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Memorial Day heralds the beginning of summer. To students, it begins the countdown to summer vacation. Often summer schedules are hectic with family members going in every direction for sports, camps, social activities, or college preparation. Don’t let your summer get away from you!
Whether you stay at home or plan a vacation, set aside a special time for your family to slow down, reflect, and connect. Give everyone plenty of notice, especially if teens are involved. If you’re not a parent, get friends together. Talk ahead of time whether you will prepare a festive meal, cook-out, go out to dinner, or order in. Whatever you choose, plan something that will bring joy for those involved.
After the meal, take a moment to gather around and give people an opportunity to share what they’ve done in the past few months that was fun and meaningful. Share what plans they have for the summer months ahead. Encourage each person to share a goal or a dream, being sure to be supportive. Dreams aren’t always based on current reality.
Talk about recent antics of your children and their friends, and share memories of your own childhood and those summers. Share your faith experience, and let others share theirs. A fun way to end your time together by drawing people’s names out of a hat and committing to doing two nice things for that person this summer.
Time keeps on ticking, and seasons seem to go by in an instant. Planning purposeful time together is helpful in developing these family or friend relationships that will last a lifetime.
John Piper says, in the book *Don’t Waste Your Life, “*Most people slip by in life without a passion for God, spending their lives on trivial diversions, living for comfort and pleasure…[Don’t] get caught up in a life that counts for nothing…Learn to live for Christ, and don’t waste your life!”
Life, family, and relationships are a precious gift from God. In addition to the life He’s given you, He also has incredible plans and purposes for you and your family. You have many opportunities to live with passion, make a difference, contribute to others, and bring honor and glory to God. Start making plans for this special time with your family, bringing glory to God as you love each other well.
Lord, You’ve given me a wonderful family and awesome friends. I delight in being with these people You’ve given me to cherish... and I especially delight in You. Amen.
To discover more insights into experiencing the peace and purpose of a committed and enduring faith, pick up a copy of One-Minute Inspirations for Women.
What would be a fun way to connect with my family and friends this summer? How can we make the most of our lives together?
You have many opportunities to live with passion, make a difference, contribute to others, and bring honor and glory to God.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
My girls are 13 months apart, which means that during their early years, I often felt like I had twins. I had to really be on my toes-there was little-or-no catching of mistakes I made on the older child so that they wouldn’t be repeated with the younger one. What I was—or wasn’t—doing to love and raise my children was being done to both of them at the same time.
Most of us have no problem memorizing the lyrics to our favorite songs. Sometimes we know them so well, or they're so deeply ingrained in our minds, that they get stuck in our heads. The moment certain songs come on you'll see people rocking in the car or singing along.
