7 more days. Really?! Seven more school days until the completion of the 2014-2015 school year. Of my 5 children, 3 are in school. Our school year has been greatly extended because of many snow days and delayed openings. And not only does it mark the completion of the school year but also a break from their STEM club and Boy Scouts.
With the intensity of their schoolwork, extra curricular activities, my home, business and ministry commitments, we are all in need of the summer slow down. I usually have their summer calendar FULL by April. From VBS and camps to vacations and festivals, that calendar is jammed packed. Not this year friends.
I’ve taken a different approach. As always (well, almost all the time), I’ve followed the Holy Spirit’s leading. He gently showed me that some of my family’s joy and fun have been squeezed out. As stated earlier, with the intensity of our day-to-day activities and my husband starting a new job, fun has been in “Life’s” clutches struggling to get free. So I release FUN from its restraints. We will bask in the summer slow down, embrace the now moment and have fun.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
Lord I resolve not to allow “Doing Life” to squeeze You out, squeeze fun out, squeeze joy out. I will find my delight in You Oh Lord and will reflect your glory and fullness of joy onto my loved ones. And with the reflection of your glory I will command the atmosphere in my home to be saturated with love, joy, peace and fun.
To embrace the summer slow down and have fun I’ve left the calendar pretty open. The 3 oldest will have one week of camp each and we’ve got one family vacation planned otherwise, we’ll figure it out as we go along. I’ll have the children create at least 20 things they want to do and we’ll put them in a jar and pick.
And so far we are off to a great start. I went to an all-day jazz concert with a friend who is witty and kept me in stitches. The children have had fun hanging out at The National Harbor, a pool party, eating out (which is a real treat because we usually eat at home) a health and fitness expo, and a water gun battle. Now if mommy and daddy can get a date night….
Some of my personal favorite ways of summer slow down:
~Reading historical Christian fiction
~Going to the beach
~Going to a concert
~Sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop and a steaming cup of Joe (this is a rare treat)
~Sitting on the front step of my home, gazing out onto the water, listening to the birds and geese.
What are you doing to embrace the summer slow down and have fun? Let me hear from you. If you are challenged with granting yourself permission to have fun, CLICK HERE.
As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with these friends encouraging the Body Life Giving Linkup, Purposeful Faith, Dance With Jesus, Grace & Truth