"Miss Wright, this is like, your day." National FBC Day 2017

It's one of the most magical days of the year: National FBC Day! 

Before first period, Payton showed up in my classroom with a note and a friendship bracelet for me! She is someone that always says hi to me in the hall and makes me smile every single day. 

6 gal pals who regularly attend FBC found bracelet surprises in their lockers this morning. 

I went back and did some Varsity FBC research and discovered there are 3 girls who have donated a bracelet to every single Varsity Project we've done this school year. I mailed them each a thank you note and a bracelet to celebrate. 

My students are working on a Starbucks inspired project this week which involves decorating a paper plate. I ran out of plates in 6th period just as I learned my girl Mallory had just been dropped off from an appointment-- which meant at least one of her parents was close by. I sent a panicked text to Johnna, "SOS-- I need 30 paper plates ASAP."

And before 6th period finished, both Johnna and Brad showed up in my classroom with paper plates AND a vanilla latte. These people are saints. They were in my room for less than a minute when Hey Neighbor said, "It seems like you two have a really healthy relationship." Johnna looked right at him and said, "Thank you. And you know what, it took a lot of hard work and we've had some challenges but it is really healthy now. And that's all by the grace of God."

You better believe I made sure Johnna and Brad both picked out a friendship bracelet before they left.

This is my friend Libby Grace. Her name is really Mia, but we changed it last year. For National FBC Day 2016 Libby Grace walked into my room with her own original FBC sweatshirt. This year, she showed up again with a new 2017 special edition sweatshirt. I made her promise to come back for National FBC Day when she's a freshmen next year.

What's better than wearing an FBC shirt on National FBC Day?! Wearing all the FBC shirts on National FBC Day. There are now 7 different tshirts/tanks/longsleeves which means one for every class period of the day.

All day long FBC gals were eaither coming to class or popping in just to visit. It's true that I love friendship bracelets, but the Junior High girls are the reason I started the club. I wanted to find a way to bring camp to school and FBC was that path. All these years later, we're still having a blast... On the first National FBC Day in 2010 these 7th grade girls were in Kindergarten.

Did you know that FBC isn't just a Clubhouse thing? There are currently Friendship Bracelet Clubs in 10 different schools. Some of those FBC's got to celebrate National FBC Day together this week...

Northwestern High School

Riverside Junior High

Cathedral High School

Hamilton Southeastern Junior High

National FBC Day conveniently always falls on a Thursday-- I love how it works out like that. So the FBC gang showed up in full force today. We made some time for braceleting and best friend necklace making too. 

Ellyn came to FBC day today because she is proud card carrying member of the FBC since 2009. She actually appeared on the FBC page of the HSE Jr High yearbook that year even though she was a Junior at Carmel HS. Even though it wasn't quite finished yet, I gave Ellyn this bracelet to celebrate the day. Because of her request, it even includes one black string (which I almost never ever use). 

The winners of the great paper clip search (aka the best game of the year) got to be in our timeline photo. In our 8 year history, we have created 13 different pieces of FBC apparel. 

I believe that Ellyn, Hools and I are the only ones with all 13 items. PSA: If you're ever giving something FBC away, I'll gladly take it and pass it on to a new FBC recruit. 

Just as we were taking our group picture outside, my girl Mindy Kelly ran up in all her pink glory and pizzazz so we could all be in it. 

May I present, the Fall Creek Clubhouse chapter of the Friendship Bracelet Club:

Once I'd capture everyone in one photo I turned the girls lose. Taking pictures is a Junior High girl's strength my friends. 

Once I got home and finished up Ellyn's special bracelet I was ready for the next great friendship bracelet picture on the porch. Braceleting in triplicate has really upped my productivity of the giant bracelets.

One of my favorite National FBC Day traditions is the creative photo contest. Some of these girls have been thinking about this ahead of time and make a plan for what they'll post. These are phenomenal. What's your favorite?

What's your favorite post of the day?
To Friendship Braceleters near and far, thank you for celebrating in so many ways today.

"My goal is to build a life I don't need a break from."

Wednesdays are for the Wilderness gals. Coffee. Stories. Jesus. Praying together. Laughing together. 

Today's words remind me of Smoon and the way she is constantly affirming all of the friends in her life. I can just hear her saying this to someone. 

