Pumpkin Spice is Back! That delectable spice mixture that warms you straight down to the bottom of your toes is back! That frothy steamed milk poured over that rich deep espresso, topped with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves is here! 

All I can say is, “WELCOME BACK PUMPKIN!” 

My heart races, a smile pops spontaneously on my face and I run out the door to grab one of those tasty drinks. I grab the handle of my car door when something strange begins to happen. A drop of sweat trickles down my forehead. Slowly but surely the sweat drops increase until the back of my neck feels damp!  Then it hits me…

No Fall drink, as tasty and delightful as it may be, can make Fall happen. IT IS STILL SUMMER!

Does that mean I am going to wait for those crisp mornings, cool nights and sweater wearing weather to appear before I sip a pumpkin spice latte? Not a chance! I may not be the first in line today to grab one, but I certainly will not be the last!

We may still be in the ‘Hot August Nights’ of Summer, but the HOPE of Fall is real!

The way I see it is this…I can mope around with my sweaty neck feeling the heat of Summer and let it define me. Or, I can raise my wet, sweat-drenched brow and look to the Hope of Fall!

It really is a mind-set. We are no more in control of when Summer ends and Fall begins than we are of when people move or when they stay. Nor are we in control of when people get sick or when a life ends or how it ends. Neither are we in control of how long a prayer takes to be answered. We are not in control of life’s circumstances, but we can be in control of our attitude toward the circumstances life brings! 

“Have this MIND among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:5

It is possible for us to have the mind-set of Jesus because He lives in us! 

Admittedly, this is not possible in our own strength! But with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

The old saying goes, “Mind over matter.”  I believe as Christians, Christ followers, Christ living in us, we can say, “CHRIST OVER CIRCUMSTANCES!”

TRUTH BOMB

WITH THE MIND-SET OF CHRIST WE CAN HAVE HOPE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES!

So, as Summer lingers and these Hot August Nights Persist, let’s keep the mind-set of Christ and look to the hope of cooler days ahead!

HOT AUGUST NIGHTS SUMMER SIZZLER-HAVE THE MIND-SET OF CHRIST WHICH IS OURS IN CHRIST JESUS!

So, if you catch me at Starbucks today sipping my Pumpkin Spice Latte, don’t judge me, my mind-set is dreaming of FALL! 

Please join me!  Pumpkin Spice Cups Up!

Speak Truth Love

Here we are, in the middle of August, and it’s still hot!

Have you heard it said that heat can make our temperatures rise? It’s true! And this occurs not just physically but emotionally as well. Because this phenomenon is true, I have a question for you…when is the last time that you have felt insulted?  

For the majority of us it may have been a week away, a day away, or even moments away.

God in his wisdom, has created us as emotional beings. Those emotions in and of themselves are not bad.  It is what we do with them and how we use them, that can be good or bad. We all receive insults, whether intended or unintended, in our lives.  But if we identify with Christ, and we are called to live like him. Therefore what we do with these insults becomes vitally important!  

In the book of first Peter, it is laid out clear for us how we are to respond to insults.

“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.”

1 Peter 3:9

That word “instead” stops me in my tracks. It implies that I am doing something incorrect that I need to make correct. This response, in my own human flesh, is impossible. But with God all things are possible. Only by God’s Spirit living and active in me can I accomplish this correction. Nowhere in my life has this been practiced and proven true more than in my marriage. 

My husband and I are very different. And it

Is not an understatement to say that we

Do not always see eye to eye. Given that I am a passionate person by nature and take words very seriously, I could feel insulted almost every day. But knowing my husband’s heart and character and knowing that his heart is not to insult me, I can take a step back, take a deep breath, say a quiet prayer, and respond with a blessing instead of retaliating with an insult. This is easier said than done but with the power of God’s Spirit living in us, we can do it! One of my favorite quotes from my husband is: “It is instant oatmeal to say, and brain surgery to do.”  

The proof of this truth by God, put in to constant practice, is our marriage. We celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Relationships are not easy.

They take much effort, a lot of prayer, and self control, also known as taming your tongue. But living our lives by God’s directive, and not the world’s, we can accomplish good and right relationships through His power!

TRUTH BOMB

RETURNING AN INSULT FOR A BLESSING BLESSES US AS MUCH AS THEM.

Hot August Night Sizzler #3: Return a blessing for an insult!

Speak Truth Love

Today’s Blog is short and simple! 

