I got to hang out with Kaylee during the Junior High volleyball games after school and it was so good to see her. I miss when we saw each other every day at school. I love my job because I get to know so many kids but I hate that they're only in my building for two years and then they're gone to HS. It would be more convenient if they could stay in Junior High forever. Unfortunately that's not the way the world works and it might be weird to have kids driving to 7th grade... but good thing we have Campaigners on Monday nights.
We're still meeting out in the woods which is one of the coolest venues for Campaigners ever. We've got bonfires to help with the darkness and we're bundling up as it starts to get a little chilly. Tonight Maddy let me borrow her "polar bears and beaches" quilt.
I love seeing Olivia, Genna and Anne out here. These girls are living out what they believe, they're making this a priority in the middle of their hectic lives and they're loving their friends well.
This is such a cool community that continues to change and grow every week. We've got a few kids and leaders that have been here since the beginning and a handful that came tonight for the very first time. I think what we're doing here is contagious.
I love seeing the guys get pumped to see JD and Todd and Ryan when they arrive. They care about each other and are such a part of each other's lives. It's so cool to have so many upperclassman this year. Tonight we had five Senior girls-- that's incredible. I love that in their last year of HS this is something they want to be part of.
Tonight we talked about the story of the man carried on a mat by his friends who was then lowered down to see Jesus. I talked with the circle of girls about what it must have been like to be that man, asking for help, and what sacrifice for your friends looks like. Then we split up into even smaller groups for the last half hour and I went with Anne, Genna, Olivia and Hannah. Tonight I was so thankful for time with just the four of them. I think we could have talked for another hour--there is just so much to say about friendship. These girls are just on the edge of HS and realizing that friendships shift and people change and that the people you surround yourself with are really important. It's cool to be part of the conversation as they're thinking through all of these things.
Today I loved something I read on Donald Miller's blog and think it relates to this idea of carrying your friends,
"What kind of people are truly memorable? The best answer I can come up with is this: I remember people best when they, somehow, make me feel good about myself. I'm not talking about flattery, because that leads to distrust. And I'm not talking about compliments either, because they are so often (though not always) given in exchange for something, like 'Will you read my book?'
People who make me feel good about myself are the ones who tend to value people not because of what they've done or what they offer, but simply because I'm a human being. I think in a way, they tap into a part of us that longs for God, who will not care what we've accomplished.
How do they value me as a human? They listen. They ask questions. They do not want anything in exchange. They express how good it was to get to know me. What's even better about meeting people like this is it makes me want to be one of them."
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