I'm proud to be a woman every day of the year. And you'll often hear me saying, "Who runs the world?" just so all the YL/FBC/CILT girls can yell back, "GIRLS!" And today on International Women's Day everyone is speaking up about girl power. I loved seeing words and images like these on my feed all day long.

Today I was shocked when an office aid walked into my classroom with a special delivery. This Random Act of Kindness was totally out of the blue and made my day. Small things with great love make all the difference.

Tomorrow is the 8th Annual National FBC Day my friends. It's a big day. I've been celebrating with girls for 8 years now and I love looking back to see how they've grown up.

2015- Hools, Katy Puzz and Hope

2014- Hannah, Maggie, Maddy and Taylor Pozz

2013- Alli Sams, Kegs and Lucy

Here's the plan for tomorrow:
1) Wear 1 (or all) of your FBC shirts
2) Give away a friendship bracelet to a friend
3) Work on a friendship bracelet
4) If you go to the Clubhouse, go to FBC
5) Most creative #nationalfbcday picture on Instagram wins a mega bracelet of your choice

Honorable Mention Blog Title:
"Ask them if they want to marry me. I will go by Brooke Bracelet. I think I just peed a little."

"Just chose to love, to never speak ill, to believe the best and to let God by God."

I just finished reading Tease by Amanda Maciel. After a HS girl committs suicide, the book tells the story of the events before and after her death. What led Emma to take her own life? What happens to the groups of kids that bullied her to the point she felt like she had no other option? As someone who was a HS teenage girl and now works with teenage girls-- the two sides of this story were fascinating. In the Author's Note at the end of the book Maciel writes, "I wish we had better tools to deal with bullying. I certainly don't know what the answer is, and I know the problem grows more complicated as our methods of communication grow vaster and more unwieldy. But it seems to me that there's always more to the story-- at least two sides, if not four or seven or one hundred. And I believe that everyone deserves to be heard."

After attending IF: Gathering for a second year, I was so excited to read Jennie Allen's newest book Nothing To Prove. I don't know of anyone who can't relate to the desire to do enough and be enough. "Nobody is okay, fine, great. But, goodness, we are all tired of trying to pretend we are." Jennie's book will introduce you to stories from the bible in a whole new way and help you relearn the truth that there is freedom in Christ-- you can stop striving for enough because He already is. So many of her words will stick with me...

He alone is the Source from which flows all the things we crave and hope to become. And IF God is real, how are we going to live like it?

Deep down, I want to be enough. I don't want to keep needing God. I am realizing it's not my curse that I believe I am not enough; it's my sin that I keep trying to be. 

God is in these ordinary moments, and He is also calling us to do wild and obedient things we could have never imagined. It isn't either/or, it is both/and. Sometimes we don't even know which are the big things and which are the small. Heaven will tell the stories earth missed. 

I want to live an entire life full like this. I want to be full of Jesus to the point that He is pouring out of me.

The nearness of Jesus is enough to infuse joy in the midst of everyday experiences. Our joy, or lack of it, is a direct result of where we spend most of our time and thoughts and energy. 

He tells us, "You are enough and you have enough because I AM ENOUGH." This is how God works, but we have been functioning in a scarcity mentality. Rather than trusting in His abundance, we try to be enough and get enough as if there isn't enough. And we are exhausted from trying to do all of this on our own. 

Leadership is the willingness to take initiative for the good of others.

Jesus lives on the other side of our comfort zones. The streams we are craving--that He is offering--flow strongest in the spaces we see our need for Him. And as we step out of the boxes we have built, our hearts wake up. The Spirit of God stirs us toward a wild uncontrolled adventure, even if that plays out in the mundane parts of our lives. 

I want to see Jesus in my everyday life, not just when I arrive in heaven. I want to love Him more than I want to appear religious. 

Stepping outside of sameness expanded my world, and I'm better for it. We had to grant each other permission to be who we are and to say what we think and feel. She gave me the grace and permission to say the wrong things and know she won't turn away. 

Emotions are designed by God to point to an ache for Him and for heaven. Emotions are compasses, not destinations. We don't ignore them and we don't camp out in them, but we let them show us the places God wants to meet us and the places we need to do work.

We don't confess so that God will forgive; we confess to remember and enjoy that we already are forgiven. Jesus has handled this problem fully and completely and replaced our sin with His goodness. 

