Kick off summer with opportunities to grow

With Memorial Day come and gone, the unofficial start of summer has begun. Though it seems that no one told the weather. Psalm 90:10 and 12 both reminds and challenges us with the brevity of our lives and importance of living well. These verses read,

"Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away;

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom."

Our life this side of eternity is short. It is crucial that we live well. Allow me to encourage you with three ways to kick off your summer.

Get plugged into a church.

Life is too short to live it alone. Church provides an opportunity to connect with a smaller group of people who make life richer. Church is one of the few places where the hard questions of life are discussed and solutions proposed. To paraphrase the late Chuck Colson, Christianity proposes never imposes truth for the solutions to life's greatest questions. In the best years of pain and trouble, you need a network of people to support you

Host a block party with your neighbors.

The warmer weather of summer brings people out to parks, fairs and lakes. This summer start parking your car outside for the purpose of waving at your neighbors and getting to know their names. Even better, write up an invitation for a "bring your own meat and share a side dish" barbecue. Then roll out the grill in the driveway, turn baseball game on the radio and have a simple block party. Good neighborhoods are made great when neighbors make an effort to connect with each other.

Read a book

Select a book that will challenge and encourage you in your spiritual walk. There is so much information to read. Studies show that modern men and women can consume more information in one day that men and women of a 100 years ago did in their lifetime. Tune out some of the eye-candy information of social-media threads and kitten videos and grab a book that will both challenge and encourage you. Your local librarian, pastor and those you have connected with in your church and neighborhood may have some great recommendations.

Our lives are extremely short. Kick off this summer with ways that help grow in wisdom.