It’s still August, the mornings and nights are still hot and sticky. In many places the air quality prevents you from even going outside for very long. That nasty “C” word is still around and seems to be on the rise. Emotions are high and temperatures are HOT! How do we get our hearts and minds in the right place? How do we lift our spirits when there are so many reasons for them to be low?

It’s really quite simple…WE SERVE!

Jesus set the standard, I didn’t, I just practiced it, and so can you!

“FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY.”  

MARK 10:45

This verse is repeated in the gospels several times. Jesus sets the ultimate standard for living. We are to SERVE others!

If you believe that you do not have anything to offer others, you do! God has gifted each of us with different gifts so that they can be used to meet different needs for different people!

“EACH OF YOU SHOULD USE WHATEVER GIFT YOU HAVE RECEIVED TO SERVE OTHERS…”   

1 PETER 4:10a

Serving others not only fulfills the mandate given to us by Jesus himself, but it takes our focus off of ourselves and onto God and His purposes! 

TRUTH BOMB

There is no greater cure for what ails you, than to serve others in Jesus name!

I tested it out this week, myself!

In last weeks’ blog I wrote the first Hot August Nights’ Sizzler: The need to keep our eyes focused on what God has in front of us.

At that point, it was easy! I had my beautiful newborn grandson in my arms and my sweet two year old granddaughter on my lap! My older two grandchildren were on their way and I would soon be living the DREAM! All four of my children and all four of my grandchildren together with my husband and I! All of us under one roof? That is a rarity! Given the callings placed on our lives by God, we don’t have many weekends or holidays together! We cherish these priceless moments together and do our best not to take them for granted!

But as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” And it did.

I found myself at home, lonely, and practicing my therapy, CLEANOLOGY. You can try and look that up, but you won’t find it anywhere. That’s because it can cause sore muscles, the inability to stand up straight for a time, and cracked and sore fingers from the over use of Clorox! Therefore, it has not been approved by Doctors or Psychologists. It however remains my go-to therapy whenever I am missing my family! It does however produce a very clean house with a very distinctive smell!  

Problem is, my therapy only works for a short time. I work my body physically while my emotions spin around and around. I am still left with that indescribable whole in my heart!

Enter the true therapy that works…In less than 48 hours after returning home from being together with my family, our church was taking part in a city outreach to children and their families. We worked side by side with other churches in our city setting up booths and games and providing supplies for under-resourced children to receive backpacks to begin school with, and lots and lots of fun and smiles! We served from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and my muscles were sore but my spirit had soared to a beautiful high! The kind of high that is only felt when we use our gifts and resources to serve others!

That night I went home exhausted and HOT from the August heat, but filled with a joy unspeakable! God is the only one who fills us with true joy and love, and serving others in His Name is what produces that joy and love!

HOT AUGUST NIGHTS’ SIZZLER # 2-SERVE OTHERS IN JESUS NAME!

I pray you will go out and serve others this week through the love of Jesus, I know from experience that you will be blessed if you do!

Speak Truth Love

In the month of August the nights can be hot and sticky! It can feel sometimes like the day only got darker but never cooled down! We go to bed and we wake up feeling like summer may never end. Hot August nights make us yearn for Fall! The promise of crisp mornings, followed by cool afternoons and chilly evenings…but that is a series for next month! This month it’s still Hot August Nights!

I love the Fall! I can’t wait to wear my cute, cozy sweaters! I can’t wait to sip on a pumpkin spice latte! And I crave eating everything pumpkin flavored! In contrast, I don’t like the heat of summer. And yet here I find myself in those Hot August Nights! I am afraid I am suffering from PRESBYOPIA! 

Presbyopia is the lack of ability our eye lenses have to change in focus from far away to close. Our eyes get tired! We stretch them, push them, and downright wear them out as we strain to look so far ahead and then by necessity, have to bring our focus back to right in front of us. We simply wear our focus out. It becomes foggy and cloudy at best! 

The goal of course is to have 20/20 vision! It is to be able to see clearly what is in front of us. Defined it is, “Visual acuity; clarity and sharpness of vision.”

Not perfect vision mind you, as most people mistake it for, but clarity of vision and sharpness of vision. Now who of us does not want to be clear and sharp in what we see? I know I do!

The terms I have described above are typically connected to physical vision; our eyes, pupils and lenses. However, what I am talking about is spiritual presbyopia.