Every once in awhile I get around someone whose soul is full of God. Their souls are so content, Jesus is just coming out of them. Do you know people like that? It is so refreshing. It is beautiful. They are not needy. They're not trying to prove themselves. They're not trying to measure up. They're not trying to get your attention or affection. They hold no judgement for others because they are aware of their own sin. 

When I think about light, every single light humans have ever built requires energy or some force to light it. Lightbulbs drain and run out, even LED lights eventually. Flashlights, car lights, lamps... they all pull energy from some other source that can drain or become depleted.
Then I think of the light God creates. Fire running wild, the sun burning always, bajillions of stars all burning with great force--all the light that He creates, it needs nothing to exist. It needs no other energy source. It just is. 
And guess what happens when people try to produce light? We get tired. Trying drains energy, like every human light that has ever been created. 
So what if instead of trying to create light, we simply received light? The vision of God for our lives is that we would receive His light and then give light to the world. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." Most of the time, the New Testament refers to Jesus being the Light, but when His Spirit lives in us, we are the light of the world. We receive who Jesus is and then give Him away.

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands." May we desire to be helpful rather than important. May we seek to make God's name great and not our own. I don't wan to see my eyes on impact; I want to set my eyes on Jesus and knowing Him more. 

"So I've been trying to figure out how I would die and I think I just don't. Like, I can't die now because my heart will never stop beating."

Today in microfashion from Redford:

And Lincoln now "plays" the violin:

People say Mondays are awful, but those people don't get to start their Mondays off with this gang. I'm so thankful for these weird, silly, fun girls who make life so much better. 

Unexpected highs of the day:
1) Going to KCraig's to hang out after school-- coffee, life updates, YL planning, sending Jesse on missions and giving him jobs, talking about stuff that matters.

2) Spontaneous facetime with my long time pal Maggie Shadid. Back in the day we would Skype on a regular basis-- I don't know why we ever gave that up. Today we talked and laughed and told stories and it was so good for my heart. She is one of the best friends I've ever known.

I got to be in a small group Carl tonight which was a treat. Part way through our time, Carl facetimed Jacob and we all got to say hi.

The girl gang at Campaigners included Burg and Carol tonight-- a very exciting surprise. These Seniors have only got about 10 YL events left in their Senior year. That's an alarmingly small number-- we plan to make the most of them.

Once upon a time Erin and I went on Wilderness together. It was the hardest and one of the best things we've ever done.

From my post at the end of our trip, "Things you have to go on Wilderness to appreciate: seeing Cairn, a level 5 biff, LNT, princess socks, a clean two cup, blister care, sleeping on the inside, when your meal gets cooked, when the willows end, blue skys in the distance, water after 20 minutes of iodine."

Honorable Mention Blog Titles:
"This is so fun. We didn't even plan on giving apartment tours and we're just doing it!"
"Her left forearm looks great. I've been trying to get an elbow point like that."
"Do you know some kids can't read cursive?" "Yeah... and I don't care."

"I for sure had her as a counselor. But it was a long time ago and I was a disaster-- I cried every day."

This weekend consisted of all the things...

Road trip to West Lafayette with Ellyn so we could meet Kayla for dinner at Chipotle...

and then see Abby and Aleah, Session 1 CILTs, as Bird Girls in Seussical the Musical. We also ran into camp friends Lauren and Evan Johnson, Jen and Josh Sanson, Jake Millsaps and Riley Kastens. 

I spent Saturday morning by myself which was glorious-- I should always plan some alone time and make sure that resting is actually part of the weekend. I got coffee, cut string, watched The Joy Luck Club and did laundry.

Taco & Burrito Place Round #4 with Hools, Lucy and Mall. Once again, it was a culinary delight from the chorizo taco to the fresh guacamole. I don't think I could ever have a bad time with these three rock stars.

I went with Hools and Maddie to see Before I Fall. It's a semi-recent YA book that I read a few years ago. The main character relives the same day 13 times and I couldn't wait to see how they would adapt it to film . Crazy movie-- not sure how I feel about it.

PIZZA PARTY AT ARNI'S! I met up with Hannah Rapp, Smelko, Katie Evans and Maggie for dinner on Saturday. These girls are some of the greats and the friends that I want to be intentional about seeing on a regular basis.

