Sure, church is not always fun, easy, or even comforting… but you can be. You can connect with, sing next too, smile at, offer a hug or social-distant wave, and study God’s Word alongside fellow believers. And when you do, you add that irresistible flavor to the mix.
Category: Free Devotional
Stay Present Summer (Part 6: Noticing)
o be honest, I am quick to notice the exciting camping trip my friend is posting about online (swipe), the romantic anniversary my sister enjoyed with her husband (swipe), and the glamorous private pool another friend gets to lounge beside. And by notice, I mean envy.
I am so quick to notice the negative or to compare my life, my body, my yard, my kids, my activities, and even my relationship with God to someone else’s.
Maybe you can relate? Like me, maybe you are already an expert at staying present, you just live in the moment for all the wrong things!
Sadly, we’ve lost the art of noticing what actually brings us joy. It’s time to shift the narrative. It’s time for a Stay Present Summer.
Stay Present Summer (Part 5: Enjoy!)
Play is such an important indicator of trust. Martin Luther put it this way: “You have as much laughter as you have faith.” When you engage in play, you surrender the assumption that you alone can meet all your needs.
Stay Present Summer (Part 4: Sanctification)
God’s people are invited to a similar metamorphosis. As we live out our identity as children of God, the Lord works in us to make us more like Christ. This process is called sanctification.
Stay Present Summer (Part 2: Stay Roomy)
It requires intentionality to plan a lake day with friends. You must reject your phone and the couch, drive to the water, and do the work to blow up the paddle board you rented.
It takes some mental muscle to say no to one more camp and make room for rest, picnics, trail walks, and sleeping under the stars in your backyard with your kids.
You know you’ve got that stay present gumption when you turn off re-runs to fall asleep on time, enabling you to rise refreshed and eager to meet with the Lord for your morning prayer walk.
Only you know what gifts you have accidentally stiff-armed instead of embraced. Only you can shift the process, making room for healthy food, wholesome thoughts, time with family, an active body, a run-through-the-sprinklers spontaneity, and a deep connection with the Lord this summer.
Stay Present Summer (Part 1: Prayer)
God’s Word calls us to persist in prayer (Ephesians 6:18). Jesus set the example by regularly slipping away to solitary places to pray (Mark 1:35). My prayer for you is that this summer, you would be noticeably filled in your time with Christ.
Are You Ready for A Stay Present Summer?
What is worth putting your phone down for? What activities, values, and people do you treasure? How will you adjust your rhythms and expectations this summer to honor and enjoy them?