"Ok so what else could we use a box of 100 gloves for?" Wyld Life Thanksgiving Club

Wyld Life Club is nuts and I love it. We show up at the Barn on Saturday nights and invite 7th and 8th graders from all of Fishers to fill up the space with their crazy, hyper, creative, sweet, awkward, loud, fun, helpful, loving selves. It's an experience. 

There are familiar faces and brand-new ones every week. We've got adult and HS leaders greeting kids, passing out name tags and writing numbers on their hands.

Once you walk in those doors we hope that you know you are seen, valued and wanted. We do our best to make every kid feel that way because it's true. Every single one of them matters and we're so glad they're here.

I love getting to do life with my HS and JH friends at the same time. I believe that this kind of love, this kind of silliness, this kind of friendship really will change the world around us.

We played Savage Women-- all the guys link up and then the girls basically rip them apart...

Then the boys get their turn to pull apart all of the girls...

In small groups, we created murals that had to do something with Thanksgiving and came up with so many creative ideas.

We did some turkey bowling with a real frozen turkey. Then we called up Cannon, Jake and Ryan for the grand finale. Each guy, without using his hands, dug through a pan of mashed potatoes to find the small plastic farm animals that were buried. They spit the animals on the floor and then searched for more.

It was equally disgusting and awesome and I'm sure those boys will never look at mashed potatoes the same way again.

Conner talked to us tonight about thankfulness, the 10 lepers story of the 1 who came back and about the gift of grace. For so many kids, this is their very favorite part of the night when they get to hear about Jesus. For some kids, this is the only place where they'll ever hear the gospel. For some kids, this is an invitation to accept the free gift of grace that God has always been offering us.

I'm so incredibly thankful for girls like Hannah Reed, Marcell and Hannah Devoe who make Wyld Life so special. They're three of the reasons why I do this, why I keep showing up week after week.

I'm so thankful for Katy, Anne, Julia and Jess-- four of the women that I get to lead with who love God and love kids.

I'm so thankful for kids like Rebecca who get so hype about taking home a turkey and promise that they'll go home and cook it tonight. I'm thankful for KCraig and Mer-- two people who inspire me to live life with all of the spunk, enthusiasm and heart I can manage.

"What a day to be alive."

In first period I started listing all of the reasons that today was going to be awesome, including the assignment my kids would be writing. When I finished the list one of the boys said, "What a day to be alive," with genuine enthusiasm. It was the greatest thing he has said all semester. His words became the them of the rest of the day. So I give you, all the reasons today was a great day to be alive:

Brooke and Ashlyn hid under my desk first period-- even though the rest of the kids gave them away it was still awesome. What a day to be alive. 

6th period always greets Haleigh with a round of applause when she shows up. Today I caught it on video and she brought me Starbucks. What a day to be alive. 

The other day I was talking to a few kids about how awkward it is when a teacher thinks they know your name but they repeatedly call you the wrong name. I have a funny girl named Mia in 7th period and Evie, another 7th grader, and I have started changing Mia's name to Libby... or Grace... or Libby Grace. It's really whatever your prefer. Mia Libby Grace has taken this change very well. Evie, Haleigh and I all accidentally matched today too. What a day to be alive.

It's Claire's (the one in the purple) birthday and she was smiling even more than normal if that's possible. What a day to be alive. 

FBC was a party today. I brought my Jambox and sang new One Direction and Justin Bieber songs with the 8th graders. Then I sat and braceleted with this crew of 7th grade girls. FBC is just the best. What a day to be alive. 

p.s. I've approved the artwork for the FBC shirts and they're expected to arrive about the second week of December

Chik Fil A had it's Grand Opening by HTC today. We had a whole crew of friends eating dinner together-- a party of waffle fries and chicken nuggets. Megan Cook was there when we walked in, Ciarra was working, Brooke and I spotted each other when she rolled through the drive thru and then she came inside to say hi. What a day to be alive.

