Skip to main content

Summer Time Intentionality




I hope your making time for those you love the most this summer. Often I walk into summer with big dreams of how I will spend my time and who I am going to be with... then way too often it seems August is upon us and I've barely scratched the surface of my big dreams. How about you?

What were you most hoping for this summer?

What are you doing to reach toward those hopes?


For me, I began the summer asking myself what I most hoped for this summer. I knew I wanted to spend time with my family and friends this summer. You see, my parents are growing older and my kids are fast approaching adulthood... so I am feeling a bit of urgency to make the most of my days. I walked into the summer knowing I needed a plan that began with being less hurried. Almost everyday, I must be diligent in what I say YES to and what I am say NO to.

Truthfully, it's already been a challenge to be wise in how I spend my time. My parents live 2 hours east and my oldest son is living 4 hours west, not to mention all the things we are committed to here at home. I am constantly asking:

Is this what I want or need to spend my time doing?
How is this "thing" going to invest in the lives of those I love the most?
If I choose not to do this or that, will I look back and regret it one day?

Psalm 90:12 says this...
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of
wisdom.

My prayer is that we will see our days as an amazing opportunity to be with God and be with others in ways that truly make a difference.
So What About You?
Name one thing you are hoping for this summer and one specific thing you are doing to make this hope a reality. Post your comments below!

Comments

  1. Connor (my 12 year old) and I created a "bucket list" for the summer during one of our car rides. We both contributed to this list of things we wanted to do. As we wrote our list, I realized we both longed for time together and fond memories. Together we set out to "make" these things happen. With a small step of intentionality -- simply making a list -- I am glad to say many of these things came to be... Here's to spending time at lake with friends, hanging out at Grandma & Grandpa Rowland's house, celebrating Grandma Gunter's new home, Gun-Salvo outings and bonfires with our dear neighbors, enjoying homemade ice cream, kayaking, going to Springfield to watch Calvin play baseball, Connor's baseball tournaments, hiking, boating, Chelsea's horse show, going to an Indian's game, Chicago, getting our family together... not to mention the extra-ordinary, ordinary moments of life.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shaking the System

Here at Grace Community Church we just finished a four week series entitled Shaking the System. If you missed any of these -- you can listen online at www.gracecc.org/sermons.html How did this weekend series stir you? What questions or concerns did it raise in your heart and mind? This past week Dave Rod gave us some ideas for personal engagement -- have you or are you planning to take any steps to personally get engaged in social justice issues?

The Shack and Room of Marvels

I love to read. I enjoy hearing what others are thinking and processing. I go through spurts of reading fiction and honestly I don't read very much christian fiction. BUT, a few years ago I read a book called Room of Marvels and just recently picked up a copy of the book, The Shack . Both books are fiction. Both books press in on really hard subjects of pain and loss. Both books profoundly impacted my view of God, our world, and eternity. Any readers out there? Have you read either of these books? Would love to hear your thoughts?

Praying as We Breathe In & Out

By offering a simple prayer with every breath, we can be reminded "for in him we live and move and exist" (Acts 17:28). Although rather simple, this practice requires a connection between the unconscious act of breathing and a conscious expression to God. A Bit of History The church has practiced breath prayer or "prayer of the heart" for millennia . The Eastern Orthodox Church, in particular, has seen breath prayer as a way of living out Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing."         Examples Jesus Prayer Take a moment to become aware of your breathing. It might help to find a quiet place -- close your eyes and notice your breathing. As you breath in -- bring your thoughts to Jesus. As you breath out -- express a word of gratitude or need. For example, breath in -- saying "Lord, Jesus Christ" -- breath out saying "have mercy on me." Throughout your day -- as you notice your breathing -- take note an