Summer Ends- Fall Begins!

Yes, not only is fall in the air, it is here! Today is the first day of fall. The Autumnal
Equinox occurs Wednesday marking the start of the fall season.

The Autumnal Equinox occurs at 11:09 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 22. This marks the beginning of fall for the northern hemisphere and the beginning of spring for the southern hemisphere.

The Autumnal Equinox marks the point when the earth is neither leaning toward or away from the the sun. On the equinox, the sun is located directly over the equator and generally equates to equal (equinox) day and nighttime lengths.

Equinox's occur twice each year giving us the fall equinox and the spring equinox.

The next change of season occurs on December 21, 2010 at 6:38 p.m. EST. This is when the Winter Solstice occurs marking the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere.

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There is a full moon early Thursday morning (5:18 a.m.) and since it is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox, it is called the "Harvest Moon".

In case you are wondering, we don't move the clocks back one hour until the first Sunday in November. This year that will be 2:00 a.m. November 7th.

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How does the autumn make you feel?

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"Autumn begins with a subtle change in the light, with skies a deeper blue, and nights that become suddenly clear and chilled. The season comes full with the first frost, the disappearance of migrant birds, and the harvesting of the season's last crops."- Glenn Wolff and Jerry Dennis

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In the poem "The Months" by Sara Coleridge, she writes:

"Warm September brings the fruit

Sportsmen then begin to shoot"

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Yes the fall brings many delights. A time of harvest, when the earth is prime. The harvesting of apples, figs, grapes, pumpkins, nuts and more. A time of beauty nothing can surpass, the vibrant colors of the majestic trees' leaves against a deep blue sky. Sitting with family and friends by a crackling fire on a crisp cool autumn night, sipping some wine, or perhaps hot apple cider, reminiscing of times past and things yet to be.

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Yes all of this and more is the gift of our loving heavenly father that will never end! "Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the true God has made from the start to the finish. I have come to know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during one's life, and also that every man should eat and indeed drink and see good for all his hard work. It is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:11-13) "For all the days the earth continues, seed sowing and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22)

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May we especially be active, and joyful during this fall season, in the great spiritual harvest taking place now. This is the most important work being done today, and we have the privilege of working with the master of the harvest, Jehovah God. This too is the gift of God.

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There is more to come. Until then, have a happy fall.

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This is Raven-as the crow flies!

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