The challenge is simple: make this summer count! Use it to grow your faith, grow as a Christian, and grow as a kick butt girl. It won’t be easy, but it will be fun and totally worth it. Here’s how the challenge works:
- Comment on this page, telling me that you are doing the challenge
- Once you complete a challenge (or part of a challenge) comment on this page again and tell everyone what you did and how it went
-Keep a journal (or a blog) where you reflect on the things you are doing and how it is changing you.
That’s it! Here’s the five parts:
Read 5 Christian books
Do 4 acts of community service
Tell 3 people about your faith
Pray for 2 countries every day
Spend 1 day with the Lord
I’ve also created this nifty checklist that you can print off to help you keep track of your progress:
Tough Girl Summer Challenge Checklist
And, if you know a guy who would want to do the challenge, here’s a checklist for them:
Want a little help? Here you go 
Christian book suggestions:
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Desiring God by John Piper
Intercession: Thrilling and Fulfilling by Joy Dawson
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Bruchko by Bruce Olson
More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Doctrine by Mark Driscoll
Love Beyond Reason by John Ortberg
Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper
Ideas for acts of service:
Pick up trash in a park
Babysit for free
Visit a nursing home or someone in the hospital (ask your pastor and they will probably be able to connect you)
Organize a canned food or clothing drive
Offer to do yard work for free
Go on a mission trip
Tutor someone younger than you in an area that you’re good at
Raise money to donate to a cause (if you have a summer birthday, ask people to donate instead of giving you presents)
Make get well cards for random people in the hospital
Learn to knit hats and donate them to a cancer center or oncology department
Write letters to missionaries
Clean someone’s house
Volunteer at VBS
Volunteer in an animal shelter
Create “care packs” that your friends can carry in their cars and hand out to homeless people
Bake a bunch of cookies and give them away to your neighbors
Learning to pray for countries:
Praying is hard enough, let alone praying for whole countries on the other side of the world. Here are some great resources to help you get started.
My suggestion? Pick two places – maybe one you know a lot about and one you know is in need. Find out about them. What are their needs? Who are the people in charge? What is their religion? Make a list and pray through it every day.
One Day With God:
This one might seem like the most daunting task. An entire day spent with Jesus. No cell phones, TV, internet, or interruptions. Here are some ideas for how to go about it:
Be prepared
Bring your Bible and a journal. Bring a Christian book or two. Load up your iPod with worship music. Bring your list of the countries and needs you are praying for. Tell people what you are going to be doing so they don’t interrupt you. Pack a sack lunch or, better yet, decide to fast for the day.
Start Early
There’s something to be said about the beauty of a sunrise and God’s majesty. But, if that’s too early, just get up at a decent time. Don’t start halfway through the day. Get out and go for a silent walk. Connect with God through the beauty of His creation. Spend time thanking Him for the day and the time you will get to spent with Him.
Alternate what you do
Read your Bible. Pray. Journal. Listen to worship music. Read your book. Go for another prayer walk. Sing out loud. Fall flat on your face before Him. Practice being silent and listening to His voice. Write a letter, talking about Him (goes well with sharing your faith). Then, do it all again. It’s not a whole day spent sitting with your eyes closed. There are so many ways to spend time with Jesus!
Crystal Mazzuca
June 20th, 2011 at 11:03 am
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June 20th, 2011 at 11:21 am
I’m praying for Israel and Jamaica this summer. Jamaica since our youth group is going on a mission trip there. Israel because I get to go there later this summer!
June 26th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
I’ve decided to pray for the US and Japan. I know tons about our country (duh, haha) and it certainly needs prayer and I’ve always had a little interest in Japan.
June 27th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I like it!
June 28th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Yesterday I did the “Spend 1 day with Lord” challenge. It was kinda tough to not go straight to facebook or twitter or my phone, like I usually do, but I managed to stay away the whole day. But, anyway, I ended up praying for a lot of people that I usually pray for, but this time it was a lot more personal and descriptive, which was kind of cool. I do remember there was a time when I was praying and woke up 2 hours later. =O I also did some worship time and at first it was kind of just singing, but I eventually hit a point where it was this indescribable worship to God and I mean, it was just awesome. I also took a walk around the park nearby and prayed some there. I fasted too, which got really difficult around 6pm, but I stuck it out till this morning!
It was easiest to not be hungry when I was deep in prayer or reflection. Oh, and I finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, so there’s 1 book off of my 5 Christian books. 
It was definitely an interesting day that was challenging, but I am happy that through it, God made clear to me a thing or two that will help me in continuing to deepen my relationship with him. 
June 29th, 2011 at 10:06 am
I did mine on Monday, too! (I’ll be blogging about it on Monday) It was a challenge! But I was surprised at how quickly it went by. I can’t remember the last time I prayed or read that much!
June 29th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Awesome! Me too. I thought it would be A LOT slower of a day.
July 15th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Book #2 – “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”
July 20th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
GREAT book!
July 22nd, 2011 at 9:36 pm
Book #3 – “Do Hard Things” by Alex & Brett Harris
August 3rd, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Book #2 – Intercession: Thrilling and Fulfilling
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:33 pm
#1 Act of community service – Baking cookies for bible study.
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Community service #2 – Writing thank-you cards to people I don’t see very often and who’ve made impacts in my life. (I told them how they did so and encouraged them to continue doing awesome things for God.)
August 17th, 2011 at 7:40 am
I really like this idea!
August 24th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
For the share our faith one, do we have to give like our full testimony or is just talking about God count?
August 24th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
And by that I mean adding God into conversation.
September 7th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
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August 14th, 2012 at 7:01 am
Wow hope am not late because just see this. I love read your book my aunt came to me as a gift because work in bible store . I readed it because beauitful colour but hope bible count as one book because there only two I like so hope that do .i love every country so can choose so pray everyone