#GreenGiants

#GreenGiants #LUMYMO #XGames #GreenGiants #LUMYMO

If we’re friends on Facebook or you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, chances are you’ve seen these hashtags a million times. Okay, maybe a billion times. Okay, okay. I’m really over-exaggerating, but you get the point.

There are 5 possible scenarios as to how you’ve reacted to these posts.

1. You look at ABSOLUTELY ALL of them because you’re intrigued by what awesome things I’m doing this summer.

2. You look at absolutely all of them because you’re OCD like me and have to read everything that shows up in your timeline, whether it interests you or not.

3. You like or favorite EVERYTHING I post because you’re interested and think that for once I’ve actually posted something cool that I’m doing and it’s not just another photo of my cat.

4. You like or favorite everything because you feel obligated to.

OR

5. As soon as you catch a glimpse of my name or what could be my name you scroll entirely too fast because you’re fed up with all of my #GreenGiants #LUMYMO #XGames posts. (If this is you, I’m entirely sorry, but just hang in there for a few more weeks!)

Why #GreenGiants? What does #LUMYMO even stand for?

As you already know, this summer I am working at Liberty United Methodist Church and their youth program, Liberty United Methodist Youth. Over the course of the summer the youth are split up amongst four teams for the X Games. Each week the teams compete in challenges like obstacle courses, team spirit challenges, and messy food/shaving cream twister.

During the first week of the X Games each team color was responsible for choosing a team name. The green team, MY TEAM! (woohooo!), chose to name ourselves the Green Giants. The red team, the Hott Tamales, the yellow team, the RumbleBees, and the blue team, the Swedish Elephants.

The X Games were filled with fun and excitement each week, and each week the X Games featured a different theme, there was theMessy X Games, the Polar Vortex, Water Night, and finally, everyone’s favorite, the Color Night!

Throughout the summer I got a little creative for the Green Giants, using our gigantic pool box to create a Green Giant. He took a couple of hours to shape and paint, and was a hassle to store, but he was definitely worth it! The only misfortune was that his arms were a little short, so he slightly resembled the proportions of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

I also made cute laminated Green Giant bookmarks for my students to remember the summer by, and to remember the verse from my story that I shared with a different group of students each week.

Church Camps!

But on top of all that, I went to two church camps this summer! With the high school students, I ventured out to Boulder, Colorado for Student Life Camp at the YMCA of the Rockies. Oh my goodness. How beautiful God’s creations are! Worshipping God the Father in the beauty of the mountains with powerful messages by Ed Newton and passionate music by Todd Agnew was spectacular. Even better was that I worshipped alongside students who were passionate and in love with God. The friendships and connections and God moments I experienced with these students were amazing. I was so blessed to be able to experience God’s great love and plan for our lives with them.

Middle school camp at YouthFront West was a completely different experience. I experienced God in new ways. Our focus for the week was Christmas. And let me tell you, at first I was a little skeptical and was unsure if I would get anything out of the week, I’m not going to lie. But, wow, Amanda our storyteller really changed the way I look at the Christmas story. She brought forth new ways to look at the birth of Jesus. She challenged me to think in ways I don’t usually think. And to top that off, I spent 5 hours each day just hanging out with middle school students. We slid down the water slide and rode the paddle boats. I cheered them on as they did the Blob and fished, as they played Poison Ball and conquered fears on the ropes course. We hung out and made bracelets in the Activity Center, and we are so much ice cream from the Snack Shop. It was awesome just building community with these students and hanging out and having fun!

This summer was phenomenal. Awesome. Exciting. Energetic. Fantastic. Wonderful. Amazing. Spectacular. Meaningful. Empowering. Passion-filled.

I wish I could say these words described my experience this summer. But they can’t. In fact, I can’t even put into words how much this summer impacted my life and changed me. I can’t find the words to describe how God moved in me and the students I encountered. All I know is that it was amazing to say the least.

I am so thankful for all that God had in store for me this summer. It was simply spectacular. I can’t express how thankful I am for all of the people I met and worked with.

Liberty UMC

– thank you for this opportunity, and for the support you provide for your youth program. It is amazing! I feel so blessed to have been a part of this congregation this summer. You all are truly wonderful.

LUMY Volunteers and Summer Staff

– wow! You all are awesome! I loved working alongside you and getting to know you over the summer! These students are blessed to have such wonderful adults who care about them.

LUMY Interns, Ginna, and Joy & Elliott

– I love you all. Seriously this summer has been fantastic and I’ve loved getting to know each of you and spending all summer with you. Each of you are inspiring individuals and God is doing great things through you!

And finally

LUMY Students

– you all have changed my life. It has been a blessing to continue to grow closer to God together and I am so blessed to have met each and every one of you. This summer wouldn’t have been as awesome as it was without YOU! I will miss you all!

LUMY and LUMC – it’s been real. Stay blessed. Love God. And continue to do all the awesome things you’re doing.