Summer’s coming. Right now, parents everywhere are signing their kids up for camps. How about you? Is summer a time you keep busy, or slow down? What pace do you choose to live at during the summer months?
Are you foregoing a vacation this summer because of the economy?
Many of you know, I’m not a big fan of busy summers. Living where it is cold much of the year, I like having plenty of time to just enjoy being outdoors. My kids have very little on the calendar.
They’re old enough now that rather than pay good money for someone else to entertain them, they can earn money. My daughter will be babysitting and will do some office work for my husband. My son will be mowing lawns to earn a few extra dollars. They’ll also get to have some precious down time—it’s been a very busy spring, especially for my daughter.
I read something in the Tribune the other day about a shortage of laborers, due to changes in immigration laws. If you have a teenager, this provides a great opportunity. Have them get a job with a local landscape company, or a restaurant or hotel. Have them experience what it is like to have to earn a living the hard way, for a summer. (they’ll earn extra money, stay out of trouble, and be inspired to stay in school!)
As you are busy planning summer for others, I want to ask—what are you doing this summer for you? Your kids may be going to camp, taking lessons or summer school classes. But what about you?
I’d like to suggest that you carve out some time for you! One great way to do it—get a group of friends to read Oxygen together. This is an easy, do-able devotional that takes you deep into Scripture without overwhelming you. You’ll learn how to incorporate some spiritual practices into your life, and connect with Jesus in a new way. And if you go to my website and click on Keri’s books, you can download a free leader’s guide to help you read the book as a group.
I am just now finishing up reading Oxygen with a group of friends. We meet for coffee once a week, and talk about each chapter. We’ve all grown spiritually, and become closer friends as well.
To get you started, I’m going to give away two copies of Oxygen this week! Just leave a comment or question (by clicking on the response link below) on this post: tell me about your plans for summer, or what you’ve done that has worked well (or not!) in summers past. Tell me about why you’d like a free book! We’ll draw two names from all those who post a comment. The deadline is noon this Saturday (May 17).
Linda sent this comment:
hey keri-For this summer, i will probably be working for the day center(s) summer program and helping kids have fun. I also hope to exercise or find the motivation to do so-i have the clothes….Anyway. it will be a summer of reading, art and crafts and kids. As for the book, I am a bibliophile and i eat books of all sizes and shapes so you should send me a copy of your book and the leaders guide.
Hi Keri! This summer will be one to slow down and enjoy life and my kids. We will be taking a trip to Colorado to help out a sick relative and a new devotional will be great to share. I NEED reminders of how to incorporate Scripture into my life. Especially after driving 1092 miles with 3 kids, my sister AND my mom in one car! Thanks so much for this offer and (I know this sounds greedy) but I’ll be praying you choose my name!!!
This is the last summer I will have two preschoolers at home, as my first-born heads off to kindergarten in the fall. It is going to be a bittersweet summer, filled with lots of promise for the future. I hope to savor the moments, and let my kids have lots of free time to explore and just be.
My husband and I will take our girls to Disneyland for the first time in June. We plan to get our fill of princesses and characters and castles for those four days, then not schedule too much else. Then I plan to give the girls lots of time to dig in the dirt in the back yard, run the hose, play in the sand, run through the sprinklers, and savor their lives.
I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old so I need a breath of Oxygen!! My husband and I also will be welcoming our “summer daughter”– a 10 year old Belarussian girl as a part of a Chernobyl health respite program our church takes part in through abro.org. This will be her 3rd year with us. We can’t wait for her to return, but it is a struggle to keep our summers calm as the group tends to be over-scheduled with doctor and dental visits, fun times, parties and more.
I found your site because I was googling kids and sabbath. I work for the children’s pastor at our church and we are working on some email blasts to send out twice a month during the summer to help families slow down and experience and learn about Sabbath. I saw your articles and came here. We’ve come to think that most lay people (like me) don’t have a good understanding of how to rest and have Sabbath. I would love to read Oxygen and learn more about how women can practice spiritual disciplines.