I love May. May conjures images of swimming pools, Ball Park Franks, picnic tables and baseball games. For me, it’s hard to have a bad day in May. The weather seems fine-tuned for a perfect day out. If you aren’t outside right now, then what are you doing? Go outside, throw a frisbee around, go for a walk, catch a movie on Memorial Day weekend, or just stand outside without a jacket on—do something that many of us above the Mason-Dixon Line simply cannot do for 6-8 months of the year. 

One Memorial Day a few years ago, I took a group of friends out on a pontoon boat we rented. I didn’t realize that everyone else in North Georgia had the same idea and that the wake generated by the other watercraft would mean we would see the bow (front of the boat) become submerged beneath Lake Lanier again and again. For some reason, my friends panicked. Go figure. Admittedly, I wasn’t the most experienced boat driver. It also didn’t help that I had rushed the mandatory online boating safety course. Even still, that was a great Memorial Day outing. May can’t be defeated. 

You and I, on the other hand, are often not so resilient to defeat. Nearly halfway through the year, most of us have likely failed at some of those New Year’s resolutions we made in January. We’ve probably even forgotten what they even were. Nevertheless, the desire to improve and be the best versions of ourselves gets a boost from the extra Vitamin D in our systems. This issue of Peer includes articles that help us balance our expectations and reality, pointing us in the right direction for what should motivate the self-help routines we pursue. 

Olivia Scherzer introduces us to the habit of journaling and self-reflection as a practice for interpersonal awareness and prayer. Ashley Bohinc provides a Christian perspective on body image, inviting us to view our bodies as God does—not objects to be perfected but as gifts God has given us to embrace. Finally, Captain Nate Hinzman explores how to make faithful decisions, especially amid life’s transitions. 

These authors delve into key topics. Rather than pursuing achievements for their own sake, they show us that God offers us something better. Like May, we can be undaunted by life’s obstacles. Life isn’t about achievements that earn us self-worth but immeasurable worth accredited by Christ’s selflessness. So, bask in the warmth of God’s radical welcome and love for you. Live out of your identity in Him and He will make every day like May.