Even though our summer is a time of more freedom and much loosening up of our more full school time rhythms, we still have a family rhythm in place.  I have found that having an overarching flow helps my children and me move more seamlessly throughout our days, even in the summertime. While this looks lovely on paper and gives us high hopes for the course of the days, it is merely an overarching umbrella- hence the rainbow- it gives shape, but it is not set in stone, nor is it stagnant. It has fluidity, it ebbs and flows and it has life, just like the people it was created for- people (including myself) who need extra sleep some days, have tantrums others, heart and attitude issues another that need to be guided, or some days just need something different than what might have been planned. We give space for this.  This is something I have greatly grown in since we began this whole family / homeschooling thing and I continue to grow in. 

A rigid schedule doesn’t give grace for the unexpected or the needs of imperfect and unpredictable hearts, and when the course of the day doesn’t go as I had planned (it hardly EVER does) and my to-do list remains unchecked, I have found I typically end out the day grumpy and defeated.  So I am learning to surrender myself daily to what God has before me and I am continuing to seek to find joy in the current circumstances despite my best laid plans and intentions and to give space and grace. As a Type A individual who used to schedule her showers down to the minute (Confession!), this practice of surrender and letting go has been a true act of the sanctifying work of Christ’s spirit within me.  Old habits die hard.  But I too am learning that family rhythms give structure, but also space to meet the needs of the current moments, moments that I am not able to always predict or plan for, but that I can trust God has already gone before me to prepare the way. Hallelujah!  What rhythms do you have in place?