girltalk Blog
Preacher Charles Spurgeon once said in a sermon, “We are about to let
autumn preach.” And we would do well to listen. In yet another sermon,
Spurgeon elaborated on what the fall season reveals about God:
“To the Christian it should be great joy, by means of the
harvest, to receive an assurance of God’s faithfulness. The Lord has
promised that seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, shall never
cease; and when you see the loaded wain carrying in the crop you may
say to yourself, “God is true to his promise. Despite the dreary winter
and the damp spring, autumn has come with its golden grain.” Depend
upon it, that as the Lord keeps this promise he will keep all the rest.
All his promises are yea and amen in Christ Jesus: if he keeps his
covenant to the earth, much more will he keep his covenant with his own
people, whom he hath loved with an everlasting love. Go, Christian, to
the mercy-seat with the promise on your lip and plead it. Be assured it
is not a dead letter. Let not unbelief cause you to stammer when you
mention the promise before the throne, but say it boldly—“Fulfil this
word unto thy servant on which thou hast caused me to hope.” Shame upon
us that we so little believe our God. The world is full of proofs of
his goodness. Every rising sun, every falling shower, every revolving
season certifies his faithfulness. Wherefore do we doubt him? If we
never doubt him till we have cause for it we shall never know distrust
again. Encouraged by the return of harvest, let us resolve in the
strength of the Spirit of God that we will not waver, but will believe
in the divine word and rejoice in it.”
“Every revolving season certifies his faithfulness.” This is a biblical
perspective of autumn. So let this fall be more than simply a time to
enjoy the beauty of the season. But let it be a fresh certification of
the faithfulness of God to keep all of the promises of God. What
promise can you confidently ask the Lord to fulfill in your life today?
Remember, no stammering allowed.
(Taken from Charles Spurgeon, “Harvest Time, August 11, 1904 and “The Joy of Harvest, Farm Sermons)
Like many Christian children growing up, we didn’t participate in Halloween or get visits from the Easter bunny. But that didn’t mean we missed out on all the fun. Mom believed there was something else to celebrate: God’s kindness in the change of seasons.
So, on the first Saturday of autumn, we celebrated Fall Special Treat Night. Mom would invite a small group of our friends to participate. Everyone came dressed as a different character—usually a princess or Mary (Jesus’ mother) if you were a girl, or a soldier if you were a guy.
We would have a dinner of hot dogs, chips, jello, etc.—but each portion of the meal was eaten at a different person’s house. We would walk to designated homes nearby and a parent would drive us to homes further away. And not only did we get a meal, but candy at each person’s house as well.
The most memorable stop was Grandpa and Grandma Mahaney’s where Grandpa would have a bowl of pennies with dimes mixed in. We had to close our eyes and fish around in the bowl trying to come up with as many dimes as possible in our little fist. With candy, coins, and a full tummy, I think we felt as rich as any millionaire!
But more than that, from an early age we learned to mark and appreciate the change of seasons as a lavish expression of God’s common grace to man. And that, indeed, made us truly rich!
This recipe provides a fun alternative to pumpkin bread…
Colonial Pumpkin Bars
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup pecans, chopped
Cream butter and sugar together. Blend in pumpkin and eggs. Mix remaining ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Spread in a greased 10"x15” pan, or (for a cake) in a 9"x13” pan. Bake at 350* for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of the pan. When cooled spread with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend cream cheese and butter well. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and blend well.
Roxie Kelley and Friends, Just a Matter of Thyme, (Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Pub., 1998), 115.
...the Mahaney, Chesemore, Whitacre, and Bradshaw couples, plus Chad, will be vacationing in Chatham, Massachusetts for the week. During our teenage years, this was the Mahaney family getaway spot each summer, thanks to a couple who owned a house in Chatham. However, it has been almost seven years since we’ve been back. Because of Dad and Mom’s incomparable generosity, and the kindness of Nancy Whitacre, Kathy and Amanda Spiro, and Janice Dillon who are watching the four little guys, we’re returning to one of our favorite spots in North America—and maybe even the world.
But not to worry, you won’t have to go the whole week without a “Girl Talk” fix with your morning coffee. We’ve already got a whole week’s worth of posts coming soon to you.
We want you to have a little fun along with us this week, and since the first day of fall falls while we are gone, we are inaugurating our own little “Autumn Festival” on the blog. Complete with recipes, activities, and musings—we hope you will enjoy the splendor of autumn along with us.
So don’t touch that mouse. Stick close by to see what’s coming up next…
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