Summer Sabbath

I love me some summer. The unscheduled, long light, barefoot, bathing suit days are gifts that I get to share with my kids. I must admit that I have not been intentional about their "God time," which I guess is OK. There are plenty of unintentional moments - like Small Sister playing "church" in her bedroom, preaching and teaching her flock of American Girls and stuffed animals. Pointing out what a great artist God is at a beach sunset...He always manages to throw in a couple of colors we've never seen before. Praying for family members and friends in need at night, when we have a little more time to meander and bedtime is a moving target. I love that they are spending time with older Christian girls in the neighborhood who are babysitting for us and swimming with them in the afternoons. Our mother-daughter Bible study will be joining with a middle and high school girls Bible study for a service project in July. I'm all over any opportunity for my girls to spend time with these awesome older girls, who are on fire for their faith.

One of my neighbors is doing a boys' Bible study at their house, they've titled Fishers of Men. They fish in a nearby pond, eat a big breakfast together and listen to a Bible story, which they retell in their own words and then discuss. Brilliantly simple.

Another family I've heard is leading Backyard Bible Study for friends at their elementary school. Different stations focus on a Bible verse or story with games, object lessons and rewards for memorizing verses.

And of course, there's Vacation Bible School going on all over town.

Some other ideas: keep a family gratitude journal or trade a faith/prayer journal among you. Take time to pray before trips or outings, playdates or a swim in the pool - give thanks for all the fun things you're getting to do and for the extra time you get to spend with them! If you can, consider volunteering. Maybe the kids will become interested in a cause that they can continue to work with during the school year. In my area, an example is MUST ministries, who solicits groups to make summer lunches for kids who may not have access to lunch when they're not in school. This is an easy way for kids to get involved, helping other children. It is especially important for Mom to continue to find a way to connect with the Holy Spirit in whatever way works best, since He will be THE source of our patience, wisdom and peace in these precious days, which can be trying, let's admit it. One of the benefits of kids sleeping in...I'm still waking up at 7:30 a.m., so I get at least an hour to have my coffee and spend time with the Lord.

Summer is designed to be a bit more laid back, less regimented and more "go with the flow." Use this time to continue to build your own faith and to lead your children in a way that creatively uses summer's unique character.

How do you make the most of your summer?

Comments are always welcome!