Fall Gratitude

Rev. Jen Auger

October is one of my favourite months! In my time of healing I have been enjoying a nightly walk, watching the season slowly transition. I love the colours, I love the easy temperatures: the sunny days and crisp nights. Not to mention, there’s two of my favourite holidays in the same month: Thanksgiving and Halloween! As I watch the squirrels and chipmunks scurry to gather their last nuts and treats for the winter months, I feel the parallels as we gather our own “nuts” - blessings of time spent with others, shared meals, and fun creative memories - stashing them away for the colder nights ahead.

1 Thessalonians (5:16-20) says, “Celebrate always, pray constantly, and give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Don’t suppress the Spirit. Take a close look at everything, test it, then cling to what is good.” May this month of Thanksgiving bring you opportunities to celebrate, to give thanks, to reflect and to cling to those things that feed and renew your spirit. They may not chase away the winter months, but they do help to make them gentler on the spirit. 
 
Thank you, Hope Springs community for the lovely collection of postcards that came in the mail today!  Deep Thanksgiving blessings to you and your loved ones, 
 
Some things to share together:
...SOME MUSIC: Grateful, by Empty Hands Music. “All that I am, All that I see. All that I've been and all that I'll ever be. Is a blessing, It's so amazing, And I'm grateful for it all, for it all.”  At the end of this video is a tree with the fall leaves replaced by paper ornaments of things that the woman feels blessed by. If you had such a tree in your yard, what would you hang as your blessings?
 
...A STORY: Thank You, Omu, by Oge Mora. A beautiful story about the unexpected outcomes of generosity. Have you ever experienced an unexpected gift of generosity? Has generosity ever inspired you to pay it forward?