they stole my miniwheats.

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.