These past seven days have been a mental "spring cleaning" of sorts. With classes finally over and the whole summer ahead of me, I've found myself with a two-week-long hiatus that has put way too much time on my hands. I cleaned, I organized, I went to the pool, I binged watched Netflix, I baked cookies, went shopping, and spent the afternoon at a local coffee shop. I kept myself busy (I even went to the gym!), but there was no avoiding it--the quiet was still there. As a very independent extrovert I had enjoyed the time to myself but was definitely ready to get back to hanging out with my friends and going on crazy adventures. But with almost everyone I know out of town, that wasn't really an option.

Something that I discovered a long time ago that I am still learning today is that when life slows down and gives you time to yourself, you begin to learn a lot about who you are. The reflection in the mirror is raw, true, and sometimes painful. Old struggles resurface and take up way too much of your thoughts once more. As I took the time to take a real look at myself, I found some truths that I think we all need to hear, especially for this summer.

You have to fight daily for the time that you spend with God. One thing I am convinced of now more than ever is that we are so forgetful. We are so prone to absent-mindedly sliding backwards and not coming to cognizance until we have fallen far indeed. Reading God's Word and spending time in His presence is like feeding your soul--once is not enough. You must feed it every day in order for it to grow. Over this past week I have seen how desperately I need God's grace for my life every day. In the morning, as I sit down to read His Word, it is like I am starting all over again. My heart is so quick to turn to darkness that I must realign it with God on a daily basis if I am to continue to grow. It is not easy. There are so many other things I could be doing instead of choosing to spend time with God. But the truth is, there will always be other things contending for the time that you spend with God. It doesn't matter if you're in high school or at a retirement community; the struggle never dies. So be encouraged, friend. Do not neglect this time, and do not surrender it to any other occupation. This summer, don't lose the habit of meeting with God. Seek His presence in the good times as well as the bad times of your life. It's worth it.

Resist the temptation to be lazy. I had an amusing, although serious, epiphany a couple of mornings ago as my alarm went off. It was time for me to get up, but I didn't want to. I was so warm and cozy under my covers, and I felt as if I could sleep the whole day, despite the fact that I had been averaging nine and a half hours of sleep over the past five days. I was definitely not sleep-deprived, but I was incredibly reluctant to move. Why? Why is it that we tend to rather do nothing, even if we have a whole bunch of things we have to do? Now I know not everyone is this way, but I must confess that I can be one of those people who spend time sitting and worrying about all the things I have to do instead of actually doing them. I think the key here in overcoming laziness is to find what motivates you. What gets you out of bed each morning and keeps you energetic throughout the day? What motivation is propelling you through life, even through the struggles and challenges?

Don't let going back to the world you lived in before college undo the growth that you experienced this past year. You're back home. You're living with your family again, perhaps working at your high school job, and falling back into the routine you had while living at home. Don't let this return of your past world lead to a return of your past life. Don't go back to being the you that you were before college. You've grown so much over these past months, you've learned many things, you've become wiser, and you've become different. Keep growing. It is so easy to slip back into old habits that weren't the best, but resist the temptation to do so! Instead, keep moving forward.