so last weekend we went to leader/committee weekend for young life. it is seriously one of my favorite weekends in the year. we go worship, listen to great speakers, attend seminars, and hang out in community. this past one was my favorite by far. libby and ryder spoke on friday night about her being cancer free. it was so moving. i could feel the Spirit in the room. it was the loudest and longest standing ovation when libby said the words "i am cancer free." she spoke with such wisdom and growth. i am amazed at what the Lord has done in thier life. i also loved this weekend because i got to see some of my favorite people across VA. my summer staff friends. it was so great. saturday morning seminars were the best i have gone to. the first, about campaigners, was so awesome. it gave me such vision for our campaigners and for myself as a leader. the second i went to was conflict management. it was a big one for both josh and i. i loved it bc it wasnt just geared toward couples. it was about everyone. and i needed to hear that stuff. then the girls, our committee women and girl leaders all went to lunch and some of us went shopping. my dear friend sarah, a wyldlife leader at indian river, bought me a kitchen towel from one of my favorite stores [of which i dont own much from] anthropologie. it is seriously the best and matches the kitchen stuff i already have. it has stitched in it "welcome home" and anything that says "home" on it, i have to have. i always tell josh when im leaving his house for the night that i am going to my house now, bc i am only home when i am with him. yes i got this from one of my favorite songs which i will be dancing to at my wedding, "home" by edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros. click here to listen. when i first heard this song, i fell in love with it.
anyways, back to the weekend. that saturday night was absolutely beautiful. the girls always do something called "sheville" every year (we do it every monday night too, but this one is always special bc graduates from chesapeake and the committee join) we talked. and there was not a dry eye. i usually do not cry at these things. it is hard for me to be vulnerable, especially in front of girls for a few reasons. i actually have to fight through this weekend bc being around girls all the time is sometimes hard for me (ironic i know. im a young life leader.) it is very true though. some rough spots in my past have battered me into shying away from girls. from getting too close to them. im afraid my heart will break again to tell you the truth. but this time the Lord really provided. i prayed on the way up that i would be granted patience and boldness. and he gave that to me. one of the speakers friday night told us to take a minute and ask the Lord to give us something this weekend. i said peace. peace to know that i would be alright. that i would make it. that i would be vulnerable. and i was. and so were the other girls. i cannot explain it, you had to be there. if youre a girl, join us next year, bc you wont regret it. spending time with libby this weekend was unbelievable too. she was libby again. hard to explain, bc she never lreally left, but she was happy again. she sat with the girls. she cried during worship. she tought me so much. i asked her how a person like me, not having cancer could learn to love Jesus like she does. she said i dont know, but i know its possible. that wrecked me. thanks for that libby. thanks allison and queeny and becca and shannon and leslie for being guest to chesapeake sheville. and thanks libby for fighting through the tiredness and staying up. and for the committee women for such wisdom and understanding. and of course katie, katie, and sarah. it was an awesome weekend growing for myself.
this week, i have been trying to mull over my thoughts about the weekend and really take this stuff into action. i read this and it was so great to read: "Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17 so let's do this. also, hanging out last night was the best. even if the freshman boys and ryder ransacked everything and stole my miniwheats.

they stole my miniwheats.

paper. work. wedding. cancer free.

paper: hello all- sorry for not posting in a while- I have been working nonstop on this paper and I am so thankful it is done. I hated it. I love history but this class does not intrigue me at all I am so sad to say. the paper topic was not all that bad- but the length was ridiculous. 7 pages. i repeated myself over and over. i really pray i get a good grade. i want straight A's this semester bc i only have 2 classes, it would really upset me if i did not. so i am done with that and have some things to finish in my other class but not too much.

work: work has been weird lately. i admit i do not like it. i love the management however- and i am not typing that just in case my bosses read this... bc i do not think they even know this exists. i really do like them. they are understanding and funny. i have to sell credit cards. and i hate it. yet i try really really hard and no one ever wants one. i'm a pushover i guess. i think it is bc my heart nor my mind or my drive to do it is not in it at all. i don't want a credit card, why would someone else then? its hard. some girls sell them all the time. i do not know their secret... not sure if i even really want to. i dont like feeling like im about to put someone in debt. i know not everyone will end up, but i still cannot help but think it. praying that something opens up soon...

