Summer is upon us. Don’t let the season go without savoring it. After all, you’ll have to wait another 12 months for June to come again…and July…and August. Here are some prayers to help you make the most of your summer.
1) Embrace the bathing suit
Dear Lord, let any worries I might have about how I look in a bathing suit never prevent me from putting one on and throwing myself into the ocean waves or a placid lake or a pool shimmering in the sunshine. Nobody else cares how I look, why should I?
2) Ice cream!
When the ice cream truck comes by playing that dopey song, Lord, let me greet it with the enthusiasm of a five-year-old who can’t wait for his first drumstick or popsicle of the season. Not for nothing did Jesus ask that the children come to Him. Summer deserves childish innocence and enthusiasm.
3) Appreciate the heat
God, I promise I won’t complain about the weather. Got that? I promise. When the heat blisters up from the sidewalks and when not the slightest breeze offers solace on a sizzling day, remind me how I felt about the weather in the frigid temperatures of February. The seasons are Your gift. Is there not something glorious about summer heat?
Read More: 12 More Prayers for Summer
4) Go light on headlines
I will make summer my Sabbath season, Lord. Of course the news can’t be avoided–good news and bad news–but for this season I’ll save the newspaper and those scary-making online stories for a quick perusal late in the day. A few facts are good enough for me.
5) Follow nature's lead
Dear God, I will mimic the way natures praises you in this season, shining like the stars, beaming like the sun, laughing like the fireflies, splashing with a waterfall, singing with the birds, rolling with the surf, floating on your eternal love.
6) Go with the flow
I will not get impatient with any traffic, dear Lord, when I discover that the quick trip to a cooling place was exactly what hundreds–thousands–of other people had in mind. I will greet any summer crowds as though we were all brothers and sisters in Christ. Who’s to say we aren’t?
7) Listen for flip flops and the crack of bats
I give thanks for the noises of summer: the flap of flip-flops on a boardwalk, the slap of a baseball slamming into a glove, the crack of a bat leading to a homerun, the songs of someone else’s music coming from their car with the windows rolled down, the drip-drip-drip of an ice-cream sandwich, the rumble of an air conditioner.
8) Evade email
One more promise, Lord, when I’m on vacation, I promise to really be on vacation. I will not keep checking email, I will not gaze vacantly at my iPhone, I will not reflect on all the work that needs to get done back at the office. I will read a good book and praise the days because all the days deserve praise. You made them.
Thank You for summer.
10 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Summer
Get Outdoors
After being cooped up all winter, summer is the perfect excuse to spend as much time as possible soaking up some Vitamin D and getting active. Hiking, swimming, kayaking, surfing, whatever floats your boat, just get outside and enjoy the beauty Mother Nature’s provided us. A family camping trip is always a great summer staple. Maybe you live close to the beach or a local lake? Are there pick-up games happening at your local park? Take the time to enjoy the fresh air and see how much better you’ll feel. Just be sure to wear a hat, sunscreen and shades, while you're at it!
Take A Trip
Summer is the ideal time to travel. With kids out of school, more free time at work and the warmer weather here to stay, why not take the season as an opportunity to visit a place you’ve had on your bucket list for too long? There are plenty of ways to travel cheap – we have a few tips if you need somewhere to start. If going international seems like too much of a hassle, there are plenty of incredible sites stateside that deserve to be seen in person. Take advantage of national parks, wildlife trails and historical sites in your area. Just get out and see something you haven’t seen before. It just might change your life.
Explore Your Own Town
Maybe packing the family up for a road trip or booking a flight just doesn’t interest you, that doesn’t mean a summer adventure is off the table. Oftentimes, the routine of everyday life blinds us to the wonders all around us. Does your town have a new museum or art gallery that just opened? Buy a ticket. Is there a historical walking tour you’ve been meaning to try? Strap on some boots and go. Every town has a story, why not spend this season getting to know the history of yours.
Learn Something New
You’re never too old to learn something new. Visit local education centers or your city’s community college; see what courses they offer in the summer. Want to try out a new language? Buy a learning tool online or look for someone offering one-on-one tutoring time. Acquiring a new skill or discovering something you didn’t know before will help you feel as though you accomplished something this summer.
Start A New Book
Maybe taking a college class is just too time consuming. Perhaps you'd like to relax and indulge your imagination instead. Summer is the perfect time to crack open a new book. If you're struggling to find the perfect book to start, why not check out Guideposts' very own Tea Room Mysteries series? They're heartwarming tales steeped in mystery. Learn more here.
Reconnect With Friends
If you’ve been consumed with your job for the past few months, your relationships may have fallen by the wayside. Take this time to reconnect with the family members and friends you just haven’t seen enough of this year. Host a barbeque in your backyard or plan a weekend outing to the beach. Make time for the people in your life and show them you care.
Volunteer
Giving back is so important but most people struggle to find the time to do it. Summer is the perfect excuse to get out, find a project or a campaign you’re passionate about and donate your time, energy and skills to helping others. Whether it’s lending a hand at a local homeless shelter or going on a volunteer vacation, putting the focus on those less fortunate will remind you of all of the blessings in your own life.
Get A Clean Start
There’s this misconception that cleaning should only be done in the spring, but summer is the perfect time to de-clutter your life and home. Maybe you need to tackle the garage – that place that’s slowly being filled with knick knacks and junk you haven’t been able to find a place for. Or is your closet full of clothes you just don’t wear anymore? Maybe the backyard is due for some tender loving care? Take a weekend or two to simplify your life by getting rid of things you just don’t need anymore and enjoy the feeling you’ll get when your work is done.
Get Healthy
Did you notice an influx of new members to your gym this spring? That’s because too much attention is put on having the “perfect summer body.” It’s more important to focus on being healthy than looking good in a bathing suit and summer is the perfect time to jumpstart a new fitness regimen. It could be as simple as getting out and walking half an hour each day or you could try your hand at yoga in the park. Any physical activity that gets your heart pumping and your muscles loose is something your body will thank you for.
Relax
We all say it. This summer, we’re just going to “relax.” Funny how those plans of spending the season lounging by the pool go right out the window when summer actually begins. The kids have sports teams to support, friends have parties and cookouts every weekend, family reunions are planned, road trips are taken – by the end of August we’re left wondering where our free time went. Make the active choice to do nothing this summer. Carve out a little time each week for yourself. Laze in a hammock in the backyard or curl up with a good book. Give yourself the okay for a little R&R and see how refreshed you’ll feel come fall.
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