10 Little Photos... and a few more...

I haven't done a "10 Little Photos..." post in a long while, and I thought it would be the best way to showcase some of the fall color that has lingered around here. OK. Perhaps it should have been titled "20 or more photos..."

I'm surprised I have this many photos. It seems fall color was slow to start, and the local meteorologists kept saying it was too dry to get much color. I expected it to all turn brown and fall off the branches before reaching any intense color.

The peak of color is usually in early October, but we haven't had a hard freeze yet, and the temps have stayed unseasonably warm. There hasn't been the brilliant colors that I've seen in the past, but there is some color coming out now, rather late. It's beautiful, and I'm so grateful and thankful to see the reds, oranges and yellows linger on the horizon.

Some of these photos were taken at Silver Dollar City in Branson, just a short drive down the road from us. Many were taken in our neighborhood. I'm so blessed to have neighbors who don't mind me snapping photos of their trees, or leaves, laying colorfully on the grass like confetti.

I noticed something for the first time as I looked through these photos, the most colorful leaves are rarely perfect. They have blemishes, brown spots, torn sections, or are flawed in other ways. I think that is how God makes us too. If we were just plain green all year along, there wouldn't be much story to us. As it is, God takes our bruised bodies, broken hearts, torn promises, and puts us in His light, changing us into something spectacular. We wouldn't be nearly as beautiful without His light shining behind us, radiating His glory.

I'd like to dedicate this post to my Auntie June, who passed earlier this year from cancer. She loved the colors of fall, and delighted in the photos I would share from wherever I was living. She was such an illuminating light, radiating Jesus in each of us. She loved to love like Jesus does, forgiving the bumps and bruises and bringing the best out in all of us. I miss her so much every day, but I'll hold her especially close to my heart when I see the leaves changing color each fall. I'm so grateful for the time we had together, and know that she is enjoying a heavenly view of the fall colors this year.

-Marina