Top Ten Moments of Summer

Before I launch my top ten moments of the summer, I want to encourage you this post is more than just “happy moments”. Yes, thank God we can find sparkly moments in this season and recognize it for what it is: Blessings from God. But let me encourage you, no matter how your season has shaped up to be— even the moments the enemy meant for destruction— God turns them for good. Yes, even the moments of ashes can become moments that sparkle with His blessing. He’s just that kind of God. 
So without further ado…

Here are my top ten moments of the summer (in no specific order):

1. Falling into bed after a busy wonderful summer day full of activity with my favorite quilt around me… (click here to read about “a place of rest” featuring my favorite quilt! https://melanietalevski.com/2021/07/17/a-place-of-rest/)

2. Watching my older kids two compete and play baseball and softball (my son hitting a grand slam, my daughter striking out the side)

3. Going to the second hand bookstore and loading up on good reading (I mean a shopping cart at the bookstore? These are our kind of people!)

4. Swimming! (Need I say more?) ☀️

5. Attending the Summer Classic (All Star Game) with my oldest daughter ⚾️

6. Morning Walks (read about the restoration my morning walks bring at https://melanietalevski.com/2021/06/25/deep-restoration-2/ ) 

7. New experiences with my girls: Chinese Lantern Festival, the girls’ first experience with P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps 😋

8. Weekly writing sessions at the coffee shop 

9. Church events (oh the connections that come from a big loving family!) ❤️ Prayer night, teen and kids events, Church picnic, fellowshipping after church, park meetups, etc.

10. Family time with grandparents, cousins, etc… Any and every reason to gather together and celebrate! 🎉

And good news– summer is not through yet! The calendar still holds more fun to come along with all the fun spur of the moment items that find a way into our days.

Looking at all the fun we have had this summer reminds me of the verse in the Bible:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

He sends down good gifts from above– and oh how we enjoy and soak up every single moment of it! Thank you, God, for your flooding of blessing this summer.

What if your summer isn’t exactly as “picturesque” as you imagined? Believe me, friend, I have been there. Let me encourage you, no matter how your season has shaped up to be— even the moments the enemy meant for destruction— God turns them for good. Yes, even the moments of ashes can become moments that sparkle with His blessing. He’s just that kind of God. 

Case in point, it will definitely not make anyone’s “top ten moments of summer” list as it was a tragic moment, but one of our church families recently experienced a house fire. The entire house beyond rescue–to be leveled. The enemy tried to bring this as a discouragement, an evil into their lives… but already we are seeing God use the situation for good. 

My dad says it best… don’t confuse God with the devil. Add a “O” to God and you have GOOD. Take away the d in devil and you have evil. Simple as that. God is good and the devil is evil.

God doesn’t just watch and say, “well, I guess we have to let evil win that round”… NO WAY! God is an expert in scooping up ashes (whether brought on from the evil one, from personal choice, from a relationship, or situation, whatever the source…) and making it into beautiful diamonds. 

Let me say that again: He is an expert at scooping up the destruction, the ashes– and making it into beautiful diamonds. He redeems the situations the enemy has meant for evil.

“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”.

Isaiah 61:3

He is the God we can trust… the good shepherd. He is watching over us, over our days. He is an expert at turning that meant for evil into good. We can trust Him completely and soak in/revel the moments He has brought us so far in our lifetimes, years, and even this specific season. He is good, and like David said, 

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13

So no matter what events mark your summer (perhaps shifts and changes with job or expectations, helping elderly relatives, trauma, or even a tragic misplacement of home) I urge you to be confident that God is taking care of you. He is redeeming that which was formed as a curse against us and bringing His goodness to the forefront.

We will see His goodness. 

My prayer: Lord, help us to have our eyes open to see your goodness… even in the little moments like a comfy quilt, a happy moment at the baseball game, used books from the bookstore. Thank you for the blessings you have bestowed on us and the fact that we will see your goodness in the land of the living, and we will see beauty in place of ashes… we will have “surely mercy and goodness shall follow you all the days of your life”(Psalm 23:6) 

So my friend… my encouragement for you:  May you feel the arms of Jesus wrap around you in a special way and may you feel faith arise in your heart. He is the God who heals, the God who exchanges what the enemy meant for evil for good. He is a miracle worker and nothing is too far gone for Him. He will turn any ashes in your life into beauty. He will cause any evil the enemy brought in your life to work for your good. He will cause mercy and goodness to both go before you and behind you. The only ingredient you need is Him. Hold onto him, dear friend, and I pray He would open your eyes to see the blessings He has brought to your life, no matter how small, hidden or undercover they come.  And may you walk in the confidence that God is doing this good work in you and you will see His goodness…  may you proclaim boldly as David did, that you “will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”. Amen.

I can’t wait to hear your “Top Ten” and how God is working in your life.

Until next time,

Want more encouragement during the week?

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