And boy have I had it bad! I have spent so much time straining to focus on what might be out there or may happen or could be ahead of me that I have failed to focus with clarity and sharpness on what is right in front of me!

My first Hot August Night Sizzler is: The need for 20/20 vision spiritually!

This week God graciously reminded me of my need for this in my life!

Last week began with me frantically trying to, “Get all of my ducks in a row!”

I wanted to be sure that I was ready to pick up and go the minute our new grandson was born! The call came, they were in the hospital and the labor was going fast! 

My world came to a halt. Suddenly, all I could see was what was right in front of me! My vision had narrowed to 20/20! We were about to be grandparents again and all I cared about was the healthy birth of that baby boy! In less than 6 hours he was here! I saw with great clarity that what was most important was that I’d be there!

For the next four days my vision was sharp and perfectly clear. Everything else seemed to pale in comparison! The ducks that I thought needed to be in a row could fall out of line for four days. The problems that I thought I needed to solve suddenly seemed to take care of themselves. The schedule I thought I had to keep went along fine without me. Add the to do list which seemed endless suddenly had a period at the end of it. 

This beautiful gift from God that I was able to hold in my arms, and his sister that I played with and rocked to sleep, and his parents that love me and I love them cleared my focus to a sharp 2020 vision!

TRUTH BOMB

OUR SPIRITUAL VISION IS 20/20 WHEN WE FOCUS ON WHAT GOD HAS PUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105

On these Hot August Nights, I pray that my focus stays clear and sharp as I allow God’s words to light my path!

Speak Truth Love

It’s the very last week of July and our “STEPPIN” together has come to an end.

How is your steppin going?

Have you put some or any of the Daily Disciplines we have shared into place?

Have you started your day with God in His Word and in prayer to Him? 

Have you sat still with God and let His goodness be revealed to you? 

Have you trusted Him and allowed the TRUTH of scripture to calm your fears and anxieties and give you the peace He promises?

Have you splashed or soaked or sipped any of the sweetness of Summer?

Or, like me, are you reading this and feeling stunned that Summer is almost over?

Those long days of Summer that offer a lack of routine, breaks, vacations, longer nights and earlier mornings are quickly coming to an end. With this realization, I find myself fighting the all too familiar feelings of failure! How about you?

If you are feeling the same way then I have good news for you.

We can push the RE-START button!

“THE FAITHFUL LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER ENDS! HIS MERCIES NEVER CEASE. GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS; HIS MERCIES BEGIN AFRESH EACH MORNING.”

LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23

Friends, this incredible promise comes in the middle of a book of REGRET!

I have been watching the Olympics, have you? I could be called an “OLYMPIC JUNKIE!”

I love watching the greatest athletics do what they do best. I get hooked and have already spent too many late nights watching. I literally mark my calendar and anticipate the Olympic Games!

But this year there has been something I have noticed. The United States has had more failed attempts to win gold than usual.

The unbeatable men’s basketball team lost their very first game. Not the “Dream Team” of old! The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) of gymnastics has not reached her full potential as expected. The “QUEEN” of the pool dropped into third place and won a bronze medal instead of the gold she was expected to win. I could go on and list even more “failed attempts,” but you get the picture. Sure, there have been great victories as well, but many have “failed.”

I believe God was grabbing my attention and showing me that we all have failures and successes, what matters is that we TRY!

My dad had a great many sayings by which he raised his four daughters. One of them has stuck with me…

“You only fail if you do not TRY!”  -BCD

God does not desire that any of us live with REGRET. He wants us to learn that regret and failures come, even to the best and greatest, but God’s Love and Mercy is new every morning! We have the opportunity at our fingertips to push RE-START and allow God’s mercy to flow through us!

TRUTH BOMB

GOD’S LOVE AND MERCY NEVER ENDS, WE GET TO TAP INTO THEM FRESH EVERY MORNING!

Every day is a gift from God and every morning is new! God’s mercies are not just for us when we succeed. God’s mercies are even stronger when we fail! God’s grace does not just cover us when we are walking in accomplishment. God’s grace covers us in greater measure when we are sitting in failure!

God is a God of RE-START! We can get up every morning and face each day with renewed strength and optimism when we push the RE-START button God has given us!

God does not just give us a “second chance,” God gives us a third, forth, fifth and sixth chance. God’s chances are unlimited because His love for us is unlimited! 

