I flipped over the calendar...

...to find August 1 staring back at me.

Now when (and how) did that happen?

I'm swallowing hard as I accept the inevitable reality that our school year begins one month from tomorrow.

Gulp.

Am I ready? Nuh-uh. Not yet.

But I will be.

And for the next month, I'll continue to relish these long, almost carefree days of summer. Oh, there has been a fast-paced agenda (probably more frequently than I would have preferred), and we've been on the go (definitely more often that not). But even through a seemingly fast-paced summer, God has brought refreshment of a different kind. He's refreshed my heart by bringing new, exciting opportunities for ministry that all-too-often I'm too busy to notice or complacent enough not to care.

And while my back still recovers from the torturous bleachers I sat upon at our boys' 6 baseball games per week (Monday-Thursday), I'm thankful that through those times, God allowed my life to intersect with those lives I ordinarily would not have come across. I think of the conversations He ordained and the people He placed in my path. I think of the intentionality with which my husband coached our middle son's baseball team. My heart swells as I consider how he taught them much more than the game of baseball. He taught (and modeled) integrity...good sportsmanship...what it means to be a man.

Admittedly, I generally am not comfortable being the first to make a move in a relationship. And while I can chalk some of that up to my personality, I've also come to realize that I can no longer rationalize my disobedience when God tells me to go. I'm pretty good with taking food to neighbors and reaching out to encourage them once I know them...but making that first move to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood is generally a struggle for me. And I admit that far too many neighbors have come and gone in our nearly 11 years in our home; many without a personal touch from me to get to know them. So many wasted opportunities. But once again, God has given us new neighbors, and I'm practically giddy at the thought, "God has given me another chance!" So, if you would, please pray for me as I seek to take action and reach out in love to these whom God has placed beside me.

While the summer has been filled with new ministry opportunities, it's been filled with a whole lot of fun memories, too. See, of course, the slideshow in my previous post which highlights our two-week visit with my heart friend and her family. What a beautiful time of togetherness we shared! Add to that a staff retreat, camp, loads of baseball, weddings, lunch dates, runs, walks, mucho coffee...and motorcycles?


This helmet is courtesy of our friend and fellow pastor. I don't know whether you can see it or not, but his wife added braces to the skeleton's teeth. Oh yeah, we're a force to be reckoned with!
We're just housing it for our brother-in-law, but the guys have enjoyed cruising around town on it. I'll stick to my van, thank you very much. I think my motorcycle days are behind me. They were brief...all of about 4 months while I was pregnant with our oldest son. They were fun times, though!
This picture was taken after our middle son's play-off game last night. Though they didn't advance to the Championship, this shows my husband giving the team one final pep talk.
And here is our son with his cheering section who came to root him on!