Top 5 moments of Summer 2017

“A content life happens when we cultivate gratitude.” – Powersheets

I cannot believe that it is September or that the weather is feeling so much like fall that I am sitting at my desk in fuzzy socks, sweatpants, and my robe to keep me cozy.  This summer season flew by quicker than any other and I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that it has come and gone.  But, as I face the facts and slowly embrace the fall season that is rapidly appearing I want to take a hot minute to look back over summer and all of its glory.  

With help from my intentional goal planner, Powersheets, I’ve found great value in taking time to look back and appreciate what happened each month before jumping into what the next season offers.  Not only does it allow me to revisit pleasant memories of the past few months, it also gives me an opportunity to recognize areas of growth.  So, as I’m looking back at summer and what the Lord taught me, I wanted to share my top 5 moments with you. 

1. 4th of July week in Waupaca

We spent an entire week at our family lake house in Waupaca, Wisconsin with my family (mom, dad, sis, her hubby, my hubby and I) and it was glorious.  It was jam-packed with fun in the sun, ice cream, jumping in the lake, boating to the harbor bar (our fave restaurant on the lake), swimming, and skiing.  This week is especially memorable because it was the first time I felt the beautiful dynamic of the 6 of us.  My sis and her husband got married just under a year ago and this was the first time all of us spent an extended amount of time together as a group; it was really special and an absolute blast.

2. Camping in our new truck tent

Growing up with a family lake house, we didn’t camp much.  In fact, the extent of “camping” was pitching a tent in our backyard only to run into the house in the middle of the night because I got spooked.  But this year, that changed. Instead of using a friend’s tent for our annual friend camping trip, we decided to bite the bullet and buy a tent! So we got an epic tent that sets up right in the back of our truck bed.  Throw in an air mattress, and string lights and we were glamping.  It was cozy, comfy and we can’t wait to use it again!  Watch out world, we’re campers now. 

3. Girls’ trip with my college roomies

The older I get, the more thankful I am for friendships that stand the test of time.  That is definitely the case with my college roomies, Trina and Alysha.  Our friendship was born as freshman college roommates and has endured many crazy nights in college, a bit of drama (naturally), ups and downs and has now evolved into the sweetest of friendships.  We have been through a lot together and taking this first girls’ trip and adding a new member (Alysha’s little peanut, Skylar) to the clan only affirmed how thankful I am for them.  This is a tradition I am looking forward to repeating. 

4. Bike extravaganza - Tosa to MKE

One hot, spontaneous Saturday in July, seven of my fave people pedaled our bikes along the Hank Aaron trail from Wauwatosa to the lakefront in Milwaukee.  Weaving our way through the Air Show crowds, we parked ourselves on McKinley beach and watched the Navy Blue Angels shoot across the sky.  Once the show was over, our return trip was more like a little bar crawl; we stopped at the Irish Pub, City Lights Brewing Company, and finished with a glass of wine at Ruby Tap in Wauwatosa.  It was such a fun way to see our city, enjoy the beautiful weather, and get a little exercise in too.  I’ve underestimated how bike-able Milwaukee is and will most definitely be incorporating more of these treks next summer.

5. Alone at the lake

This summer has been a bit of a struggle emotionally for me, and I have found so much comfort and solace in time spent alone at the lake.  Whether it be sitting at the lakefront in Milwaukee or venturing up to Waupaca for my first ever solo visit (stay tuned for more on this one in a future post), the Lord has spoken much needed words of affirmation and encouragement when I’ve taken time to be alone.  Looking forward into fall, this is a discipline I want to continue. 

If this isn’t an exercise you’re used to doing, take a minute, scroll through your camera roll and revisit the joys (and struggles) of the last few months.  As you look back, I’m curious - what would you choose as your top 5 moments of the summer?

Celebration and sadness can co-exist

There’s a common thread weaving its way through the fabric of my community; that is this question, how can we celebrate and be sad in one breath?  How can we rejoice over a new relationship when we know its mere existence presses into the wounded heart of a single friend?  How can we be excited about a positive pregnancy test in the presence of a friend who lost her baby at 9 weeks?  How can we be wrecked by news of the hateful behavior in Charlottesville and still praise God for the beauty we see in our neighborhood?

When I got engaged, my sweet sister, 2 years my elder, was not married or even dating at the time. As excited as she was for me, my engagement was a painful period for her because her desire to be married ran deep.  And thus, it was difficult for me too. It was tempting to hide my excitement around her to protect her wounded heart but at the same time I knew that wasn’t fair to me either; balancing my joy about being a fiancée with sensitivity about her sadness was like walking a tight rope.

We tend to believe that we shouldn’t express joy in the midst of someone else’s sadness for fear that they might feel neglected. But what I’ve learned is, celebration and sadness can co-exist. In fact, as believers, it’s something we have to practice every single day.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He conquered death and defeated the evil one.  But, until He comes for a second time, the reality is that evil still exists in our world today.   In John 16:33, Jesus says, “…In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus acknowledges that in our world there is going to be trouble. He does not neglect the fact that it will be hard, there will be hatred, brokenness and death.  BUT, in the same breath He gives us hope saying – take heart! I have overcome the world.  As we wait for Jesus to come again, we have the incredible responsibility of seeing the ick that goes on in our world and feeling sadness, and yet at the same time, proclaiming the celebration that Christ has the victory. 

