hashtag: monumental summer

Hi friends!

The word monumental is an adjective described as "great in importance, extent or size." Summer is a noun, categorizing the warmest season of the year from June to August in the northern hemisphere, where I live.

Bring the two together, and this is what I strive for in the next three months.

A while back, something within me said that I needed to grab hold of the life God gave me (I really don't want to call it "my life") and do something with it. And even though I'm not a kid anymore who truly gets to enjoy a summer vacation, the summer months seemed to stick out at me. My summer was already getting scheduled with some big events: church camp with the teens had been penciled in for the second week of July, and three weeks later, Vacation Bible School would take place. But beyond those, I was yearning for a social life with little get-togethers and memory-making opportunities and with the long nights that come with the mid-year months, there seemed like no better time.

How would all this come about? I had no clue. I'm not one to ever invite myself to things--it's something I've never been comfortable with. And it's not like I could just hop in a car and drive somewhere--that would be illegal for me and life-threatening for others. It's something I'd kind of been discussing with God, but I honestly wasn't too serious about it. If it happened, it happened. If not, then it wasn't meant for me. (Which, funny as that is, I should really have this attitude in other particular aspects of my life, but silly ol' me gets so impatient.) But recently, God has presented little situations and opportunities for some fun to come into my summer.

Believe it or not (I'm still amazed at myself), I'm taking part in a bowling league this summer. (it starts tonight!)

A friend wants to meet up and have a day of shopping and hanging out.

Our teens already have two activities lined up in June.

I might take part in a singing contest.

I possibly might get back to a hobby I took up a couple months ago but randomly stopped doing.

I have something else really exciting planned that I can't go into detail about because it's kind of like a secret. =)

My #monumentalsummer kicked off this weekend with a trip to visit the family, and I loved that something like this started off my summer o' fun. And I'd already been working on VBS stuff so I've slowly creeped into my summer activities, but now it's been kicked into high gear and I'm pumped for it. Some of the things might fall through on the current list, and some might grow into something spectacular. Only God knows, but I'm excited.

And right now, I find myself ready to embark on this journey. In this moment, I have a strong realization and almost a peace that the things I want (or really thought that I wanted) probably won't come my way. But instead of wallowing in the "coulda, shoulda, woulda's", (which I can tell you from recent experience really does a number on your mind and emotions)...I've just gotta live.

And while I'm hoping to have a  blast this summer, I'm really hoping that God will once again show Himself real to me. When I head back to camp in July, I'm going back to a sanctuary of sorts where a year ago, God really opened my eyes and my heart to who He is and what He can do in my life. I want to celebrate that--the growth He started within me--but at the same time, I'm eager to see what else God wants to show me and how He wants to mold me--and I'm just a counselor! I know that God is going to do great things this year at youth camp and I'm trusting that He'll meet with our students in an intimate and personal way while we collectively gather for a time of fellowship and worship.

Yes, there will be times when things don't go my way this summer--plans will change, growth might happen that I'm not really liking, activities will fall through. And my hope and prayer is that my emotions don't get the best of me. That I don't find myself completely overwhelmed by loneliness, anger, frustration. But for some reason or another, that's what the Father has in store. And the combination of all these things will be, when I look back on it in September, the result of a #monumentalsummer.

Stay tuned to my blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (belleserrano87) for all things #monumentalsummer! Be on the lookout for the hashtag.