Peace and Love #flowerpower #wyldlife

I got a package in the mail today from my friend Becky, a session 2 CILT from last summer. Becky is notorious for sending really fun things. She mailed an intensely awesome care package to all the counselors last summer. I never could have predicted what would be in the box today.

I cut the duct tape, opened the flaps and found this book inside. In my 4th blog anniversary I had mentioned that if I printed out all of my posts I would have a book by now. Becky took the initiative to print out all of my Camp Chapters and organize them into a book.

The most incredible part is all of the illustrations she added through out the book. I loved seeing what she came up with for the stories and was impressed with every single one. Becky made sure to bind it in a way that I could continue to add chapters to this book.

I wasn't expecting this surprise at all. A gift like this took so much creativity, time and heart. I love it.

It's Hippie Club at Wyld Life tonight. Leaders gathered in the gym early to eat pizza, go over the plan and make potholder headbands for one of the games. Teaching all of these people to finger weave headbands was entertaining. Before long we had a pile of headbands and the kids started to arrive.

It was chilly but we had to go outside to take pictures because we're tree huggers and one with nature. I love getting to hang out with Elise and Maggie at every Club.

In a matter of seconds the picture above turned into the picture below as everyone ran to get in on the action. We love group photos.

Donovan and Johnny Miller, two of my lunch crew guys, came tonight. They're the best.

It's been so cool to see HS leaders like Mariah get to know these kids over the year. Now these 8th grade girls run to her and are so excited to see her at every Club.

I was so excited that girls like the Julias, Caitlyn and Cami could all make it tonight. It was a big crowd for our second to last Club of the year.

Can you spot Ozzy in the midst of all these guys? Sidenote: I'm incredibly impressed with their group photo arrangement here.

8th graders Avery and Mallory are awesome and I"m so glad they were both here tonight.

Lydia, Chloe, Ashley, Lindsey and Cassidy could all easily fit in with the hippies.

Cacilia was such a free spirit tonight she left her shoes at home and came barefoot.

Ryan had his "I'm a hippie and I talk really cool and slow man" voice down and he led us in I'm A Believer and Twist and Shout first.

Isaiah is definitely a party starter and he had everyone around him twisting and clapping and jumping while we sang.

Hannah and Mariah look like poster children for Woodstock 2014.

We started off with a Trippy Hippie Word Scramble. Everyone split into groups and had to unscramble a list of words that all had to do with hippie things.

Then we pulled up Lindsey and Timmy Lee, Nicole and Nathan, Delaney and Isaiah for a game. Using only their feet, the girls had to put 6 potholder headbands on the boys heads.

We went outside to play Pop Roulette so we would make a gym in the mess. The idea is that everyone chooses a can of pop that they open over their neighbor's head. Some of the cans we shook really hard right before the game so they would explode and some would be fine. So some people should have had a fountain of pop over their head while others would stay dry.

But when they opened the cans none of them exploded. Dante Cefali took matters into his own hands and just started dumping pop on people. I had no way of stepping in once the chaos started and Ryan clung to that tree as he sipped his pop. Sometimes things don't go as planned but we have a great time anyways.

We went back in to sing Your Love Never Fails and Jesus Paid It All. I had Isaiah on my right shouting "AMEN!" with his hands raised and Sam on my left making up motions for all the words. Wyld Life is just amazing.

Tonight Chad Davis, a HS Junior, shared the Club Talk. He spoke about acceptance and Christ's never ceasing love for us. We were so proud of him for taking this opportunity to share his story and faith.

Jackie and I were in a small group of 7th grade girls tonight, talking about when we look for acceptance, how God is the only Judge and what it would look like to show everyone love. I never want to take for granted what an awesome opportunity we have to share our faith with these kids here at Wyld Life. I'm with them all day long at school but this environment is different and God is so present here.

I'm thankful that I get to lead with Jackie, for girls like Julia and Sophie, for silly costumes and crazy games, for bringing all types of kids together and for Christ being the focus. Peace and love people.