Talking about growth in the season of fall may be strange.  Historically Fall or Autumn is known as the time where dead leaves fall off the trees; hence we usually coin this transition with themes that suggest the purging of old things in your life.  True to these themes, your marriage could probably stand to get rid of some old attitudes, issues, and problems that are hindering your marital growth.  What has been a lingering adverse problem in your relationship?  Perhaps it is time to let that go.  Autumn represents the ending of one season and the transition or the start of another.  It would be advantageous to have a nice bonfire and burn up the idea of holding on to negative feelings and thoughts.  I hear you asking me “How do I let go?”

The idea of holding on is one of harboring.  Harboring is thought to be a safe place, it’s a sheltered area; In this case, it’s a safe area for a negative thought or belief.  Kind of an oxymoron wouldn’t you think?  Why would you provide a safe place for a negative impression to take residence in your mind?   Imagine if you gave a disease a place to rest in your body!  That would be crazy, and it would also be a warning sign that your immune system was not working correctly.  Your immune system is supposed to reject and fight back.  In the same way, you have to fight back with positive thoughts.

Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are lovely, things that are just, and things that are of a good report.  You have to redirect your thoughts.  When something negative comes to mind, please don’t allow yourself to give it a safe place to rest.

It’s so important to realize who is in control of your thoughts.  You are!  You may not be in control of what others have done, but you are indeed in control of your reactions and how you are going to process what has happened.

After my husband and I had gone through something devastating in our marriage at the hand of my negligence and immaturity, I would tell him for every negative thought you have let’s create a new memory.  Therefore, in addition to him making an effort to change his thoughts on his own, we did something creative and positive to counteract that thought.  Soon those negative things took up less and less space until it was defeated.

Philippians 3:13 Forgetting those things that are behind me, I press towards what lies ahead.

In preparation for our future together and a new season of positive things to come, I want us to focus on planting good seeds. Being proactive about creating new memories will provide for a harvest of long-lasting and healthy marital relationship.  That’s #AmazingLove