5 Ways to be Missional During the Summer: @MissionalWomen

Original Image

(My blogging break is nearly done. I'll be back to a regular posting schedule in August but today I have a a guest post over at Missional Women.)

If you know me personally, you know summer is my least favorite time of year. All the things I love about living in Orlando—al fresco dining, a great parks district, outdoor movies, long walks—lose their luster in the Florida heat. Summer leaves me dreaming of chilly Winter days, oversized lattes, and snow-capped mountains. And all this longing for a climate out of my grasp can leave me a bit blue. It's a bit like reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Still, everywhere I look on the internet these days I notice people bemoaning the end of summer. While children may already be preparing to return to school, summer is not nearly over. The Labor Day holiday is over a month away and the first day of Fall isn't until September 22. While the chill in the air might start to return to most of the country much sooner than it does here (I'll count myself exceedingly blessed if the heat has diminished at all by October) there's still a lot of summer left to enjoy.

If you haven't made the most of summer yet or are concerned about the remaining days ticking away, why don't you evaluate what is left of this season? For some practical tips to maximize what you're already doing and be missional during the remaining days of summer keep reading over at Missional Women>>>>>

On Rest, Summer, and July

When you're on a journey to create the life of your dreams there's a lot of work involved. There's a lot of new starts, and questions, and often times there are mistakes.

At the end of May I joined the Sabbath Society because in a lot of areas my wheels were falling off. In the interest of following the path God has for my life I am taking some time off in the month of July. I will still be working on a lot of things behind the scenes but here's how the  month of July will be different:

• My Etsy store will close in preparation for a re-launch coming August 1st. (I'm so excited about the Church Planters of the Month for August. I don't want to give away too much but they're planting internationally!)
• This space will feature a few guest posts as I wont' be writing here during July but in the quiet and secret places for my God and myself.

What my July will hold behind the scenes:

• I'll turn 31! 30 was a great year for me so I can only expect that the best is yet to come. (I'm sure I'll have some reflections on this in August.)
• We're praying about hosting an exchange student for two weeks in July. I will of course tell you all about that if it ends up being part of my month.
• I'm going to try some new art techniques and make things just for me. 
• I'll be on social media but even less than I am now.
• I'll catch up on some other projects that have been begging for my time.
• I hope to share tons of meals with friends, enjoy lots of ice cream cones, and drink every flavor of lemonade I can dream up.

As always I'll reply to every comment here but perhaps not until August. Thank you for your grace.

If any part of my month-long break appeals to you perhaps you'll benefit from joining the Sabbath Society too. If you do let me know in the comments below. I love being able to share our journey together.

***Restart Tip: Did you know calendar companies release new planners and calendars halfway through the year? They start in July and run through the following June. In August I'll talk more about how to restart your year. But for now go get yourself a fresh slate (A.K.A. a shiny new calendar. .)***

Two Prayers That Will Change Your City, Your Ministry, and You

Original Image

When I was preparing to move to Orlando to do ministry Downtown, I felt an array of emotions. I was certainly excited to move from Small Town, USA to the city but I was also scared. I wouldn't know how to get from my home to the grocery store. I felt unprepared for the ministry we were called to (I was), and I felt unequipped to reach the people we would be ministering to (I wasn't).

Before moving to Downtown Orlando we came to the city often. We observed the ministry of others and tried to gauge the culture. I came to learn that many of the people we would be doing ministry among were very different from myself. People ranging from the homeless, to the young partier, to the wealthy business man or elite of society, crowded the Downtown streets. At the time I believed I had nothing in common with any of these people and that belief only increased my fear of failure.

Continue reading over at Missional Women>>>>