Thoughtful Thursday: What Kind of Summer Story Do You Want to Tell?

Life moves fast. Summers can come and go in what feels like the blink of an eye. One day you’re excited for the season ahead, and before you know it, you’re looking back wondering where the time went. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We have the beautiful opportunity right now to be intentional about the story this summer will tell.

Reflection

The Bible encourages us in Psalm 90:12 to “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” This verse is a gentle but powerful reminder that our time is precious. Every summer is a gift — a chapter in the bigger story of our lives. And just like any good story, it’s shaped by the choices we make, the focus we keep, and the values we live by.

So let’s pause and really think about it.

When you look back on this summer in September, what do you want to remember?

Do you want to remember a summer filled with rushed days, constant busyness, and feeling drained? Or do you want to remember a summer marked by presence, joy, laughter with family and friends, deeper time with God, and a growing sense of peace and purpose?

What kind of story do you want to tell your children or grandchildren one day? Will it be about how you survived another busy summer? Or will it be about how you chose to live inspired — how you woke up each morning declaring “It’s Gonna Be a Good Day,” how you wore messages of hope on your wrist and shirt, and how you let those truths shape your thoughts and actions?

This Prep Week is the perfect time to write the opening lines of your summer story. Before the first official drop next Wednesday, we get to dream. We get to ask God what He wants to do in us and through us. We get to decide what we want more of — more peace, more gratitude, more adventure, more meaningful conversations, more time outdoors, more worship, more rest, more kindness.

The Good Day Summer Series was created to help you live out that story. Each week’s engraving, shirt, hat, and sticker will serve as a tangible reminder of the kind of summer you’re choosing. The weekly challenges will give you practical ways to turn good intentions into daily habits. The social media challenges will connect you with a community of people doing the same thing.

But none of it will have the same impact if we don’t first take time to reflect on what truly matters.

Think about the chapters you want to include:

• A chapter of deeper prayer and closeness with God
• A chapter of more patience and joy with your family
• A chapter of better health and energy
• A chapter of generosity and encouragement to others
• A chapter of choosing gratitude even on hard days

This summer can be the one where you finally break old patterns and step into new ones. It can be the summer you look back on and say, “That was the year I really lived inspired.”

The beautiful thing is — you get to start writing that story right now, during this Prep Week. You don’t have to wait until everything is perfect. You can begin today by choosing what kind of summer you want to create.

Christian Faith Points

• God cares about the story of your life and wants to write beautiful chapters with you.
• Numbering our days leads to wisdom and intentional living.
• Preparation is a form of worship — it shows we value what God is doing.
• The words we wear and speak have power to shape our reality.
• A thoughtful heart leads to a more fulfilling life.
• Summer is a gift — let’s steward it well.
• We become the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves and live out.

Your Thoughtful Thursday Story 

Take some time today with your journal and honestly answer these questions:

• What kind of summer story do I want to tell at the end of this season?
• What’s one thing I want to be different this summer compared to last?
• Who is the person I want to become by the end of the Good Day Summer Series?

Write freely. Pray over your answers. Let this reflection guide how you show up during Prep Week and when the weekly drops begin next Wednesday.

Practical Tools for Writing Your Summer Story

• Spend 15–20 minutes journaling your summer vision today.
• Create a “Summer Story Vision Board” (physical or on your phone).
• Choose a daily anchor phrase (like “It’s Gonna Be a Good Day”).
• Plan a few meaningful summer experiences you want to make happen.
• Set phone reminders for stillness and gratitude moments.
• Share your summer intentions with a close friend or family member.
• Get excited for next Wednesday’s first official drop!

Prayer or Reflection 

Father, thank You for this Thoughtful Thursday. Thank You for the gift of a new summer and the opportunity to write a beautiful story with You. Teach us to number our days. Help us be intentional about the kind of summer we create. Prepare our hearts during this Prep Week for all the good things ahead in the Good Day Summer Series. We surrender our plans to You and ask You to lead us into a summer filled with Your presence, peace, and purpose. Amen.

Commitment / Pledge 

Today, on this Thoughtful Thursday, I commit to being intentional about the summer story I want to tell. I will use this Prep Week to reflect, dream, and prepare my heart for the official Good Day Summer Series beginning next Wednesday, June 3.

Thoughtful Thursday Challenge

• Option 1: Write your “Summer Story Intentions” and pray over them.
• Option 2: Share this post with someone and ask them what kind of summer story they want to tell.
• Option 3: Do one small thing today that aligns with the summer you want to create.

Verses Referenced

• Psalm 90:12 (Teach us to number our days)
• Psalm 46:10 (Be still and know)
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Being transformed)
• Ephesians 5:15-16 (Making the most of every opportunity)

Call to Action 

We’d love to hear from you today! Share in the comments: What kind of summer story do you want to tell this year?Next Wednesday, June 3, is the first official weekly drop of the Good Day Summer Series! We can’t wait to begin this journey with you.