Summer can be a more relaxed time, with the warm temperatures, shorts and t-shirts and the fact that it stays light longer. This is especially true during a summer vacation (if you take one). But summer is also a time to continue learning.
This year, as we have in many years in the past, we went to Turkey Creek Ranch and Resort (TCR), where Tammy’s family vacationed many times. TCR was founded by the Edwards family, who still run the place, in 1959 with a few cabins primarily as a fishing vacation resort. Over the years, 20+ cabins, two swimming pools and an office/recreation center were built. Along with the lake resort is a 600+ acre cattle ranch with anywhere from 50-100 head of cattle and horses. Tammy’s family first visited TCR in 1966. To say that her family has a lot of history with TCR is an understatement. Nineteen of us (eleven adults and eight children, eight and under), gathered at TCR for a week in mid-June. Here is a picture of our group ranging in age from 4 months to 68 years old.
Tammy and the women at our church are studying the book of Philippians this
summer. I decided to make the book of Philippians my area of study for our vacation. I used Steven Lawson’s teaching series Rejoice in the Lord: Paul’s Letter to the Philippians for my studies. Lawson’s series has forty-two, twenty-three-minute messages. I got through a little over half of the messages during our vacation and continued with the series upon arriving home.
While our group had a lot of fun (golf, pool time, boating, getting caught up, playing games in the recreation center, etc.), I enjoyed listening to the messages, and the chapters of Philippians on the ESV Bible app, as I walked several miles each day.
I also listened to the messages while canoeing on Bull Shoals Lake.
In addition to Lawson’s series on Philippians, I brought along two books to read. The first was The Sacred Meaning of Everyday Work by Robert Tribken, and the second was Worthy: Living in Light of the Gospel by Sinclair Ferguson.
Where I worked, it was often said that school was never out. I would encourage you to be a life-long learner. So keep learning this summer. Please share what your learning plans are for the summer.
