As the first official day of summer is quickly approaching I couldn’t help but think about how much I loved summers when I was a child. I loved running around the neighborhood without a care in the world, sleeping in until I decided it was time to wake up, homemade ice-cream, and simply having time. Time to do whatever it was I chose to do.

Fast forward about twenty-five years and here I was, looking at my calendar dreading all the obligations I committed to over the next couple months. I felt my freedom slipping away as I saw my calendar fill up with so many plans. Although many of them will bring me or my family joy, I can’t help but long for those days when things seemed simpler, when summer included more rest and being, and less busy and doing. After all, isn’t that what summer is all about?

As I was daydreaming about those summers growing up, I was reminded of Psalm 46:10 that says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still. I know that when I am still, when I am low in spirit or low on energy, depending on my Heavenly Father for strength and peace is what always gets me through and fuels my soul. I started to panic, will I have any time this summer to be still? How did my calendar become so over scheduled that I left no time for the things that I enjoy or want to do?

As the stress started to creep in I knew that I had to make some changes to my calendar. I grabbed a pen and decided to go through each commitment and evaluate it. If it wasn’t going to bring me joy and I was able to change my “yes” to “no” I crossed it off. As the days and evenings opened up I immediately felt so much better! I saw my summer shift from stressful to enjoyable. I also knew that the events left on the calendar were things that I was wholeheartedly saying yes to. Now as the first official day of summer is right around the corner I can’t wait because I have time to simply enjoy it.