Summer Challenges

Considering it's the first official day of summer, I decided to switch things up a bit and change my background and design. Also, I've been reading Jon Acuff's blog, Stuff Christians Like, a lot recently, so if my writing style has changed, you can blame him :)

I've been praying and thinking a lot about this summer and what God has planned for me. A part of me really wants this summer to be like last, full of fun times with friends nearly every day. Unfortunately(and I say this out of my current state of mind), I believe God is bringing me into a summer very different and very difficult. One word, I believe, that best describes it: uncomfortable. I was talking with a friend last week about this idea of being uncomfortable. So, I'm taking the idea and running with it. I've made a list of spiritual goals for the summer that will challenge me and make me uncomfortable:

1. The Word:Finish my CIY challenge on time without becoming complacent in my reading
2. Generosity: Continue to tithe 10% of my paychecks while rounding up to the nearest 5
3. Serving: Do one thing around the house every day
4. Faithfulness to God: Commit to praying for people every day each week
5. Outreach: Be a Light to those at Camp Allendale, Faith, Hope, & Love Week, and the Thursday Dinner Table

There are other things in my life, that are out of my hands, right now that make me far more uncomfortable than this list, but these 5 areas(given as a template from Keith Comp) are my personal challenges for the summer. I'm excited to see where God will lead me this summer, but very nervous at the same time.

I was reading in Ezekiel this morning that God commanded him to lay on his side for 390 days and eat bread only cooked over burning cow manure. Ezekiel is a living example of uncomfortable. Yet his heart was still soft to the Lord working and he still told the people of Israel to turn back to God. Now to sound conceited, but that's what I want my life to look like. That, no matter how uncomfortable I am, that no matter how much 'life sucks', I can still point people back to God. Last night at bible study, a statement was made that hit the nail right on the head. "If my goal is not leading them back to God, I'm not doing my job." Talk about a perfect challenge for my summer..

CIY Challenge Update: I'm on schedule and in Ezekiel and Hebrews. Nearly everyday as I read, I cannot wait to finish so I can go back through and study God's Word in more depth. This challenge was a God-send. I don't know what this last year would've looked like without it.