Summer 2023: Being Present

Summer may not officially start until June 21, but we’re ready for the summer season here at The Bookery. Summer means warmer temps, longer afternoons and, hopefully, a few days away reading by the pool or the ocean. While we’re excited about all the opportunities summer holds in store, we’re most excited about the chance to explore the idea of being present with The Bookery community over the next few months.

So what exactly will that look like? We sat down with our founder, Mandy Crow, to find out.

Our focus this summer is “being present.” Why was this theme so important to focus on?

Like most of the themes we’ve explored so far this year, I think I was personally passionate about it because it’s something I struggle with. We have so many distractions that pull at our attention and distract us from the present moment. I think I started to really become aware of this in spring 2020 when COVID pushed pause on everything and I started working from home. Thrown into online meetings, I found myself answering emails and editing articles during meetings, rather than focusing my full attention on the meeting. And then I started to notice that when I sat down to watch a TV show I really liked, I often had my phone in my hand and mindlessly scrolled social media while I was watching, missing most of the plot.

After that, I started noticing the pattern everywhere. When I was with my friends or family members, was I fully present and engaged? When I was working on a project, was I fully focused on it or thinking about the next thing? At church, when my pastor was teaching, was I leaning in or letting my mind wander to the list of worries scrolling in the back of my mind?

I want to be someone who is fully present in my relationships, in my work and in my faith. I don’t want to go through the motions of faith and not truly lean in to what God is doing in the world or what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach me. When I read a book or watch a TV show, I want to remember the plotline. When I sit across a table from a friend, I want to be fully engaged.

I think we’re a culture that is very rarely “in the moment” as much as we’d like to say we are, so “being present” seemed like the perfect topic to dwell on this summer.

What does The Bookery have in store for us this summer?

You’re definitely going to see all the things you love: book reviews, interviews, recipes and simple supper menu plans. But you’re also going to see content focused on the idea of being present, from a summer reading list to a series of articles on ways to practice presence in various relationships and settings and a community challenge to set aside your phones and social media for one day a week. In July, we’ll launch a two-week summer reading plan (online only) focused on Habakkuk. And we’re also trying to find the best brownie recipe out there to feature, so if you have one you love, send it our way!

What do you hope readers get out of this summer focus?

I hope readers begin to see simple ways they can push aside the distractions of life and simply be present—with their families, with friends and with God. Speaking for myself, I can so often get caught up in the busyness of the day or the worries and stresses I’m facing that I completely miss what God is trying to teach me in his Word or how he is creating opportunities to be a light for him in my day-to-day life. I don’t want to miss those things, and I don’t want The Bookery community to either!