HSE and Carmel battled in boys' basketball for the Sectional Championship so of course Smelko and I showed up. We were the real champs because we didn't have to pay since we didn't get their till the 4th quarter and then we got VIP seating with the Myers family. Carmel won (go Mike Pitz!) and I got to see Ellie cheer, but I was sad to see the HSE gang so disappointed.

Sunday morning I went to church at Northview with Gidget, Fudge and Wash. We all go to church nearly every week but it was fun to go together this time. Then we topped it all off with sprinkle pancakes and they each competed in the 'Merica magnet puzzle race.

Ellyn and I had Ellen Baker in Choctaw a couple summers ago and we've been pen-pals ever since. We met up in Indy for the first time Sunday night for a Chipotle party. Katie, Ellen's best friend, came too and we found out we have so many connections. Plus, everyone got a "portrait" photo...

I'm so thankful for Tecumseh friendships that last all year round. Ellen and Katie are busy spreading their positivity, silliness, kindness, joy and fun every single day. They are some of the greats.

I hope that you're weekend was full of "all the things" too and that you're ready to make this next week a great one. Life's too short to not try to make each day a party.

"My friend works at Starbucks and she made me something fancy and it's like Tinker Bell pee. That sounds gross but it's so good. It's like magic. It makes my heart sparkle."

Highs of the Day:

1. Talking to my mom on the phone

2. Dinner date with Emily, baby Jojo and Rachie

3. New string so the braceleting never has to stop

4. Finishing The Treatment at the library and stocking up on new books

5. Kids bringing me money for Pennies for Patients without me even prompting them anymore

6. Chill time with the FBC gang-- National FBC Day next Thursday!!!!

Top 10 People I'd Like To Hang Out With All At Once:
1. Fitzie
2. Smelko
3. Maggie Shadid
4. Caroline Short
5. Haleigh Devoe
6. KCraig
7. Smooney
8. Cassidy Ogan
9. Alaina & Hannah
10. Fre & Hanna

Top 10 Ordinary Things I Get Really Excited About:
1. When Oprah says, "Chips! I love chips! I eat chips every day!" in her new commercial
2. Taco triangles or cheese crunchers in the school lunch
3. Sending mail
4. Passing period
5. When you accidentally twin with someone
6. Podcasts (especially On The Frontier, Young House Love Has A Podcast and Happier)
7. Pepperoni Pizza
8. Finding connections with total strangers
9. Sleeping in without an alarm
10. Anything that has to do with camp

"When I'm asked to speak about leadership, or recognize qualities of leadership, the longer I live, the more I find myself talking about modesty, love and forgiveness." -Dan Rather

"But... this is our family." "Yes, but no. They're not."

Erin's the genius behind Senior Assassins. Abby is ready take first place. Cassidy is about to roll out her wolf shirt sales. And every Wednesday morning we gather together around this long table to read the Bible, share highs and lows and pray together. This time is so, so sweet. I'm so thankful we made this a priority this year. 

Most accounts I follow on Instagram are of people I actually know, but there are a handful of other accounts that just bring me joy. A friend recently told me to start following The Gray Gang. They're a family of beautiful, genuine chaos and I love it. Today this post about their daughter Odessa made me hope I'll have a daughter like this one day. 

IT'S KATHRYN'S BIRTHDAY!!!! We had a celebration at Wyld Life tonight and ate her chocolate birthday cake Big Cookie style with everyone diving in at once. This friend adds so much value, faith, wisdom, laughter, compassion, inclusivity, prayer, positivity and realness to our family. We would not be the same without her. 

Tonight's topic of conversation: Friendship. What value do friends add to our lives, what qualities are most important, what does Jesus teach us about being a friend? We dove into a conversation about Love Languages too-- a favorite of Hools' and mine-- and learned more about how to love and be loved. 

100% of the time...

Be someone you can be proud of. Be the best version of you. Be the person God made you to be.

Less Stuff. Amen.

In case you've been wondering, I'm still going strong on my no Diet Coke challenge over here on Day 4. The only side effect so far-- I couldn't peel my orange in one peel both Monday AND Tuesday. I ALWAYS peel it in one peel. This unexpected side effect was embarrassing to say the least. I'm happy to report that today I'm back to my normal orange peeling skills.