God does not love us because we succeed or fail. He is not counting our accomplishments. In fact, it can be those times of failure and missing the target that bring us closer to Him.

So instead of allowing those feelings of failure to creep in and take over, I am choosing to realize my need for God. Afterall, He is perfect and I am not!

Maybe this Summer was intended to be a time for ‘SUMMER SLIPPIN,’ a time for me to focus on God and realize just how so very much I need Him. And, if that is the case, I have not failed in the least. I have actually been very, very successful!

As I wake each morning, Summer, Fall, Winter or Spring, and do my best to live a life with daily disciplines, I know I cannot do it in my own strength. I need my God and His wonderful RE-STARTS each and every day! That is the key to success!

Speak Truth Love

I just returned home from our Summer vacation and realized that I had, had a ball!

WE laughed, we ate, we ran, we played, we even worshipped together. What I did not do however was SIT! 

Sure, I “sat” down to eat and was technically “sitting.” However, the entire time I was talking, chewing and getting up and down as I made sure everyone had everything they needed. I also “sat” on a beach chair at the beach for moments at a time as I watched my grandchildren ride the waves. Let me tell you, that was the most nervous sitting I have ever done! My back was arched, my neck was strained and my body kept leaping to my feet as I strained to make sure I could see where they were at all times!

There were other moments of “sitting” of course, but each moment was accompanied by other thoughts and actions.
This is not the kind of “SITTING” I am talking about. When you look up the word ‘SIT’ in the dictionary it may surprise you that there are several definitions. 

The first definition is the most obvious:
“To rest with the body supported by the buttocks or thighs; AKA; to be seated.”
The second is also pretty familiar:
“To be located or situated.”
But it is the third definition that made me “SIT up and take notice!” Pun completely intended!
“To remain quiet or inactive.”

I can clearly state that this was not on my agenda for vacation. We had so much fun! I love being active and my family does too! We are famous for packing in as much activity as possible, to every single day we have together. And we did! I am not complaining whatsoever. I would not have it any other way. But as I SAT to write this weeks’ Blog on Summer Steppin, I realized I was lacking the discipline of SITTING!

I ran around the house after returning home like a hummingbird extracting nectar from one flower and then the next.  Unpack this, throw that in the washing machine, carry this upstairs, run downstairs and put this away, and, oh yes, write your Blog!  My heart was racing so fast that the only part of me that could keep up with it was my mind that was spinning out of control with my virtual “To Do List!”  

Suddenly my eyes caught a glimpse of one of the framed verses on my family room wall…

“BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”  PSALM 46:10

It hit me like a brick on the top of my head…In order to hear from God you must, BE STILL!  Sit down, be inactive and remain quiet.
This truly is a discipline and one I need to exercise more frequently.
It is wonderful and even important to have fun! It is certainly important to spend quality time with family. But fun in the sun, and quality time with my family does not equate to sitting and spending time with God.
In your crazy, fun, Summer escapades, be sure to include the discipline of sitting and spending time being quiet and still before God.

Discipline #10-SIT QUIETLY AND BE STILL WITH GOD.

TRUTH BOMB

TIME SPENT ALONE WITH GOD IS NEVER WASTED OR INEFFECTIVE!

Happy sitting friends!

Speak Truth Love

We are in the middle of summer and feeling the heat! The first thing on most of our minds, when we think of cooling down is WATER!

No matter if we run and jump into a swimming pool, float down the river in a raft, take a boat ride on the lake, wade out into a creek and feel the water run through our toes, or even run through a sprinkler while watering our lawn! WATER is our source to cool down and quench our bodies heat!

For me, my family is blessed each July as the temperatures rise in Northern California where we live, to spend time at the ocean in Southern California with our dear friends! We ride the waves, body surf the waves, run into the waves, and let the waves roll over our feet as we feel the coolness of the ocean water! I can literally feel the heat leave my body as it is replaced with the cool, fresh feeling that the ocean water gifts!

For me I’m blessed from the outside in as the cool water of the ocean refreshes my body and the time spent with my family and best friends restores my soul!

This time each year is a treasured value to us! We plan for it, look forward to it and even long for it as it draws nearer each year. It is a joy from beginning to end, but it does eventually come to an end. All we can do at the end of our time, is long for next year!

However, there is a WATER that restores my soul that never ends. It is the living water, Jesus Christ my Lord!

Jesus is the LIVING WATER! When we are filled with Him, we are satisfied!

