Simply Summer

I am so thankful it's summertime! I started off the summer with a few goals.

1. Go hiking at least once a week

2. Go camping 3 or more times this summer.

3. Spend daily time with God.

4. Prayer

5. Take a trip to Colorado

6. Take a trip to Seattle

7. daily exercise

Let me just say, this summer is going by way too fast!!!! I am finding some of these goals easier to keep than the rest. I made my trip to Colorado and it was fabulous. My friend Stina competed in the Miss Colorado Pageant for her last time, and she was beautiful. I definitely didn't exercise everyday in Colorado, but Krissy and I did take care of the weeks hike.

The exercise goal is one of the ones I REALLY need to work on. It's just so hard to stay motivated! As for the hiking, I think I can accomplish this one. :) Camping on the other hand...... I'm not too sure. James bought me an awesome tent for Christmas that I have yet to use. The weather was so wet the last few months that there really wasn't an opportunity to go camping. I'm hoping we will be able to go camping up at Bear Lake sometime in the next few weeks. Then I'll only need to squeeze in 2 more trips. It's possible.

Seattle is another one I know I'll accomplish. My family and I are going in August

to visit family. I am super excited to be somewhere besides Utah! There will be 7 of us flying on a plane together. It should be quite the adventure.

Goals 3 and 4 are lifelong goals. I always strive to spend daily time with God and part of that is through prayer. It's so so so easy to get wrapped up in everything else around me and leave these things out of my day. I wasn't doing too well with this goal at the beginning of summer. But, lately I've been better. I couldn't sleep last night so I found myself in the living room reading the Bible out loud. I read about the temptation of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount, marriage, and a handful of other things in the book of Matthew. Matthew 6:26 always stands out to me. "Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?"

I also read a bit from Romans chapter 12. "Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; Pray that God will bless them. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the scriptures say,

I will take revenge; I will pay them back, says the Lord.

Instead,

If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads."

I find it easy to love people who love me back, but difficult to love those who don't seem to love me. This verse helps me see how much God truly loves us. He left the perfection of Heaven to surround himself with people he knew wouldn't love him. In fact, many people hated him! They hated him so much that they flogged and crucified him. And Jesus was without sin! If Jesus was hated we can expect to be hated. When Jesus was dying he asked God to forgive the people involved in the crucifixion. It baffles my mind because I Know those would not have been my thoughts. Lord, help me to love those who don't love me in return. I can't do it on my own.

Oh Summer, how I love thee!