Today's Lists

Highs of the Day:

1. People's #tecumsehtuesday posts
2. Passing out something special that will be unveiled on Thursday
3. Getting a bday party invite to Sky Zone from a really sweet camper
4. Seeing Katie, Linc and Red one more time before they headed out of town
5. Lily running over to see me when she spotted me before her race
6. Walking around the course with Elissa, Sarah Platt and Lucy
7. Having dinner with Emily and Rachel 

Top 10 Favorite YL Events of the Year:

1. All City Club
2. One on Ones at Camp
3. The Opera at Young Life Camp
4. The first Club at Camp
5. Wyld Life Lock Out
6. Winter/Fall Weekend
7. Love Tank Campaigners
8. Dance Party Club
9. Summit weekend with leaders from IN and KY
10. Cabin reunions 

10 Things On A Counselor's Bucket List At Tecumseh:

1. Ride in the horse parade
2. Be a counselor for every unit
3. Get voted for Walk The Plank
4. Sleep out at Ghost Cabin
5. Win a weekly award from the pool/lake/CAC
6. Be a coordinator
7. Earn your 3rd Year Green Jacket
8. Be Buffalo Queen
9. Be a Y-M C-A cheerleader at Opening or Closing Campfire
10. Teach a clinic that performs at Closing Campfire

10 People That Have Taught Me About Living Life To The Full

1. Taylor Porter
2. Annie Fazzio
3. Lani Pickard
4. Kelly Wentland
5. Grace Andritsch
6. Julia Plant
7. Sarah Mooney
8. Maggie Shadid
9. Sarah Battaglia
10. Allison Stamer

Young Life Community

I flashed back to my middle school youth group days tonight at Young Life. Once a large number of kids arrived, Ryan had us all circle up to play Little Sally Walker. Oh. My. Goodness. I wish I could have videotaped some of these kids' and leaders' dance moves. Most of the time we talk about serious stuff at Campaigners, but sometimes you've got to make time for silly. 

I loved watching people play this game together. You had the handful of people that were totally stoked and ready to jump right out there and be the center of attention. Karl was fantastic, Conner busted out the moonwalk and Ryan did his signature dance move. Sometimes you just have to go for it even if you risk being seen as a little bit silly right?

I love seeing all of these friends at the start of every week. I'll get to see some of them through out the week at games or dinner dates-- but this is the place where we all meet up, recharge and get filled. I love this time together. There's a group chat with our Junior and Senior HS Wyld Life leaders that is blowing up my phone every day. Tonight they were all saying some pretty profound things...

Thanks for accepting me so quickly. It took me so long to join because I was afraid I was a bad role model for the kids and I thought I didn't know enough about Christ to lead kids to him. But you guys have been nothing but awesome and it is strengthening my faith so much.

I love you all and respect you so much.

I love doing life with you guys. I'm so blessed to call you guys my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Blessed to have been slapped in this group with y'all. Thanks for welcoming me into the YL family so well. I feel at home with you guys and I know I'm supposed to be here.

Playing with Katie, Linc and Red

When Nick had a conference in Indy, Katie, Linc and Red came down to visit Aunt Sarah! Usually I see my family in Michigan or when we're at Tecumseh so this was an extra special treat. I loved getting to see my nephews, the cutest kids I know, and spend some quality time with my sister. 

The boys love playgrounds--running, crawling, climbing, sliding and laughing. I think they would have stayed at either of the playgrounds we took them to all day long if we'd let them. Lincoln especially loves Curious George and the man with the yellow hat. We let them watch one episode before their nap and they were mesmerized. Both of them will pick fruit or yogurt over cookies. They're sweet and helpful and we just love them so much. 

I love that Linc sits in his car seat with his legs crossed and that he likes to "pretend" shop with me. Being an aunt is one of my favorite things so time with Linc and Red is really special. Can't wait till I see them again in a few weeks at their birthday party!

"Oh wow, cross country is so artsy."

