Hello Friends,

Warmer days are here. What are your plans for the lazy days of summer? Our family will be taking our annual trip to the beach. We enjoy soaking up rays, breathing in salty air, going for long walks, reading, playing games and eating good food. Breezy summer evenings grilling out, sitting on the deck engaged in great conversation and watching some South Carolina baseball – Nope, it doesn’t get any better than that.

Whether your choice is a camper, a condo, a five-star hotel or your back yard, there are endless ways to spend the slower days of summer. While rest and relaxation are important to our physical, emotional and mental well being, we must guard against a decline in our spiritual health during the down times.

Vacations can distract us from crucial spiritual disciplines we need on a daily basis to remain spiritually fit. If we’re not intentionally keeping our minds set on things above, we can easily drift away, causing our hearts to wander off, possibly landing in a spiritual desert. And who wants to vacay in a desert? For uninterrupted, vital nourishment to flow freely, we must remain connected to the Vine.

So, how can we relish in the summer slow-down and still remain spiritually healthy? Here are a few suggestions:

Always pack your Bible. Enjoying God’s beautiful creation is a perfect time to read His love letter on a deck or dock, in a hammock, sitting on the beach or on the porch while sipping a tall glass of sweet iced tea or a good, hot cup

of coffee.

Bring along a devotional book. Having a daily devotional book helps keep us in the habit of meditating on a specific verse or truth from God’s Word throughout the day.

Choose a church to visit on Sunday, or set aside time for family worship. This can include reading the Word, singing, praying, and discussing a Scripture passage. Worshiping with the Body of Christ is a habit we must not become negligent of.

Read a book for pure pleasure. Choose either fiction or non-fiction with a Christ-centered message. 

Spark spiritual conversations. Talk with one another. Listen to each other, and enjoy one another’s company.

Choose verses to memorize. God wants to write on the tablets of our hearts His truth so we have it with us wherever we go. Truth to draw strength and courage from; Truth to count on; Truth to pass on.

Don’t forget your Living Real Magazine. We exist to nurture your soul and to put face to faith.

In this issue, our high school writer, Allie Paige Thornton reminds us of the brevity of life after experiencing a close call while driving. Kelly Coakley introduces us to the owner of a Christian Dance Theatre and her vision for students to learn how to worship and share Jesus through the art of dance.

Jana Harp Dean brings the difficult journey of one refugee family inside our SC borders to life, challenging the body of Christ to demonstrate His love to those already living among us. Jonathan Edwards opens his heart, resonating with many who have grown up or are growing up without a father in the home.

Unexpected circumstances have stretched a young Kayln Watts’ faith, making her stronger and providing opportunities to proclaim Christ to people she never dreamed.

While Pastor Wayne J. Edwards evokes an interesting analogy of how the closing of a Christian bookstore chain should awaken the Church, Joeli Mulligan deals with the pressure of perfectionism. KatieEats.com and Cherie Nettles bring food for thought in their usual fun fashion.

Longer days bring the perfect season for watering the soil of the soul with the truth of the Word, growing up in our faith, and spending quality time with family and friends. So, wherever and however you plan to spend your easy, breezy days, the Living

Real team hopes you’ll savor the sweetness of the Savior.