Summary of Summer

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.’ (Matthew 22:36-37, NIV).

It’s hard to believe we’re already into August. Summer always seems to go by so fast! Sleepovers, swim parties, visits to the Sunshine state, and finally, back to school shopping.

Several weekends ago, my Mom and a couple of my nieces spent the weekend with me. It was a weekend that encapsulated everything I love about summer–we soaked up the sun, spent time at three or four different playgrounds, shoe shopped, and slept hard.

As I reflect on the past couple of months, or scroll through the photos on my phone, it brings a smile to my face.

Friday afternoons at the pool. Days off to spend time with my nieces and nephews. A trip to Florida to see an old friend. Evenings on the farm. Birthday parties. A family reunion. UK baseball at Kentucky Proud Park. Boat rides on the lake. Ice cream, ice cream, and more ice cream.

Though I did not include names on the list, each memory holds a collection of people that are near and dear to my heart. This list is not comprehensive, but could be summed up with one word: love.

Love is the greatest commandment. Matthew 22: 36-37 teaches us: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

My relationships are most important in my life. My prayer is always to reflect the love of Jesus to those around me, and to continue to love God above all else. When I measure the wealth of my life, I consider myself to be deeply and richly blessed.

A good friend of mine recently said, “What is life if you don’t have people with whom to share the blessings we’ve been given?” I couldn’t agree more. I can summarize my summer with a mantra that my church always preaches: Love God. Love people.

#christ #summer #thenarrowpath #icecream #gratitude #jesus #matthew