Happy Fall!

Hi, this is Marilyn. Everyone has a favorite time of the year. What's yours? Mine is fall, autumn, that time of year when in my part of the world the air turns crisp and clean, the light turns golden, and the trees turn brilliant colors. The whole world is winding down after a busy spring and summer as it gets ready for bed and the long sleep of winter.

I especially love the leaves in fall. I can kick through them on walks in the woods, rake them into a pile and jump in it, and hold one up to the sun and marvel at the beautiful colors.

Do you know what makes the leaves turn such beautiful colors? I recently found out that the leaves already have the gorgeous reds, oranges, yellows, purples, browns and rusts in them. But in the spring and summer, when the trees store up food for winter, their leaves are filled with chlorophyll, the chemical that makes photosynthesis possible. (You remember learning in science that photosynthesis is a plant's way of turning sunlight into food. Btw, isn't our God brilliant? He's more brilliant than the fall colors he creates!) But when the nights become longer and colder in the fall, the leaves lose their chlorophyll. When that happens, the gorgeous colors that were hidden all through spring and summer can show through.

Now, green is a fine color, but isn't the striking array of different colors a treat for your eyes after summer is over? It makes me think of all the wonderful parts of ourselves that we might keep hidden because we're shy or embarrassed or afraid of what other people might think of us if we show them. Maybe you love to play the pan flute or play chess or collect words (don't laugh--there are people who love the sound of particular words and keep lists of them). Maybe you write poetry or sing or have a powerful tennis serve and don't want other people to know. Or you're afraid of letting other people know that you love God.

Just like the leaves, there will come a time when the fear or shyness or embarrassment that hides those wonderful parts of you will fade. Remember that God made you who you are. He created all the colors in you. So, don't be afraid to let your brilliant colors show through!

To get into an autumn mood, try this yummy recipe for pumpkin smoothies!

1. Put all these ingredients into a blender:
- 3/4 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup of apple juice or apple cider
- 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. of nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
- Crushed ice

2. Put the blender lid on, and blend until the mixture is smooth.

3. Pour into glasses. Enjoy!

Next time, try making it with one of these!
- 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter
- 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup (and skip the apple juice)
- 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup
- 1/2 of a banana

God bless you!

Finding Your Voice

Hi, this is Marilyn. Welcome! I've been thinking for a while about how unique and beautiful and special each one of us is to God.

Ever since I was a young girl, I'd wanted to write. When I was in grade school and my teacher gave us a writing assignment, almost everyone else groaned, but I was excited. I kept journals and diaries, and I wrote stories and poems. In high school I wrote more stories and poems, and was editor of the school paper. In college I filled every elective spot with some kind of writing class. I went to graduate school and specialized in creative writing. I published poems and short stories, articles and columns, and books. I’m also a technical writer, explaining to people how to use computer programs to help them do their work more easily. I'm so happy that I can do what had been in my heart all my life. But sometimes I don't think it's very special. It's just something I enjoy doing and something I’m willing to work hard at.

Writers often hear the advice, “Find your voice.” A writer’s voice is his unique style of writing—the words he chooses and the way he puts the words together. It often takes a writer several years to find her voice, but once she does, her readers know right away that she wrote what they’re reading.

Finding your voice isn’t just for writers, though. It’s another way of saying, “Figure out what unique gift God has given you.” If you play softball, for example, your gift might be pitching or hitting or catching—or cheering on your teammates or loving your opponents. If you're a musician, your gift might be the ability to find uncommon harmonies or in the special rhythms you give the music—or singing just the right song at the right time for someone. If you’re a math whiz, your gift might be solving complex problems without using a calculator—or tutoring someone who struggles with the simplest equations.

It might take a long time to find the voice God gave you, but it’s an exciting, amazing adventure! But, finding it is just the first step. The second, and more important, step is to use that voice. It's so important to use the voice God gave you, because he gave that beautiful, unique, and special voice only to you!

I'd love to hear how you're finding your voice, and what you're discovering along the way!