Seeing God through His Creation

The activities I always look forward to during the summer include disc golf, kayaking, spending time with friends and family, adventuring on the Katy Trail and exploring new and familiar places near and far.

The weather is turning cooler now, and although it can be hot and muggy during the summer, it is surprising how much fun you can have trying out a new hobby in the sun and fresh air, even if you end up sweat-soaked at the end of the day.

The heat even makes it all the better to return to a refreshingly cool home, grab a glass of cold water and relax in the evening.

Many people have heard of disc golf, but have you tried it yet?

Disc golf can be a whirl of fun for many different reasons and for people with wide ranges of interest, even if they do not consider themselves particularly athletic.

Starting with just a few discs (or even just one), nearly anyone can head out the door to the nearest disc golf course. Even if you don’t know the rules of disc golf, you can try your hand at throwing any disc you have toward the basket, beginning your journey to learning the sport.

When I play disc golf, I don’t have to play competitively or for a long time to have fun, but I think the sport proves to be a great way to spend time with friends and family, get outside, enjoy some fresh air and stay active.

After all that hot, sweaty disc golf, it sounds nice to jump in a crisp, cool pool … or river. It certainly did back during our recent summer months.

Kayaking can be a great way to cool off during the hot summer months as well as provide time for day trips with family and friends.

There are several rivers around Missouri, such as the Current River, the Black River, the Big Piney River, the Huzzah River and the Jacks Fork River, which offer many different floating trips, some only a few miles, serving for a shorter float trip while others drift for longer distances and serve for longer adventures.

My favorite river to float is the Current River because the cold, spring-fed water moves swiftly, carrying you along on its ripples. During the summer months, I try to go on several float trips with my entire family as well as sometimes just my siblings and our significant others.

No matter who comes along, floating is a great activity for a cool respite from the summer heat. The Current River, among others, is also a spectacular float during these current fall months.

I love floating down a lazy river that sometimes suddenly wakes with a patch of rapids. When I find a deep part, it’s always fun to anchor the kayaks and canoes, dive into the rolling water and go for a swim.

If you have never been floating, be sure to research the river, the segments you will be floating, water levels, time of year, wildlife and weather you may encounter, and go with someone who has experience floating.

Hopefully, we all get to spend time with family and friends other than just in the summertime, but many times life gets busy, especially now that school is back in session, and it may be difficult to spend much quality time with loved ones.