Meeting with 25 junior high girls at 6:30am is one of the craziest things that I do. It's nuts but I'm so thankful for this opportunity. This morning we talked about friendship and loving one another. I think that 8th grade and freshmen year are two of the craziest for girls in terms of figuring out who their friends are and who they want to spend time with. This group of 25 girls is awesome, but there is no way all of them can hang out all the time. 

We may not be able to have a 25 girl sleepover every weekend, but we can be kind to everyone. I want them to care about things like being trustworthy, being loyal, making sure others feel included, building people up, following through on promises, not talking behind each other's backs and having genuine fun together.

Friday nights in the Fall mean football. But tonight was arguably the biggest game of the season-- HSE v the cross town rivals Fishers. I love seeing a bazillion and a half people in the stadium each year at this event. But before kickoff, there is tailgating. This year iTown invited YL to join them at their tailgate. But when I got to the parking lot I heard the Senior tail gate before I even saw it. A DJ had volunteered to come play music and there was a huge dance party happening.

I spotted so many of our YL upperclassman that I had to go get KCraig and Ryan to witness this. Of course they were both all over this Senior Tailgate and jumped right in. Our kids were excited to see us and welcomed us right in like it was totally normal that we were there with them-- I love that.

AC, the host of Operation Tailgate in Indy, came to get video footage of their tailgate. Little did he know that he would end up on top of the van and then crowd surfing over the upperclassman. I've never seen anything like it.

Eventually we did make it to the actual game but I have to admit I didn't pay much attention to what was happening on the field. I hung out with freshmen on the very top row, talked to Juniors and Seniors at the bottom of the stands, found a mob of my kids in the Junior High barricade by the concession stands and talked to a handful of parents. So many people at once. It was awesome.

Saturday morning Julia Plant and I drove to a cross country meet at Ben Davis to watch Session 2 CILT girls run. Chloe Lachmund was the only one competing today but we got to spend lots of quality time hanging out with Kristen and Lauren Johnson.

Julia had never been to a meet before so we got to explain all sorts of fun things to her like a PR, run out, timing chips, team tents, a meet v. match and how to cheer on runners. Bless her soul, she picks things up quickly.

It was a beautiful day and thankfully warmed up while we were there. We got to take the Johnson girls to lunch before we all headed home which was really fun. Maybe we'll be able to see them run at State later this Fall!

I invited my parents Dave and Beth to come to our YL banquet on Saturday night so they stayed with me this weekend. Saturday afternoon we adventured around Fishers and I got to give them a tour of the Devoe's barn where YL meets. That evening we headed to the Community Center for the Banquet. I'm so thankful that I have parents that love and support me the way that mine do.

Once a year, we get to bring together parents, community members, leaders and YL kids that care about the mission and purpose of Young Life in HSE. It's a celebration of where we've been and we get to ask people to help us prayerfully and financially as we move forward. I feel so honored to get to be part of this community and can't imagine not knowing these friends. I love that so many HS kids like Lauren Pidgeon, Olivia and Julia, Audrey and more Wyld Life leaders came tonight to greet guests and help with the program. They are invested.

Hands down, the coolest part of the night was when HS kids and a handful of leaders shared their cardboard testimonies. We did this activity on Monday night at Campaigners and invited everyone to share their story tonight. It was incredibly powerful. I can't think of any other way to share how God is at work here so succinctly and beautifully.

I can't wait to see what will happen this year in the things we expect--clubs, campaigners, lock outs, bible studies-- and the things we can't predict. I pray that more kids and leaders would feel welcome as they join this community and that above all God would be glorified in all that we do.

