Men, Redeem your Summer

​by L-T Hopper

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. - Ephesians 5:15-16

I love Aussie summer. To be honest, as I think about it, I realise it is mostly because it is a time to let things pass by me; do a lot of things I want to do and take less responsibility. Let’s face it - it is the season to slow down and take a break especially at the end of this COVID year.

At the same time it is a good thing to make the most of the season as I have the head space to pause; plan and press into God with healthy rhythms.

So I am going to set aside an hour to plan my summer. I feel like I have nearly forgotten to plan in this uncertainty-saturated COVID chaos. Anyway, here are some things I am going to think about and aim for:

Do an audit of my life (nothing too intense)
Thinking about my mind, body and soul:-

• What’s been going well?
• What would be good to work on?

​Connect with God

• Do a Bible reading plan, daily devotional series or pick a book of the Bible to read (I am planning to read Jeremiah.)
• Aim to continue to ‘pause’ for the 3 c’s (cast cares; confessing sin; count blessings) at midday and bedtime.
• Read a book for my soul (Soul Keeping by John Ortberg).

Care for mind and body

• Keep up regular cycling.
• Don’t overeat (apart from Christmas and Boxing Day).
• Get to bed at a good time.
• Do a jigsaw puzzle.

Connect with Key Relationships (the handful of people God has placed in your life to love)
Plan to have one on one time with each of them. Chat about the highs and lows of the year and what we are looking forward to next year.

And of course, HAVE FUN!
My wife is better at planning this than me so we have already been to a Christmas concert followed by dinner.

I’ll be planning for us to go to the beach to surf.

Why not take some time to plan your summer?