Valerie Rumfelt

Amazing Fall or Ultimate Autumn?

The weather is finally getting cooler here in Mississippi. It’s October, the State Fair is in town, and cooler temperatures are welcome. We lived in Rhode Island and Canada for 12 years. The four seasons were expected, and we indeed enjoyed waiting for them. Anticipating a season, living in the season, and watching the next one unfold made the passage of time vivid and distinct.

Autumn, as it deserves to be called in that region of the country, was spectacular.

Now we find ourselves back in Mississippi and only see pictures on social media of foliage along the East coast.
Living in the region each year amazed us with the bright trees. I imagine God took out a brand new box of crayons year after year to color each leaf! God needs no filter; living color is unadulterated.
Those years watching the Autumn parade of glorious color were intensely enjoyable. Just being around this exclamation of God’s creation was something we looked forward to. Undoubtedly, one could never get used to it! We appreciated it as deeply as our souls would allow us.

I wonder, how can anyone look at the vivid brightness of color and not respond in worship? Who else but God could order a tree to produce such a dazzling glow?

Usually, it was a storm that ended all this brilliance. Strong winds would blow, and each leaf would stray from the strong branches and swirl to the ground.

Now in Mississippi, we have to look a little more intentionally, but you can see a few trees coloring if you look for it. The ground is covered in crunchy leaves, and soft breezes usher in the season. The ground is covered, and gentle breezes blow to usher in the season. There are, of course, certain places like the Natchez Trace that have some color all in one place.
Spider webs mysteriously appear and multiply, and their intricate designs are worthy to behold. The color of the skies in October is outstanding. My husband calls it October blue. The light shining through the trees can be a photographer’s thrill.
The colors, shapes, and textures of the gourds on display at the grocery store capture my attention every year. And white has come on the scene as an added pumpkin color. Well, if it’s possible to make a pumpkin elegant, that color certainly does it.

Then there are the chilly mornings like this one that cause you to stand in front of your closet a little longer to find that vest from last year or a softer shirt to throw on.
Fall in Mississippi has beauty unique to the region. For me, the Northeast has Autumn. Mississippi has fall.
The transition from the intense summer blaze to the soft, transitional cooling may not be as dramatic as the Northeast region of the US, but Mississippi has its own markers. Football and hot chocolate, that first chilly morning, church fall festivals, flannel shirts, an evening at the fair, or a hike at a state park all mark the season. Maybe you’ve seen some lovely fall colors, or you have an activity you do this time of year. Let’s not miss one day. Whether you call it fall or Autumn, there’s no doubt there is a Creator God who engineers the timing of this gentle, cooler season that begs for a change of activity to warm our hearts.

L.M. Montgomery said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

©Valerie Rumfelt

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The first R

It was a number of years ago when making a Pinterest board when “it’s all about the R” came to be. There are a number of fanciful and creative ways any letter is written. My board for R’s is filled regularly. With all the choices of fonts now, you too may love the way your initials look in certain script. Years later when thinking of a name for this blog, that title for the Pinterest board came to mind. Starting this blog seems like the time to tell you about the first R.

By the time of my birth, both my parents had accepted Christ. By that I do mean that both parents had come to saving faith in Christ Jesus. They prayed their children would know Him one day too.

My day came at 7 years old. It’s a dim but notable memory. The memory has me at home. It seemed suddenly, (but more time may have crept by), when my mind began to think about dying. Then it began to think about my family. My sisters had already accepted Jesus and the thought of dying caused a desperation and urgency to enter in my soul. An awareness gripped me that in my present state, Heaven wasn’t where I’d go if I’d died. Worse than that thought was the one of me going to Hell!

I began to understand being with my family and Jesus in heaven was my desire. This led me to go tell my mother of my desire of wanting to accept Jesus into my heart. She moved very quickly finishing what she was doing. Soon, she, and my dad and I were hovered in front of the living room sofa all on our knees. I would repeat after them and ask Jesus to come live in my heart.

I don’t remember my baptism. That alone makes me grateful that baptism, although important, does not save you. That salvation day, my Redeemer came to live inside my heart.

To this day my understanding of that transaction leaves me in awe and is baffling to me at times.

Regretfully, it is sad that although I joined Him on my life journey that day, at some point in college, I chose a road that He didn’t choose for me. That fact also makes me grateful that my salvation was secure that day at the age of 7, and my name was and is written in the palm of His hand. We can say “no daddy” and walk off, but He never leaves us. Since my return back to Him, I’ve never let go.

Redeemer is a word that implies taking my place and in the dictionary the name Jesus Christ is actually the example given. How wonderful! He purchased my salvation, my deliverance from sin, and my freedom by dying on the cross for me.

So, do you have a spiritual birthday? In John 3:4, Nicodemus is talking to Jesus, “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

There’s an old hymn by Fanny Crosby entitled, Redeemed. Some of its lyrics so lovely…

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.

Nicole C. Mullen wrote the song Redeemer where she fervently claims her Redeemer lives and that she talked with Him this morning.

That’s the Redeemer I know and He is my most important R.

(c)Valerie Rumfelt

Why a blog…

I’ve waited most of my life to write with any intentionality. Never recognizing the God given gift, I only wrote when inspired and generally, it took the form of poetry. There’s certainly nothing wrong with poetry, but this blog hopefully will be writing, not verse or ballad, but a more articulate style, embracing writing. Occasionally, a poem may appear. It’s been a long time coming, the intentionality for writing. Years of timidity, denying the gift, not understanding how to use it prevailed. Thankfully, through a series of circumstances, I’ve understood it’s time to start a blog. Perhaps you will read about some of those twists and turns. The purpose of this blog is to offer helps to the Christian. I’m a believer of Christian disciplines and living a life of faithful witness to a lost world. Sometimes there may be personal stories and other times an explanation of a practice which makes my life richer.It is fun to launch this blog and see where God takes it. A true writer will write even when no one is reading. That just means I enjoy writing. But having readers would be my joy. My photos are mostly from my Iphone, a few are my husbands, a very few from a free website. I do hope you will let me know that you dropped by and please share my posts with your friends. My desire is that something you read here will benefit you and bring glory to my Savior.