spring fling.

i stepped out of my comfort zone a couple weeks ago and it was one of my better decisions. we had a spring fling and it was girls ask guys. going in general was already a big deal for me and way outside the box. i dont normally go to stuff like that...never went to homecoming or prom in high school. i wasnt interested then...it just screams awkward. didnt go to christmas formal this year...wasnt going to spring fling. however i changed my mind. SO glad i did. where i really stepped out of my box was how i asked my date....cant even think about without laughing. we all call him bump so to ask him i left this little surprise on his front porch....

hahahhahahah. still funny. luckily he thought it was funny too and said yes so to spring fling we went.
i had SO much fun! that night us girls all got ready together then the boys came over and instead of all of us trying to go out to dinner we just ordered pizza and had dinner in. of course we also tooks tons of pictures....and hula hooped. to loosen up.
then we all headed to the barn for sprang flang.
my date (who was dressed in head to toe sear sucker of all different colors...yep...loved it) & i mastered swing dancing, the wobble, salsa dancing, the triple twirl and some other moves we decided didnt need names. while dancing he twirled me then later we got a double twirl down and decided before the night ended we would get a triple twirl. we were the last of our group to leave and i still wasnt ready to go so my date said he would triple twirl me and literally twirled me out the door. we got it and i was happy...so it worked.

 mega babes

 favorite picture of the night...maybe ever

 i think maybe i was thinking "oh my gosh no please dont dance like that"

 strugs

what.a.night.

now im off to spend a week at windy gap. ahhhhhh

with you i am well pleased.

i am reminded over and over that Christ is pleased with me. i dont have to work to earn his favor or impress him to earn his love. simply by loving him and following him, he is pleased with me. but i forget this a lot and i tell myself i am not following hard enough after him. or i am not fully living my life as a picture of Christ. or my ministry isnt fruitful enough. lots of lies like that. but it is a really sweet thing when i am completely overcome with the promise that he IS pleased with me. not just pleased....well pleased. what a beautiful truth that i am so thankful i get to rest in.

last friday was end of the year leadership for young life. and that night i was completely consumed by Jesus and my heart was assured that he is so pleased with me. and not just me but also every single one of the two hundred something young life leaders in knoxville that i was sitting with. and the young life staff. and the young life committee who so graciously serve us at leadership. we were on the most beautiful property on the lake, with the most beautiful weather and surrounded by all of our greatest friends and people we get to do ministry with. i couldnt ask for a better night. after dinner, hanging out & team pictures we all gathered for worship and it was one of the most beautiful times of worship i have ever been a part of. ryan led music and had written a song for us about how dirty our hands are but we are made clean and brought to the place to sing this song to Jesus. hello. it was incredible. we sang some other sweet songs and then tim talked for awhile and his words were so good for my heart. after we got up and spread out across the pavillion around some posters that were hanging. each school in the area had a poster with praises and prayers for the school and its ministry + the names of every kid going to summer camp. so we got some time to just sit at a schools poster and rejoice and reflect and thank the lord for what he has done, is doing & will do at each school. it was a beautiful beautiful thing. 

sitting in that pavillion that night surrounded by so many followers of Jesus who also have a heart for lost high school kids was such a treat. sitting there listening i was completely filled by the sweet truth that Jesus is WELL pleased with each of us. and when ministry is hard and i am discouraged and i dont want to go to lunch at the high school i can rest in knowing Jesus has chosen ME to be his hands and feet and i have answered and he has sent me and he is pleased with me. not because i have done something great. if i wasnt doing ministry i fully believe he would still be just as pleased with me. the ministry of young life is just the way he so graciously chose to use me. and he is pleased with me for it. but i mostly think he is pleased with me because i am a child of god. i am his daughter.

"you are my beloved daughter; with you I am well pleased." [mark 1:11]

the night was filled with a whole lot of Jesus. also a whole lot of young life leaders, laughter, barbeque, pictures, frisbee, and good times. im thankful for the time i got to spend with friends and especially my team there. especially because some leaders from my team are leaving so it was good to be all together one last time. ahhh so good.

my YL team. gosh i have so much love for them my heart could seriously explode

 new hardin valley leaders!

 this girl is a deep well of wisdom & beauty & i am so thankful for her sweet friendship

the lord showed himself SO faithful the night before leadership for our end of the year young life cookout at hardin valley. club is over for the year & we always have a cookout for our high school friends to wrap up the year. it had been raining hard all day but we were determined not to cancel. i think our entire team spent the afternoon in prayer and the lord is good because he cleared the skies just a couple hours before the cookout. i am so glad. we had so many kids show up and we had a great night just hanging out, having dinner and spending quality time with our friends. i am so so thankful we got to end our year there that way! cant freaking wait for club to start back in the fall!

my sweet YL girls!

thankful. thankful. thankful.