Hope, Katy, Kaylee, Audrey, Lulu, Cami, Maddie, Luke, Meric and I all went to the premier of Mockingjay Part 2 together at 7pm. I ran into the Hendricks sisters, Katie, Liz and Laura while we were buying concessions too-- they're rock stars. Most of us read all the books and have been watching these movies together since the release of Hunger Games in 2012. Audrey was in tears when it finished because she's just so sad it's all over. What a day to be alive.

 I get to be a nanny for Fudge and Luke right now which is pretty incredible. Even when Fudge cries because a movie is over and Maddie deliberately laughs at her I still love them both. What a day to be alive. What a day to be alive.

Honorable Mention Blog Title:
"You're eating chicken? Aren't you a vegetarian?"     "...But it's Chik Fil A"

"What a day to be alive."

Top 10 Highs of the Last Few Days:

1. Meeting with J about Summer 2016 and hearing about new ideas and projects
2. Being back on the wagon of making a mass amount of friendship bracelets
3. Starting to read Shonda Rhimes book Year of Yes and absolutely loving it "I dance it out. I wear the white hat. I operate. I gladiate. I exonerate. I spin yarns and tell tall tales and sit around the campfire."
4. Officially knowing that I'll be at CILTs 2016 and that I'll be on the YL Wilderness trip this summer to Colorado
5. Dinner with Rachel B, Sydney G and Jules at Steak n' Shake
6. Crashing Discipleship to see KCraig and friends
7. A letter in the mail from Nikki Lanigan Jones
8. Texting with my friend Alex Pogue
9. Finding out I get to be Fudge and Luke's nanny for the next few days
10. Finishing the end of Friends again and starting to watch The Good Wife

In case you haven't heard...
HSE Young Life Summer 2016

Timber Wolf Lake was my first YL Camp I ever went to with Holland Christian YL in college for Winter Weekends. When I lead with Carmel this is where we went for several Ski Weekends with leaders and committee families. When HSE YL began we took our first WL Camp trip here and then came back for a Fall and a Winter Weekend. Earlier this Fall I did Work Crew here for Family Camp with 6 of my girls. This place feels like coming home.

Clearwater Cove is a brand-new Wyld Life Camp in Missouri-- we're be the first summer of campers that use this facility which is beyond exciting. I'm so excited for our 8th graders to return to camp and for our 7th graders to try it out for the very first time.

It's been my dream to go on Wilderness since I started YL in college. I became a leader for Taylor, Allison, Dom and Susan the year after they returned from this trip. Two years later I started leading Hannah, Emily, Mac and friends after they came back from Colorado. Last year HSE went for the very first time but it wasn't possible for me to go. This is the year. I can't wait to climb a mountain with the girls I've been leading since they were in 7th grade.

Top 10 CILT Jar Things We've Ever Done:

1. Glitter bomb (so great we had to do it twice)
2. Midnight donuts
3. Sleeping out at Ghost Cabin
4. Jock Jams day with Space Jam on repeat
5. Nerd day with matching glasses
6. Counselor Kites during Trading Post
7. Longest Bunk Beds ever
8. Annabelle
9. Madison's Fake Birthday
10. Liz Koch's Birthday Extravaganza

The thing I wish everyone knew about Young Life

Sometimes I fear people's perception of Young Life. I believe in this ministry and community with my whole heart and I want other people to be part of it. Unfortunately, the message that's communicated isn't always an accurate picture of what we're about.

I was talking to a friend the other day that goes to a different school. I asked her if she had ever gone to Young Life there and she told me, "Well, the YL at my school is kind of different. They're really exclusive and they don't want new people to come." It broke my heart. I don't doubt she feels that way, but I know the YL area she's talking about. The kids and leaders there are fantastic people who love God and want more people to be included. Somehow, this girl has gotten the wrong message.

In response to that conversation, I asked some of my Young Life friends to finish the sentence, "The thing I wish everyone know about Young Life is..." I believe their answers are authentic-- this is a real picture of what the kids believe and want their peers to know. I hope these things are what we're always communicating.

