30 ways to honor God this summer
Ahhhhh, summertime.
It’s a time of backyard barbecues and homemade ice cream. A time for splashing in the water and basking in the sun. A time for road trips to see the Grand Canyon, and Grandma, too.
And, what a marvelous time to behold the natural beauty all around us and make it a special point to honor our Creator, our Savior — our God.
To help in that regard, we offer these 30 simple suggestions of ways to pay tribute this summer to the one who deserves all glory and praise:
1. Sit outside in the cool of the morning and meditate and pray.
2. Give $20, $50 or $100 anonymously to someone in your congregation who is struggling financially.
3. Read through the book of Psalms aloud with the entire family.
4. If it has been a while since you had a child in your house and you are missing the stomp, stomp, crash of little feet … borrow some kids for a day from their harried parents. Take them outside and show them how to have fun unplugged from electronic devices.
5. Write a letter of encouragement to a missionary or a member serving in the military overseas.
6. Mow the grass for a widow or elderly person.
7. Buy a DVD and, after watching it, send it to a missionary family with your “review” of the movie.
8. Ask each of your children to invite a friend from a less fortunate family to go with you on vacation.
9. Stay home, save gas and skip eating out one night, and donate the money to a soup kitchen or another
ministry that helps the homeless.
10. Put together a family prayer list.
11. Send a thank-you card and a gift certificate to that older member who greets you with a warm smile and handshake each Sunday.
12. Make it a point to think about others. Overcome your self-focus.
13. Vacation close to home so that you will have money with which to be generous.
14. Don’t just take a good book to the beach — take the Good Book.
15. Visit someone who shaped your life spiritually and thank them.
16. Bake cookies for Vacation Bible School.
17. Make a list of 10 ways God has blessed your life this year. Pick two or three and make them a blessing in somebody else’s life.
18. Stop what you are doing in the afternoon and just think about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
19. Pay the toll or the lunch bill for the car behind you in line.
20. Give your preacher an unexpected Sunday off and pay for him and his family to enjoy a special weekend doing something fun.
21. Read that book with a spiritual message that a friend recommended.
22. Plan a service project for your community and get teenagers involved in it.
23. Write or call a favorite childhood teacher to let that person know how your life turned out and how much you owe him or her.
24. Go on a mission trip instead of a vacation.
25. Make a list of New Year’s resolutions that you didn’t have time for in December. Complete them over the next six months.
26. Pretend one day this summer is Thanksgiving and volunteer at the homeless shelter downtown.
27. Pick up the phone and call a couple of people just to tell them you are thinking of them.
28. Go to a Little League baseball game and buy the losing team something from the snack bar.
29. Treat each day as a special gift from God and thank him for your many blessings.
30. Make a list like this of your own, only better.
It’s a time of backyard barbecues and homemade ice cream. A time for splashing in the water and basking in the sun. A time for road trips to see the Grand Canyon, and Grandma, too.
And, what a marvelous time to behold the natural beauty all around us and make it a special point to honor our Creator, our Savior — our God.
To help in that regard, we offer these 30 simple suggestions of ways to pay tribute this summer to the one who deserves all glory and praise:
1. Sit outside in the cool of the morning and meditate and pray.
2. Give $20, $50 or $100 anonymously to someone in your congregation who is struggling financially.
3. Read through the book of Psalms aloud with the entire family.
4. If it has been a while since you had a child in your house and you are missing the stomp, stomp, crash of little feet … borrow some kids for a day from their harried parents. Take them outside and show them how to have fun unplugged from electronic devices.
5. Write a letter of encouragement to a missionary or a member serving in the military overseas.
6. Mow the grass for a widow or elderly person.
7. Buy a DVD and, after watching it, send it to a missionary family with your “review” of the movie.
8. Ask each of your children to invite a friend from a less fortunate family to go with you on vacation.
9. Stay home, save gas and skip eating out one night, and donate the money to a soup kitchen or another
ministry that helps the homeless.
10. Put together a family prayer list.
11. Send a thank-you card and a gift certificate to that older member who greets you with a warm smile and handshake each Sunday.
12. Make it a point to think about others. Overcome your self-focus.
13. Vacation close to home so that you will have money with which to be generous.
14. Don’t just take a good book to the beach — take the Good Book.
15. Visit someone who shaped your life spiritually and thank them.
16. Bake cookies for Vacation Bible School.
17. Make a list of 10 ways God has blessed your life this year. Pick two or three and make them a blessing in somebody else’s life.
18. Stop what you are doing in the afternoon and just think about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
19. Pay the toll or the lunch bill for the car behind you in line.
20. Give your preacher an unexpected Sunday off and pay for him and his family to enjoy a special weekend doing something fun.
21. Read that book with a spiritual message that a friend recommended.
22. Plan a service project for your community and get teenagers involved in it.
23. Write or call a favorite childhood teacher to let that person know how your life turned out and how much you owe him or her.
24. Go on a mission trip instead of a vacation.
25. Make a list of New Year’s resolutions that you didn’t have time for in December. Complete them over the next six months.
26. Pretend one day this summer is Thanksgiving and volunteer at the homeless shelter downtown.
27. Pick up the phone and call a couple of people just to tell them you are thinking of them.
28. Go to a Little League baseball game and buy the losing team something from the snack bar.
29. Treat each day as a special gift from God and thank him for your many blessings.
30. Make a list like this of your own, only better.
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