and gloves begin to protect our extremities. October’s cooler temperatures usually include a switch over from air conditioning to heat within our homes. And currently, at this writing, cooler temperatures of October warn us that “Daylight Savings Time” is near.
T – Togetherness
Togetherness begins to be on everyone’s minds. The holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Families may begin their plans. If the holidays are not on top of mind, the shorter days and longer nights facilitate more family time within the comfort of home. Togetherness may include movies, board games, story-telling, and even an old fashion sing-a-long.
O – Others
The thought about other people and their needs often materialize during October. The beginning of the Thanksgiving and Christmas fundraising drives will start soon. Food pantries need filling, Toys for Tots and other seasonal gifting organizations look for donations as well as volunteers.
Giving to others is a reflection of God’s giving to us.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
B – Beauty of Fall Colors
The beauty of the multi-colored leaves bursts forth before our very eyes. Green leaves of summer ignite with fiery colors of red, yellow, orange, and various colors between.
Riding through the countryside, and even in the city, you can observe the gradual change, anticipating the full explosion of color before the leaves fall to create a mountain of color at our feet. Homes decorate with flags and buntings full of the colors that compliment the change of season October brings.
E – Expectation
Expectation begins to mount.
Depending on your age, your role, and your responsibilities, your expectation may be filled with excitement, while someone else’ s expectation may be full of dread.
- A young child has longingly waited all year long for the sights and sounds that herald Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year celebrations just around the corner.
- An adult with the financial responsibility of paying for all the “glitz and glamor” of this season may have unspoken trimmers of fear, wondering where will all the cash come from to pay for the “joyous” occasions.
R – Rest and Restoration
Rest and Restoration can be built into this time of year.
Intentionality is the key. God ordained the seasons, and October begins the time of rest and restoration for the physical environment around us. Longer nights was God’s intention to slow the fast-paced production of life (photosynthesis) down so as to build a cyclical rest within the year that was beyond the 24-hour day and night cycle.
- Intentionally breathe deeper, linger longer, and soak in the presence of God during this most beautiful time.
- Find a rhythm that feeds your soul.
- Don’t try to fill every minute of your day with “productivity.”
Spending October with Our Good Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-3 is a great verse to begin quieting your soul for rest,
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
God wants us to rest in Him, as well as enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the season with our family, friends, and others.
For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7.
God bless you. Stay hopeful! ❤️
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