And even when the trees have just surrendered to the harvest time ~ Forfeiting their leaves in late September and sending us inside ~ Still I notice You when change begins And I am braced for colder winds ~ I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come... (Nichole Nordeman)

Something happens when the fall season arrives, and here in Louisville it really does arrive. One night the sun sets, and the next day you awaken to brand new scenery. The windows are opened to allow the breeze in, the coffee is brewed extra early while there is a still a crisp chill in those first morning hours, and the fleece house shoes are worn after many months of being stored away in the closet. I know everyone has their preferred seasons, but there is something distinct about autumn. I am welcomed outdoors, whether to walk my dogs or find a vacant bench on campus to read, write, or simply gaze at the glorious array of colors. When I behold the changing of the leaves, the arrival of a crisp breeze, I cannot help but be amazed. There is beauty which was spoken into existence by the One who looked upon His creation and saw that it was good. And it is good. The crack of a leaf under your shoe, the smell of pine outdoors and pumpkin spice indoors, the vibrant hues of red and orange splashed throughout the sky as the trees stand in grand display.... Why do I spend so much time reflecting on such details of the autumn season? Because such intricate details draw me closer to Him and cause my heart to proclaim, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge!"~Psalm 19:1-2

These are but the outskirts of his ways and the beams of his beauty.
The glory of God is not a reality that can be transferred merely by words. There is an immediacy in this discovery —a spiritual perception happens, a holy taste is born, a God-given revelation hits home. And no flood of words, no amount of reasonings, no mere arguments could ever impart what the heart sees when it sees the glory of God. It can come through the skies or it can come through the Scriptures (see also 2 Corinthians 4:4-6) or it can come through the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit (John 2:11; Matthew 5:16). But it is always more than the fruit of the Spirit, more than the Scriptures, more than the skies. These are the portrait not the Reality. These are the handiwork, not the Artist. (John Piper, "Do You See the Joy of God in the Sun?")