Last week, people flocked from all over the world to parts of the United States where they could view the epic, natural phenomenon where the moon blocked the sun in totality.  As soon as the moon crossed in front of the sun, the world below was blanketed in darkness; eclipse goers went wild as nighttime arrived in the middle of the day.  Animals went into their holes, cicadas chirped as if night.  But here’s what got me- even though the moon completely blocked the sun, its light could not be contained; blasting around the edges of the moon, the corona, the sun's wispy outer atmosphere formed an ethereal ring in the darkness.  I can’t get over this image (huge props to my Uncle for capturing it) because it so beautifully represents life with Jesus.  No matter how dark our world gets, or how heavy our circumstances, because of His victory on the cross, there will always be light.

Friends, this is tender territory.  I wish I had the magical answer of how to navigate spaces, like those I posed earlier, where utter joy and complete destruction exist synonymously.  But, no matter how hard it is, I believe that celebration and sadness must coexist - that we must acknowledge the good and the bad in the same breath and here’s why:

One – We need to support each other despite our differences.  It was really hard to be excited about my engagement when I knew it hurt my sister’s heart, but I knew that shielding her from my excitement wasn’t going to help her (or me).  By acknowledging our emotions and being honest with each other, we met in the middle – we supported one another regardless of contrasting emotional states and our bond grew deeper because of it. 

Two – It gives us the opportunity to proclaim the name of Jesus. As followers of Christ, we need to be the ring of light in the solar eclipse – when the rest of the world is burdened with darkness we need to proclaim His victory over the evil one. 

Three – It prepares us for our darkest hours when we desperately need to remember that even when the worst happens, God is still good.   We can build up our habitual muscles so that if/when the seemingly worst happens our first reaction is to remember that God is still good, that Christ still has the victory. 

This is something that I am currently wrestling with; and I’d love to know if you are too.  Have any tips or just want to say “me too!” leave me a note in the comments below. 

**This epic photo was taken by my Uncle Tom - thank you Uncle Tom for sharing this experience with me, and allowing me to share the beauty you captured!**

Dependent on Others

This summer has been an odd one for me for two reasons:

1 – the Lord told me to use this summer to focus less on striving and more on seeking Him; to simply enjoy the life He’s given me

2 – I recognized how dependent my life is on my community

Six years ago, I changed my job title from college ministry assistant to housewife. It was a job title I was most definitely not expecting and did not feel prepared for. Staying home and supporting my husband by taking care of the laundry, dry cleaning, grocery shopping, etc wasn’t a position I saw myself holding at the young age of 25-years-old.  But with a husband who works 65+ hours on a slow week, it became clear that this was the best decision for our marriage. If I wanted to see my husband, to be available, and ready to spend time together in the later hours of the evening when he got home, not working was best way to make that happen. 

I’d be lying if I said that adjusting to this role was easy.  I often found myself getting defensive when people looked surprised that I was not working, without having kids at home.  A lot of times I still feel misunderstood.  But the more time I spend in this role, and in this non-conventional work life with my hubby, I’ve realized that the Lord carved out this place for me. 

When I was little, and people asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, my most consistent response was, “I want to help people.”  I didn’t have a particular method in mind, I just knew that I wanted to help people.  Fast forward to today, being financially supported by my sweet husband, I am given the unique opportunity to be flexible with my time; making me available to help. Right away, I loved this blessing of being unemployed.  I could run over to my sister’s classroom to help with chaotic kiddos, or have coffee with a friend struggling with the fog of depression.  But what I discovered this summer in particular, is that God didn’t just bless me with the ability to be available, He blessed me with an availability that fits perfectly with the community He has given me. 

Someone recently said to me, “I’m just realizing how many of your friends are teachers.”  I laughed, affirmed her observation and in that instant, I realized how beautifully God orchestrated my availability for my community.  Having free summers is the perfect example; it's an opportunity to connect at greater length with my friends comprised largely of teachers. (It’s no wonder summers feel a bit crazy; that’s when a lot of my people are free!)  

The reason I share this with you is, on one hand a bit selfish.  A lot of times I feel misunderstood.  I feel like people look at my freer schedule, or the fact that I’m at the lake with a few friends again, with confusion or judgment.  Perhaps it’s all in my head, but it’s hard not to feel like people look at me like a free-loader who does nothing but gallivant with friends.  But I hope that sharing a bigger picture of who I am and the position the Lord has me in, I can be more understood.  Being unemployed, I still struggle with feeling like my role is insignificant when compared to the rest of the world – so sharing this with you is a way of holding myself accountable and working to combat those lies.  At this point in my life, I am able to adjust my schedule not based on what I need, but on what my community (my husband, my friends, my family) needs. Living this way, is a huge blessing, and an incredible opportunity that I want to take really seriously. God has me in this place for a reason, and I am determined to own that. 

The second reason I share this is to encourage you that if you are struggling with feeling insignificant or simply being content with where the Lord has you, you are not alone.  Take a minute today, do some self-reflecting and ask the Lord to show you a glimpse of why He has you where you are.  Wherever you are, know that you are good, you are worthy, and you are incredibly significant.