Spot something outdoors today, and thank God for his genius. A cloud shaped like a dinosaur? A bird song? All of creation sings his praises!

Think about how thirsty you feel in the hot sun. That’s how thirsty we should be for God’s word. Read one of the Psalms as a prayer today.

How do we waste our blessings? Pray and think today about how you can share your blessings with others in need.

I’m in a holding pattern, reading-wise. I’ve got to make some headway on two papers for my ed policy class, plus I have a live, online presentation to give on Thursday evening for my other class, so my leisure reading time has dwindled. That said, I hit a very disappointing part of A Clash of Kings last weekend, and I wasn’t too upset to have to set it down for a while.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, and I acknowledge that it’s a fantastical book about kingdom conquest, but still … I’ve gotten to know some of the characters and feel empathetic toward them, and it makes me sad when they die. I’ve about had my fill of reading about enemies’ heads on spikes at the castle gates and people being run through with lances. So, I’m taking a break from the series to finish up the summer term, then I’ll pick it up again. Surely, all of the “good guys” won’t be killed off, right??

Did you shower today? (Ok, we don’t really want to know). Seriously, though, be sure to thank God for the “little” blessings today.

What freedoms do you take for granted? If you go to church, own a home, wear what you want or married someone you chose – thank the Lord.

Pray today for our men and women in the armed forces, as well as their families. Pray for the Gold Star families who have lost a soldier.

Water played a big role in the beautiful story of God’s creation in Genesis 1. Read it and thank him today for his provision.

What comes to mind when you think of summer? Even as blazing hot as it is, I still think of the great outdoors—especially anything having to do with water. I spent my summers on swim team and love the water! Playing in sprinklers and drinking straight from the hose, swimming in the lake and pool, collecting shells and rocks at the beach, going canoeing at church camp, having water balloon and squirt gun wars … there are so many fun things to do outside.

There is something about being in and around water that is so soothing, so inviting, so relaxing. Watching waves on the beach or listening to nature sounds at the lake seems to slow down time and re-center our perspectives.

And yet, water can also be unsettling … to the Gulf Coast resident bracing for another hurricane … to the adult at the pool party who never learned to swim … to the tent cities in Haiti during the rainy season.

I’ve often heard that even the poorest in America are far richer than the poor in many other places of the world. It is hard to fathom, but let’s try to think about it. I wouldn’t particularly want to bathe in Lake Waco or the Bosque or Brazos Rivers, but any of those options would be better than a sewage-laden, stagnant gutter. If worse came to worst, I could walk into just about any public building around town and take a non-toxic, free drink from the nearest water fountain. When I turn on the faucets in my house, I expect clear water to come pouring out. We may be under drought conditions, but we still have washing machines, dishwashers, sprinklers, bottled water and swimming pools accessible to us. None of us will die of thirst tomorrow.

Yet, some others will.

So, as you head to the lake/pool/river to celebrate during this holiday weekend, let’s turn our hearts to God in thanksgiving for the blessings of our freedom, to be certain, but also his creation. Take time to thank him for “little” things – like indoor plumbing and the fact that we can worship freely in church today – and lift up those who cannot.

Our pastors are riding in the front car of the roller coaster, so to speak. Let’s pray specifically for them today as they serve God.