Mid-Summer Check In

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News flash … Summer is half over.  WHAT?  How did that happen?  All those things you had hoped to do that you procrastinated—landscaping, deep cleaning, organizing your closet …

You only have a month left. 

It is time for a little mid-summer check in.  Here are some questions to ask yourself: Have I been productive with my time?  Is there anything I planned to do that I haven’t done yet?  Have I balanced enough projects with rest?  Seen all the friends I want to see?  Planned curriculum to work ahead?  Visited places I wish to see?

There is a scene in Old School when Vince Vaughn asks Luke Wilson if he had a good time at the party, and Will Ferrell blurts out, “I had an AWESOME time!”  That is pretty much me right now.  This summer of 2024 has been the perfect mix of relaxation and productivity, and I cannot wait to see what is coming in July.

The need for self-evaluation is evident.  2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

I also like Romans 12:16 which states, “Have the same respect for one another. Do not be arrogant, but associate with the humble. Do not think too highly of yourselves.”  Translation … If you think you are all that, guess what?  You aren’t. 

Let’s start with the good.  I am feeling great about not completely wasting my time.  In the past I have been lazy, but this summer has been different.  I have been writing, meeting up with people, practicing golf, swimming, reading for pleasure and for work, and still finding time to go on walks. 

The bad would be that I have only worked out twice.  Now that my lower back pain has subsided, I have been walking more, but I have been reluctant to get back to my kickboxing workouts.  I also told my son that I would work out with him in our basement.  Not so much!  Our schedules haven’t lined up much, and I haven’t pushed.

Should I go with the ugly?  There is not much ugly.  Like I said I feel good about my summer.  The only ugly is that I know this more laidback lifestyle will expire come August.  I need to cherish the time that I have left, being intentional about how I spend it. 

I am going to create a bucket list for things to do the rest of the summer.  Here we go!

  1. I want to finish as many chapters as I can in the book that I am writing for my friend, Mike.  His life is so inspiring to me, and the quality time with him has deepened our relationship.
  2. My son has a best friend who invited our entire family over for the 4th of July.  We loved it!  I would love to pay them back for the experience and have them over for dinner at our place. 
  3. The golf itch needs to be scratched!  I would love to get together with some friends to play one last round before it is too late. 
  4. My folks love time with my boys.  I want to schedule a pool date with them where we can swim in their neighborhood pool.
  5. I need to make good on my Father’s Day gift to my dad and take him out to breakfast.  He gets the same coupon every year, and I love the quality time with him.
  6. I picked up Island of the Blue Dolphins to read yesterday, and I loved it!  I want to finish it and move on to Tom Sawyer so I can be better prepared for my new curriculum I am teaching in the fall.
  7. Our trip to YouthFront is coming in a few weeks.  All the middle schoolers in our youth group will be there, and I want to make an intentional effort to connect with my 8th grade boys there.
  8. It is time to reconnect with my 6th grade team from Osawatomie!  I would love to see them one last time before we go our separate ways.  My scrapbook from the 2023-2024 school year is waiting to be opened and shared.
  9. Family bonding time is needed, and we have our trip to Branson scheduled for the last week of July.  I want to make the most of Silver Dollar City and enjoy time bonding with relatives I don’t get to see often.
  10. I want to begin creating some YouTube shorts to post little biblical thoughts for the day to my youth group boys.  Just to challenge them a little bit and to get them to think about Jesus more than they do now.

What about you?  It is time for you to check in on yourself, see what you have left to accomplish, and create that mid-summer bucket list to finish the summer strong.  I promise you, it won’t happen if you just talk about it.  Write it down, and get started! 

Not only that, but be open to the random opportunities God gives you that you don’t see coming.  Like this morning for me.  I was dropping my son off at football camp and got to talking with another dad next to us.  I told him I love to hit golf balls in the field next to the school.  He thought that was genius!  Free golf is always genius.  We made a “tee time” tomorrow to hit some balls together. 

Make use of your time.  Enjoy the beauties that God plans for you.  Communicate with Him regularly to see how He can use you for His glory.  By the time August comes around, that summer bucket list should be complete! 

Good luck.

Scripture to consider for the remainder of the summer:

  1. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
  2. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
  3. “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
  4. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
  5. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)
  6. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

             a time to be born, and a time to die;

            a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

             a time to kill, and a time to heal;

            a time to break down, and a time to build up;

             a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

            a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

             a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

            a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

             a time to seek, and a time to lose;

            a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

             a time to tear, and a time to sew;

            a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

             a time to love, and a time to hate;

            a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

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