Happy July 4th. Affirmation: I Love Being Outdoors

Happy July 4th. 

July 4^th,  America's Independence Day, is a day of family celebrations. It is a patriotic holiday for celebrating the freedom and liberties fought for by the first generation of many of today's Americans. There is no better way for a family to celebrate this 4th of July than hanging out in the backyard, enjoying games together, and creating great memories! 

Today's affirmation: I Love Being Outdoors

Outdoors, surrounded by nature, is a wonderful place to be. Coming face to face with the majesty of creation causes the burdens of my heart to lift away. Physically moving my body from inside to outside activates a shift in my emotional state.

The picture displayed in the sky can never be duplicated. The view found in nature is more beautiful than any painting an artist could create. Each time I look up at the clouds, I see a striking new scene. From that beauty, I draw inspiration for life.

Unlike in the predictable indoors, the sights, smells, and sounds are different every time I go outside. The freshness of the outdoors prompts my discovery.

I seize every opportunity to be outside because I enjoy spending time outdoors. There is something about being outdoors that melts away the stress that is contained within four walls. A change of scenery refreshes my soul.

Outdoors, I can meditate on God's Word, breathe, and exercise. Long walks in nature surpass walking on a treadmill at the gym any day. I forget my troubles when I connect with nature.

Breathing in fresh air is healthy for me. When I breathe in deeply and slowly, I fill my lungs with air and increase the oxygen flow to my brain. I can clear my mind just by taking a breath of fresh air.

Today, I choose to delight in the beauty of nature while spending time outdoors. I appreciate the scenery and the effect it has on me.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What can I gain from spending a few minutes gazing at the sky today?
2. How is taking a walk outdoors better than going to the gym?
3. How can I benefit from breathing fresh air deeply?

"To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live a way that respects and enhances freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela

Pursuing your unique dreams and goals is the purest form of freedom there is.

Take advantage of this holiday and the warm summer sun by incorporating a fun outdoor game.

Here is a fun DIY suggestion:

Recycled plastic bottle ring-toss game

Materials

• 120 grit sandpaper
• two small wooden CD crates
• assorted wooden stars
• blue spray paint
• hot glue gun with glue
• warm soapy water
• 12 recycled plastic bottles
• red, white, and blue craft paint
• wax-paper lined tray
• small embroidery hoops (4 for each player)
• pliers
• twine or yarn
• foam paint brushes

Instructions

1. Sand the CD crates and wooden stars lightly to smooth any rough edges.
2. Paint both the interior and exterior of CD crates and the fronts of the stars with the blue spray paint until they are well covered. Let them air dry.
3. Once dry, glue the stars to the front side of each crate with the glue gun.
4. With the warm soapy water, wash and remove any labels on the plastic bottles (Goo Gone works helps remove any remaining glue.)
5. Pour the red paint into 6 of the plastic bottles and white paint into the other 6 plastic bottles – add a tiny bit of water to your paint if it is too thick. Rotate the bottles slowly to cover the entire interior, then pour any excess paint out.
6. Place the plastic bottles upside down on the wax paper-lined tray to finish draining any paint (about 30 minutes).
7. Flip the plastic bottles right side up and clean the rims.
8. Let them dry for 48–72 hours.
9. Remove any stickers on the embroidery hoops and remove metal parts by bending with pliers.
10. Glue large hoop openings together with the glue gun.
11. Wrap twine or yarn around the hoops and secure them with glue.
12. Once dry, paint the hoops with patriotic colors and patterns, creating enough rings, so each player has 4.
13. Place crates together and set 6 bottles in each crate to make four rows of 3 bottles.
14. Draw a line 4-5 feet away from the bottles for game players to stand behind when tossing rings.
15. Please provide all the players with four rings and have them stand behind the line.
16. Take turns tossing the rings onto the bottles.
17. The player who gets the most rings to stay on the bottles wins.

I wish you and your family a healthy, happy, and blessed July 4^th!