Are you weary?
Are you feeling more on edge than normal?
Are you stressed?
Are you longing for some refreshment and fun?

Goodness this last year and a half has been a doozy! We’ve experienced grief and loss on so
many levels. It’s taken a larger toll on our minds, hearts, bodies and relationships than we want
to admit or could even recognize.

WE ALL NEED REST, REFRESHMENT AND FUN THIS SUMMER – MORE THAN EVER!

But it’s not just going to happen. We have to be intentional and plan for it.

Here’s some questions to help you think about what would refresh your soul and how you can make space
for rest and play this summer.

Think of a time you felt truly relaxed, replenished & renewed. What elements
were present that made it so refreshing for you? What would it look like to build
those elements into your summer?

Who are the people in your life who are most dear to you? How will you
intentionally get time with them? How can you combine the places and activities
that are life-giving to you with the people you want to spend time with?

What if you brought play into your work? What if you were to meet clients or co-
workers in places that are refreshing for you? What if you turned a meeting with a
co-worker into a hike or a round of golf?

What if this summer was the summer that you took a longer vacation than you
have in the past for the sake of your soul? What would need to happen make this
possible?

What are the things you can say no to this summer to make space for rest and
play?

What if you made a family bucket list where everyone got to contribute and then
have a day each week where you do something on that list?

What if you make a personal bucket list and ask your friends which things they
would like to help you cross off?

When you get to the end of the summer, what will you be most disappointed
about if it doesn’t happen?

I encourage you to take a look at your calendar this week and plan out when you will
take chunks of time off. Block off a week or two or more for vacation. Block off a
weekend for a quick getaway. Block off a day of solitude. You don’t even need to know
what you’ll do during that time, but set the time aside, and later you can determine how
you will spend it.

God invites us into rest, wonder, play and adventure! And your soul is worth the
intentionality it will take to accept His invitation!

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne
Lamott

“Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective.” – Mark Batterson
“Explorers and adventures understand a great truth. In order to experience the fantastic, they
have to put themselves in fantastic places.” – Allen Arnold

“What if our deepest desires, the very things that make our hearts come alive, actually serve as
a source code that draws us to God? I believe God instills a unique set of interests and talent
within each of us, knowing the more we pursue them, the more we encounter Him. God
creates a world of wonder and then places a corresponding wonder in each of us. Imagine it.
The very things in life that we’re drawn to were made for us.” -Allen Arnold