The Dog Days of Summer

It's summer, and time for wandering- Some of the best memories are made in flip flops. ~Kellie Elmore~ author

Meet our dog, Jazz. She's a sweet, blue-eyed Siberian Husky whose misfortune is that she lives in the Sonoran Desert when all she really wants is a big snowbank to burrow into. Oh well. Like the Stones used to sing, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Jazz has decided to take the summer off and lay around, spending most of the day napping. She occasionally wanders over to her water dish and laps a little cool water. I look at her longingly. Sometimes dogs are a lot smarter than people. We call these days "the dog days of summer." The name technically has something to do with a star called Sirius (the Dog Star) that rises with the sun somewhere around July 3 through August 11. That's not important. All we know is that it's the hottest time of the year. With this heat comes the need for a slower pace, hopefully while on vacation...or a day at the lake...or at least a nice, soft couch in a cool place. But don't neglect your inner life this summer. Don't confuse what is urgent with what is important. Make every effort to stay connected. Take part in Sundays and Monday night classes if you are in town. We have some important topics we're covering this month. I will talk more about the Holy Spirit and healing. Pat Trotter will lead us on a journey in the Psalms. Pastor Chacko Varghese will share about his mission and ministry in India. Then in August we are going to enjoy a 3-part DVD series by Louie Giglio called Prayer: Remix. This video series is rich, radical, and very entertaining. In it Louie challenges us in how to move toward a healthier God-centered prayer life instead of our typical me-centered prayers. I hope we can have some good, lazy summer days, but I also plan to use this time for spiritual refreshment and awakening. Join me. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."  Hebrews 10:24-25    Happy Summer Days to You, Greg