And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 (New Living Translation)
The 4th of July is, of course, a distinctly American holiday. It celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence from England in 1776. It is a day replete with fireworks, patriotism and celebration.
It also harkens summer memories. Perhaps days of carefree youth, playing in the backyard, swimming with friends, picnics, fresh tomatoes from the garden, or family vacations. Reliving those memories of the past- those that evoke joy and a sense of freedom- are things that are good for the mind and the soul.
We all have different memories of those past summers. Hopefully, you can recall some wonderful times. Some people, unfortunately, do not have a vault of memories that are refreshing. Maybe just remembering a few things that were a respite from difficult times can be of some help.
But on this midsummer day, I ask you to reflect on the summer days that delighted you. The carefree times that began early in the day, and lasted late because the sun did not set until past 9PM.
Of course, I am writing to my friends in the Northern Hemisphere, so to my dear Southern Hemisphere readers, bear with me! 😊
All of us can benefit from recalling days that were free of stress, where the next decision was simply whether to go inside and get a cool drink, or to let the garden hose run for a while and get a cool drink from there.
So, my friends, enjoy this little mind experience. To my American readers, Happy 4th of July! To the rest of my readers, give yourself that enjoyable freedom that comes from good memories.
Prayer: Lord, we are grateful for memories that uplift us, and for the freedoms we enjoy to do just that, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 