At our year-end programs this month, we celebrated the many accomplishments of our students and how they have grown not only physically, but academically and spiritually. Our 2018-2019 spiritual development theme, “All In” from Mark 12:30, kept us focused on the most important goal – that God wants us to give Him 100%, to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. The challenge we now face is to continue making progress toward that goal during the summer. Last June, I encouraged our families to create an action-oriented “Summer Spiritual Bucket List” to help get the whole family involved in growing spiritually and I recommend doing that again this summer. Here are some suggestions for the Bucket List:
- Select one Bible verse to memorize each week as a family;
- Choose a specific time each day to do a family devotion and take turns reading the Bible and leading the devotion;
- Go for a walk in a park, on the beach, or in your neighborhood and talk about all that God has created in nature for us to enjoy;
- Get involved in your church Vacation Bible School or Summer Camp program;
- Bake a tray of cookies with your child and deliver a plate to a sick or shut-in neighbor or friend;
- Turn off all the electronic screens and have a weekly family board game night;
- Spend time volunteering at the local community food bank or your church food pantry or thrift shop.
As we witnessed at our promotion and awards programs, God has gifted our students with different talents and abilities. I pray that over the summer they will “abound in every good work” as they develop and use their gifts to honor God in all they do. May God bless you and we’ll see you in the fall.
Karen M. Oblen, M.Ed.
Chief School Administrator