With the longest day of the year behind us, summer is in full swing. It’s not coming in a couple of days—we’re in the thick of it. If you live in Texas, you know this well—you’re probably roasting in the 100+ degree weather as we speak.

I have a hunch you and I are similar in the way we don’t want to be the same when this summer winds down and next fall gears up. We may pray for different specific things or dream different dreams, but at our core, I think you and I are hoping for the same thing. Growth. Healing. Sanctification. Rest and play and connection.

As I take a little break from weekly blog writing for the rest of this summer, I want to leave you with a bundle of questions and prompts that can help you seize the rest of this season. I hope this tool helps you reflect on Act I of the summer and gets you thinking about your hopes and prayers for Act 2.

What are the things you want to do before summer is over? 

Desiring something isn’t bad or sinful. Especially when God is the one who gives you that desire. Whether it’s a pool day, minimizing heat on your hair, or having a backyard BBQ with your people, naming what would make this summer special is one of the first steps to enjoying these days however we can, even if things aren’t perfect or we’re still carrying heavy things.

Bonus: Once you’ve named a few things you want to do, get them on the calendar—even if it’s a loose or temporary plan. You’re on your way to making it happen!

What prayers have you already seen answered this summer? Where would you love to see God move before fall is here? 

Keeping track of His faithfulness in your life and the personal ways He’s shown up for you is one of the best ways I know how to build faith. He never fails. He’s always working. Write these things down or type them in your Notes app. I’d encourage you to get specific in your prayers and continue showing up to your time with Him, even if it feels like nothing around you or in you is changing—I promise they are. Keep praying the bold prayers! He loves and celebrates your childlike faith.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” -Matthew 7:7-8

What’s been working so far this summer?

Are there certain things you’ve done (or not done) that have helped you fully embrace summer 2023? What rhythms, activities, people, and inputs have been especially lifegiving, restful, or healing? Lean into them. At the beginning of summer, I told myself I wanted to go to the pool at least once a week. So far, this has been a great practice and has forced me to get outside, enjoy the beautiful pool right outside my apartment, and has filled my Vitamin C bucket.

If nothing comes to mind that’s been working, that’s okay! This is a great time to brainstorm a few ideas or shift a few rhythms. No one has had a perfect Act I of this season—let’s give ourselves permission to be human and crush the facade that we’re all loving every moment of our lives. We’re simply not. And that’s okay.

What do you need heading into the second half of summer?

Rest? More play? More air conditioning? There are no wrong answers here. Acknowledging where you’re at—not where you want to be in an ideal situation—is such a helpful practice to truly enjoy this season. Talk to a couple friends about what you need, and keep checking in with each other as the weeks go on.

Who are your people in this season?

Whether these are friends you spend face-to-face time with often or loved ones you send encouraging check-in texts to over the next few months, let’s be the kind of people we want our people to be. Consistent. Vulnerable. Encouraging. Maybe a little witty. 😉 It’s no accident God has put specific people around us and on our hearts. Let’s keep praying for them, keep sending texts and reels to them, and maybe find a special, fun way to show them we’re oh-so grateful for them (flowers? Ice cream? A handmade card?)