Do you need a Summer pep talk? Even though the summer season officially began less than one week ago, it may feel big as you are approaching this specific summer break.
Perhaps you have been at home with your family for almost 400 days straight now (but who’s counting?!) and you need a little cheerful motivation or refreshing message!
Let this be a cool drink of water on your hot day.
Proverbs 25:11 says “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (ESV)
Summer provides countless benefits. For some families, it’s the best time to do all the things you want to do, but don’t have time to accomplish during the school year. For others, the weather is wonderful and the outdoor activities are endless. Still others may exchange a work schedule for time at home with their kids.
Regardless of your stage of life or your unique situation, I hope this encourages you to make the most of your situation, exactly where you are.
I think “sluggard” is a funny word. I can’t help but smile every time I encounter it in Scripture and I definitely want to avoid being one!
Proverbs 6:6-8 always catches my attention:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” (NIV)
My thoughts instantly go from reading this to Ecclesiastes 3:1:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (NLT)
Rather than attempting to complete everything in this next season, these Scriptures instead motivate me to zero in on how to specifically make the best use of my current season. I also want to make choices that my future self will appreciate.
Do you remember Krista Gilbert from Ways to Enjoy Summer with Your Family? I love having access to that episode and re-listening each year as summer approaches! I highly recommend checking it out for your own benefit!
Krista provides a vision and framework for the type of summer I desire. When we look back at these few months, I want to know we invested our time wisely to create memories and outcomes that will outlast it.
Do you know a few of your family’s values? Some of Krista’s are cultivating environments to challenge her kids to daily work, think, play, and move.
As I re-listened to her episode today, I asked myself: As parents, what do we want to build in our children? How do we desire them to grow spiritually? What are some skills I am aiming to teach our kids before they leave home?
I took a couple minutes to jot down my answers, which I plan to use as my summer outline. The goal is not to accomplish every item on the list, but I do want to move in the right direction. This structure provides me with plenty of options to consider as I frequently glance at it in the days and weeks to come.
Four themes emerged from my brainstorming session, so I will share the ways Mark and I hope to create an atmosphere that cultivates each theme this summer. Then I will invite you to do the same as you ponder your response to various questions.
This summer our four themes are spiritual maturity, training our children about healthy living, imparting valuable life skills, and prioritizing relationship-building.
Spiritual Maturity:
Journaling (we use Write the Word for Kids)
Hospitality
Practicing generosity
Random acts of kindness
Memorizing Scripture (songs are helpful . . . don’t miss the giveaway mentioned at the end of this post!)
Relationship Building:
Bonding through working alongside one another or enjoying a shared experience together
Travel
Promoting laughter
Read Alouds on a picnic blanket
Rainy days: teach a new board game or how to scrapbook
Playing in water because that is something we all enjoy!
Healthy Living:
Relational focus (covers all kinds of health: spiritual, emotional, cognitive, developmental, etc . . . )
Engage, non-digitally
Help prepare fruits and veggies
Move our bodies
Maintain healthy sleep schedules
Process Art
Read alouds or audiobooks
Deepening friendships
Alternating downtime and scheduled time
Develop Specific Life Skills:
Each of these seem more attainable without interruptions of a normal school schedule:
Work ethic
Kitchen skills
Ride bikes without training wheels
Swim without floatation devices
Potty train
Your turn!
What is your list? To begin envisioning a family map for your summer, take ten minutes to jot down your answers to a couple of these questions, then you can discuss your realizations with your spouse. When you both are on the same page, try laying it out over a shared family meal to get your children’s input.
Questions to envision your family map for summer:
What did I enjoy most about summer as a kid? How can I share that with my own children?
What am I looking forward to the most in the next 60-90 days?
What would make this summer ideal? Is there a way to make that happen? Can we at least make one change to get closer to that ideal image?
What was our highlight from last summer? Is there a way to build off of that or recreate it? (family meals together, camping, building a project together, etc . . . )
What do I wish we could do more of during the school year?
What activities bring us closer?
Is there anything from last summer I regret? How can we set up a system to ensure that doesn’t happen again?
What are my goals in parenting? How can I move closer to reaching those goals during this season?
What character traits do we most desire to impart to our children?
What is the most meaningful way we could spend our time?
When I look back on these 60-90 days, what do I hope we can say was true of that time? What memories did we make? What am I so thankful I invested my energy in?
What is one thing that would make summer special for each member of our family?
As we glance together at our lists, let’s remember even accomplishing a couple items is still a win! That gets us further than we would have been if we chose to drift through summer without much reflection or preparation.
I love having a big-picture of all the wonderful possibilities a season can bring!
It can motivate us to look at the list and be reminded of our greater aspirations. Having a list to refer to provides us with the practicality required to live intentionally! We will never regret that choice. In fact, that wisdom comes from Proverbs 29:18a:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV)
Thanks for taking the time to love your family well through thoughtfully preparing for the season. May your efforts be blessed and your families be rewarded by your diligence.
Make sure you join our email list so you can participate in our giveaway!
Giveaway Details: We are giving away Volumes 1-4 of Slugs & Bugs and Write the Word for Kids. We hope this jumpstarts your intentional summer! For your entry into the giveaway, you must join our email list and leave a response here or on Instagram sharing your ideal way to spend a summer day with your family!
Happy Summer, Friends!
Sincerely,
Laura