10 rules for summer days

1. go barefoot as much as possible. 

dries out your feet? leaves dirt around your toenails? It doesn’t really matter.  Pull the kids shoes off. Pull YOUR shoes off. Soft green grass is best enjoyed between bare toes.

2. plant a garden

maybe you have only room for a few pots in the window sill or you lack a green thumb. It doesn’t really matter. Summer exists to grow things. Grow a little green. A tiny tomato plant. A row of sunflowers. A pot of chives. You’ll breath easier. You’ll laugh more. And when those little green shoots come up? You’ll thank me.

3. eat fresh spinach

have a man (or kids) who don’t like it? Try adding some crumbled bacon and drizzling a little sweet and sour dressing on (equal parts oil, vinegar and maple syrup). Get daring and add cucumber, tomato and cheese cubes. Yum.

4. catch a frog or tadpole

don’t like touching slimy things? Watch the kids catch them. You’ll laugh. You’ll groan. You’ll love the chance to drink in the outdoors and if it’s too hot- stick those bare toesies into the creek water.

5. stay up late and watch the stars

there isn’t much that sings of our Creator more than staring up at the glowing milky way or searching for the big dipper on a moonless night. Take the time to do it. Drive out of the city if you have to, find an open field, lay down and drink in wonder.

6. make ice cream

don’t own an ice cream maker? There are lots of homemade contraptions that can be used. A coffee can? A ziplock bag? Take the time to do it! The easiest recipe? Equal parts milk and cream then add maple syrup to taste. Makes a creamy vanilla that will leave your lips smacking.

7. go swimming

at least once. Even if it’s in your back yard or at a neighbors pool or in a creek. Get wet. Get a little sunburned. Splash a friend.

8. have a barbecue

grill some steaks, roast some hot dogs, make hobo-dinners (take a square of tinfoil, cut up a potato, add a little hamburger pattie, onion, sliced pepper, slab of butter and salt. Fold tinfoil around food and toss into a bed of coals. Cooks in about twenty minutes. Serve with ketchup.) and make sure you eat outdoors!

9. light up a campfire

in your backyard or at a local park. And bring along some marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate. S’mores are good for you. I promise.

10. dance in the rain

think about it. Summer is the only time that you can dance in the rain without catching hypothermia. And there is nothing quite as beautiful as sunshine and raindrops. Nothing quite as wonderful as God splashing the sky full of color. Nothing as precious as the promise of a God who redeems a broken world and broken hearts. This summer, take time to waltz in the rain?