Dear Readers,

I am always sad to see summer go. I love summer. I am glad my birthday is in summer. I need summer. And yet, summer always goes away.

This summer has been filled with lots and lots of skiing. I do not take for granted the gift of living on the lake or of being married to a 9, whereby I have skied 45 times since the kids got out of school at the end of May.

Also during the past 14 weeks of summer break, I have seen 72 deer, been to Tandem 19 times, and hosted friends for dinner 17 times. I picked 18 pounds of blueberries from our yard and 134 cucumbers from our garden. I didn’t count how many figs I picked, and there’s no telling how many veggie trays I have made or how many omelets I have eaten.

Ditto on the Happy Cow butter, raw radishes, and roasted acorn squash consumed by moi this summer.

I have recorded all my run times, have been on an Elizabeth Strout reading kick, have officially added flank steak with chimichurri to my repertoire of meals to serve guests, have celebrated two out of four kids’ birthdays so far, have copied quotes from Jayber Crow, AMS, and Elizabeth Strout in my commonplace book, and have memorized Psalm 33 on my runs.

I have taught a class at my kids’ school on memorizing poetry and keeping a commonplace book (which was very fun and life-giving for me!). I have made a new friend, have read my New Coverdale Psalter most days, and have continued on Altar Guild at church. I have been happy.

I have had some hard things happen too. Sailor was diagnosed with ITP and we’ve been dealing with that all summer long. TJ was as sick as I’ve ever seen him for a solid five days. We lost all twelve of our chickens to a mean raccoon. Story discovered the mall and online shopping and has put me to the test daily with all the new wants being expressed. Three friends have been in the depths of suffering.

More minorly, I have not accomplished things I said I wanted to do. I didn’t clean out the red cabinet. I didn’t install the new Berkey filters. I didn’t ask for TJ’s help getting all the 2019 pictures on my computer so I can start our next photobook. I also didn’t read very many books (just seven from June to August, five of which were Elizabeth Strout) and I didn’t find a single shark’s tooth at the beach. I know I missed some opportunities to train my girls in chores and devotions. I also know it isn’t too late.

I have found myself praying for wisdom again and again this summer, and lately the word I keep sensing during my times of journaling is Listen. I want to listen to God and to my kids. Today I had Story talk to me about where all these wants she has are coming from. I looked at her, and I listened. I want to do that daily. I have been praying for my friends in suffering. And I am listening for how God wants me to come alongside them in their suffering.

My friend Eden gave me this book for my birthday and I’ve been reading it slowly ever since. Learning about lament has given me new eyes with which to see suffering, both my own and others.’ I have heard two people teach about suffering in the past two weeks. I would say this summer, though a happy one, has also been a summer that has wanted me to learn about suffering. Even though I haven’t suffered huge losses or disappointments (yet), I don’t want to be afraid of the dark. I don’t want to fear winter. I still want summer to stay forever, but it won’t and it can’t. And that means two things: I will listen for what this next season holds and I will get out my wetsuit.

Love, Ginger