wedding: wedding planning has been great lately. especially with my parents- i mean i know i get impatient with them a lot... too much. but they have been great about everything, despite a mishap a few weeks ago. i have gotten some decor. i have decided on bridesmaid dresses and shoes. we are still working on suits- josh is just too busy, and i hate bugging him. he has so little spare time so hopefully we'll figure that out soon. we have finally settled on a ceremony site- not originally what i wanted but a cute little nook next to the budliegh. a little weary that its right on the street but i dont care. i know it will work out. and it will be beautiful. and outdoors-just like i wanted. surprisingly still not settled on catering- never realized the price. it is insane just to let you know. especially in a destination wedding. decor has been my favorite thing to plan. and let me tell you- its gonna be cute. really cute. my shoes are amazing. i cannot thank my parents enough. rehearsal dinner is being planned as well, so grateful to my future mother-in-law (i say mother-in-law but really, she'll just be a second mom to me) and her planning from across the world-literally. bridesmaid abodes for two days is settled and its gonna be so much fun. i am also planning a little something up my sleeve for the bridesmaids the day before- itll be so great. wow- i cannot believe i am still going on about this. i think i am bc i am going through my list of to-dos and done. so sorry, this is boring... but no one ever tells you how much it is to plan a wedding. i am not talking about cost- although i am shocked about that as well. it is so detailed- especially if you are a keen on details type of girl like me. there is so much. SO MUCH. it sometimes makes me wanna scream as y head explodes. ill never be able to write it all down. and that bugs me.
my friend asked me yesterday if it has hit me. the whole youre getting married. i have not really thought about it- i mean whether or not it has hit me. i think it has. yet again it hasnt... i am not sure when it will fully. probably as i am actually getting married... i cannot tell you how excited i am though. Mrs. Henderson. that is me... soon.

cancer free: Libby is cancer free. that is so awesome and i am so excited for the Ryders and YL Chesapeake and so grateful for her life and that God has given her a chance to live. I took her to her petscan wednesday morning- she told me what it was like, and i wanted to get sick. i hate doctor stuff. i do not know how she did it the past six months. its amazing how God has brought her through. we talked about the the beginning. how she wasnt there at leadership and the night before she went to the doctors josh and i babysat while they went to the john mayor (sp check?- also libby said the concert sucked.) and how the tuesday after they had gone to the doctors and everything started that i came over last minute to babysit. and that is when they told me. i cried a lot. then they came home and libby talked about how excited she is to move to the river house and how she was gonna fight it. and she did. you did libby. and im so excited for you.

well- i am off to commitee/leader weekend soon! can not wait!!

paper. work. wedding. cancer free.

i love her.

today is not about me. i just wanted to put up a link to a blog that means so much to me and 1000s of others. the Ryder's testimony is so encouraging. Libby has gone through chemo and ended it today. today is about Jesus and what he has done for the ryder's family... it's big.

http://libbyryder.blogspot.com/

thanks Libby for being my friend, my mentor, my encouragement, and my pusher even through these tough times. YOU ARE SO BRAVE.

i love her.

chicken parmesan

today has been somewhat of a lazy day... i think it's is because i have been working on getting all of my addresses into one spreadsheet. blahh... but yesterday was so great. i got up and did a lot of errands and getting tasks done. i cleaned my room... like really cleaned it. i love it when my room is clean and my sheets are freshly washed. it is one of the most accomplishing feelings for me. so i worked on that almost all day and doing laundry and filling out more save the dates.... now i am just waiting on the moms to finish getting me the addresses so i can be done with those!

last night was young life club. i lead young life at grassfield high school. i love young life- it is one of the best outreach ministries i have heard of. and i am happy to serve as a leader. club went really well. numbers were low (we had 75 and usually we will have 125-175) but i try and stay away from the number game with club. i know that God is bigger than numbers. i look at the fruit of club. i met seven new girls, which compared to last semester is awesome. i looked around and saw some of my favorite girls loving on other high schoolers so well. i was so blesses in those moments. i did the skit too. which is a big deal bc i wouldnt consider myself funny by any means but danielle and i did a skit and regardless if anyone thought it was hilarious- i think it was good for club girls. katie said to me after it was funny and refreshing to see something different. i will probably not do skits often, but it is cool to see girls do it. so i hope that making a complete fool of myself brings glory to Christ and shows girls that it's okay to be goofy bc i am my beloved and my beloved is mine. hanging out after club at wendys was so good too. i have been really pushing myself to talk to new girls- or even old girls that i do not normally hang out with. it was really good and i just felt the Lord all around, and i have not felt that in a club in a long time. having daily quiet times and praying for club really helps. i know that. next week i have the club talk, so i am praying the Lord shows me what to speak. he always does of course. i ask that you would pray also.
also, the lord has really set it on my heart to pray for hickory high school. i am asking the lord for wisdom, organization, and boldness for my leader friends. i am also asking that the campaigners would have a fire set before them for passion of you and that they would realize the place they are at and to learn to be bold. i am also asking for excitement  at club.
i was reading proverbs 14 today which is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. i am asking the Lord for wisdom. i want to be wise and i will strive for it. i want to make decisions and conduct myself in a fashion with his wisdom. folly is my enemy and i do not want to waste my time, so i will seek for wisdom and to be able to speak with wisdom. that is one of my biggest prayers right now.

i was pretty stressed the past week. josh is so sweet though. i went over for dinner on saturday night- it was going to be a pretty relaxed date night i though just heat a pizza or something. but he went to the grocery store earlier and got all the ingredients to make me a dinner- all on his own. chicken parmesan. it was delicious. he set the table lit candles and we put on some oldies like my girl and unchained melody. it was adorable. then we watched a movie- you me and dupree. which is funy bc now i know why mez keeps asking for a lightning bolt best man patch. oh mezz.

chicken parmesan