"I thought everybody just walked through some dust storm or something."

On Friday my students started writing their lists of 100 Things They Loved. I challenged them to keep adding to their lists over time and try to get to 1,000. I've only had a few campers get to the 1,000 mark--Annie Fazzio, Ellie V and Kara Stanley. (Remind me if you're part of that group too!)

 

This morning Audrey walked up to me with a stack of papers in her hands and a beaming smile on her face. Over the weekend her family drove 18 hours to visit their oldest brother Jack in South Carolina. During the drive both Audrey and her older sister Grace wrote lists of 1,000 things they loved. So incredible. So much fun. So much love. 

 

 

I picked up Julia after school today to start the Disciple project together. We ate blizzards and talked about where our faith began and went through the spiritual inventory test in the book together. I'm excited to walk through this with her and grow closer to Christ together. She is a phenomenal girl and I'm lucky to call her a friend.

 

Over the weekend Ryan told us that we would have two new potential girl leaders joining our Young Life team. I got to reach out to both Jackie and Mara and was thrilled to see them at leadership and Young Life tonight. I think they will both be great additions to this group.

I got the chance to meet up with Jackie earlier today and instantly knew that we will be friends. Jackie teaches 6th grade at the building that feeds into my Junior High so she had several of my students last year and they love her. Not only do we know the same kids, but we have a handful of mutual friends through Purdue and Camp Tecumseh. She joined KCraig and I with our group of girls tonight and jumped right in with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective.

 

I freaked out when Hope, one of the girls I hang out with on Wednesdays, walked through the gym door. I was thrilled to see her back at Young Life. I love the kids that have been coming this semester. Seeing Erin, Olivia, Kaelyn, Savannah, Chloe, Molly, Jenna and Marie every week makes me so happy. They're ridiculous and awesome and I love them more than they know.

 

We were rejoined by Kydnal who is home on Spring Break right now and Haleigh who recently finished cheer. They both love Young Life and it was so good to have them back again.

We sang a couple new songs tonight before diving into the conversation about Ash Wednesday and Lent in our small groups.

This year we want Lent to be an opportunity to grow closer to God by making space in our lives. Maybe that means giving something up or using it in moderation. Perhaps you'll add a daily devotion or Christian music or a prayer journal into your schedule. Whatever you chose, my hope is that by the end of Lent you'll know more of Christ's love and all the grace he has for you.

Tonight I stumbled across a video from Lupita Nyong'o, the actress in 12 Years A Slave, that was poignant and thought provoking. I loved this excerpt, "Beauty was not a thing I could acquire or consume. It was something I just had to be. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion--for yourself and those around you. That kind of beauty enflames the heart and enchants the soul. I hope that you may feel the validation of your external beauty, but also get to the deep business of being beautiful inside."