S-L-U-M-B-E-R P-A-R-T-Y!!!!

Sooo, a few weeks back Lydia and I planned a slumber party with our Sunday School class. We have roughly about 15 girls, and I was very excited when 7 of them showed up. One thing our youth group lacks is unity. .. and a lot of it has to do with catty girls, feelings hurt, exclusivity, etc. I was really praying that this night would bring about some unity. God was so faithful. It did.

After eating spaghetti and playing Kinect for a little bit I had the girls gather around the dining room table. We talked about the early church and how one of the reasons the early church met was to encourage one another. . . they were spreading the Gospel and were getting so "beat up", they would all meet together to encourage and build one another up. I asked them, "Do you feel more encouraged/built up by your brothers and sisters in Christ or by the world?" Their answer? The world. Then we talked about the "whys" of this. Funny thing is, sometimes its the same way with us adults, huh? This is a conversation Jon and I have had often. I went on to tell them it all goes back to love. We often think our "love" for one another is messed up. However, when we are loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. . . then everything flows naturally from that, then we shouldn't have a problem loving/praying for our enemy, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, building up the body, humbling ourselves when we've wronged someone, etc. EVERYTHING we do should stem from our love for God.

Silliness at its finest.
The girls really opened up their hearts and there were tears. . . It was a very sweet time in the Lord. So, you see all that colored paper? Everyone had a piece with their name on it. We passed it around the table and each girl had to write something encouraging on it. I told the girls to please stay away from shallow things like, "Kat, I like your hair straight." To be real, sincere, and encourage one another with things that really matter.
I had Casting Crowns newest CD playing in the background.
LOVE these girls to pieces! Missing Jaimie though.
Lydia tried to hide. She and I were both so.very.tired.
We then all went to the family room and watched, "The Princess Bride". At midnight, however, I told everyone good night, and I headed up to bed. I didn't mind being the first one asleep. Ha!Ha!

I'm so thankful the Lord has given me the opportunity to invest in these girls. My prayer is that their hearts beat for Him and their driving purpose in life will be to know Him and to make Him known!

Frustrating Thursday

The Lord was so very good to me at the beginning of the week. Well, He's been so good to me today. . . everyday. . . but at the beginning of the week I'd gotten some very sweet words of encouragement from friends and Jon, nothing particular or spectacular. . . just a sweet text or a sweet facebook message, or a sweet word at church. I thanked the Lord for sending me that encouragement, and I knew full well I needed to hold onto it.

It's been a rough few weeks. My sister and I really aren't speaking. No need to hash out the details. We each have our perspectives and our "sides" of the story, and each of our perspectives is our very own reality. So, of course, that has been a small dagger in my heart. Forgiveness has abounded, so we'll see how the hurts and wrongs pan out. I actually send her a FB message yesterday, she replied back today, to which I replied. Hopefully as is over and things will resume to normal soon. We'll see.

Then, Alec and Ashley have been fighting like CRAZY!!! I've been so patient, encouraging them each with the Word, listening to each one's struggles with the other. Yet, today I blew my gasket and it went off loudly. I don't think I've blown up like I did today in about two years. Let's just say we all were in tears. Terrible, terrible day. But, I've had it and I'm fed up!!! They now know it. And, of course the terrible mother guilt you feel afterwards is almost unbearable!!!

I also meet with my other "girls" on Thursdays. . . girls in my Sunday School class. I was just so frustrated. . . none of them had done their homework. Soooooo, we had nothing to discuss. One of them is pretty faithful to the Word. One is so-so, and I don't think the other one has even answered one question in her book. It is just such a challenge to get these girls in the Word and the Word in them. They are all very excited at the beginning, but then allow so many other things to steal them away. I had to be pretty tough with them, which I DON'T LIKE AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even feared sharing truth in love with them, because that is how the fallout with Melissa happened (well, from my side of the story anyway). But, I knew I had to!!!! I basically told them if we were meeting just to meet and hang out and we aren't trying to grow and become more Christlike then we were wasting everyone's time. I even asked them if they thought it was time to stop meeting. I have a precious girl who has asked me to disciple her. You have to WANT Him!!!! I can't make anyone DESIRE the Lord!!!! Of course, they want to continue meeting and we all brainstormed and offered suggestions as to be better time managers, etc. We'll see how next week goes. Question and please, please answer if you have the slightest inkling of an answer. At what point do you just stop? If the girls aren't in the word, aren't praying, and just want to come and hang out. . . at what point do you say it's time that this ends????? Lydia, a young woman I am discipling told me that her youth pastor (who discipled her) told them they had to take a test every week and if you made below an 80 you could no longer come. He wanted to invest his life in the ones that desired Christ and not just a time of chatting about their problems. Can you sense my frustrations? There is a discipleship conference coming up at our church, and I'm excited to learn more.

However, I'm about to head out and meet some friends for dinner. I can't wait for "girl time". It is so good for the soul. One is my friend, Lisa. . . one of my oldest and dearest friends. It's been so very long for us to hang out and laugh together. . . so I'm off.. . .hoping my frustrations turn into belly-rolling, make your stomach hurt laughter.

D-Now "Set Apart"

D-Now. . . I remember these days in my youth group. My youth group held some of my very favorite memories as a teenager. Since I've been working with the youth, when this weekend came up, I figured since the Lord blessed us with plenty of room, we should be a host home for the weekend. These girls blessed our hearts and our homes so.very.much. My girls, of course, had a BLAST! The older girls were so very sweet to them.

Love this crazy thing!

She was so very sweet. Crista had to be up at 5:00 a.m. to leave and go take the SAT, so Jessica got up with her and helped me cook her a good, hearty breakfast. Afterwards, Jessica and I sat down and had a sweet talk about her mother (she just died from breast cancer). It was a sweet talk and sweet tears. . . . one that will be etched in my memory.