"It is my favorite place to be. I love the energy and leaders. Young Life is for everyone. I love being part of it." -Maddie H

"You don't have to have a strong relationship with Jesus to come. Everyone deserves to be a part of the Young Life community, regardless of where you are on your walk with Him." -Olivia K

"We aren't here to change you, we are here to open your eyes." -Rachel B

"It's not just for the 'popular' kids. When I invite people who have never been they are usually reluctant because feel that they are not of that social status and that makes me sad. Young Life is a place for all people-- no matter your friend group, age or anything else." -Hannah S

"It's a place where conversation can be real, which is hard to come by." -Rachel P

"No matter if you are religious or not, Young Life is one of the best times of my life whether I'm at Camp, Club or Campaigners. It's a place where you can be friends with people you may never talk to otherwise. It helps you not only with your relationship with Christ, but also with all the people around you." -Savannah H

"There is absolutely no judging. Anyone and everyone is accepted no matter what differences or mistakes they've made." -David

"A lot of people have the wrong impression that they will be judged if they go to Young Life and that's completely untrue." -Anne

"Everyone is welcome here. It doesn't matter where you're at in your relationship with God, what decisions you're making on the weekends, or who you hang out with. People don't judge you here and it's a safe place to just authentically be yourself without being afraid of what people will think." -Julia D

"Young Life is for everyone." -Haleigh

"You are not alone. Don't be embarrassed to express your faith or feelings. God is the greatest and most important thing to have in your life. He will always be with you no matter what. No one at YL will judge you, just like God. Everyone is family and they love you no matter who you are." -Ben W

"Young Life is all about God and you become closer to Him, but that's not the only thing you grow closer to. You make amazing relationships with so many people. You make friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. I have met so many people that I never would have met otherwise." -Meric

"Everybody is always welcome." -Audrey

"You don't have to go to church or know a lot about God to come. You go to learn about Him. You just come as you are and you are loved." -Julia W

"You are accepted at Young Life no matter who you are or what you believe in." -Julia P

"It's a judge free zone where you can meet a ton of new people and express yourself in different ways while creating a better relationship with God." -Cami

"Everyone is loving, welcoming and willing to listen. It's easy to open up or to just take things in. It can change your life in ways you'd never expect." -Kara S

"Everyone is always invited. It can change your life in the best way." -Genna

"Considering I've only been to Young Life twice, and I don't know very much about it, I do know that it's a great community of people who are amazing. Everyone is going to welcome you and accept you. I guess I want people to know that you shouldn't feel like you aren't going to feel welcomed or that you you wouldn't belong. Everyone is great. I had the wrong idea before I came and it was completely the opposite." -Will

"You can meet new friends and grow closer to God. No one is judged at Young Life." -Silvana

"It inspires people to become better and to make better decisions." -Lucy

"It's such an easy way to start your walk with Christ. Whether you have no clue who Jesus is or you've been a former Christian and have strayed away a little bit, it can lead you down the path you want to go down. It really fuels a passion for Jesus." -Cassidy

"Start training now. Find the heaviest thing you can and strap it to your back and walk around. Get rid of your car and walk everywhere."

I love when Brookie and Maddy make up a handshake on the bus and then perform it in-front of my class

I love taking Rachel, Alyssa, Maddie and Cecilia to Mellow Mushroom aka Tecumseh's Unofficial Pizza Place and singing in the car the whole way

I love mail from Ellyn "Whenever you walk into a room it's like receiving that long straight piece in Tetris. Everyone's just like, 'Aww yeah! Things are about to get good now!' "

I love lunch dates, especially at Chipotle, with my girl Liz Huston

I love getting to be real life friends with Tara and Allie and giggling the whole time

I love the music and sermon's of Northview--even when I watch online because I overslept

I love brunch dates with Emma and Maggie that last forever

I love vibrant bouquets of fresh friendship bracelet string

I love walking around my favorite place in the world

I love that the new duplex will be ready for the LV next summer-- what would you name these cabins?

I love getting to spend time with my parents Beth and Dave-- they're the best

I love that they showed A Letter To Our Campers at the annual dinner and then the speaker was Clare Edlemen, skyping in from Duke

I love reuniting with Ellyn and laughing the whole rest of the day together

I love this painting made by Katie, a Carmel YL girl who went on Wilderness last summer-- oh holy this is the dream

I love weekends