by torahgirl
Inspiration for your spiritual growth this summer
[Note: these are only the ones I’ve heard about – add a comment below or email me with your ideas!]
{1} It’s only appropriate to start this list with eshetkayil’s 10 Plague Project, the most creative motivation for community service I’ve ever seen. If you’re looking for fun, meaningful ways to get involved in your community, download the free 10 Plague Project outline from the orange box above and research the options available where you live. Eshetkayil posts occasional updates on the 10 Plague Project which have been a huge inspiration to me. Eshetkayil is living out the verse “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” [Proverbs 3.6]. You go, girl!!
{2} Two of the girls in our Tuesday night group had family as their biggest priority for this summer. They both talked about specific ways to serve their family, like helping with the housework and taking on new responsibilities, as well as looking for family activities and spending quality time with siblings. What a terrific goal!
{3} Another girl told us about her plan to learn a handful of important Hebrew blessings (before and after Torah + candlelighting) and then teach them to her younger sisters. I think that’s a beautiful expression of her love for them.
{4} A couple of college friends at The Writing Trialogue decided to read through the Bible this summer for the second time. Their method is to take a 52-week reading plan and read one week every day, so it only takes 52 days to read through the entire Bible. This idea requires discipline and dedication – it’s about an hour and a half of reading each day. These guys thought their time was well spent getting to know the Scripture better. If you want to know more about their plan, click here.
{5} Speaking of reading through the Bible, if that’s something you’re interested in doing, we have another resource courtesy of eshetkayil [available for download in the orange box above]. She designed a 3-month reading plan [May 30-August 31] of daily readings which include: part of the weekly Torah portion, about 6 chapters from the Tanach, 3-4 chapters from the Apostolic Writings, the daily proverb, and 1-2 Psalms. I’m so impressed with the brilliant simplicity of this plan! The schedule is customized to fit the Hebrew calendar; for instance, reading Lamentations on Tisha B’Av [as we mourn the destruction of both Temples]. Again, this is a challenging commitment which might take an hour each day over the next 3 months, but one that promises great benefit. Knowing the Scripture is to know the heart of HaShem.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures [Tanach], which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Messiah. All Scripture is G-d-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the [woman] of G-d may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy 3.14-16, my paraphrase]
{6} A few of my friends had an idea for “Raw Sundays” – inviting girls to bring a nutritious raw snack and spend a relaxing sunny afternoon on the patio memorizing Scripture. One condition is to leave makeup at home to give skin a healthy break. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I’m definitely looking for an invitation to one of these!
{7} A man in our congregation is a schoolteacher who takes each summer off to spend time with his family, deepening their walk and studying Torah together. He looks for opportunities to have spiritually uplifting conversation with fellow believers, learning and teaching Scriptural principles in order to strengthen his own faith while being a witness to those around him.
{8} I know a couple of people who have incorporated prayers from the siddur into their everyday schedule – beginning with the Shacharit service before breakfast and ending with the Bedtime Shema at night. If you’ve never prayed from a siddur, don’t disregard it as too ritualistic, too formulaic, or too stilted. The ancient Hebrew prayers are a way to quote the Bible back to HaShem. They’re magnificent! Take a closer look at your siddur [or borrow one] and give it a try.
{9} Even if your lifestyle isn’t affected over the summer [full-time job], do something different! Change up your routine by either adding G-dly disciplines or subtracting bad habits. Track your steady spiritual growth by finding a friend and keeping each other accountable. Set a goal to read the Proverb every morning, start the day with prayer for family and friends, bless G-d after every meal, write a note of gratefulness each week, keep up with a character-based journal, dig into an inductive Bible study, read biographies of great Christians, memorize a chapter of the Bible, start a new volunteer project – the choices are endless!! Challenge yourself this summer. I know you can do it.
=)
The Quest to be Spiritually Hot, Part 1
The Quest to be Spiritually Hot, Part 3
Rachel Allison
battzion12
knitbyHim
cndllighter
eshetkayil
Hergenreter
Christine Alexander
seeandimprove
talmeedahofyeshua
torahgirl
Candlelighters 
Those are fantastic ideas which I intend to impliment in my own life – and not just in the summer either, hopefully most of them will stick with me. 🙂
I especially like number 6, as I am currently doing a similar activity with Eshet Kayil – no makeup, memorizing scripture, but as of now we haven’t been doing the whole “raw food” thing. In fact, we once took the opportunity to have frozen chocolate milkshakes as a reward for our efforts. 😀 Yum! Although I think the healthier aproach can be just as fun and I’m definitely all up for trying it.
Keep up the good work girls! I know these ideas and inspirations can be a great help to all of our lives, and encouraging to others too.