i'd guess most days we are learning bucket loads from our peers and those in the same season of life as us.

but how would you evaluate how much you are learning from those ahead of you and behind you? we need to look up and look down. to watch and listen to those younger than us and to sit a while with those older than us. we've got much to learn and it's right in front of us. 

ask yourself: when you were little, and even now, are you more drawn to those older than you or younger than you? what do you see in your kids?

elijah is drawn to those older. sam is passionate about helping those younger than him. asher seems to observe both demographics. kavita balances this well as she is watching older role models closely, yet is naturally to young kids. mine has been the same since i was a little girl. 

someone different.

i've already pegged you as someone who enjoys hospitality, so having someone over seems like normalcy. 

but, who's someone you've thought about having over and pushed it to the back of your mind?

who's someone you know but has never come over to your home? 

who's someone you want to learn from?

what about someone who would love a home cooked meal?

is there a refugee family or someone new to town who could use a friend?

it still haunts me.

my free-spirited friends, you've waited for this post! and my type-As like me start twitching over an idea that has no boundaries!

i think what i offer you will help us all...

free space.

learn a bit of history. ask a few questions.

where i live is practically an infant compared to where you might live. ben and sam went to rome this june and sam uses the "mind blown" fingers over his forehead to show me just how old rome is in comparison to the united states, let alone, san francisco! 

but as long as we can explore yesterday, we can learn a bit of history!

you might have to venture out of your city limits to do some exploring, but don't forget about the cemetery, the library, the first church in town, the city hall or courthouse. and the best place to learn a bit of history is from your fellow citizens. 

june has come and gone and it's july! whether you are jumping from one activity and camp to another or if the summer is a continuation of the previous seasons, i hope that the summer series has ushered in some intentional fun. 

this activity is low-maintance, yet has high relational value - 

flowers!

put your green thumb to use. let the kids gather "flowers" from the yard. someone in town could use a burst of color in their day.

july 4th might be an obvious one, so make a day of it! what about the farmer’s market or the art walk or a grand opening? we had a voting day in June for our city’s mayor and a flea market i’ve only ever driven by. our city hall will host events and we discovered a whole new world at the park recently. 

you'll need a link to your city/community events. your town's newspaper is a good source. coffee shops often have bulletin boards with local events posted. my go-to is http://sf.funcheap.com. for locals, you can scroll down and select the date to give you today's events, many for free.

you'll need air in your tires and wind in your sails for this one. i believe that one of the best ways to learn your city is to go about it a different way. routine makes life predictable and helps us settle in to the places we call home, but it can put us in a rut. if you've just moved to town or a new part of the city, how will you get to where you need to go today?

for once this summer, try a different route, even if it's a few minutes longer. you just might discover something new. you will see new faces and new places that internally jolt your senses to refresh you. 

this is a fun way to mix it up a bit. if you typically drive to the store, consider walking. if you walk for exercise, consider biking. it’s convenient to take the car across the bridge, but we have taken the ferry before. 

some of you live in really hot climates and the thought of transporting yourself from point a to point b without a/c sounds like an absurd idea. others of you live miles from town. don't sweat it. do this activity at dusk - walk to a neighbor's house and say hello. (bring popsicles.)

Surprise the people in line behind you.

    you’re already in line for your shave ice, frappe, ice cream, or funnel cake. go ahead and surprise the ones in line behind you. simply turn and ask what they want and that you’re covering it! It’s like you just gave them the moon or something similar!

every single time, without fail, as ben and i drive across the golden gate bridge with our kids, they don't even look up. we call their attention to this amazing architecture. they might glance, but return to their books and conversation. ben and I gasp every. single. time.

if we’re not careful, dare I say intentional, we won’t even look up and notice that where we live is a part of God’s design for us. it’s a gift. it’s a masterpiece to enjoy. it’s a discovery.

if you missed the 1 must-do can-do summer activity we're thrilled about, you can read it here.

let's take the TWELVE WAYS TO LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE and create some intentionality around the next few weeks when you're in town. i'll be writing stories and ideas on these weekly, but here's some things you can make sure you have on hand: