How to Make This Your Best Summer Ever
How to Make This Your Best Summer Ever by Jen Lawrence
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
– Song of Songs 2:11-12
Hello See Hear Love Viewers and Readers!
Melinda has given me the honour of being your summer blogger, while the good ladies of See Hear Love take a well-deserved break.
By way of a quick introduction, I’m a forty-something year old woman who wrangles a blended family of one husband, five kids, and two badly behaved dogs. Alberta-born, I now live in the GTA and spend part of my summer in Nova Scotia. I’m a long-time blogger and author and, currently, I’m writing my first novel, which is waaay harder than I’d thought. I rely on undereye concealer, good books, tea, and Jesus to get me through my day.
While the See Hear Love ladies are enjoying some R&R, I’m going to be running a blog series here about ways to savour your summer. Where I live, summer is such a short, sweet season that feels like it was God-made to be enjoyed.
I’ll be sharing some recipes and tips for things to do with your friends and families, as well as some fun and practical ways to renew your relationship with God. Like the ant in Proverbs 6:8, who “stores its provisions in summer,” I find that summer can be a wonderful time to store up the Bread of Life and draw closer to God. I know we are supposed to be grateful in all seasons, but I find it sooo much easier to appreciate God’s goodness when I’m on someone’s dock than when I’m scraping ice off my windshield!
I’ll blog about some of the best parts of summer, such as having some time off to rest and renew our spirits, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying a delicious meal al fresco. Long summer days allow us to be more present, feel more gratitude, and have more fun. Plus, summer gives us sundresses, flips flops, and ice cream! Enough said.
I’d love it if you’d join me for our summer series. And I’d love to hear from YOU in the comments section and on Facebook and Instagram to hear how you make the most of your summer too! In the meantime, here is a recipe for the perfect Iced Tea Lemonade:
12 cups water
9 tea bags (I like Orange Pekoe or Darjeeling)
3/4 to 1-1/4 cups sugar
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Lemon slices
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and lemonade concentrate. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices. Serves 12.
XO