Glorious Fall!  A Season of New Beginnings

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“Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” 

I love this line from the classic movie You’ve Got Mail by Nora Ephron. Why? Because I love fall, too! Here in New England, we are experiencing the first few days of cool, crisp air that ushers in the most glorious of seasons. Nora Ephron may think fall in New York is lovely, but it certainly can’t compare to the beauty of the autumn foliage we experience here in New England each year.

But it is not just the natural beauty and mild temperatures that I love about fall. I love the feeling of new beginnings and new possibilities. Don’t get me wrong, we love summer vacation here in our household! We pack a lot of fun into the months of July and August. So, by the time September rolls around, my girls are usually ready for the new opportunities presented by a new school year—even if they are not thrilled about the homework that goes with it! They are ready to reconnect with their friends, learn new things and get involved in after school sports and activities.

But for me, the most exciting thing about the fall is the beginning of a new Mom to Mom year! I love the energy in the room as the moms are greeting one another and opening their new workbooks. I love seeing the connections made in the small groups—God always seems to orchestrate the small group assignments with a bigger plan in mind. I remember small groups in which lots of moms were struggling with infertility and they supported one another in powerful ways. Or the small group that had lots of unemployment woes. They were mighty prayer warriors for one another. And even the small group in which almost everyone was married to a husband named Dave. Isn’t God hilarious?!

So, what about you? Have you joined a Mom to Mom program this year? Maybe this is a good time to go back and revisit a Mom to Mom program that you used to attend because many of those groups are offering the brand new Real Mom Life curriculum that we just released this summer. The series offers sixteen new lessons about timely issues associated with parenting, marriage and family life. Or maybe this is the year that you decide to start a new Mom to Mom gathering in your home for some of the moms in your church or your neighborhood. Whatever opportunities God places before you, I hope you experience lots of excitement and joy in this season of new beginnings. I think I’ll go put together that bouquet of newly sharpened pencils!

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Theresa Nelson

Theresa Nelson first participated in the Mom to Mom program as a new mom in 2002. Since then she has served as a Titus 2 leader, speaker, writer, and more recently, as a board member with Mom to Mom Ministries. She has a professional background in high tech public relations, but discovered a new passion for encouraging and empowering moms after becoming a mom herself. She teaches classes on family and marriage at churches and parenting groups and delights in equipping the next generation of parents to create healthy families and healthy homes.

Theresa loves hiking and spending time in nature, especially on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. She also enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures—especially food! She loves to cook and host dinner parties for family and friends in her home.

Theresa and her husband, Don, live in Lexington, Massachusetts, with their two teen-aged daughters.