Have you noticed how fruits and vegetables are so much better when bought in season?

Here in Fairbanks, fall is the only time of year to get freshly harvested local carrots. They are so bright, crispy, and deliciously sweet they seem to be a different vegetable altogether than the imported variety we get the rest of the year.

And if I want squash, I need to get my fill now, because come March, though there may be a few lingering in grocery bins, they’ll be dry and shriveled.

I know not to buy summer fruits like tomatoes in December because they’ll taste like nothing, and if I want non-mealy nectarines I’ll need to wait until June.

Depending on where we live, seasons affect not just what we eat but often where we focus our time and energy as well. Summer tends to be busy with outdoor activity, and, with the longer days, we might be more likely to stay up later. In winter, bedtime comes earlier, and, snow-bound, we spend more time in front of the TV or curled up with a good book.

Our ancestors, many of whom made a living by farming, were especially in tune with the seasons. For them, each season had a distinct focus. Spring: tilling the ground and planting. Summer: tending fields and fertilizing. Fall: harvesting and storing. Winter: slowing down, assessing what went well—or didn’t—in the previous season, planning, and repairing tools and equipment.

Even though we aren’t as bound to the seasons as our agrarian predecessors (unless you’re a modern farmer!), there is still a lot of value in being aware of the needs and priorities of the season we’re in. This is particularly true when it comes to our life seasons. Just like the year, there are varying seasons in our lives. Seasons of planting and preparation. Seasons of harvest and celebration. Seasons of rest and rejuvenation.

Perhaps your life season matches up with our chronological season, and you’re right in line with the themes of autumn: harvesting, completing goals, and rejoicing in the fruit of your efforts.

Or maybe you’re in more of a summer-like life season—a time of activity, growth, and work. This may look like being busy with projects or tending to commitments and relationships that are already well established in your life.

Or perhaps you’re in a spring-like life season—a time of planting seeds and putting down roots. A time of new beginnings and dreaming of things yet to be. This might look like starting a new job or school, or perhaps settling into a new town.

Take a moment to consider: what life season are you in? What is the focus of your season? What do you need to thrive at this time of your life?

Take some time to consider your goals for the last few months of this year. But then take a moment to take stock of your internal goals and needs. Do you need extra rest? Do you need rejuvenation? Is it a season of serving in your community or at home? Do you need to connect with a close friend or mentor? Add a spark to your marriage? How is your connection to God? Are you making time for the things that deeply feed your soul?

Just as fruit and vegetables are better when they’re in season, we are fresher, more vibrant, and better equipped to enjoy life when we’re in tune with the needs of our unique life season.

Here’s to vibrant, seasonal living!

With love,

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Meditate

Ecclesiates 3:1-6 (NLT)

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.

I want to hear from you!

What are you goals and needs for this fall? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

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P.S.

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