It’s a bittersweet feeling but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
Well, now that I think about it, I’m not so sure that saying is absolutely true, but it is in this case.
Summer vacation is on its last leg.
Here in the islands our summer break begins in early July and ends when school starts back in early September. So this is officially our last full week of summer vacation. Sigh.
Honestly speaking, I have to say that I’m sort of doing a happy dance at the same time.
I mean, I love, love, love the lazy days of summer. But I also love structure and routine. And this year our summer was anything but structure and routine.
It included work travel for me (which I usually try to avoid in the summer); a family reunion which involved our very first family cruise; vacationing within our little group of islands; entertaining visiting friends and family; two summer camps; and so on (who knows what the last week will hold).
By the way, you can catches glimpses of our summer on Instagram.
I’m sure your summer was pretty full too. Packed with all sorts of fun adventures, right? And because I know you were too busy having fun to keep up with my little blog, I’m bringing back all of my summer posts, just for you.
This will bring summer to a nice, neat close and set the stage for what’s next. I have a few exciting things I’m dying to share with you so stay tuned for that next week.
But in the meantime, here’s a round up of my Christian living summer content, all in one place.
Tweet ThisIf any of these speak to you, I’d love for you to share them with your friends. Each image is pin-friendly so feel free to pin to your favourite Pinterest boards to read later.
Celebrating One Year of Blogging: The good, the bad & the sparkles
The end of June marked my first year of blogging — woohoo!!! It’s been a roller-coaster of fun learning and growing with you. I celebrated my first year with the release of my e-book, You Were Made to Sparkle. You can grab your copy (for free) here.
3 Simple Tips for a Life with No Regrets
Simple. Just as the heading says. These 3 tips were actually inspired by a middle-schooler. Simple, straightforward and inspiring. Do you have any other tips you’d like to add?
Why Mom was Wrong about Talking to Strangers
The inspiration for this post came from one of my business trips this summer. This kind and lowly gentleman said something to me that struck a chord and stayed with me. You’ll have to read it to find out what it was. But you might want to get your tissues first.
How to Get Back to School Right – The Mom List
In an effort to keep my sanity, I put together this list of resources for moms getting ready for back to school. It’s chock full of printables, e-books, e-courses and challenges to help you and your kids have a successful school year. I’d love to hear which one is your favourite!
A Prayer for When (You Think) You’re In Control
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, control is something that I struggle with. Maybe I’m the only one, but God has a way of teaching me lessons and reminding me to rely on Him. Read this if you can relate. And would you pray for me while you’re at it? 🙂
My Slave Roots – 3 Reasons to Celebrate Freedom in Christ
This post was inspired by my island’s annual emancipation celebration. Emancipation is not a word we hear often, but in a Biblical context, emancipation from slavery is something Christians can appreciate. My prayer is that this post will inspire you to celebrate your freedom in Christ in new and fresh ways every single day.
Helping Kids Set Goals: Big, Audacious and Achievable
As we head back to school, this is a good time to help our kids focus on some big goals. Goals so big that only God can make them happen. Scary? Maybe. But I’m convinced that the big God that we serve is big on helping kids have big faith. Read this post for some practical tips mixed with godly wisdom.
How to Control Anger — What Anger?
It’s no mistake that this post came at the end of summer. By this point, all the calm and serenity had just about run out (yep, lots of prayer needed). The just-released book Count to Nine by Ruthie Gray has been so well-timed that she couldn’t have planned it better if she tried. Ruthie shared her heart behind the book in this interview and busts the myth that I’d been holding on to (along with my frustration).
If you need some help with mom sanity (don’t we all?), you can purchase a copy of Count to Nine here (affiliate link).
So there you have it folks. All of my Christian living summer content in one convenient post for your reading enjoyment.
What about you?
I’d love to hear what you were up to this summer.
What are you looking forward to in the fall?
Which one of these posts is your favourite?
Wishing you blessings,Â
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Great posts, Marva! You amaze me at how much you are able to accomplish! Thank you for sharing hope with me at Moments of Hope! I’m so thankful for you!!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Thanks, Lori. It’s all to God’s glory, my friend. I sure have been enjoying your #MomentsofHope linkup and the community you’re fostering there. I pray God blesses all who visit!
Hugs and sparkles 🙂
Lovely collection, Marva
Can’t wait to see what you have for next season
Blessings to you
Thanks so much for stopping by, Ifeoma. I’m glad you enjoyed the round up. I just introduced a new series on purpose that I think you’ll enjoy. It will continue for the entire month of September and would love to have you follow along.
Wishing you blessings!
Marva, my summer ended up being busy too! Unexpected. I homeschool, but I’ll still be glad to get back to a routine that’s more predictable. (And also sorry for summer to end!) School starts Sept 6th, but I host a birthday party next week AND have a church leadership retreat!
Oh goodness, Betsy, I sure hope you get a bit of a break before starting school. Your summer sounds like it was (and still is) pretty hectic.
But I hear you about welcoming the routine. I’m so ready to get back on track. I have a feeling that after about a week I’d be wishing we were still on vacation so I better enjoy it now! 🙂
Your summer was as busy as mine. Life never slows down it seems. We had a reunion too and I keep our grandsons and was in several Bible studies. Love your summer in a bag.
Wow, Debbie, it really does sound like your summer was full and overflowing. Lots of fun stuff in there. And I hope the next season will be a bit more relaxing for you.
Glad you enjoyed the round-up.
Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Great collection! Excited to dive into some of these.
Thanks, Kelly. I hope you enjoy them!
Thanks for stopping by. <3
Sooo much good stuff here. Thanks for posting it all in one spot.
You’re very welcome, Lori. My hope is to encourage and build up so I hope there’s at least one post that does that for you.
Love this, Marva!
What a fun summary of all of the good stuff!
I’m sharing this one all around today!
Thank you so much, Melanie. I appreciate your kind words and your shares. You sure do help me sparkle! 🙂
I love your prayer for when you think you are in control. Something I need to pray daily!
Sarah, that really does need to be my daily prayer. Sometimes I think God must be shaking His head and wondering why I’m still delusional. Thinking I have even a smidgen of control is laughable. Hahaha 🙂
I always appreciate seeing you around here, friend! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your sparkle today.
Yep, we’re on the same page, Marva! I’ve been writing about what saved my life this summer … there’s nothing like seeing everything in black and white and beautiful color to help us realize how very blessed we are!
Fun getting to know you here …
You made me laugh, Linda. The colour definitely helps us see things bright and cheery — two things that always remind me of my blessings for sure. I’m so glad you stopped by today and I hope to connect with you more. Maybe we can help rescue each other as we head into the fall. 🙂