This week California has experienced, ‘Summer Sizzlin!’ It was HOT! If you were like me, you could not get enough water! I did not just fill one water bottle as I left my house each morning. I carried a cinch sack that had two full hydro’s and held a full bottle in my hand.

I returned home with 3 empty bottles to wash and refill each evening. I realized that I wasn’t even doing the “dance” as much as usual. You know what I mean. That side to side, up and down, can’t find a bathroom quick enough, “dance.” Why? Because I was so hot that I was absorbing the water throughout my overheated body. I also realized that the more I drank, the more I wanted. I simply could not get enough! My thirst seemed unquenchable!

That is the kind of thirst that I believe God wants from us every single day. He desires that we wake up each and every morning feeling like we just can’t get enough of Him!

“OH, TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD! BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TAKES REFUGE IN HIM!”   PSALM 34:8

I think it is easy to pass over the most common definition of, TASTE, and miss it’s deeper meaning all together.

Commonly, the definition of Taste is, “To try and test the flavor of something by taking some into the mouth.”

I personally have this definition of TASTE down very well!

The word, TASTE, also means, “To perceive, or distinguish the flavor of.” And, “To have or get to experience something.”

This definition is the one David is referring to in Psalm 34.  

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  

David is confident and sure, from past experience, that when you experience God by spending time with Him, like we have been disciplining ourselves to do, you will see that HE IS GOOD!

So, I got to thinking…Why not combine the two definitions and make it a double Summer Steppin Discipline? Two ways will always increase our experience and make it even better!

Summer Steppin Discipline #5) SUMMER SIPPIN!

As we are practicing the second definition of “Tasting and Seeing That The Lord is Good,”

reading His Word and spending time in prayer with Him, Disciplines #2, and #3, let’s also practice the first definition of TASTE and sip a refreshing cool summer drink. 

TRUTH BOMB

WE ARE TRULY REFRESHED BY GOD WHEN WE TASTE AND SEE THAT HE IS GOOD!

In the spirit of ‘Summer Steppin,’ I want my ‘Summer Sippin’ to be healthy and refreshing to my physical body and to my spiritual body! Here are a few of my favorites…

*Sparkling Water with a Twist

Pour sparkling water into a glass of ice. Slice your favorite fruit(mine is lemon) and squeeze the juice of that fruit straight into your glass. Then, drop that fruit into your glass, add a straw and sip away! The fruit infusses the water the entire time you sip!

-If you prefer still water, it works just as well!

*Jump Start Latte

Fill a glass with ice, select your preferred dairy or non-dairy creamer, mine is almond milk, fill the glass half full with the creamer, pour coffee over the creamer and ice, fill to the top of the glass. Add a straw and sip away!

You can adapt this delectable sip any way you like. Use caffeinated coffee or decaf, use dairy or non-dairy creamer, add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to the top. Anyway you prefer it, sip it!

*Power House Smoothie

Add a huge handful of spinach or power greens to any blender, pour crushed ice and liquid, I use almond milk or coconut milk, about half way up. Add fresh fruit, any kind you prefer, and blend! Pour into a glass and sip away!

**Note, you can use frozen fruit in place of the fresh fruit and crushed ice!

*Fruit Juice Sparkling Water

Select your favorite fruit juice, fill a glass with ice, then pour it into the glass only one quarter of the way up. Fill the rest of the glass with sparkling water, add a straw and sip away!

**Another fun way to sip is to add fresh squeezed fruit or fruit juice to ice cube trays. Freeze them and fill a glass with them. Add sparkling water and sip away!

My mouth is already watering, no pun intended, as I picture myself, on these warm summer days, reading, praying and sippin, as I “TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD!”

These disciplines are the way to truly be refreshed in The Lord regardless of the weather!

Speak Truth Love