Seasons

 Autumn...the season of Fall when the leaves change color, the temperatures cool off, the sweaters go on, football is in full swing and the wooly worms begin to give the winter weather forecast.  This time of the year has always been my favorite... until this year.  Just the thought of it has been depressing to me.  Just thinking about sweaters turning into coats and cool temps turning into cold brings a sad feeling to my soul.  Early dark evenings makes for short days and long nights and that thought alone is scary.  Being cooped up in the house gives my brain a cramp.  For the past two weeks I can feel, literally feel, the joy being sucked out of me! I see it-or the lack of it- when I look in the mirror.  Its gone from my eyes.  Football used to bring me lots of joy- now its just sad because I shared that with Danny.  And we all know how he loved football.  And of course football and Fall go hand in hand-together.  So I guess the root of my sadness and depression is the fact that we loved Fall and football and I can't love that anymore, or at least not the way I used to.  Yesterday as I walked I told God, "I am depressed and I don't like that feeling- Please deliver me from that!"  I also shared with Him my many other woes and worries.  So you know God!  He always has a comeback.  I always stop and "breathe"  so I check facebook and right there the first post was "Jesus Heals:  Cancer Addiction Mental Illness Drpression- Then he touched their eyes and said "Because of your faith, it will happen."  Matthew 9:29 and then "Faith is not believing that God can it is knowing that HE WILL!"  Jesus is always there talking to me reassuring me.  But sometimes its so easy to let those little seeds of doubt start to take root.  Doubt turns to worry then fear then the next thing you know the devil has weaseled his way in and has stolen all your joy, which is what he did to me.  And I let him!  Before I went to bed last night Our Daily Bread devotion had this for me "You need not be afraid of where you're going when you know Gods going with you"  How true that is.  I have no idea what is in store for me!  As I was getting ready for church this morning, Joel Osteen had these words of wisdom..."Some of you have had unfair things happen, life has not turned out like you'd hoped.  God is saying "If you'll rise up out of those ashes, put on a new attitude, I'll not only bring you out but I'll bring you out with twice what you had before!"  God was answering my prayers from yesterday.  I do believe he is telling me to move forward even though I don't know where I'm going, He is going with me!  This morning one of my scriptures was:

 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

16Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

We are only here for a season so we must make the most out of the time God gives us here.  If we let Satan steal our joy he also takes some of that precious time that we could be using for good.  Depression has no room in my life!  And satan sucking away all my joy stops today!  This morning at church I could just feel His goodness washing all over me!  Through songs, prayers, hand shakes, hugs around the neck, even little Elijah!  He just huggged me with such passion it was like he was trying to squeeze the devil out of me!  I think it worked because even getting groceries after church, I felt happy and even shared Jesus with several people- even my WalMart cashier!  So live life to its fullest no matter the season- whether it be a season of the year or a season of your life.  Don't let the devil suck your joy!  If you have to go search out your own Elijah and let them squeeze the devil out for you!  In Psalms 103:5 it says "He fills my life with good things"  don't let those good things go to waste.  Squeeze out that devil to make room for all his goodness!