Girls v Boys (part 1)

I showed up at the 8th grade girls' basketball game after school. I love when it works out for me to come cheer them on. I love it even more when I have fun kids to sit with in the stands. I'm so thankful for these girls and the way I get to walk through life with them.

Yesterday with Sabrina I told her about how when I was in HS I would always get a little weirded out when people came to watch just me at a play or tennis match. I don't know why, I'm just weird like that. But because that's how I reacted, that's how I expected kids to react when I started showing up in Young Life. But Saba reassured me, "No, I really like when you come. Keep doing it." So I will. But I don't take these kid's acceptance and excitement for granted.

Tonight we had our second Young Life Club-- Girls v Boys style. We showed up in our pink, the boys came dressed in blue. I love that I get to work alongside Abby and Molly who love these girls so much.

Ryan has added a new member to his band, Carter Conaway. I knew Carter played guitar but I didn't know he was this good. They rocked it tonight and I'm so excited to have them play together every week. Natalie Willman is a rare gem... she's also really good at scurrying in this state and making unique chirping/squeaking noises.

I'm all about dressing up together, being part of a team and having everyone work together. And group pictures, I really love those too.

GIRLS RULE! BOYS DROOL!

BOYS ARE STUDS! GIRLS ARE CRUD!

The first game was a smashing success. Butler and Drew cracked eggs on Hannah and Chad's heads, then dropped the egg into the cups Brooke and Nick were holding up. A yolk in the cup equals one point for your team. It was eggcellent.

The boys aren't too into the singing part of Club quite yet, but we got them to join in for A-team and Rhett served as their swaying coach.

We tested each gender's ability to complete tasks the other half routinely accomplishes. The girls had to lather up and then shave (with plastic knives) before putting on and correctly tying ties.

Nat, Soph and Kendyl clean up nicely don't they?

They boys were giving a supply of makeup and asked to help each other get ready. Funniest thing of my life to watch. Ryan held up the eyeliner and asked what to do with it, Grant couldn't figure out what the blush was for. Lipstick was their go-to tool. At first they were only drawing on JB's face and the other two thought they'd get out of it.

All three off them ended up looking just beautiful. These guys are awesome.

Our last game was a Girls v Boys balloon relay. You had to blow up your balloon till it popped, then the next person could start.

I've played this before but the balloons have never expanded this much. Don't worry, no one passed out. And every single time a balloon popped we all jumped from the noise. We were neck and neck till the very end, the boys ended up beating us with just a few breaths.

We sang "Lay My Burdens Down" together for the first time tonight and it took me back to weeks of singing this song in a circle with Carmel kids at Club and Campaigners. This is what it's all about. Inviting kids into a relationship with Christ where they can experience his amazing grace and give up their burdens to him. They don't have to carry them alone any longer because we serve a God that's bigger than all of that.

We want to invite these kids into that kind of life that Bob Goff describes as, "A way of living and loving. A life that is full of ABANDON, WHIMSY and LOVE. Because something happens when we get engaged, doesn't it? It changes everything. This way of life is contagious. Other people will watch us and start seeing life as something more amazing, more whimsical than before."

Tonight Emily O'Bear came for the first time and I couldn't be more excited. She was in my first class ever and has been a Tecumseh kid for years. This coming summer she'll be moving into the Longhouse to be a CILT too. I love seeing Lauren every week and am so thankful for how involved with Young Life she has been this year.

KCraig shared her testimony tonight about how words, both negative and positive, have been so impactful in her life. She told us a story about how Christ used his words to bring healing, transformation and hope to a woman's life. We watched a video about the power of words. All of this is applicable to our lives, so important, so clearly connected to what God is asking of us.