That is roughly around 14.8 weeks.
That means there are 2496 hours in which you have the freedom to do, well, whatever.
When finals ended back in May, my to-do list was pretty simple: Nothing. Oh the sweet joys of doing nothing. But as I found out, as I’m sure many other of my fellow scholars discovered, doing nothing gets old... real fast.
By the end of week one, I was done sleeping all day and eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. But like I said, it got old real fast. So I set out to make the summer break of 2015 one of growth and learning, not just of rest and relaxation.
I do realize this post is coming a tad late, and summer break is halfway over (I also realize there could be people like Emily and who have been taking crazy summer classes and cannot relate to the rest and relaxation part, but pay attention still), and this is a list for those of us who want to finish this summer strong, wanting to embark on something that will grow us individually. Here’s some tips:
1.) Make a Plan- This may sound straight forward, but I can’t tell you the impact it has had. A couple weeks ago at a college team meeting, our leader asked us all what our goals were for the summer. We each spent some time writing out our goals for the summer on a notecard. When God tells us he wants to do great and mighty things, we first must know what those things are. God laid it on my heart that I needed to learn what it means to be a servant, especially to my family, but I first had to seek Him out, and then write it down. Spend some time in prayer to earnestly ask God what he wants these final weeks of summer to look like for you, and then write it down. Stick it to your mirror, tape it to your door, stamp it on your heart. The promise is not, “If you do incredible things for me this summer, sacrifice your comforts, dreams, and desires, you will find me. He says, ‘If you seek me you will find me.’” Seek out God in a desire to learn what your plan for the summer should be.
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -Mark 11:24
2.) Find People to do it with - This can look like a couple different things. For me, it isn’t so much that I need people to help me serve others, but more I need people to keep me accountable on serving others. Finding those people in my life who are committed to my growth this summer and will hold me accountable to my goals, makes the process 10x more effective and enjoyable.
3.) Read your Bible - As straightforward as this may sound, read your bible every day. If we want to be Christians following the Word of God, we must be in the Word of God on a consistent basis. I promise you, developing the habit of reading your bible in the summer when plans are flexible and job schedules vary will make this upcoming semester easier when trying to cram in bible readings in between statistics and bio lab (I’m super looking forward to next semester…).
4.) Turn it off - “Look at me, look at me, look at me!” screams my phone every 5 seconds. Between Facebook, instagram, twitter (yes I have a twitter, and sometimes I even tweet), and snapchat, the distractions never end. If there’s one encouragement I would give young individuals yearning after God this summer- turn it off. Go on a walk, eat some delicious food, write a letter to someone you know is in need of some encouragement, talk to the parents- you probably didn’t see much over the semester. Even if it’s just an hour everyday, put your phone under your pillow and walk away. The act is freeing and I promise you, you’ll have a more productive and rewarding summer.
5.) Go to Sleep- Maybe with my recent graduation of high school, I feel I’m getting old. Don’t worry Mom, I’m kidding. But I found a link the other day to 34 Bible verses about rising early and the biblical promises attached to it. Waking up early in the morning is refreshing. Let me repeat that. Going to bed a decent hour so you can start the day off right and accomplish what you need to/want to accomplish is refreshing. You have a plan, you have the people in your life who will hold you accountable and encourage you in that plan, you are reading the Word, and you have turned off some of the distractions. Well by golly, the last step is go to sleep so you can set off for this plan tomorrow!!!!
May the Summer of 2015 be filled with growth and joy as you follow our Savior. Now go to sleep friends so tomorrow may be filled with the Word and service God has in store for you. I’ll be praying for you all, and if you want to tweet me...well...I might even tweet back.
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