May We Celebrate

I love to celebrate holidays. My favorite past time is to check out the list of allllll the holidays and choose which ones I will celebrate each year! The beginning of the month of May brings a lot of options our way. Allow me to introduce you to some national holidays to celebrate in the days along with some suggestions on how to embrace the special occasion.

First, the month of May is actually Get Caught Reading month. Here's is a question for you, when was the last time you were caught by another reading your Bible? Maybe, the better question to ask is when was the last time you sat down outside of church, opened the thin silky pages, and actually read your Bible? This month, my wish for you is that you will take time to really dive into God's Word. Read a book of the Bible you have never read through before. Another option, is to take a familiar story, chapter, or book of the Bible and read it very slowly taking in all the details you may have missed in the past. Go ahead and get caught reading the Bible this month. Better yet, when you are caught, let the person in on what you are reading! This week is the celebration of Screen Free Week. It is a chance for individuals to take a break from having their eyes on screens all the time. Technology has consumed our lives these days. We let blings from our phone sharing notifications with us not only interrupt our relationships with others who are right in front of us, but we even let the notifications control what we do next with our time. I encourage you this week, in honor of going screen free, to take a break from one or more of your screens. This could be your cell phone. Make sure it is tucked away and out of sight when spending time with someone over lunch or coffee. Maybe, you need to take a break from your computer screen. Stop reading about everyone's lives on social media and go live the life God has for you. Bonus points if it looks different than everyone else's in the world around you. Maybe you need to take a break from your TV screen. Spend some time in solitude, phone a friend who is going through a difficult time and could use a listening ear, or make a call to someone who is lonely. Take a break from the screens, and see where God leads you!

Tomorrow is National Garden Meditation Day. One of my favorite accounts in the Bible is when Mary sees Jesus and thinks he is the gardener after the resurrection of Christ. I also love the song "In the Garden." This week I encourage you to take a walk outside in God's creation and spend some time in prayer with the Lord in the process. Take a walk with God. Talk to God, but make sure you take the time to listen and meditate on what the Lord is speaking to your heart as well.

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (Isaiah 58:11).