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, “give me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you LIVING WATER!”

John 4:10

And just three verses further, in verses 13 and 14, we see that natural water satisfies for the moment, but we thirst again!

Verse 13, “everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again…“

Verse 14, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him, shall  never be thirsty again!”

TRUTH BOMB

When we splash ourselves with the living water, Jesus Christ, we will always be satisfied!

So no matter how hot or cold life gets, let’s remember to discipline ourselves and cover ourselves in Jesus Christ the living water that always satisfies completely!

Summer Steppin Discipline #9

Splash yourself daily with the Living Water of Jesus Christ!

Speak Truth Love

HAPPY 4th of JULY WEEK!

I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating this great country of ours!

“You my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather serve one another humbly in love.”
Galatians 5:13

In America we value freedom above all else, but we were never meant to use that freedom to just indulge our sinful nature. God tells us to take that freedom and to serve one another in love!

So the question for us this week is…

How are you doing at exercising your freedom?

We have a double freedom as Americans and followers of Christ Jesus. We have the freedom to go after, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and as Christ followers, we are now free from the bondage of sin and death. 

Therefore, our freedom does not just allow us to live selfish lives doing things that are wrong, but to pursue a God honoring life and do what is right!

Paul says in Corinthians “All things are permissible, but all things are not beneficial.” 

I Corinthians 6:12

For example, I have the freedom to eat a dozen cupcakes! And I’m not gonna lie, there are days when I think of doing just that! However, that would not be beneficial to my body!

As well, I have the freedom to binge watch FRIENDS until my hands grow numb from doing the intro clap,”Da da da dada!” That would only leave me “stuck in second gear!“

You probably have your own list of “I’m free to do…”  The question remains, is that beneficial to you, to your friends, to your family or to others?

Freedom is a great privilege, but not when we abuse it!

Discipline #8-Exercise your freedom in Christ!

As we celebrate the freedom that we have as United States citizens, we celebrate patriotism which is the love of our country, and the freedom that it provides us.

Do you want to make your country even better? Then use your freedom in Christ to serve one another! 

TRUTH BOMB

In Christ we are free to love and serve one another well!

Next week get ready to summer splash!

Speak Truth Love

The sun is out and it’s time to soak up every ounce of Vitamin D that we can!

On our Summer Journey to practice healthy disciplines we’ve been STEPPIN, AND SIPPIN AND NOW WE ARE READY TO PRACTICE SOAKIN!

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient to our overall health and well-being. While other essential vitamins and nutrients must be sought after, this one is easy to find!

Just step outside!

The Creator of the Universe made this one so simple to soak in! In God’s perfect creation, the sun does a beautiful job of distributing vitamin D in abundance!

It just requires, once again, that we discipline ourselves to get STEPPIN! Walk outside and SOAK in the lovely rays the sun provides. It will flood your body with healing, healthy vitamin D and fill your spirit with “happy endorphins!”

Endorphins are; “brain vertebrates that react with the brain’s opiate receptors to raise the pain threshold.”  In other words, they are the magic God put inside us to tolerate pain better and feel good!

Endorphins are our “HAPPY HELPERS!”

In order to activate them we need to step outside and soak in the Sun’s rays!

Vitamin D does not come from the sun, it is obtained through natural sources like fish or supplements. Then vitamin D is obtained by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, AKA the SUN, and is essential to maintaining healthy bones and teeth!

The Bible tells us that,

“A merry heart is good like a medicine.”

Proverbs 17:22

It’s those endorphins at work within us producing a happy, healthy and merry heart! Not to mention healthy bones and teeth!

TRUTH BOMB

AS YOU SOAK IN THE RAYS OF THE SUN, ALLOW THE SON OF GOD TO MAKE YOUR HEART HAPPY!

So, this week I’m adding discipline number seven to my summer Steppin!

#7 Summer SOAKIN!

When you’re outside this week, soaking in all those healthy rays, don’t forget to be practicing steps one through SIX…

Number One, ask God to be your source today, and pray!

Number Two, read God’s Word!

Number Three, MOVE!

Number Four, FAST!

NUMBER FIVE, PERSEVERANCE!

Number Six, SIPPIN

And Add Step Number Seven, SOAKEN!

Spend this week SOAKEN IN THOSE HEALTHY RAYS AND FEEL THE LOVE OF GOD WARMING YOU FROM THE INSIDE OUT!

Speak Truth Love

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