Officially transitioned into autumn

Just this past week, we officially transitioned into autumn! Are you ready for change? Recently, Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on the Eastern USA coast, in States such as North and South Carolina. Residents there have been through many a storm and storm warnings. Storms are a part of life. Someone has said that we are either coming out of a storm, currently in a storm, or will be going into a storm shortly. The question is: where are we right now? No one is exempt from the storms of life. But just as the disciples who initially feared the storm later came to revere Christ more, so the storms we face can bring us to a deeper knowledge of God. “’Who is this,’ the disciples pondered, ‘even the wind and the waves obey him!’” (Matthew 8:27). Through our trials we can learn that no storm is big enough to prevent God from accomplishing His will (Mark 5:1). Big storms can roll in fast, suddenly turning blue sky days dark with worry. It can happen with one brief conversation, a diagnosis, an accident, or some other life-altering occurrence. And we’re left, with swirling thoughts, wondering how we didn’t even see it coming. It often hits us hard, leaving us flat. We can’t stop the storms from happening, but we can know where to run… for cover. While we may not understand why God allows trials to enter our lives, we can thank Him that through them we can come to know who He is. We live to serve Him because He has preserved our lives. The storms of life prove the strength of our Anchor.

Ready for Change?

The crisp air is setting in and we can feel a new season of change upon us! Are you ready for change? Think about how much life changes we face – moving homes, switching schools, uprooting to another country, changing habits, approaches, and even attitudes! In nature, a caterpillar struggles to crawl before it is changed into a creature that can fly! Likewise, we may have to face a storm, loss, crisis, or disaster that leads us to change. In scripture Job says, “I will wait all the days of my struggle until my change and release will come” (Job 14:14). It appears that change requires some type of discomfort and struggle, but the end result is always better than the beginning.