A New Season to Be Intentional

Summer coming to an end is always bittersweet.

I love the slower pace, evenings that stretch a little longer, and days that aren't dictated by a schedule. It's a season our family looks forward to every year. But as much as I enjoy summer, there's also something I love about a new school year.

For someone like me who tends to go with the flow, routines are actually a gift. They cause me to slow down and ask, "What do I want to be intentional about?" Instead of simply reacting to whatever the day brings, I begin planning around what matters most.

Maybe you're naturally organized and never lose your routine. If that's you, I'm a little jealous! But whether routines come naturally or not, I think it's worth asking ourselves this question:

What do I want to be intentional about this season?

For me, it begins before the day really starts. I need time with the Lord. Time to read His Word, pray, and simply be quiet before Him. Not because I'm checking off another spiritual box or earning His approval, but because it reminds me who I am in Christ. It lifts my eyes above the distractions of the day and anchors my heart in what is true.

The second thing I've been thinking about is my children. Each one is in a different season of life, and I've been asking the Lord, "What do they need from me right now?" The drive to school and activities suddenly becomes more than transportation. It's an opportunity.

With my youngest, it may be memorizing a Bible verse together, talking about what it means, or singing worship songs on the way to school.

With my older kids, those conversations look different. Sometimes it's encouraging them or simply being a listening ear. Sometimes it's the quiet prayers I pray that later lead to a conversation that was needed. And often, it's simply reminding them who they are in Christ before the world spends the rest of the day trying to tell them who they should be.

Deuteronomy 6 encourages us to talk about the Lord when we sit in our homes, when we walk along the way, when we lie down, and when we rise. In other words, faith isn't meant to be confined to Sunday mornings. It's woven into everyday life.

As this new school year begins, my prayer isn't that our family has the perfect schedule. It's that we're intentional.

Intentional about spending time with Jesus.

Intentional about speaking life over our children.

Intentional about filling our hearts and our homes with God's truth.

Every season has something beautiful about it. Summer reminds us to slow down. A new school year reminds us to be intentional. And every season is better when it's rooted in Christ.