So, this morning as it rained, I noticed that the ceiling in our upstairs bathroom is leaking.  Great.  I said to Dawn a few weeks ago, "My main goal in life is to have one month where isn't something broken around our house."  Sort of been that way lately, and now, yet, something else.

In a way, it is sort of a funny reminder of just how temporary all of our "stuff" is.  None of is going to last, and it seems the more we have of it, the more time and money we spend trying to keep it all working.  Yet, we're not taking it with us either.  The right perspective of it all is always hard to keep, but at the end of the day, we came into the world without anything and we'll leave it the same way, except we'll leave it with Jesus. So, I guess the question is this:  When the dishwasher quits working, the car breaks down, the TV dies, and the ceiling leaks, just how important is any of it to you anyway?

 Summer is the quintessential time for vacation.  Many of you have recently taken a vacation or you're planning on sneaking one in before school starts in the next few weeks.  Let's face it - most all of us love summer.  We have these grand ideas of long summer days, relaxation and iced tea (it usually isn't this relaxed, but we can hope).

Yet, I also find that summer is a good time to re-evaluate.  I keep my preaching schedule fairly easy and flexible during June and July.  I focus on student camps and I spend a lot of time thinking about where we've come so far during the year and where we'll go in the fall months. It's a time of reflection, a time to ramp up to what God wants to do for the rest of the year.

In our personal lives, we need a time of reflection and ramping up as well.  Where have you been?  Where are you going?  What does God want to do with your life in the coming days and weeks?  These are good questions to ask.

So, are you ramping up?  As summer starts winding down, have you asked God for some personal growth goals for the coming months?  2009 is more than half over - what does God want to accomplish in your life before year's end?