Goodbye Summer

Hi friends!

For the first time in 2017, I've missed posting for a while on my dear lil blog. I had been doing pretty well on consistent posts though, right? The month of July has just flown by!

I won't use the excuse of busy-ness, but I really have been running this past month. When I'm not working, I'm spending every waking moment with my roommates taking pics and doing other fun stuff in Florida. And if I'm not doing one of those two things, I'm sleeping/conserving energy for our next adventure. All the while, little blog thoughts are floating in and out; but when I sit down to write, the stillness catches up with me, and I just feel instantly tired.

But just some things I wanted to share with you before the summer ends...

My summer has been good. Honestly, I was so nervous for this season. I held on to a lot of fear of myself and past mistakes. It's almost as if I was walking into this season with the expectancy that I would inevitably fail, instead of with the expectancy that the Lord would be faithful. In recognizing my capability of sin, I let that become my identity; when really, Jesus was waiting for me to step into the summer recognizing His capability of fulfilling His promises to me.

I have been given so much more than I deserve this summer... the Lord has taught so much of what it means to love others well and sacrificially. He has made me brave this summer. One of my favorite things has been the sweet and meaningful relationships I've made with so many. It just makes my heart for this place grow even more.

I share this with you because maybe your summer was the complete opposite of mine. I know what it's like going through a season that is dry or where you feel farther from the Lord than you should be. Up until now, that's what most of my summers have looked like. And it's easy to be okay with that feeling of complacency because the school year is right around the corner, and that's when you'll get your life together. What's the harm in putting it off? New year, new me amiright???

Can I just strongly encourage you not to think like that?

Jesus is so much better than the mediocre, half-life you're living without Him. Sure, your life may not be in shambles right now, so it feels like there is no need for Christ if you can get through it without Him. But Jesus didn't come so that we could "get by." He came that we might have life abundant. He wants us to thrive and grow with Him, to have a life that is full to the brim and overflowing with the love of God.

Compare where you are now to the best moment/season you've ever had with God, and it doesn't even compare. Why would you wait to be in deeper relationship with Him when you could start right now?

And honestly, Jesus deserves so much better than complacency. We owe it to Him to give Him our everything.

The beautiful thing about a relationship with God is the freedom; and we have the freedom start pursuing Him right now. We don't have to wait for a certain time or date or season to come around. The pursuit of God is not a New Year's resolution type of thing. Do you think the Lord cares about what time of the year it is to start following Him? He absolutely wants us close to Him the sooner the better. And He is gracious enough to welcome us back with open arms no matter how far or long we've been away from Him. There is no shame here.

Wherever you're at this summer, whether it's head over heels in love with Jesus or it's hard to even remember what it's like to love Him, I pray the rest of your summer is spent even just a step closer to Him.

He is so worth it, my friends.