"I'm going to be such a good maid of honor!"

Saturday morning started bright and kinda-early as Jackie, Julia and I showed up at the HS track for Royal Relays. There are so many awesome kids on this team and we were so excited to cheer them on. Fudgie and her fam were there for Grace so she hung out with us too. 

We walked over to opening day at the Olio Softball fields where our friends Cassidy and Cydney Ogan were selling the friendship bracelets they've been making the last few months. The bracelets were $5 each and all of the money is going to be given to Syrian Refugee Education. How phenomenal is that?!

They had already sold 13 bracelets when we showed up at 11am and they planned to be there till 4pm. We each got a bracelet and wished them good luck.

Next we visited the tennis courts where HSE girls like Demi and Liz Huston were playing Cathedral girls like our friend Maddy Martin. Watching tennis always takes me back to my days on the Delphi team with Coach Lawton and playing doubles with Lindsey Kendall.

You know that Julia and I will always have fun together no matter what we're doing. Today we dreamed more about her being a Wyld Life leader next year. She's already an example to so many people but soon she'll get to step into that role even more.

We got to see our friend Grace, talk to Ashley and Kendal as they wrote down times and visit Emily the pole vaulter.

Anna, from North Central and Camp T, was here today and she spotted me first and yelled my name. We figured out that Anna and Julia will both be at camp weeks 5 & 6 this summer which is really fun. Now they're officially friends.

Hannah and Schuler beat the HSE Royal Relay record this morning which was phenomenal and so exciting. We said a quick good bye to friends before we had to peace out.

Adult YL leaders met at the barn for leadership this afternoon and we got to spend time with Travis Brown, motivational and anti-bullying speaker, who is the father of one of my current students. I'd seen him at a school convocation but our time with him today was even better.

What's my gift?
What do you do the best with the least amount of effort?
What's the purpose of my gift?

Think of yourself as John the Baptist more than Jesus. You're here to prepare the way.

You can duplicate what you've seen OR you can do it differently.

What is God trying to do through you?

The last thing we did in our time together was to corporately write a message to the kids that we know. What would each of us want to tell the HS kids that we love?

1. Your worth isn't in your accomplishments.
2. It's ok to have doubts and questions.
3. This world and life are temporary. You were made for Heaven.
4. God loves you more perfectly than anyone else and that won't change.
5. You bear the image of God.
6. Don't be mean to each other.
7. Who you are is enough. You don't have to fit into a mold.
8. You can't do anything to make God love you more or less.
9. Modest is hottest.
10. You're loved by Jesus more than you can imagine.
11. You can have lots of fun sober.
12. You can know a lot about God, but do you know God?
13. Change requires action.
14. You are perfect in the eyes of Jesus.
15. You're worth dying for.
16. Your words and actions have power and shape lives.
17. A life with Christ is awesome and fun.
18. Once you're saved in Christ, there's nothing you can do to lose your salvation. 

Cassidy and Cydney did end up selling all of their bracelets before their scheduled ending time! They raised $421.25 for the Syrian Refugee Education which will help with back to school kits or clean water and sanitation. It's amazing! These girls are a beautiful example of putting their love and faith into action.

In the afternoon I got to go to the Prom pictures of some beautiful Junior girls. Everyone met at Grace's house which meant I got to hang out with Elyse and Fudge too. Grace looked beautiful in her "conservative turtleneck" and her hair was so cool.

Soon Katy P arrived and the coolest part of her outfit had to be her chuck taylors peaking out from under her dress.

Katy, Abby, Courtney, Kali and Grace all looked so beautiful. They're each incredible girls and I'm so lucky to know them. Audrey, Elyse, Rachel and I were happy to be part of the fun without being quite so dressed up.

I got to have a date with my friend Emily at Olive Garden, one of our favorite places, and then to see the new Nicholas Sparks movie The Longest Ride. We would both give it a great review and tell you to go see it if you're into chick flicks.

Sunday was full of great things-- church with Sydney and the Laurens, crafting and painting and bracelets at home, hanging out with Julia and Hannah, dinner with Cami and Jess, ice-cream with Maddie and Han. It was a relaxing end to a great weekend.