By Katie Beckmann, Communications Manager
This week’s “Embracing Faith” article will focus on Embracing Faith through Self-Care.
June 21st marked the official beginning of the summer season.
While some of us may view summertime as a few months to enjoy warm weather, sun, vacations, and relaxation; many view June, July, and August as months to focus on their spirituality.
As we kick off the summer season, ask yourself:
How can you become the person God created you to be?
How can you grow closer to God?
What is an obstacle for you in your spiritual progress?
Have you reflected on all of the good things in your life?
How can you better yourself and focus more on spirituality?
Over the upcoming months, focus on you, your self-care, and having a spiritual summer by doing these five things:
Cutting down on screen time – Believe it or not, many of us spend more time staring at a screen than interacting with others in person. Cutting down on screen time is an easy way to clear your mind. One way you can do that is by using the screen time feature (for Apple products) to limit your time spent on applications (like social media) during the day. Another way to do this is by limiting your television time. Why not designate days during the week as “No TV Days” and focus things other than electronics during those days.
Attending a retreat or taking a day trip – Summer retreats and workshops are a perfect way to focus on your spirituality and self-care. Check out Find the Divine, a site where you can find local retreats happening near you. If you are not able to attend a retreat, why not take a day trip to one of these spiritual locations?
Making prayer a part of your daily routine – Challenge yourself to pray for 10 minutes a day. Make it a part of your routine and see how you are a feeling after a week. Then try extending that week into a month – before you know it, prayer will become a part of your daily routine.
Reading spiritual books – Sitting outside and reading a good book is a perfect summertime activity. Besides these great recommendations, why not read the Bible to focus on your spirituality? Commit to reading 10 pages each day and see how much you can learn in a week or even a month!
Focusing on gratitude – Summertime goes by so fast, and before you know it, we are trading in our bathing suits for our fall jackets and getting ready for Halloween. Take this summer to reflect and be thankful for all of the seasonal blessings that God gives us!
How will you have a spiritual summer? Comment below and let us know.