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Summer is here in all its glory. It comes with the sound of flip-flops smacking on hot pavement, the smell of saltwater or chlorine and the taste of watermelon. I’ll confess this is a season I often miss. I blink and it’s fall with the pumpkin spice lattes and the turning leaves.
So this year I determined to engage with the most lighthearted of seasons. I thought of this one morning and began to make a list of what I surely MUST do. Pool parties. Perhaps a cruise. Rollercoasters. Yet the more I considered all this, the more I began to feel a bit unsettled.
Because this is the truth: I’d rather read a book on the patio than join a crowd at a water park. I’ll pick a stroll on a deserted stretch of sand over a cruise. And rollercoasters? Give me a seat at a coffee shop that doesn’t require a seatbelt.
I’d fallen back into the trap of thinking you need to be like everyone else. (And yes, I realize I’m not the only one who prefers the second options but in those moments it feels like everyone else is more fun and exciting than me.) So when I gathered with Jennifer Watson and Suzie Eller to talk about The Summer of Permission I filled in the blank this way: I give myself permission to…be who God made me.
I know these seem like small choices but I find that if I don’t honor who God made me in the little things then it can quickly lead to doing the same with bigger ones. In my work. My relationships. Where I invest my heart. Before I know it I’m like a drifter in the ocean who looks up and realizes the current has pulled her so far from where she belongs. Her towel and bag are specks on the distant shore.
I think all of us have the tendency to do this. So while summer is carefree I think we actually find the most freedom when we are intentional. So let’s take a moment for you to fill in the blank too: This summer I give myself permission to… {I’d love for you to leave a comment sharing your answer. Subscribers, use this link to come to the post so you can comment.}
Suzie and Jennifer share their answers too. We remind each other about grace and not being so hard on ourselves and how summer goes by so fast. We offer encouragement and insight and we pray for you. You can watch our whole conversation in this video. {A little disclaimer: This is live and we’re still figuring out the technical details like camera widths–thanks for your patience with us as we learn!}
This lovely summer morning as I write this, I’m at one of my favorite coffee shops. I have a laptop and latte in front of me. The baristas are singing along to “Hakuna Matata.” The sun is waving hello from the big window next to me. Yep, for me it’s definitely better than a rollercoaster.
XOXO
Holley Gerth
p.s. We just recorded the second video in the Summer of Permission series so I wanted to share it with you too. This one is about Permission to Be Real. There’s no make-up, plenty of bloopers and lots of giggling. If you need something to encourage you and make you smile today, this is for you. Enjoy!
{subscribers, if you can’t see the video you can find it here.}
p.s. Tomorrow is the first official session of the You’re Already Amazing Summer Study, which means it’s also your very last chance to join in and still be able to catch up with the group. We’d love to have you as we look at how we can embrace who we are and become all God created us to be! All the details are here.
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Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
Pretty please use this button in your blog post so others can easily join in with us {html code in right sidebar}. And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
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