If you live somewhere that gets hot during the summer months, swimming is one of the few daytime activities that can actually cool you off. Hang out at a lake, river, friend's pool, or community pool to swim some laps and play a quick game of Marco-Polo. If you don't know how to swim, summer is a great time to learn. Most local pools offer weekly lessons. Since most of your friends will also be free all day, organize a pickup game of basketball, soccer, baseball, football, or deck hockey to get everyone involved. Playing on a team is a great way to make new friends and get some exercise during the day. Make sure you're using the right equipment and being safe when playing. If someone gets hurt, stop the game immediately and get a parent to come help. Summer evenings are normally a little bit cooler than the daytime and are the perfect time for getting outside. Break out your bike or go for a walk in the park to appreciate the nice weather and hang out with your friends. Make sure you're wearing the proper safety equipment for biking, including helmets and knee pads. Pack up your favorite foods and drinks, grab a blanket, and head to the park for a picnic with friends. You can enjoy the weather and have a nice meal outside. Just make sure ants don't get onto your blanket and into your food! Always respect the rules of the park and don't leave any trash when you clean up. Bring a bag with you to collect paper plates, cups, and napkins to throw away either at the park or at home. Look online for maps of local trails and head out to explore them. Make sure you wear proper hiking shoes, like boots or sneakers. If you're less experienced, a walk on a nature trail might be a bit quicker and easier to navigate.

Summary: Go swimming to cool off. Play a sport with your friends. Ride a bike or go for a walk with a friend in the evening. Have a picnic in the park. Check out local hiking trails or nature walks.

Start thinking of what to preach about as soon as possible. Give yourself at least one week, if not longer. When possible, it's actually wiser to start searching and planning a couple of weeks in advance. It can take a while before the right passage reveals itself, and even longer to prepare the right sermon around that passage. The words you preach need to be the result of thought and discernment, and not an emotional reaction. Ask God for guidance. Since you'll be preaching God's truth, you should wait for God to reveal the truth He wants you to preach on. Make a conscious effort to be in communion with God as you attempt to discern the right topic. Take a walk in the park as you pray. Meditate as you shower. Spend a few minutes thinking about it in the quiet morning hours. Either a specific passage or a specific topic will come to mind. Both options can be useful as long as you keep the message centered around the Scriptures. If a topic comes to mind before an actual verse does, start looking for passages that directly talk about that topic. Comb through several different options until you find one that jumps out at you. If a passage jumps out at you before a topic does, apply this step in reverse. Comb through the passage looking for its meaning. Once you latch onto the theme of the passage, consider looking up short supporting passages to note along with it. Don't be discouraged if you hit a dead end while pursuing one possible subject for your sermon. There are times when you may need to start the process over from scratch. Doing so might seem inconvenient, but it is a better option than forcing a message you can't wrap your thoughts around.

Summary: Give yourself plenty of time. Pray and meditate. Look for passages addressing your topic. Start over when needed.

This could indicate wheel misalignment, improper inflation pressure, the need for tire rotation, or all of the above. Regardless of the specific reason, uneven tread wear is a sign that you need to take your car in for servicing. If uneven tire wear is extreme or if tires wear out much faster than expected, have a competent tire workshop check your suspension and correct it as necessary before replacing tires. Improper alignment or worn suspension parts can dramatically shorten a tire's life. Rotate your tires from front to rear in pairs to avoid irregular tread wear. Take both front tires and move them to the rear and vice versa. The sidewall is the tire surface outside the rim that faces you when the car is parked. A bulge indicates that the rigid internal frame of the tire has been damaged and cracked, allowing air pressure to reach the flexible outer layers of the tire. Any tires with sidewall bulges should be replaced immediately, regardless of the tread status. Such damage could be caused by driving through a large pothole, driving over a curb, or by driving with low tire pressure. Never continue to drive on a tire that has a sidewall bulge. This indicates that the structural integrity of the tire has been significantly reduced, which greatly increases the likelihood of a sudden failure or blowout at highway speeds. If your tires are worn unevenly, you may feel a vibration in the steering wheel when you are driving. If the vibration starts at 40 to 50 mph (64.37 to 80.47 km/h) and intensifies as you increase your speed, you probably need to balance your tires. If that doesn't stop the vibration, the tire is most likely damaged and needs a full replacement. If you experience vibrations in the absence of tread damage, try balancing and aligning your tires' shock absorbers. If you notice tire vibrations along with other tire damage indicators like abnormal bulges and irregular tread wear, you probably have to replace your tire. If you notice that your tires are cuppedmeaning they have a cupped or scalloped appearance around the tirethey likely aren't being rotated enough. If you see little cracks all over your tires, it means that the rubber is breaking down. Tires with dry rot can fall apart and separate from the steel belt, which causes damage to the exterior of the car. In some cases, your wheels might start rotting before the tread starts to diminishyou should still bring them in to be inspected or replaced. Inspect for dry rot before heading out on any longer trips and bring your car in for a check-up regularly. Degrease your tires to prevent dry rot, especially if your tires are exposed to a high degree of sunlight. Check the 4-digit code on the wall of the tire for its age. Regardless of your country, most governmental transportation departments place 4-digit numbers on the wall of each tire. The first 2 numbers represent the week it was made and the last 2 represent the year. For example, 12/08 means your tire was made in the 12th week of 2008. If the tire is more than 6 years old, replace it. If you're having trouble finding the number, look for the initials DOT, followed by other letters and numbers. The code should appear following dot and will not contain any letters. Remember that although 10 years is the maximum service life for tireswhich means since the date they were manufacturedthis should never be used as the maximum drive time. Always err on the side of caution if you suspect your vehicle has tires that are over 6 years of age. Always change your tires if the tread is below the minimum depth recommendation, which is often 232 inch (0.16cm).
Summary: Bring your car in for maintenance if you notice irregular tread wear. Check for any abnormal bulges or bubbles in the sidewall. Balance your tires if you feel steering wheel vibration. Check for dry rot and have affected tires inspected or replaced. Replace your tires at least every 6 years.