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Update: We now have a “Seize the Summer” logo courtesy of [2] Brad Smith! If you will be participating by setting a goal for your summer please feel free to use this logo on your blog in an entry or sidebar with a link back to here or a little explanation of what it is so others will be encouraged to make the most of their summer too!

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A few weeks ago at our Women’s Bible Study, my friend and small group leader, [4] Yvonne asked us what we were going to do this summer to give those little spaces in our schedules back to the Lord. Some of the other women in our group were into her idea and told us how they were planning to do a study in the attributes of God and another is going to do a study on hospitality this summer. Yvonne challenged the rest of us to think of something and commit to it for the 12 weeks of summer, and hopefully, now, all of us have taken her up on it!

Almost everyone has a schedule change for the 12 weeks of summer. School is out, their job hours are more flexible, and a ministry they are involved in takes a break. Most people use this time to sleep, watch TV, hang out with friends and family or just do nothing. Summer is the most wasted time of the year. During the school-year we keep a daily quiet time, read, and pursue accountability for our spiritual growth. It doesn’t really make sense to stop all of that for the summer. There are also the people who claim that they will be busier in the summer doing day camps, summer school or taking vacations–all the more reason to dedicate something special to the Lord!

If we did a 12-week diet or workout routine we would see results from that. Consider the progress we would make if we committed to a specific area of spiritual growth for a whole summer? It would make a huge difference in our lives! In Ephesians 5:15-16 Paul says–

“Be very careful, then, how you live—
not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil.”

In our youth group we’ve just started reading Proverbs together. The theme of Proverbs is wisdom and one of the main characteristics of a wise person is discipline. The fool does whatever he wants, is lazy and won’t listen to instruction. We definitely don’t want this to describe us. But with even the slightest summer schedule change we think, “Yay, time for me!” So many people I’ve told about this idea to seize the summer had first thought they were just going to sleep in, watch more TV, garden or many other things, that don’t have anything wrong with them in and of themselves. But it can be all too easy to watch these weeks fly by and then look back and see what we have really wasted. We need to think of at least one thing that we can do to redeem the summer!

So I hope you will choose something and start in this first week of June and then tell someone else about it so that you can have a partner to help keep you accountable. Here are some of the commitments friends and some of our high school students have made to make the most of their summer:

• Hospitality–having a family over for a meal once a week for the summer. At the end of the summer, they will know 12 people much better than they do now!
  
  
• One friend selected 12 missionaries from her church’s missions table. Each week she will pray for one of them and also send a card to encourage them and thank them for the work they are doing.
  
  
• Bible study–several of the high school students have selected a book of the Bible and bought a notebook so they can study that book for 12 weeks.
  
  
• Reading–a few people have either one book, or a few books that will spark their thoughts on some spiritual topic, that they are committing to read this summer.
  
  
• Memorization–selecting a verse or passage a week for 12 weeks, memorizing them and asking someone to keep you accountable so you really do it! My friend Debbie and I are going to commit the 5 chapters of the book of James to heart, I can’t wait!
  
  
• Blogging–My husband [5] Bobby wants to seize the summer by blogging every weekday.
  
  
• Bible reading–Several people chose this, committing to anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour, or a daily Bible reading plan for the summer.
  
  
• Prayer journal–Writing a prayer a day, or another girl is getting started making a notebook with detailed pages of church needs, friends and family with pictures and other creative ways to help her be faithful in prayer.
  
  
• Encouragement–Writing and mailing one note card a week to encourage a friend or someone who needs it.
  
  
• Giving–Someone is doing this who is not in the habit of giving to their church, so for the 12 weeks they want to develop this habit of giving.
  
  
• Meditation–This it the most unique idea! One of my friends is lining up sitters to be with her children every Friday afternoon for two to three hours so that she can spend some time of quietness with the Lord. She told me that she has already thought out the first few weeks, one was taking her coffee, Bible and journal to the beach and having hours to read, pray and just be still with the Lord. I thought this was a great one!
  
  
• Children’s ministry–Committing to teach a Sunday school class, or help in the nursery for 12 weeks. One of my high school girls is doing this.

These are just a few ideas that I hope have sparked your thoughts for what you will do to redeem the summer. I would love to add to this list your ideas, so please leave a comment letting us know what you are going to do. Also please let me know if you post at your blog about seizing the summer so that I can link to you. I hope and pray that we will get fired up about dedicating our summer days to the glory of the Lord! Who’s with me?