My mom always says when she travels between countries that she knows her brain has arrived when the people in her dreams start speaking the language of the country she’s in–rather than the country she left.

I had a dream the other night full of friends from throughout my life all in one cohesive group–the way that goes in dreams. It was fun to see them all. But when I woke up, I realized something: none of them were wearing masks, despite the fact that I’m surrounded by them whenever I leave the house. Evidently, my subconscious has not yet arrived in this new world. I wonder how long it will take to catch up with me.

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Top Summer Adventure Books

Sally Lloyd-Jones recommends some excellent adventure books.

We may not be able to travel far this summer—but we can all go somewhere inside books! Reading is like a journey to a new place. And we have some fun journeys for you to go on. We’ve compiled Top Summer Book Picks and created an activity to along with each one.
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Playing with Paper

Jennifer Trafton and Rachel Crawford have partnered together to develop a new course for families to stretch their creative muscles together with. Check it out!

This class is a collaboration between author & creative writing teacher Jennifer Trafton and visual artist Rachel Crawford, combining art and writing into a paper-filled journey of playful creativity! We’ll design our own patterned paper, make postcard collages, and build imaginary villages inspired by Disney concept artist Mary Blair–then we’ll use our artistic creations to spark poetry and stories.
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Help the Next Generation Value Racial Diversity in God’s Kingdom

Dorena Williamson has some great advice for helping our kids value these things.

Today’s kids ministry leaders have a ripe opportunity to teach the next generation God’s truth about racial identity.
On the heels of a pandemic children are aware of the recent deaths of unarmed men and women, witnessing protest marches, and looking for affirmation and answers.
As beloved children of God, I encourage leaders to go back to the A-B-C’s with these basics that can help shape foundational conversations.
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Sick & Tired of Waiting: Secrets to the Art of Waiting

The waiting is the hardest part, they say. Ann Voskamp has some encouragement for us in it.

There is a time for everything, and yet —
Waiting for the right time, can feel like everything is going wrong.
You can bet on it these days, every morning when we rise and look at the calendar, we think: How long, Lord, how long?
How long till the price for our crops, our pigs, turn around, how long till the next rain for the wheat in the fields, how long till we all get to breathe even a little bit easier?
The sacrament of waiting can feel the hardest of all.
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Around the Warren

The Unexpected Blessing of a Writing Assignment

John Sommer looks back at a childhood lesson learned.

There I was, a scrawny, gangly twelve-year-old, standing with my back pack and tape recorder in front of a house I had never been to before. It was a small ranch house with mint green vinyl siding and white shutters. As my family car pulls out of the drive way, my mom waves goodbye and her face is covered with an exaggerated smile. She shouts out the car window, “Have fun, Honey, I will see you in a few hours!”
I roll my eyes and turn around, ready to meet my fate.
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Summer Essentials

Helena Sorensen provides a list of the must-haves for summer.

I grew up outside Tampa, in a world of endless summer (and I mean that in the worst possible sense). The cycle of the year was one of warm to hot to unbearable, and I am not exaggerating when I relate tales of skidding down the Slip-‘N-Slide on Christmas day or buying Duraflame logs to burn in the dusty, truly pointless fireplace and then cranking the air conditioning down to a dizzyingly expensive 50 or 60 degrees so that we could participate in the joy of the season.
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Something to Do with Your Kids

Need some sensory play activities? Have you tried making aquafaba?

Something to Watch

There’s a vast diversity in God’s creation, and these birds of the rainforest put it on full display. Watch just a few minutes or put it on in the background for an hour this week.