July Prayer Guide & Beach Reflections

Hi friend,

Our family just returned from our annual beach vacation — what a blessing. I treasure this time deeply. We don’t do much on vacation except relax, play in the water, walk, read, talk, share meals, and eat ice cream (and as many Oreos as I’m willing to buy!). Honestly, I think we ate more eggs than Oreos this year.

Many years ago, dear friends invited us to be part of their beach tradition. At the time, we couldn’t have afforded our own rental, so we were grateful — and honored — to share theirs. The weekly rhythms were easy, everyone got along well, and we loved it so much that we went with them for 12 or 13 summers. What a gift! Flint and I reflected on that while we were away and felt such gratitude for that family and the fact that we now get to do the same for our adult children.

Do you have any summer traditions you share with your family? I’d truly love to hear about them.

A Quick Note About the July Prayer Guide.

Because I knew vacation was coming, I made sure to prepare the July Prayer Guide early. But…I didn’t quite get it formatted and sent to you in time. Maybe this sounds familiar: just when you think you’ve figured something out, the tech world updates and you’re learning a new system you didn’t ask for. (Happens to me all the time.)

If you typically use the prayer guide in the morning, you were probably expecting it sooner — I’m sorry for the delay. But I hope the new format makes up for it! I asked my marketing expert (shoutout to Honeycutt Media!) to create a foldable version this month. You can print it, fold it, and tuck it into your prayer journal, purse, or wherever you like to keep yours. I fold mine and carry it around — it makes it easy to pray during unexpected moments, jot notes, or bring it to church or group gatherings.

The goal is connection with the Lord — so whatever helps us get there is a win.

What I'm Using for the Second Half of 2025

I started a fresh journal this week, and while I’ve tried all kinds over the years, I keep coming back to the Leuchtturm1917. It has:

• A pocket (perfect for your prayer guide & Bible reading plan)

• Heavyweight, smooth paper that resists bleed-through

• A ribbon to mark your page and an elastic band that keeps it closed (and holds your pen!)

If you're local, you can find them at Goldberry Books in downtown Concord.

📚 Book Update

Right now, I’m in the book cover design stage! It’s fast-paced — I give feedback and the designers respond with updates, usually on short notice. Honestly, the pace is overwhelming because I didn’t get to choose today as a “stay-near-the-computer-all-day” kind of day (and I won’t get to do that). Would you pray for me? Specifically, that the right design comes forth from this process.It still seems strange to finalize the cover before the book is done…but apparently, that’s how publishing works! There are so many hoops an author has to jump through that have nothing to do with writing. Sheesh!

Thank you for reading all the way to the bottom. If this email encouraged you, I’d be so grateful if you’d share it with a few friends who love reading, praying, journaling, the Lord, and growing in their walk with Christ.

We're in this Kingdom-building journey together. 💛

Much Love,

Bonnie