Summertime!

It's summer vacation time! We just finished VBS last Thursday (I'll post about them this week.) and are looking forward to a still busy, but not crazy busy summer.  Well....actually, for the boys and I.  Joe will be still crazy busy, maybe even more so.  But now we can help him with those things!

What are you doing this summer? Are you getting some relaxation time? Are you refocusing on the important things?  Taking a break from some important things?

I remember years ago I didn't like summer time. It seemed that while so many were on vacation and enjoying the summer, that the church work kind of slowed down, too.  I didn't like it.  But now I do like it.  I see that it's okay to take a break and refocus - while still doing work for the Lord - but then gear back up on certain things when school starts back in August.  The problem is when we totally forget about God, Jesus, and the work of the church in the summer.  That's when there would be a problem.

Taking more time be together as a family is important in the summer, but this past Saturday, we went as a family to help out another family who had tornado damage a few weeks ago. During the school year - and even for many Saturdays in the summer, we wouldn't have had that time.  We were so thankful to be able to help them because they needed help.  We wanted to help.  And my boys will be able to help their dad with things at his work because they'll have more time to do so because it's summer.  So in a way, summer time makes us able to help others more.  That's a good thing!  No...that's a GREAT thing!

There is an illustration that I always think about when it comes to serving the Lord.  We can rank our priorities and try to put God/Jesus, the church, spouse, family, work, service,  in order of importance, but sometimes those rankings get out of whack.  What is BEST is if you put God/Jesus in the CENTER and build out from that.  God/Jesus is in the center of the church.  God/Jesus is in the center of your marriage, your job, your family, your service.  That's when everything will be lined up where God wants it to be.  If you rank things, He may be left out of something.  He wants to be a part of everything.  Make Him part of everything this summer.  And have a great one!