It is the beginning of September, the first of the “-ber” months, and the only one where we have both summer and fall! In more ways than one, we are entering into a new season. Both of us have experienced huge life changes! We will have updates to share regarding a new job, new schools, and a new family member in the weeks to come! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. We would love the opportunity to pray for you too. Send us an email anytime at hello@yellowhousevibes.com.
As our lives go from one season to the next, the same is happening with the weather. If ya’ll are like us it’s kinda hard being stuck in the in-between. A part of us is already missing the warm heat of summer and all of its fun activities and the other is excitedly waiting for fall to get here with its breathtaking colors and crisp weather.
We like to give this in-between time its proper place and so we reserved some activities to help us celebrate the transitioning of seasons! Keep reading to hear what we plan to do to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall!
Worship!
“He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.” Psalm 104:19 (ESV)
Each change of the season is an opportunity to pause and give glory to God for His beautiful creation. The more we have grown in our faith, the more we have grown in appreciation of God’s provision for us to know Him in all of creation. If you want to experience the changes of the season like never before, we encourage you to do it with God. Below are some ways that we are prioritizing God and His Lordship over this fall season and our lives.
1. Pray, study, and worship! Setting time aside every day to pray and study God’s word is so important to our lives. We need time alone with God for counsel, refreshment, and direction. In this season of evident change, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the magnificence of creation like you haven’t before. When the weather is nice, take your alone time outside and meditate on how all of creation was made to give glory to God!
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! 4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created." Psalm 148:1-5 (NASB 1995)
2. Nurture your relationships! As we are all settling into new routines and slowing down from active summers, this is a great time to connect or reconnect with your community through studying the Bible together. Warm up the apple cider and attend or start a Bible study with friends. If you want to study along with Ricca at Dallas Theological Seminary this semester, check out their list of free courses here.
3. Praise the Lord! Thank God for whatever season of life you are in, and have faith! We can testify that having faith and hoping for what we cannot yet see, even through difficult times, has revealed the goodness of God in our lives.
Romans 8:28-29 tells us:
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;" Romans 8:28–29 (NASB 1995)
Trust that no matter how difficult your season is, if you love and are walking with the Lord, you will see it work for your good! We encourage you to seek Him with all of your heart and conform to the image of Christ, so you don’t miss out on what He is revealing to you in your season.
It is easy to be distracted by the fun of fall, no doubt that our world has put fall on a pedestal, however, we promise that when you make God the center of your life, you will reap an abundance of spiritual blessings that will last a lifetime!
Food!
We would not be us if we didn’t incorporate some fall-to-summer food traditions. Even though we are big believers that grilling is for every season, even winter, summer is by far the biggest grilling season. We do a lot of summertime grilling, so much so that towards the start of fall, our taste buds are ready for new flavors. Here are some suggestions for your September grill.
1. Grilled Peaches! Pit and split peaches in half and sprinkle with brown sugar and spices like cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of chili powder. Lightly brush your grill and grill peaches on both sides on low for 2-5 minutes. We also like ours topped with marshmallows for a healthy dessert!
2. Mix it Up! Try skewers of your favorite summer and autumn squashes (e.g. zucchini, acorn, and butternut squashes) with chunks of sage sausage, sweet onions, and bell peppers. Use your favorite seasoning blend and oil on the veggies and grill on medium heat until the veggies and sausage are done.
3. It's Corn! Make a quick compound butter combining salted butter with coriander, cayenne, cumin, and garlic, to taste. Then, slather the butter on fresh grilled corn. You can top it with fresh cilantro, parsley, or chives if you choose!
4. Grilled Turkey! Turkey gets its proper shine in November but we like to throw it on the summer grill with summer and autumn seasonings for a fun combo! Slice turkey breast into thin pieces and marinated for a couple of hours with a combination of olive, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, salt, tarragon, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of sugar then grill to perfection.
Home!
We’ve been counting down the days until the fall decorations go up and the pumpkin spice candles get lit. However, we just can’t put up new decorations and make our homes extra cozy without a deep cleaning. So while the the weather is still a little warm don’t settle in too quickly without doing some cleaning and reorganizing around your place. Here are some ideas to get your home “fallified” while the weather is still warm!
1. Clean it up! Turn on the music, put a lemon, cinnamon, and apple simmer pot on, and get started by de-cluttering your rooms, dusting behind furniture, and sealing up any cracks or spaces that will welcome cold drafts or critters. For a more comprehensive fall home preparation list check out these sites:
2. Freshen Up! Open up your screened windows to let fresh air in. We make good use of the chilly but not too cold days and evenings in September to open our windows and let in the fresh air.
3. Decorations Up! Celebrate your hard work by putting up your old decorations and if you can, treat yourself to a few new items. New fall decorations don’t have to break the bank! Check out garage sales and craft and discount stores, before purchasing more expensive items. There are also tons of fall craft ideas on the internet using items found at dollar stores. A budget-friendly fall crafting party is a fun way to host a simple gathering with friends, in your newly cleaned and decorated home, of course. You can even share crafting supplies!
Need some entertaining recipes? Find some of ours here.
Fun!
Last, but certainly not least, there are a few fun activities that we make sure to do in the early days of September while the weather is the perfect blend of not too hot and not too cold! Read what we will be up to this month below!
1. Apple Season! Visiting an apple orchard is at the top of our list every year and we already marked the day in our calendar. We enjoy going on a weekday after work, not only does it break up the work week and give us something fun to look forward to, but it’s also not as busy. So we’ll scoop up a couple of our favorite little ones and hit the road to Tuttles or Pleasant View Orchard. Indiana Fam, do you have a favorite? While there, we always pick apples, and snack on apple slushies and homemade donuts. Buying cider to go is always a must. It’s the perfect ingredient for our Apple Cider refreshers. Check out the recipe on page 24 of our fall cookbook.
2. PSL Season! Drinking ICED pumpkin spiced drinks until it’s time for the hot lattes is a vibe. Saving the warm drinks for when fall is officially here is a fun way we ensure there’s much to celebrate when we are well into the cozy season.
3. Swim on! Spending the last hot days swimming with friends is one way we say goodbye to summer! Labor Day weekend was our last summer swim. We highly encourage making good use of the pool while it’s hot during the first few weeks of September.
4. Get out! Soak up the sun by walking and doing outdoor exercises in the morning and evening. We won’t be spending as much time outside when the weather is cold and windy so we appreciate the last days of summer a little more by being outside as much as we can!
5. The fun of Shopping! For us fall shopping is half looking and half buying. If we bought everything we saw in stores this season we would be sleeping in the leaves! We truly enjoy picking up items and admiring their uniqueness or fun factor and putting them back. Placing an item back on the shelves that we don’t love or won’t utilize, allows us to find items we will really appreciate. We mindfully shop for all types of items like new decorations, candles, candies for our jars, sweaters, and fall food items!
We hope you are encouraged to celebrate the last days of summer and the first days of fall with us. What do you think about this special time of the year? Are you all in for one season and out for the other or are you stuck in the middle with us? No matter what side you are on, let us know what you are up to this season and what you think of the content above!
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