A Different Kind of Summer

Summers for me have normally been a flurry of processing food and turning summer tastes into rows of canning jars. For years I had my own garden, and then the past few summers I gave it up and just hit the farmer's market for my fruits and vegetables. 

Today is July 6th and I haven't done that once. It's kind of a strange year. I'm in a countdown until my knee surgery next Thursday. But more than that, it's a summer of studying and writing papers and working my brain in ways that hasn't happened in 30 years. 

As part of my consecration I have to write 6 position papers and I started the first of them yesterday. It's hard to get my brain wrapped around systematic theology when that hasn't happened since I was in my 20's. My goal is to get at least 3 papers and one of the projects done by December at the latest so I have another year to get the other 3 papers written and the other project completed.

There are days when I ask myself why I ever thought this was a good idea. I'm 56 years old and by the time I'm finished with everything I'll be 58 or 59. What is an almost 60 year old going to do with this? But, I also know that God has called me to this so we shall see where it leads and worst case scenario, I have stretched myself and continue to be a life--long learner.

This summer is different too because for the first time in forever we are working hard at actually taking vacation. There have been times when we say we are doing a staycation and then we really don't do much of anything. People will ask us if we could do this or that (ministry-wise) and we generally say "yes" even if we are supposed to be on vacation.

Next week we are on vacation again, but because of my surgery it really will be a "not-doing-anything" week. But I booked an Airbnb for the first week in August last night and that is really different. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are taking Nathan with them to Washington state that same week so we are getting away by ourselves. That hasn't happened in years.

In August I'm going to Colorado Springs for a conference for newly licensed official workers in our denomination. It kind of makes me laugh because Dan and I have been working in ministry for 30 years and with The Christian & Missionary Alliance for the past 16 years, but because I got licensed I'm considered "new." I'm looking forward to these 4 days away as well.

So my summer is different, but it's certainly not dull. I'm learning to embrace these "new" circumstances. It makes for an adventurous life!