Today's Daily Affirmations

I love watching The Butterfly Circus every period

I love walking Audrey to 6th period every day

I love working on a friendship bracelet that I really love

I love taco triangles and cookies on Thursdays

I love the Nick Vujicic simulcast about confidence and anti-bullying

I love how Nick just threw in the bible in the middle of a simulcast to hundreds and thousands of students

I love Friendship Bracelet Club

I love playing Where The Wind Blows

I love meeting new kids

I love sitting with the 8th grade homies Maddie, Cami, Maggie, Maddy, Silvana, Elyse and Mia

I love listening to Disney Channel Stars on Pandora and singing along

I love dinner dates with Julia, Hannah and there moms
I love giant Diet Cokes with free refills
I love watching YL girls and old students play volleyball
I love talking to seniors in the student section
I love cheering during a really great point
I love when we win
I love working on a bracelet while everything else is happening
I love hearing from old friends

Today's Letters

My 8th Grade Girls,

You all have such potential and you're greater than you realize. I'm so glad that we're still in the same building for one more year so we can keep seeing each other every day. I hope this year will be your best one yet. Here are some things I want you all to keep in mind:

1. Be kind to each other. Take care of your friends and give them the benefit of the doubt. Don't talk about each other but build one another up. Go out of your way to make each other's days better.

2. Find something you're passionate about and then go after that. Spend your time doing something you care about and make the world more awesome.

3. Haters gonna hate. As difficult as it is, don't waste your time on people who aren't making your life any better. Just keep being awesome and worry about yourself. 

4. You are more than enough. No matter what you achieve or what mistakes you make this year, it doesn't change your value. Your identity is in Christ and he loves you regardless of what you do. Hold on to that.

Dear Cross Country Kids,

Oh my goodness. You are rock stars. I love coming to see you all run your hearts. Congrats on PRs tonight--you earned them. I love seeing the teamwork and friendship on this team. Keep it up. 

Dear Brooke,
Hey, how are ya. Our bi-weekly hang outs are one of my favorite things. Thanks for making me part of your busy life--can't imagine what I'd do without you. I love your non-stop giggling, awkward selfies, Spongebob references, willingness to try out new things and resilient hope and joy. You make me a better person.

Cardboard Testimonies

It was so, so good to be back at the Barn last night with our Young Life friends. We were away for Labor Day last week and two weeks is entirely too long. I was thrilled to see so many friends in the gym when I walked down from Leadership upstairs. I love seeing clumps of different kids and leaders all over the place-- hugging, shooting basketballs, catching up. It is good. 

In 2 Corinthians it says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here." Those verses are the foundation of our life stories as Christians. God changes our hearts, working from the inside out, and you can see proof of that in people's lives. I still remember the first time I watched Cardboard Testimonies at a YL Camp called Castaway in Minnesota. I was incredibly struck by people's honesty, vulnerability and rawness. I was already a believer, but I was still moved by the evidence of God's work in their lives.

Since that experience at Castaway, I've experienced Cardboard Testimonies several more times. I've presented mine with counselors at Tecumseh and done the activity as a devotion during CILTs. I've seen leaders share at Sharp Top both summers I've gone with Young Life. Every time God's sovereignty, grace and truth is written all over people's stories. The idea is that you write the story of your life before Christ on one side of the cardboard and your story of how God has worked in your life on the other side.

After singing together, we spread out all over the Barn to write Cardboard Testimonies with our kids. We know most of these kids really well, we've been walking through life together for anywhere from a couple months to a couple years. We got to help some of them articulate what their life story might say on this piece of cardboard. I'm so thankful for the relationships that are so strong between leaders and kids. These friendships are so different than the ones they might have with their parents, coaches, teachers or friends. We get this in-between role that's really beautiful when Christ shines through each of us.

I loved walking around and visiting all the different groups as they were finishing up. Everyone was curious about each other's stories.

When we were all ready we circled up in one giant ring. Ryan played "Oh How He Loves Us" on guitar as each person took a turn. They stepped forward holding up the first side for everyone to read. Then they flipped it over and showed the whole group. It took about 15 minutes and everyone was silent. Getting this many HS kids to be silent for that long is near impossible. But this was real. This was truth. This was brave. They didn't want to miss it.

Some of these kids are going to share their Cardboard Testimonies at our YL Banquet this weekend. I'm so excited for parents and adults in Fishers to see them. I wish I could share all of their stories with you. There is no doubt that God is alive and at work in people's lives all around us. These stories are all the proof that I need.