Summer Plans

                At last, summer is here! After pushing through two tough semesters, a nice summer break is something that every student can use. This is a time, brief as it may be, to pursue things other than solely school work. We finally have the opportunity to fill our hours with the things we choose instead of following a strict schedule.

                Summer looks different for everyone. Some people return to their hometowns, others stick around and find an apartment and job. I think I would have to say that this is the bittersweet part about summer break. You’ve been sharing your life for the past 10 months with your roommates and friends, and in the blink of an eye, you’re separated. You have to rely on phone calls or texts or even Skype dates to keep you connected with the people you’ve grown so close to.

                Well now that the sad mushy stuff is out of the way, let’s get to summer plans. For me and my family, a trip to the beach is what we look forward to around this time every year. Some students, however, might spend their summer on a mission trip in Africa or maybe even exploring Europe. Hey, in my opinion, if you can get there, go!  You can never see too many new places or try too many new things. God made a huge beautiful for world for us to explore, so let’s do just that!

                I am looking forward to the vacation plans I have, but there is something else I’m looking forward to even more this summer. I have added a whole new role in my life by taking over the youth ministry at my home church. We have already taken our first summer outing to the World of Coke in Atlanta, Ga., and let me just say it was incredible. I mean besides getting lost, getting separated from the others in our party, and fighting the mid-Friday-afternoon traffic in Atlanta, I had a blast. I learned some valuable lessons that day. The most important being to always have your GPS set for home before you start driving!

                So with all that being said, my wish is that everyone would use this summer break to relax and enjoy life. Take advantage of having less stress, less work, and less responsibilities. Don’t get lazy though. Just because there isn’t any school work to be done, doesn’t mean that we can’t accomplish things. Let’s work this summer to make an impact wherever our feet have been planted. Then, let’s come back in the fall ready to start all over again!

Carson Abrams