Happy Wednesday Trojans! Today is a wonderful day because God is good and fall is officially here! As the ‘-ber’ months have begun, we’ve felt the morning temperature slowly dropping as we walk to our 8 am’s, we’ve seen golden hour light hit the trees around campus perfectly and we’ve seen the leaves starting to erupt with warm colors. And of course, pumpkin spice everything is making its way back into our lives one perfectly crafted PSL at a time! Whether you love all things fall, embracing your inner Rory Gilmore, or you are still mourning the end of the summer heat, one thing is for sure: the seasons are changing.

But in this changing of the seasons, we are reminded that our God never will. In a world that can feel like it’s always moving. It can feel full of uncertainty and chaos at times. We know that there is One who remains the same through it all. One who is steady. Always present. Faithful through the ages.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

The same God who created the heavens and the earth, the same God who parted the seas for Moses, who walked with David through the valley of the shadow of death, who showed up in fire and in whispers, is the same God that is walking with you through this semester.

Even when we feel distant, He hasn’t moved away from us.

Even when life feels out of control, He remains sovereign.

Even when our hearts are tired, confused, or anxious, His love is unwavering.

Fall doesn’t just bring changes in the weather and the Starbucks menu, it brings life changes too. Maybe you’re figuring out how to navigate your first year of college, being away from home and creating a whole new life here. Maybe you’re adjusting to a new class schedule, new roommates, new responsibilities. Maybe you’re powering through long nights, tough professors, group projects that don’t quite feel like “group” projects, or friendships that feel like they’re in rut.

College life is fast. It’s full. It’s fun. One moment you’re grabbing Cookout milkshakes with friends, and the next you’re cramming for an exam you forgot about. One day you feel like you’re on top of the world. Feeling productive, social, motivated. Then the next day you’re burned out and wondering if you’re doing any of it right.

In fact, it sometimes feels like everything is changing all the time, your environment, your goals, your mental health, your friendships, your faith. It’s so easy to feel like you’re standing in the middle of a whirlwind just trying to hold it together.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

But here’s the good news: You don’t have to hold it all together because God is holding onto you. The world may tell you to keep up with the crowd. That you have to change who you are in order to fit in, to succeed, or to feel worthy. But the truth of the Gospel says the opposite. It tells us that we don’t have to strive for God’s love. We don’t have to earn His attention or affection. We don’t have to fear change because we are held by the One who never changes.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV)

How beautiful is that? Our God’s love never runs dry. His faithfulness doesn’t just come in seasons. His mercies are new every single morning. So, this fall, as the leaves change color and the air cools down, let each small change remind you of the God who remains steadfast. When your calendar starts to fill up and your heart feels weary remember this truth:

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” — Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)

He made you. He knows you. He sustains you. He rescues you. Let that be your anchor in the midst of all the change. Let this be your encouragement for this week ahead. Whatever this season of your life looks like right now, whether it’s full of joy or full of questions, God is with you in the midst of it. You don’t walk through anything alone. So as the season changes around us, let it remind you of something greater: that you are loved by an everlasting God. He was, and is, and always will be faithful, true, and near to us.

Keep showing up. Not perfectly, just faithfully. Because the God who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

You’ve got this. And more importantly, He’s got you. Happy fall!