article from APRIL-MAY 2009
Your Summer Checklist
By Ryan P. Denee
As the weather starts to warm up, pupils begin to think about plans for their upcoming summer break.
Source: Getty Images
For most teenagers, school vacation means freedom begins! Freedom to do whatever they want: no need to study, no need to worry about exams, projects, due dates, getting up early, etc. The summer can be filled with hours of doing nothing, just enjoying life after a hard year in school.
Should the long days of summer remain unproductive, filled with wasted hours of X-box and Wii, aimlessly wandering shopping malls, or just “hanging out” with friends?
Consider what God says about idleness: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger” (Prov. 19:15).
How will you use your time this summer? Are you considering how to make it your most enjoyable, productive summer ever?
Let’s examine a checklist of items, tasks and projects that you could accomplish this summer. Realize you cannot do everything; however, “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecc. 9:10).
To-do List
• The Summer Job: You might have already disregarded the possibility of looking for a summer job. As the jobless rate continues to rise, it is becoming more difficult to find work. Where does this leave students looking for summer employment?
It will take more effort to get a job than in years past, but that hard work will pay off! (Before job hunting, read our article “Ten Qualities of a Valuable Employee.”)
You may need to be creative; there are many jobs and opportunities to make money. Here is a short list of possibilities that do not include the typical part-time job at a fast-food restaurant. Pick one, or a few, and make them work for you: babysitting, pet sitting, cutting grass, window washing, house painting, eaves-trough (leaf gutter) cleaning, delivering newspapers or flyers, housecleaning, garage organization, dog walking, etc.
By the end of summer you should have been able to earn some money. Caution: Do not spend it all in one place. Think ahead. The Feast of Tabernacles is coming—make sure you pay first tithe and save second tithe. Also, remember to save for Ambassador Youth Camp 2009.
• Continue Your Education: After a year of your teacher telling you what to know, use the summer to educate yourself about something you want to learn.
Going to the library is a great way to educate yourself without being in a classroom. Borrow some good books—nonfiction books. Pick a biography of a famous president or leader of the past and learn about him, how he made certain decisions either for good or bad, what made him tick. Pick a country that you know little about and study it; get to know its history and culture.
Do not skip the library for the Internet. Unplug yourself—walk or ride a bike to the library, open a book, and read it without distraction, absorbing every bit of information.
Often there are classes available at local community centers, libraries, high schools or colleges. For a reasonable fee, you can expand your knowledge in a variety of ways, such as taking a first-aid course or learning a second language.
This may sound like work—but you are working for yourself. Invest abundantly; the returns will be astronomical.
• Explore Your Local Area: It is natural to think, There is nothing interesting in my backyard, so why should I even bother to look?
For those who are willing to look, bits of interesting history stand right before their eyes!
Starting at your local library, you can find intriguing history about your town, county and state—facts you never knew before. Do you know why your town was given its name? Who first settled the area? What major events have happened in your town since it was established?
Every town has its peculiarities. For instance, Wadsworth, Ohio, where Headquarters is located, has a “Blue Tip” parade every summer. This originated because the town was famous for manufacturing blue tip matches.
Do not stop with your town—explore your county as well. You will be amazed at the many fascinating locations you can discover in your area.
• Get Cultured: Visit an art gallery or a museum. If funds allow, see a play or listen to an orchestra. Take time to learn and appreciate the finer things of life. Sometimes there are “period” homes of former presidents or leaders of industry who have dedicated their estates to the public. Their homes reveal much about the times in which they lived.
• Be Physically Active: Your generation is the least active ever. Buck the trend. Swim against the current! Limit the time you spend on your MP3 player, watching movies, surfing the Internet, texting and watching TV. Get off the couch and get moving!
Explore the outdoors. With a little research, you will find that there are many areas you can go for hikes. Take your cellphone for safety and do not travel alone. However, leave the MP3 player behind and enjoy the sights and sounds of God’s creation.
You can take swimming lessons, possibly working toward becoming a lifeguard. This could mean future employment.
To get active, play a sport: baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. If no sports program is available, organize an informal game with your friends. You could play an hour of basketball every Wednesday, for example.
Whatever you do, stay active!
A Starting Point
This checklist is only the beginning. It is up to you to use it and apply it.
Summer awaits. Consider Proverbs 10:4: “He becomes poor that deals with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
Choose to have a hardworking, productive, “diligent hand”—making this summer your richest ever!