Refreshed

 "If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest."             Matthew 11:28, CEV

    If you have ever said to yourself, "Self!  We should buy Fred a gift as a way to say "Thank you!" for his awesomeness and blogging skills.  What should we buy?" let me say you can never go wrong with a Starbucks gift card!  In fact, I would ENCOURAGE all four of you (I know who reads these things) to pool your resources and feel free to splurge!  😁

    In all seriousness, I do enjoy Starbucks, whether supplied with free resources, or not.  I've noticed that many coffee establishments, Starbucks included, have added "refreshers" to their summer menus.  What is a refresher?  Most seem to contain a fruit juice base and served cold, with ice. In theory, it's a sweet, cold treat to help energize you during those hot, muggy summer days.  Some will that cold beer is made for the same reason, but I digress.  

    During the dog days of summer, finding an avenue of getting away from the heat is essential.  A day at the beach can be just as refreshing as a $400 fruit-based beverage at a high priced coffee shop.  The same can be said about sitting in an air conditioned room.  When the heat is on, we need a way to avoiding overheating and breaking down.  That's true, not only for summer, but all year long.

    Being refreshed, or finding a time and place to rest is necessary or we run the risk of breaking down.  I need rest.  You need rest!  We all need rest!  

    After I post this blog, I am going to tackle the song "Hymn of Heaven" on my guitar.  The opening line of this song states "How I long to breath the air of heaven..."  That sounds so peaceful to me.  It sounds so refreshing.  It sounds like a great place to find rest.

    It's been a busy last few weeks for my family.  Meagan has graduated from high school.  We hosted a graduation party for her.  Work has been INSANE with vacations and the never ending pandemic related sicknesses.  I am TIRED!  Today I am looking for rest and refreshment, not from a coffee shop, but from the One I believe offers it freely.  

  Rest is there, whether you believe in God or not.  Take the time to get away from busy schedules and hazy summer days.  Invest in rest,  It's and investment in yourself!

    Melissa encouraged me to do something restful.  In fact, she told me to either write a blog OR play my guitar.  I'm choosing to do both.  We both know how easy it is for me to go without proper rest.  I have faced physical, emotional and spiritual burnout a few times over the years.  Resting, and being refreshed, keeps me level headed and emotionally balanced.  

    If you've read this far and STILL want to buy me a Starbucks gift card, make it out to Melissa.  She deserves the credit...and I will still USE the card!