"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Matthew 5:14-15

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

Monday, August 27, 2012

New Beginnings

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under heaven:
    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Today was the first day of school for the local school system and state university - a time of new beginnings. Usually by now, my sons and I would have already put in several weeks to a month of homeschooling before this date, but this is the first year for me to be officially 'retired.' Even though I'm not in the class with many others who had a first day of school today, the fall season still gets me in the mood for a fresh start. What better time to look at our priorities and make sure you aren't over extended as you begin new things.

Right now I'm in the process of 'a time to keep and a time to throw away' as I start the lengthy chore of downsizing and cleaning things. It's something that won't happen overnight, but I'm slowly making progress.

I'm looking forward to a Bible study I'm leading this fall called Six Basics of a Balanced Life by Carol Kent & Karen Lee-Thorp. What things are you doing this fall? What are your new beginnings? I'll soon be starting to write book two in a series I started. 

5 comments:

Loree Huebner said...

I adore the fall. I don't know why, but I feel a sense of relief when summer is over. I do think of it as a start of new beginnings - maybe that's because I was born in autumn.

Wishing you the best as you start book two.

Loree Huebner said...

I adore the fall. I don't know why, but I feel a sense of relief when summer is over. I do think of it as a start of new beginnings - maybe that's because I was born in autumn.

Wishing you the best as you start book two.

Jodie Wolfe said...

Thanks for leaving a comment Loree. I'm excited to start writing again.

I like fall too, but my favorite season is winter.

Blessings,
Jodie

Anonymous said...

This fall is also a time of new beginnings for me! I've recently joined the Proverbs 31 Gather and Grow leadership team and have begun reaching out to ladies in this part of PA. I'm so excited about our first book/Bible study in the region, A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, and I'm looking forward to using teaching skills that have been gathering dust for awhile.

I'm also going to get serious about pursuing agent representation this fall. I'm polishing my first fiction proposal and am looking forward to the ACFW conference in Dallas!

I will be praying you through the changes!

Jodie Wolfe said...

I'll be praying for you Suzanne. The P31 Gather and Grow groups are wonderful. I've led a couple myself too.

Can't wait to hear how things go with pursuit of an agent and your impressions of the ACFW conference in Dallas. I won't make it this year...hopefully next year. I'll be praying you have a wonderful time and make the connections you need to while you are there.

Blessings,
Jodie