Puppy Days Of Summer

Last updated on: July 24, 2015 at 3:50 pm by Michelle Van Loon

Puppy Days Of Summer 2015-07-24T15:50:46-05:00 Michelle Van Loon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We may be in the dog days of summer, but this year’s record rains have made this season more of a wet puppy where I live. Though it’s late July, the back-to-school commercials are already saturating the airwaves. Our calendars may tell us a new year starts on January 1, but there is a “new year” feeling about early September for many of us, isn’t there?

Recently, I finished edits on my book for NavPress about the calendars that shape our lives. The working title is Everyday Eternity: How the Jewish Feasts and Christian Calendar Point Us At Something More. The book is scheduled for release next year. It will offer readers a lively devotional background look at each calendar’s key days or seasons, along with information about how and why the church moved from one calendar to the other, and application about what each of our days, both holiday and ordinary day, tell us about how to steward and celebrate the time God has given us.

You may be looking ahead to your September “new year” schedule – or trying not to think about it yet! In either case, I hope these words from the current introduction to the book are an encouragement to you as you consider how you structure your days:

In our always-connected digital world, many of us have become accustomed to the idea that we are the architects of our days. We make our appointments and set our schedules, all the while kvetching that we’re just too busy. Our overscheduled lives proclaim to the world and ourselves that really, we’re super-indispensible people. We allow a subtle pride to warp our understanding of our role in God’s story: “Look at my crammed datebook! If others need or want me this much, I must be pretty important.”

And if they don’t, then it’s not a far leap for some of us to believe that maybe our lives don’t matter much.

I’d like to suggest that our watches and Day-Timers and Google calendars are not the measure of our worth. We who belong to Jesus understand (at least in our heads) that we are not our own. Our eternal God has given us this slice of eternity, right here and now, in which to live for and with him.

In other words, our calendar is the way in which we create intentionality in the way you live the gift of eternal life God has given you through his Son. My prayer for each of us is that we will have ears to hear the rhythm of eternity as we consider the way in which we live each moment and day of our lives.

Many women’s ministry leaders, small group heads, and book club facilitators use the dog days of summer to plan upcoming events. I’d love to be a part of your group’s gathering or retreat. I speak about topics including:

Naming and processing regrets. My book on the topic, If Only: Letting Go Of Regret, won an Award of Merit in the 2015 Christian Life category from Christianity Today magazine. You can sample the first chapter of the book here.
Spiritual growth through life’s transitions. I’ve blogged extensively on the subject ofspiritual formation at midlife, but the principles of change, loss and new life apply to all of us, no matter what our age and life stage.
The stories within the Jewish and Christian calendars. Both have much to say to us about our Eternal God and our relationship to him.

Click here to contact me if you’d like more information or to schedule a date.

Finally, if you’ve read to this point, thank you! I’ll be drawing one winner from all entries received by Friday, July 31 at midnight to receive either a copy of If Only: Letting Go Of Regretor a $10 Amazon gift card – your choice! Click here to send me your name, snail mail address, email address and which gift you’d like if you win. (U.S. addresses only.)

May you find safety, sanctuary and shalom in the loving arms of our great God (Deut. 33:27), this day and everyday.

Image via Creative Commons 2.0/Wikipedia

Calendar

Previous Post

July 21, 2015

How Do You Spend Your Social Capital At Church?

Next Post

July 28, 2015 What Kind Of Evangelical Am I?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Baggage Books Calendar Church and Ministry CVID Ecclesiology Everyday Christian life Faith Falling Upward From The Margins Housing Jesus Movement's Unintended Consequences Midlife Midlife Survey #1 Midlife Survey #2 Moments and Days Out To The Margins Pilgrim's Road Trip Regret Seminary Spiritual Formation Uncategorized What's A Nice Jewish Grandmother Like You Doing In Seminary? When The Heart Waits Writing

Select a Month June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does James say is the implanted word able to do?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Heal your body Save your souls Judge the nations Defeat your enemies