Ah, summer. That great, glorious time of year when schedules change, the daylight lasts longer, and temperatures are warm. I crave summer for those very reasons. It also gives me a chance to switch things up and consider tackling something I normally wouldn’t do. Here are five things I hope to do:

1. Take the Sabbath to heart. Sabbath rests are great. God set Sundays aside for rest and a change-up of the schedule. For the Haynie house during the summer, that means the only activities are church in the mornings—unless someone spontaneously calls for a get-together. This summer, I tend to take Sabbath rests to write, nap, and do things that I normally wouldn’t do during the work week.
2. Kayak a lot. A couple of weeks ago, I finally got my long-awaited birthday present (my birthday was in October)—kayaks. Steve and I went twice over Memorial Day weekend, and I’ve discovered a new peace out there on the water. I hope to do a lot more of that this summer.
3. Write a lot. Writing is still very much a part of my daily life, and this summer, I hope to continue to write, maybe even more than I have. I’m aiming to finish my manuscript for Exiled Heart by mid-July so it can go to my beta readers.
4. Spend time outside. I’m an outdoors person. Because I work in harsh air conditioning forty-plus hours a week, I greatly enjoy sitting on our screened-in porch. That way, I listen to the birds and the children playing in the pool behind us. All in all, enjoyable sounds.
5. Spend time with my honey. May was hard. Both of our work schedules requires traveling, mainly on day trips. When Steve and I were together, we talked about more about our day-to-day life rather than really talking. This summer, I hope we’ll be able to make an effort to truly connect because that’s what keeps a marriage strong.

That’s it. Five things to do this summer. Maybe not goals as in being measurable and achievable, but during the summer, hard and fast goals aren’t needed. I’ll check back toward September to let you know how I did.

Question: What are five things you’d like to do this summer?