Summer Nights
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Sitting there by the
campfire
Watching sparks
flicker in the cool night air
These summer nights
Cool and refreshing
The stars in the sky
shine
As they burn through
the inky blackness
The smell of fresh
pine floats in the air
I wiggle my toes in
the soft sand beneath my feet
The flame of the fire
reflects off the water
Little kids with jars
in their hands
Run around the beach
A shimmer in their
eyes,
As they watch
lightning bugs fly into their jars
And light up the glass
Familiar laughter
floods my ears
As I sit back and
watch
All of my family and
friends laugh and smile with each other
Enjoying each other’s
company and conversation
There’s something
about summer
The heat and the sun
beating against your skin
The smell of dew in
the early mornings
The scent of the fresh
cut grass your neighbor mows every Monday
Or smelling like chlorine
from being in the pool all day
Something about the
asphalt sizzling against your feet
From the late day
thunderstorms
Visiting the library
and checking out a stack full of new adventures
Those lazy days where
you would just collapse on the couch
With a good book in
hand to escape the heat
Something about those
bike rides at the beach
Getting ice cream on
the boardwalk
And never knowing what
time of day it is
Or those nights you
stayed up so late
In a tent in the back
yard with your best friend
Sitting in camping
chairs, watching fireworks on the fourth of July,
Twirling sparklers in
your hands
Blasting music
throughout the house and dancing
Because you don’t care
who sees you, you’re just having fun
The sound of bright
plastic flip-flops thwacking down the street
Chasing after the ice
cream truck with your siblings
Going to the movies,
our arms loaded with big buckets of popcorn
Attending concerts at
the fair, screaming at the top of our lungs
Trying on everything
in the store when shopping with your best friends because, why not
Dressing up like a
cowgirl with your fancy new hat and boots
Watching horses race
by you at the rodeo
Breathing in dirt as
you continue to watch the fun
And listen to the
country music
A little pride
escaping, for your country gal side
Waking up early to
watch the sunrise
Then spending hours in
the garden with mom
Going hiking in the
woods
Riding in kayaks and
splashing each other
Watching the sunset
from the front porch swing
And then laying out on
the grass late at night to watch the stars
Those long days of
driving to see friends hours away
Then running up to
embrace them because oh how you’ve missed them
Goofing off under the
basketball net trying to block each other’s shots
Tickling, and laughing
and poking fun at each other
Between our goofy hand
shakes and our silly nicknames
Wishing the moment
could last forever
Nights of skipping
through the parking lot, our arms linked together
And dancing and
singing together, our smiles bursting with laughter
Laying out in an open
field searching for constellations
Swimming, and playing
games in the gym
Chasing each other
down the sidewalks with cups full of water
Getting ourselves
soaked
Sitting by the
bonfire, our fingers all gooey from the s’mores
Our eyes full of tears
as it comes time to part ways
With long summer days
we’ve learned to love so dear
But we’re so full of
happiness and so thankful for the memories
We can hardly wait for
the next summer to arrive
There’s just something
about summer
About fall being so
close
Another year
Another Christmas
Another beginning
So much happens in one
summer
Between all the early
mornings and all the late nights
But everyone can pin
point back to one summer
And think about the
memories they made
The changes they went
through
The challenges they
grew through
It’s on those late
summer nights you really think about it all
And take the time to
appreciate
Every moment spent
living
Whether it be spent
laughing or crying
Those memories, wow
I thank God for my
life
And summer nights like
these,
You’ll never get them
back
So enjoy every hour
Every minute
Every second
Don’t ever let a
moment slip you by
Don’t ever forget the
memories
_______
I
know summer is practically over for most of us, but I really enjoyed writing
this and I wanted to share it with you guys. :)
As you grow, you will
most definitely ask the question, who am I?
And the world we live in is full of people that are more than willing to
try and tell you exactly who you are and what you are meant to be.
Some may say you are
like an object or an empty entity and that it doesn’t matter how you look or
can be used. You will be treated as
though you are meaningless.
Then there may be
others who will say you are whoever you want to be and that nothing should ever
stand in your way or prevent you from doing what you want. You will be treated as though you are a
god.
Then there is you and
your own heart and you will undoubtedly fluctuate between the two differences,
going back and forth between pride and self-indulgence. Eventually these
voices will collide, your heart will feel like an insufferable storm as you
slowly sink by their discouragement, or become entrapped by their praise. You will encounter these conflicting ideas
and you will feel hopelessness. It may
feel like even the slightest glimpse of truth is unattainable.
Well let me tell you,
none of those voices speak truth. Not
from the altering ideas of the world or even the ideas in your own heart. Reading this, maybe you’re thinking, who do
you think you are to tell me all of this?
Simple. I’m just like you. I’ve asked that same question. I’ve dealt
with the same troubles. But do you know
who answered my question? My Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. He did. And his answer stands firm in the center of
this sea of conflict. He can answer you
too, if you’re willing to listen.
I’m only a teenager,
and I most certainly do not have my life all figured out yet. But I know a few truths, so let me share them
with you.
You were created. This means you matter and that you are not
the center of your world or anyone else’s.
You were brought into this earth by a powerful being and your purpose
here is to bring glory to Him and serve Him.
The God who created
you, also bled for you. He died for
you. For you. This means you are loved magnificently and you will never be
able to understand or comprehend the love He has for you. This also means you are not perfect. You were bought with God’s blood therefore
you are not your own, and hard things will be expected of you, sometimes things
that seem impossible and it will require humility, sacrifice and pain but I
assure you it is worth it. Trust me, He
is worth it.
The world will try and
force you to become one of their own, but it’s a trap and you need to
resist. Instead imagine two hands; hands
with nails pierced right through them, hands that molded you into existence
intentionally and lovingly, with a purpose in mind.
When the world is
trying to lure you into becoming one of them don’t listen. Listen to the voice of God instead. Find your worth in Him, not from this world
or the things of this world.
Sometimes, life takes
us to unexpected places. We may have
hopes and dreams, have everything planned out, but God may choose a different
path for us to take. You need to be
ready and willing to trust who He is.
Trust His decisions for you, because you and I both know He knows what’s
best.
The world may tell you
to do whatever makes you happy, but remember the body that hung from a cross
for your imperfection. Follow Him, even
if it means doing the hardest things imaginable.
If the world declares
your strength, don’t be afraid to admit your weaknesses and hold onto His
strength that never fails.
And when the world
calls you worthless, remember He calls you worthy.
Friends, I know who
you are. You are men and women, young
and old, created by God in His image, bought with a price and designed to
accomplish good works and bring Him glory, forever. Hand your life over to Him. Walk with Him, and take courage.
He will carry you above the waves of this raging sea we dare to call
life.
_______
We are all on a journey, eagerly
anticipating what path to take next.
While we continue to get through life, whether it be easy or hard, let’s
use our voices. Let’s use the words the
Lord has placed in our hearts and change the world, as we continue to grow in
Christ and advance in the truth. So
let’s grab God’s hand and go where He leads us.
Welcome to my blog. :)
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