Summer is in full swing. The sun is shining brightly, and pool floats are selling faster than they can make it on the shelves. It is a time when students and teachers are sleeping in, and parents are anxiously awaiting that first new day of school.

I know this is a time to relax and enjoy the latest games and movies, but please do not neglect your callings in these sweet summer days. Find a place to pray—dust off your journal and Bible. Seek out a person you know might be lonely and invite them out for ice cream. God is still working in these moments when the calendar is less full than usual.

Here are seven summer takeaways for the seventh month of the year.

1. Make time for prayer and devotion. Your schedule is likely lighter now, so this should be easier.
2. Keep a journal. You will be able to look back ten years from now and remember where you were and how far you have come.
3. Do not isolate. Alone time is understandable, but make sure you get around some people who love you and want to spend time with you.
4. Read a book, or two or ten. Learning is constant. While you have the time, read something you want to, not something that is assigned.
5. Drink more water than you think you need to. Your body and brain need it.
6. Wear sunscreen. Your thirty-something self will thank you for taking care of your skin.
7. Try something new. It could be a new food, adventure, or activity, just try something you never have or go somewhere you have never been.

I know the last thing you want to think about is learning, but there are a lot of lessons that can come from these quiet days. Before you know it, you will be back to homework, practices, and schedules. Relish these moments you have now. Rest, but remember, there is still work to be done.

Rachel Skirvin is a lover of travel, nachos, and the gospel. She is a graduate of Urshan College and will most likely always call it Gateway. She is pursuing her master’s degree in counseling and human services with an emphasis in trauma and crisis and is currently serving at The Pentecostals of Cooper City in South Florida.