I love the beach. I enjoy waking up early to see the sun rise up through and over the grandeur of God’s ocean. I relish reading my devotions each morning amidst the lapping of the waves on the shore, the sounds of the wildlife beginning their day, and the warming of the rising sun.

Thanks to God’s grace I will be spending a little over a week at two of my favorite beaches these first few days of September. It will be a time of spiritual refreshing, physical relaxation, and family blessing.

God wants His children to rest from their labor. He wants us to be refreshed and reenergized to do the work to which we have been called. That is what I will be doing – except for a quick trip back home to speak at Harrisonburg First Church of the Nazarene on September 7.

After this precious time away, I will then return to put the finishing touches on preparations for the Dover Victory Weekend at the end of the month.

I leave you with this from J. I Packer, “We should choose leisure activities that bring us closer to God, to people, to beauty, and to all that ennobles.”