Jessica and Hanna were cuddle bugs on the couch. They cuddled up and watched Andy Griffith until everyone else in the house woke up.

Not only is she sweet, but she's also a little sassy . . .

This sweet girl just fit right in. She isn't apart of our youth group, but you'd never know by the way she just eased right into the group. Her spirit is precious.

Now, this girl is no stranger to our family. She's actually one of my girls. My girls A-D-O-R-E her!!!!!!!

Each group had service projects. Our project was to fix and serve lunch to those working at different houses. Here's the guys that were helping us. . .

I really enjoyed getting to know Irish. I have Ingrid in my Sunday School class. When this first came around I told Todd I wanted my 9th and 10th graders. However, he put the 7th-8th and 11th-12th girls at my house. I'm really glad he did what he did. It allowed me to form and build some new relationships.

Ash was so sweet. The morning we were leaving to serve, I told her I didn't think we had enough room in the van. She didn't pitch a fit. Her little eyes just welled up with tears, tears that she was fighting back to hold in. Broke.my.heart. We MADE room!!!!!!! I just couldn't leave my heart back home :)

Ingrid DID NOT want me taking her picture!!!!!!!!

Love that Emily. She's my soccer girl and has such a sweet and fun spirit. She was so sweet Sunday morning on the way to church. . . "Ms. Michele, in case I forget to tell you, thank you so much."

Jaimie and Jessica

Here are my other 2 girls. Just love them to pieces!!!!!!!!!

Hannah and Katherine

Sweet Caitlyn

This girl in the middle. . . she taught me something this weekend . . . she looked at Ash and said, "She has grocery store feet." W-H-A-T????? Apparently it is really dirty feet. I think I'm going to start saying it all the time now :)

Back home, I camped out on the couch while the girls played Kinect. I enjoyed laughing at them. Y'all I was so sleepy!!!!!!!!!!

The soccer girls

Crazy Crista! Just love this girl. So glad I got to know her this weekend. CRACKS ME UP!!!!

Sweet Somara. . . she'd hardly talk at all. . . From what I heard she's a hoot, but she would hardly talk to me . . . she'd only smile one of the prettiest smiles I've ever seen.

Sunday morning getting ready to leave and take the girls back to church. My body is tired. My heart is full. My spirit is joyful.

Taking these pictures made us late! Oops! Jenn. S (Todd's wife) called me on our way to church to see where we were. . .

One thing that just warmed my heart so much was during the service. I sat with my family and during the meet and greet, the girls that stayed in our home came up to me with a "Set Apart" T-shirt and told me I needed to put it on and sit with them. Just filled my heart to the brim! My prayer is these girls will love and serve our Lord and others to their fullest and best all the days of their lives!

Breakfast before SAT - 5:00 a.m. Ash is so much like her mama. Doesn't miss a party, even if its a bad one or one at 5:00 a.m.

Cuddle bugs

Always time for silliness. . .

Surrounded by JOY

JOY . . . I just love the meaning Jesus, Others, You

Sunday, my sweet friend and partner in ministry to young girls. . . were surrounded by just THAT. . .

JOY!!!!

She and I have just such a heart for our 9th and 10th grade Sunday School class. We meet so very frequently to discuss their hurts, their needs, how we can more effectively minister to them.

And. . . I'm so blessed to have her as both my ministry partner and my friend.

After church we all piled into Kim's car, my car, and, thankfully, Jon's truck. When we decided to have a Christmas party for our girls I was so very excited. I just love to entertain. However, Sunday morning as I was mopping my floors I thought, "LORD, what if no one shows up?"

The LORD did not disappoint. We had 12 girls!!!! Thankfully that was exact number of Christmas presents we had.

These 2 girls here are no strangers to my family. My girls feel like these 2 are their big sisters.

After lunch we all started playing the White Elephant game with Christmas ornaments.

I just love a good White Elephant Game so I kept telling the girls, "This is the only time when it is okay or fun to steal. This is the only time you will hear Ms. Michele say "steal", so go for it and no one get their feelings hurt."

My girl, Jaimie, didn't disappoint me. She was the first one to steal. Others soon followed her leading. .

These 2 will be moving up next year. . . but they decided they will come back and crash our Christmas party next year. . . I'm so thankful!

Again, you see who my girls are always hanging on. . .

Next, it was time for their Christmas presents from Kim and I. Back in August our church had a wonderful day for ladies called "A Day Away". To say it was wonderful is an understatement. We received these really nice prayer journals. . . so Kim and I decided this would be a great gift to our girls.

Y'all I'm telling you I'm just so thankful for Kim. She really took this bull by its horns and made the books. . . which was a really good thing because last week 2 of my kids has Strep.

Also, for a little fun we gave them some toe socks too!

Group picture time!!! I told the girls that when they were grown and had families of their own they could look at these ornaments they received and think of Ms. Kim and I. . . those Sunday School teachers they had as teenagers who were ALWAYS telling them, "Girls, it always goes back to The Word."

Now for a silly pose!!!

We were missing a few of our girls and I was so very sorry they weren't here with us!! Oh well, just a good excuse for another get-together.

226. For Jaimie.

227. For Jaleisia.

228. For Kaitlyn.

229. For Katelyn.

230. For Shelby.

231. For Makayla.

232. For Jordan.

233. For Hannah H.

234. For Ingrid.

235. For Ashley.

236. For Hanna.
237. For Kim.

238. For Emily.

239. For Katy.

240. For Haley.

241. For Ann Marie.
242. For Becca.

243. For Rachel.

244. For a husband and a son who give up their home for a Sunday.
245. For a home to have people come and fellowship in.