Good Morning Girls!  I'm sitting on the dock, reading, and for some reason I look up.  I notice a swim noodle has blown off the dock and is drifting away.  I know I need to get the noodle.  However, first I look around to see if anyone else has noticed the noodle and is on their way to get it.  I even consider yelling to someone "hey, the noodle is floating away", but since I am on the dock I know this would be ridiculous.  I stare at the noodle as it drifts further away, knowing that I need to get it.  My mind starts scrambling wondering if now I will even be able to catch up to it, should I hop in the paddle boat, should I grab a life jacket, what if I get a leg cramp and sink to the bottom and nobody even knows I went out to get the stupid noodle.  I just dried off, I don't want to get wet again.  The lake is so stinking cold.  Why is it so cold when it is 90 degrees out?  Why was the noodle left out in the first place.  I should make whoever had the noodle last go get it.  I hate noodles.  Who cares about a stupid noodle.  How much does one even cost?  Whatever, I'll just buy a new noodle.  Crap, it's really far away now.  Why didn't I just jump in right away when I first noticed it?  This sucks. Oh well. splash.................
I'm sure this scene is familiar to some of you.   It seems that it is human nature to stall when they first see something drifting away.  Every once in a while I see someone dive in, without thought, to get back what has gotten away from them.  I am impressed with these people, because more often than not, the scene plays out more like the one previously described.  Next time you at the lake, secretly throw something in, and watch someone else's response to the drifting noodle.  It's funny to think about in the case of the noodle, but more often than not, this is the same response we have when we see our goals drifting away.  When we notice it, instead of jumping in, and bringing them back, we stall.  We spend days wondering why and how we got off track.  We look to others to help get us back on track.  We hesitate, thinking of all the excuses to why we got off track.  We watch our goals drift further and further away, knowing we will eventually have to get back to them.  By the time we get back to them, we are exhausted, frustrated, and angry.  We want nothing to do with the stupid goal anymore.  God does not want us drifting away from Him either.  For many Christians, by the end of summer, feel like they have drifted away in their walk with the Lord.  They start to feel discouraged and negative and wonder why.  They suddenly realize that they have not opened their bible since April, or have not gone to church more than once or twice since Easter.  Instead of diving in to the Word, they spend days wallowing in guilt and feelings of unworthiness.  That is not what the Lord wants.  He wants us to keep His Word in our hearts, and if we realize we have drifted, go back to Him.  He will always be there to keep us afloat!

Hebrews 2:1  So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it

Love you all-
Jen