Have you ever read Pilgrim's Progress? If not then I highly recommend it! We have this wonderful children's version that we love!

It was my intention to continue our education right on through the summer this summer, but each day it seemed like we were getting less and less done as the sun beckoned us to come outside and enjoy. I slowly started knocking this and that of our to get done list for the summer and we were spending more and more time idle. The fruit of this was that I was seeing selfishness and laziness set in in my children's hearts as they set out to do only what was un and entertaining the whole day through. The more I suggested a lesson or even an educational activity the more they balked at it. I tried every angle I could think of to correct this - reasoning with them, lecturing them, consequences, harsher consequences - but to no avail. Then I remembered to do what I should have done from the beginning - Pray! God in His amazing faithfulness was once again waiting for me to turn to Him and rely on Him. I asked Him what to do about these attitudes and His answer came in the form of this great story penned many years ago! We read through the story all the way to the part where Christian and his friend Hope decide to take the easy road  with Sir Worldly Wise which leads to Vanity Faire. At Vanity Faire Hope and Christian meet Selfish, Lazy-Bones, and Suspicion. I began to discuss with the kids all the ways in which they were 'companions' of Selfish, Lazy-bones, and suspicion lately and I asked them if they had been spending all of their time at Vanity Faire? Yes - they knew they had and were feeling very convicted. So we read on to see what would happen to Christian and Hope - well it wasn't good - the dragon who owned Vanity Faire did not want them to leave and made it very difficult for them. Christian and Hope realized their mistake and asked God for help as they began to travel through the Valley of Darkness that they now had to go through to get back on the path to the Celestial City. God then suited them up with His armor so that they could get through the battle they had coming where many arrows would be shot at them. Not just any arrows but arrows with messages like "Don't read the Bible" and "God doesn't love you" and "Don't tell your friends about Jesus!"

Thankfully they make it through and God then provides a place of rest and refreshing for them where they meet Kindness, Joy, Purity, and Love. At this point we stopped again and discussed whether we should be seeking temporary pleasure at Vanity Faire (this World) where the consequences are selfishness, laziness, and suspicion and the road out is horrible or if we should keep our eyes on the Celestial City where eternal treasures await us and the consequences along the way are kindness, joy, purity, and love. We read Proverbs 14:12

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

and Matt. 7:14

 
"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

They quickly made the connection and realized that it was important to keep on studying and working hard all the year through whether it is Summer, Spring, Winter, or Fall.  I will share in a future post the 'Heavenly Minded' daily schedule we came up with where we let God order our steps for the rest of the Summer. I have backed each item (well almost each one- I am still working on a few) on our schedule with Scripture and it is turning out great!

So to all of you reading this "Have a 'Heavenly Minded' Summer! And watch out for 'Vanity Faire'!