Autumn and All Saints Day Decor {and a Link-up}

God is an artist! 

What an awesome world He made for us! From the towering trees to the smallest flower! But He doesn’t settle for JUST making a wonderful world full of stunning sights, He also needs to redecorate every three months! So once again God has put his artistry to work and is painting the trees with gorgeous golden colors!

The seasons are such a joy! Personally I don’t like cold weather, but the beauty in each of the seasons is just a wonderful pleasure to see! A man once told me that if he had to chose to loose his sight or his hearing he’d rather loose his sight because he LOVES music! I had to respectfully disagree, I love to see all the beautiful things God made! But even our personal opinions are the artistry of God’s wondrous creativity! 

As wonderful as God’s artistry is the seasons can show us so much more! The seasons are a reminder of the changes in our lives. While spring is a symbol of the beginning of our lives and summer the middle, fall is a reminder of our life coming to an end. So every autumn our liturgical year focuses on those who have gone before us. We pray for the souls who are suffering in purgatory and we celebrate those who have made it into the glory of Heaven! 

Fall is to remind us that we will not be here in this time and place forever. We are meant to one day be a part of God’s harvest. Just as a farmer goes into his field and harvest his crops, God too will harvest us. But only the finest produce will do. Just as a farmer destroys his poor produce, God, too, throws the bad part of his harvest into the fiery furnace. 

I read this little story about 10 years ago and it’s stuck with me all these years…..

We are like jack-o-lanterns.

God picks us from the pumpkin patch and brings us into his home. He washes off all the dirt on the outside of us. He cuts us open and takes out all the yucky stuff on the inside. He removes our seeds of sinfulness and selfishness. Then He carves us a new smiling face. He puts his light inside of us to shine for all to see.  

But for God to fill us with his light we have to be willing to let Him! Our shell has to be soft. God will not cut through our shell if we have hardened it.  The saints were willing to let God do his handy work on them and so we celebrate their holy lives. We should strive to live more like they did before our lives end and God comes to harvest us. 

And for those who are asking: What’s winter’s meaning? Well, winter is the season that should remind us of Jesus days in the tomb before He rose from the dead.  Those who have died in God’s Grace will also rise, as Jesus did at the Resurrection! 

For the feast of All Saints Day I made a center piece for our home. I wanted to bring a little of God’s artistry inside so I collected some beautiful colored branches and arranged them in a jar filled with water.

Then my daughter and I hung saint medals on the branches. 

It’s been a beauty for the whole family to see!!

The kids have also enjoyed playing a few games of “I Spy” as they searched through the medals hanging on the branches to find a special saint!

A note to anyone trying this: 

The leaves will live for only a few days. I found oak leaves live a little longer than many others. (But I never tried maple)

You could buy artificial leaves, but if you want real long lasting leaves click here to see how to make them.

Click here to see how to make longer lasting fall leaves 

that don’t need replaced or need water!!!!

Enjoy! ~JenMarie