Six Month Review

What did you think when you read JUNE on the calendar?  School's out! Vacation! Graduations! Weddings! Half a year has passed?

In January many made resolutions or goals. Perhaps you blocked days for certain plans on a calendar. Did you choose a word or a Bible verse as a focus for the year? Some decided to journal meditations from Bible reading or write reflections and prayers.

Employers often have a six-month review to check on meeting goals or making progress in developing an expertise. What if we did the same? Not in the workplace, but comparing ourselves with ourselves from January to June?  Here are some ideas for a six-month review:

Throw Me to Jesus, Daddy

Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. (Psalm 36:5 NIV)

In South Carolina, we’ve enjoyed several pool days. My four-year old grandson has gained new confidence compared to last summer. Wearing floaties and kicking, he feels more freedom and doesn’t stay as close to his Mom as last year. He’s become more adventurous and even asked his Daddy to throw him up in the air.

“Put your arms up and reach the clouds,” his Daddy said.

Howling with laughter, he complied. Splash!

Ready for another turn, he said, “This time, Daddy, throw me up to Jesus.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Throw me to Jesus.

I do every day, sweet boy. I pray for you every day.

Serendipity in a Tall Glass, Especially in June

Did you know that next to water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world? In 2017, Americans consumed over 84 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.8 billion gallons. 

 

Approximately 85 per cent of the tea consumed in America is iced. I don’t have statistics to verify it, but I’d guess most of the iced tea consumed is in the south and when you order tea in South Carolina, it’s assumed it’s sweet tea. Is there any other way to serve it? It’s culture in a glass, the signature beverage of the south. 

Many stories have circulated regarding the origin of iced tea. The most widely accepted is its introduction at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Richard Blechynden, an American merchant promoting teas from India and Ceylon, offered cups of hot tea to passersby. On a steaming hot day, people wanted to cool off, not drink hot tea. In desperation, Blechynden poured his tea over a vat of ice and iced tea was born. Even though other stories circulate about the origin of iced tea, this desperate tea merchant is credited with popularizing and commercializing a fairly unknown beverage.  

What a serendipty!