Today is the first day of summer and Day 5 of my Intentional Summer Slowdown (ISSD). I look forward to this time of year for several reasons that I’m sharing over the next few weeks. [So you don’t miss it, subscribe to my blog, if you haven’t already.]

Here’s why I’m so intentional about slowing down during the summer. They are in no specific order:

1. Refresh–at the end of every ministry season, my soul needs to rest, relax and refresh. Sometimes my sharpness has become dull and distractions cause me to be parched. There are times when I give myself away (as a ministry leader) so much to others that I become depleted. While I’m usually on top of this, there’s still a need for a soul and spirit refreshing. Some summers I need it more than others. My ISSD affords the opportunity to makerefreshment a priority. As I bathe in the cool waters of worship, reflection, spending time in God’s Word, in silence and solitude or reconnecting with His people I begin to feel, relaxed, rested and refreshed again. Being intentional about this moves refreshing my soul from happenstance to priority. It’s intentional. Be intentional.

2. Reset–my ISSD creates space to reset. Reset my priorities. Reset my core values. Reset my vision. I am able to look back at my ministry year and reassess what (if anything) needs to change or get reshuffled. My formal ministry season begins in August and ends the following June. I usually begin to slowdown around early June and fully enter in–in mid June. As I reset, I ask myself questions like:

• Did I reach the goals I set for myself?
• If yes, then Praise God. If no, then what was the hindrance? How might I correct that?
• Did I reflect Christ in the ways I related to and interacted with others? If not, I ask God to reorder my steps. My heart’s desire is to always reflect Christ. I must be intentional.

This is how I begin my ISSD. Do you slow down during the summer (or year?). If so, what does it look like? I’d love you to share.

Stay tuned for my next post coming soon.

Kathyb