Summer

I love summer! No school, swimming, sun, bikes, sprinklers, squeals, sleepovers, and ice cream all make me think of summer and the freshness it brings. Summer is my favorite season. Some complain of the heat. Others don't like the non-routine of things. But for me, some of my best memories have revolved around summer! Little ones in a Wal-Mart plastic pool, my marriage vows meaningfully recited in June of 1992, surrender to full-time ministry in the summer of 1990, decades of Texas visits, reunions with family and friends, beach trips I will never forget, and beach journaling with insights from God that have carried me through many long, cold, dark winters. I love summer! 

For me, this summer is the summer of new! June will be full of moving into a new house in Augusta, Georgia after a long winter. July will be full of new ministry opportunities. August will be a fresh start to a school year and church year in a new place. I love summer! 

God is the God who was so good to give us fresh starts with four seasons each year. He is the God that makes all things new. He is the God that wants to do a new thing in our lives. He is the God that provides new mercy every morning and all day long. He is the God that redeems anything we put under His blood and makes it useable. I don't want to live bogged down in the "old" of life and miss the new. 

How about you? Life is flying by for us all. Are we making the most of it? Just like the seasons change, we should too. We should keep seeking to let God change us, make us new, and give us a fresh perspective. Let's slow down, look up and enjoy the God who loves us. Run through the sprinkler, roll down the windows with the music on loud, hold those you love long, take time to reflect watching a sunset, and don't miss the beauty of summer! 

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