Enjoying My Summer Days

Daze – Unable to think or react properly. We’ve all had those moments of being in a daze. Something startling happens, and you’re dazed. But sadly, we can put ourselves into this state by being inactive. Moments, hours, days – or a whole summer can drift by, and if we are not careful, we can remain unable to think, simply because we’ve parked our brain somewhere and can’t seem to locate it! We are dazed.

I noticed myself falling into this state too frequently this spring, due to scrolling through Instagram! I was being mesmerized by others’ lives while not fully living my own. When the Lord brought this to my attention, I made a decision to reclaim my DAYS by removing myself from Instagram at least through the summer (except to post my blog and podcast). The result has been freeing! I’ve done so many things already and I’m only five weeks into my summer! Here how I’ve been enjoying my DAYS!

Bible Recap Refresh – At the end of each month, I get together with anyone in my church (or those visiting at that time) who are also reading the Bible Recap through the Bible. In June three of us gathered at Cracker Barrel to celebrate 175 days of reading through the Bible! We discussed the attributes of God that we’ve gleaned and the things the Lord is teaching us in His Word. That kind of conversation is invigorating!

Watercolors. I am continuing to work on and advance my skills in painting with watercolors. It’s always so much fun to create painting. I painted the vase above from a flag I saw in a store. I didn’t have a tutor for this one, but I often pull up a You Tube instruction and follow their gifted skills and paint with them. I especially like Ellen’s tutorials. She’s a good teacher and really helps me learn techniques. Once you start watching tutorials, others will pop in your feed and you can find the artist that best helps you. I also love Pinterest for inspiration!

Cooking/Serving others – You probably already know I love to cook and bake, but if I can have others over, or if I can fix food to take to someone, it’s even more fun! On a not-too-hot day I made up a double batch of tortillas with coconut oil. We’re having guests this week and I’m serving a Mexican fare. I also baked up some breakfast items for a friend who is under the weather and has a family. I find that breakfast is often a hard meal for needy families, so I baked up Banana Bread and Baked Oatmeal and delivered it to my friend.

Gardening – Flowers, herbs, and vegetables are all growing in my yard and I love it! I so enjoy picking the ripe veggies and serving them for our meals. The lettuce did great this year with the cool days we enjoyed. My Sugar Snap Peas are so sweet and crunchy and my cucumbers and tomatoes are just now producing! I also love making a bouquet of flowers for the kitchen with all my roses. I have to grab them before the Japanese Beetles get them! Grrrr!!

The outdoors! Whether it’s walking my country road in the mornings, sitting on one of the porches in the rocking chair or swings, or taking a trip to sit at the lake, being outside is a joy! We enjoyed a Boat Parade on the Fourth. The cool breeze off the lake made the temps perfect for viewing!

We miss a lot when we’re in a daze. Don’t let summer pass you by because you’re staring at a screen of someone else having so much fun! Set your phone aside and create some fun, creativity, relationships and awesome SUMMER DAYS!

Refresh your summer!