Monday Motivation: Summer To Remember

Friends

Memorial Day weekend marked the official start of summer, at least in my book. Do you have plans for some summer fun in the next few months? For us, summer is about camping, and we are excited to hit the road!

 

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“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – NIV

 

I was busy grooming my ferns on the front porch when I heard my husband Eric’s voice echo from the end of our driveway. Slamming the door of our mailbox, he exclaimed, “K-Y-D! Our Summer To Remember t-shirts are here!” I grinned broadly and sent up a cheer, “Yay! Summer to Remember! Very cool!”

 

When Eric and I began our foray into RV travel in 2019, we knew we needed to acquire new knowledge and skills. Eric had never hauled any type of trailer, so there was a lot to learn about hitching the camper and getting it to go where he wanted it to go. From leveling to cleaning techniques to tank management and more, there was a bunch to learn. We quickly  realized we needed to do some research. Being the talented systems analyst that he is, he began searching the worldwide web. Where did he find his best information sources? Well, Youtube, of course!

 

That’s how we stumbled upon the “KYD” Youtube channel. “KYD” is short for “Keep Your Daydream,” and its hosts, Mark and Tricia Leach, are a delightful couple that share the tips and tricks of life on the road. Over the past eight years, Mark and Tricia have raised their three kids on the road, exploring the North American continent in a series of different RVs. Each week, they post a video chronicling their latest adventures and sharing pro tips to enhance RV life. Eric and I have become big fans, and Friday nights at the Sherer household are all about catching up on the latest KYD episode as well as several of our other RV Youtube channels.

 

Several years back, Mark and Tricia Leach began a practice of making a list with their children of all the activities and sights they hoped to encounter in their summer travel season. As a family, they wrote out the list and posted it in their camper. They called it their “Summer To Remember” list. As they spotted a bear or moose, one of the kids would check off that item on the list. Tricia reports that this list-keeping has become one of their best family traditions. Keeping track of their adventures helped the children, as well as their parents, remember what made each day or place special. As another way to promote this “remembering” practice, Mark and Tricia began designing and promoting a “KYD Summer To Remember” t-shirt touting the year and a fresh seasonal logo. For their family and their followers on social media, it has become another reminder to capture the special moments of each adventure season.

 

I smiled as I added my 2024 Summer To Remember t-shirt to my growing collection on the camper closet shelf. This year, I ordered a red one, and Eric’s latest t-shirt is a nice blue. It’s become our practice to wear one of these shirts as we start a road trip or explore a national park. As we donn one of those shirts, we never fail to grin and comment, because we know we are about to start another adventure. Perhaps it might sound silly to you, but wearing these simple cotton tees remind us to treasure the moments of our travels. This little habit reminds us that we are making memories together.

 

As I scanned my stack of “Summer To Remember” shirts on the shelf, it made me consider how easy it is to miss the good moments of each day. Our days are filled with life routines, demanding work schedules, a myriad of appointments, and seemingly endless to-do lists. We often rush from one place to another, our minds absorbed  on accomplishing the next requisite task on our list. When we check off  that item, we leap to the next task in the queue. I can’t help but feel that we miss so much of the good in our lives, because we pack too much into our schedules. I know I am guilty of that.

 

I think it’s also a matter of perspective. Are we looking for the good? Are we noticing the smile of our spouse or the jubilant laughter of a child? Are we remembering to pause and consider the glory of the sunset or the tender blooms popping up in our flower beds? As we lay our heads on our pillows each night, are we giving thanks for the tiny gifts of that day? Do we even recognize that there are gifts in every day?

 

Friends, this morning, I am admonishing myself to not miss the special moments of each and every day. I’m reminding myself to give thanks for my daily blessings, and there is so much to be thankful for. I’m reminding myself to praise God without ceasing for His people, His Provision, and His Presence. I may not make a list to hang on my refrigerator door, but I need to keep a running list going in my mind, and I need to keep a prayer of praise on my lips.

 

It’s a new day, the start of a new week in this new season of summer. What will you do to make 2024 a summer to remember?

 

As for Eric and me, look for us on the road in our Ford F-250 pulling our 2024 Keystone Cougar 5^th wheel RV down the highway. We’ll be smiling, and now you know what we will be wearing!

 

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“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”

Psalm 34:1 – NIV

 

PRAYER

O Precious Lord, help us not miss the good moments that you have graced us with. We give You praise for the many daily blessings You shower upon us. Let us keep you first and foremost in our hearts and minds, and may a song of praise be continually on our lips.

In the Gracious Name of Jesus, we offer our thanks and praise,

Amen

 

Summer Blessings,

Anita

 

-APS 6/3/2024