Summer Days

I, for one, am really sad to see summer come to a close. But it is officially happening. The blankets are plied back on my bed and the hoodies are reappearing in my wardrobe. The other night I got home about 8:45 and I found myself thinking it was rather dark out. Summer is ending.

In remembrance of the great summer months, I thought I would share with you the top 5 things I love about summer.

1. Sunshine. I love being warm and I love when the sun is out during summer! It generally means warm weather and long days to play. There is always a possibility of sunshine in the other seasons, but warm, summer sunshine makes me very happy. And there is nothing quite as exciting as when you realizing it’s 9pm and there it’s still light enough outside to play!
2. No School. Now I’m not currently in school, but let me explain. There is a general, cultural relaxation when school is out of session. It just makes life more fun! Kids are out playing, families don’t feel rushed to get home to do homework or get ready for bed, and most people take the time to do more playing!
3. Swimming. I cannot tell you how much I love to swim! It’s even better when it’s at the beach, but when that doesn’t happen near as much as I would like. But I love it when it’s warm enough to just play in the water. I think one of my highlights this summer was meeting up with a bunch of kids and parents at the pool for a few hours of swimming (totally related to my #2 reason for loving summer!). It was awesome to see some of the kids accomplish the diving board for the first time! It was awesome.
4. Food. Not even kidding. There is something great about food in the summer time. I mean really, it’s BBQ, Farmer’s Market, and berry season. Can it get better than that? I think not.
5. Shorts. If I could handle the cold, I would wear my shorts all year! But I can’t handle the cold. So the shorts will soon be packed away for another year. That makes me sad. But I really enjoyed using them while I could!

That’s my top 5. What about yours? What has been the best part of summer? Have you really thought about it? Here’s what I would encourage you to do: Think about it! But don’t just leave it there. James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” What if we took each moment that was fun, each thing we enjoyed, and turned it into praise to God? One of the things I’ve learned is that when I start looking for the good things God has given me, it helps me focus. I realize that there is a lot of good things from God! And actually, when I am looking for God’s good gifts, I’m not to bothered by the end of summer any more… Instead, I’m overwhelmed by good gifts!