“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ L. M. Montgomery
I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t agree more. I think we can all think of that perfect fall day: deep blue sky, golden leaves rustling in the breeze, the smells of apple cider and mulling spices wafting through the house. There is just something almost magical about this time of year.
“October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths…Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills? I’m going to decorate my room with them.” ~ Anne of Green Gables
(Cue the pumpkin spice lattes!)
But while this season is one of colorful splendor, it is also a time of change. Crimson leaves fall, the days grow shorter, and the world loses a bit of color as we dip closer toward the winter months. For many, this season is one of rushed deadlines and busy schedules.
A while back, I heard someone say: “When the leaves fall, we can better see the sky.”
But isn’t that true? The trees let go of their summer splendor and enter into a time of stillness, but with it also comes a beautiful surrender, allowing the heavens to declare the glory of God. So often, I think we get caught up in our own little worlds, and we convince ourselves we must be the ones to hold everything together, that if we step back, it will all unravel like a loose thread. But instead of giving us peace, it usually causes us to stress more and relax less.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18,19 (NIV)
What are you holding onto that is preventing you from heading into your new season? Is it a desire for control? Anxiety over a job? Health concerns? Whatever it is, God calls us to hand all of those things over to Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
In my debut novel, The Glass Cottage, the heroine, Abigail, struggles with this same thing. Influenced by her fears, she convinces herself that in order to survive the ups and downs of life, she must cling to her insecurities. But when an old friend challenges her to surrender her fears to God, she is surprised to find a whole new future waiting just in front of her—a future she never could have imagined.
Just like the trees, who know when it’s time to shed the mantle of summer and make way for the peaceful time of winter, we must too draw near to God and listen for His call to surrender.
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.”
—Psalm 62:1 (NIV)
Could a nineteenth-century diary be the answer to Abigail’s prayers?
Iris wanted nothing more than to live her own adventure. But on the tails of the Colorado gold rush, a certain discovery could upend her world before it’s even begun.
Over a hundred years later, Abigail Prescott returns to the sleepy mountain town she once called home to help her great Aunt Josie restore the old antique shop, The Glass Cottage. Looking for peace and God’s direction for her life, the last thing she expected to encounter was a ghost from her past—Benjamin Greene—her childhood best friend. The boy who got away.
Is this just a coincidence, or could it be the start of something greater?
Together, Ben and Abigail work to fix up the shop and stumble upon an old journal. With more questions than answers, Abigail embarks on a journey of self-discovery to track down the mysterious Iris, but the truth is not always what it seems.
In this tale of friendship, love lost, and love found, Abigail must decide for herself: Is every story worth saving, and if so, at what cost?
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Contemporary romance author Alyssa Schwarz is a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines with a Master’s in Geology & Geological Engineering. She also works as a professional watercolor artist along the Colorado Front Range and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Alyssa’s debut novel, The Glass Cottage, is set in the Colorado mountains. You can find her online here:
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