September Often Means New Beginnings

For many people, September means:

• A new school year (teacher, staff, students, families, parents)
• A new job
• A new house
• A new community
• Something new to study

New Beginnings = New Opportunities

• New opportunities to live life abundantly
• New opportunities to learn something new
• New opportunities to see God at work 
• New opportunities to extend grace
• New opportunities to try new things  
• New opportunities to try again

Marking the New Season

How do we embrace the next season?

How do we transition well from one season to another?

How do you mark the changing of seasons?

• New seasonal coffee drink
• A picture on the first day of school
• A picture of something outside (ex: A picture of the leaves changing)
• Changing the decor in your home
• Changing the decor of your front door
• Changing of decor in your office
• Switching your wardrobe to make things feel like fall (even though we know, especially in Texas, that the days are going to be 90+ degrees)
• Burning a new fall like candle
• Changing which essential oils you are diffusing
• Pulling out your favorite seasonal coffee cup
• Taking yearly family photos in preparation to send out those Christmas cards
• For the ladies: Painting your toenails and fingernails a new color that reflects the new season
• Creating a new playlist of music
• Starting our favorite show for the millionth time again
• Football season
• Going outside for a walk
• Going outside to sit in your favorite spot to soak in the changing of seasons
• Creating a new tradition
• Revisiting an old tradition

Regardless of how you are marking the changing of your seasons, make sure you are transitioning well in some way, big or small.

I wish I could say I do great at transitioning well from one season to the next. Sometimes there is more resistance to change than there should be. Sometimes there is fear where there should be hope. Sometimes you wonder if God really is at work. Sometimes you wonder if you heard God correctly. 

What if the new season is one we did not plan on happening?

Often new seasons feel like a reset. A new season means new beginnings. New beginnings can feel like hope. How should we embrace a new season when we prefer to run in the opposite direction?

Maybe something happened that impacted us personally. How do we handle unmet expectations? How do we move forward when we have a lot of questions? How do we face an unexpectant reality we are trying to make some sense out of while also trying to at the same time trying to move forward?

• Get curious about this new season and the people you are doing life with regularly
• Try to continue doing one normal thing each day
• Try to find something new to learn
• Try to be honest with how you are feeling
• Allow yourself to process
• Be okay with not knowing right now
• For many, we find ourselves needing to trust God when life does not look how we hoped or dreamed.
• Find your people you can be honest within your current season
• Slow down when you can even if slowing down is just for 15 minutes in your favorite chair with a nice hot cup of coffee
• Be still. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat as often as needed.
• Set yourself a timer. Try 2 minutes to start. Close your eyes. Open your hands. Just listen.

How do you take the lessons learned from one season to the next?

Often a new season causes us to reflect, both on the good and on the bad of what happened in our previous season. We learn about what worked well! We are learning about what did not work as well as we desired. We reflect on maybe we did not make as much progress on something. We realize we forgot a goal. We look back and realize God was always at work despite us not paying attention. We find gratitude when seasons are not ideal. We find joy regardless of our circumstances. We extend more grace to ourselves and those we are around. We find additional ways to be positive. We take more notice of the little things. We find ways to remain hopeful as we transition on into the next season. We look for more ways to life live abundantly.

Embrace new opportunities!

Say “yes” before trying to talk yourself out of something. Seek out new opportunities. Maybe say, “why not?!” instead of a quick, “no!” Sometimes saying “No” in one area of your life allows us to say, “Yes!” in another area of your life.

Embracing New Beginnings

• Create deep roots where you live
• Embrace your community
• Enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors.
• Prepare well now for what is next.
• Be honest with yourself first, and then be honest with others
• Everyone is going through something.
• We sometimes see glimpses of what is happening behind the scenes.
• We join each others’ lives in different seasons from our own.
• We do not need to know everything.
• It’s okay that we do not know everything.
• Give yourself grace.
• Give others grace.
• Spread kindness.
• Speak life.
• Speak truth.
• Be bold.
• You are not supposed to be like everyone else.
• Your story is unique.
• There is no one else like you.
• We do not need to have all the answers.
• Take notice of the little things.
• Be still and live in the moment.

What matters to you?

How are you embracing the new fall season?