Skip to main content

July 2024

Perimeter Students

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 5 ESV:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: …

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…

It’s summer time! School’s out. The humidity and heat are here, and many of us are shifting to a different kind of busyness. Whether we are in the throes of traveling, summer schedules, or preparing for the upcoming Rush Conference, “summer break” can push us right past some wonderful opportunities to regroup, reset, and seek God’s renewing work in our homes.

My family and I are still fairly new to Georgia, but we’ve been here long enough to have been invited a few times to go “Shoot the Hooch.” I remember back in Texas when I was young, my family would float down the Guadalupe River. As we floated along, relaxing, and staring at the sky, often we’d look around and realize that we had drifted apart. We’d then paddle back together trying to hold on or tie-up to each other’s inner tubes.

Does that experience sound familiar to you? When we are in the midst of the school year, it can often feel like shooting down the moving current of a river —maybe not as relaxing as “shooting the Hooch” — but just as scattering. What if summer break, became that place of slower rushing waters, giving us opportunity to notice the drift and pull back together?

The preacher in Ecclesiastes 3 writes about the nature and intentionality of various seasons of our lives. Many seasons throughout the year can feel like we are stones “cast away” to our various places of work, study, and activities where we “refrain from embracing” because the conditions make it more difficult to do so.

Could summertime be a season given to us by our good and gracious God to become gathered stones once again? Could it be a time to embrace one another in ways that bring restoration and renewal to our homes, while preparing us for another round of rushing river currents? Could it be a great opportunity for us to regroup and renew our embrace of Christ and one another?

Here are some fun and intentional ways to consider when trying to create helpful rhythms and new family practices this summer:

  • Take turns reading through a book of the Bible together. Maybe read John’s Gospel that we’ve been learning about through our sermon series?
  • Establish and protect at least 2-3 family meals together each week.
  • Watch a movie together and discuss meaningful scenes/lines.
  • Play board games, cards, or even a video game together.
  • Ask and listen how your student’s year went and felt without trying to solve it all for them. (This can help us learn where some places of drift occur).
  • And, above all, hug each other and say “I love you,”, even if they say, “EWWWW!!!” No matter how old we are, we love to hear those words and we love to be embraced.

We’re praying for a summer of God’s restoration, renewal, and transformation through Christ. Please pray for our students, staff, volunteers, and guests attending and serving at Rush this year. Let us know how we can be praying specifically for you, or if there is anything we can do to help.

Now, may the God of endurance and encouragement grant us all to live in such harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ, that together we may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (from Romans 15:5-6)

Grace and peace to you,

Jonah Martinez

Jonah Martinez
Director of Student Ministries