Haley Booe!

Cry and I have a best friend named Haley Booe.  She is amazing!  For the last year she has been out of the country serving the Lord through Manna Project in Ecuador.  Booe came to Baltimore last week and visited for a few days.  It was such a treat.  Booe is a woman after God's own heart.  She has never cared too much for worldly possessions or money, but rather she is always eager to serve the Lord.  She really goes the distance to serve the Lord and experience Him deeper.  It was so fun getting to spend a few days with Booe and really just live life together.  I would love to one day live next store to Booe and Cry.  Oh and Booe is getting married soon!  Yay!

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You, too? Thought I was the only one." - CS Lewis, The Four Loves

Simple Things

Just in case you don't know.... this is Leanne.

She LOVES LOVES LOVES frozen pizza.

I know odd thing to love right?

But she does, whole heartedly.  

We got the great privilege of spending the weekend together.  And what does she suggest for our big time Saturday night?  Frozen pizza and a movie!  LOVE IT!!  Leanne is a person that finds absolute joy in the simple things.  I love that about her.  She reminds me of the joy God is laying out for us each day. We just need to notice it.  God is always doing stuff and working but are our eyes tuned to see it.  She is tuning her eyes each day to find pure joy in Christ, through the simple and big things.  Even the simple things like frozen pizza.  

You should really get to know Leanne.  Your life would be more fun I am sure.  She is a blast and my best friend that I do not know what I would do without.  She asks me hard questions and doesn't let me get away with the surfacey answers.  She cares, deeply!  

How many things are we missing that could change our spirit or heart that day?  God wants us to thrive and see him everywhere, because He is everywhere.  What are the simple things in your life that you find joy in, or maybe the places you could find joy in.

Love you leanner!

Love

Love

It is so simple, but yet how many of us love

others

all the time?

That is what we are called to do, so why don't we love?

Why do we let so many other things get in the way?

Jesus loved and we are called to love.

Happy 1 year YL Anniversary!

Today marks my one year anniversary of being on Young Life staff.  Like Cry, we both have the blessing of being a part of the amazing work that God is doing in the hearts of high school students.  This morning I spent time journaling about all I have had the privilege of experiencing.  I wrote down my praises for the year.  I still can't believe all that was on the list.  In a year, the Lord can do amazing things.  In honor of my celebratory day I wore a skirt and bought myself flowers (Gerber daises...of course)!

Laughter and Freedom

I have the amazing privilege of working for an organization called Young Life.  I love working for Young LIfe because they not only bring in Jesus and life but also so much laughter.  I do not feel like you can get to Jesus without laughter.  (you can, but it makes it more fun)  I love how kids come to camp and they get to laugh and hear about Jesus and for many experience freedom for the first time.  

I went to campaigner camp last week, which is a camp for our kids that already know Jesus.  And what fun that was.  I was with kids that get it- crazy.  Kids that are walking with Christ in high school, still trying to figure out much of it but really running after the Lord.  It was a blessing for my heart to be around these kids that are goofy and laugh a lot and experience freedom in Christ daily.  I think we all need to step back into the fun shoes of high school students are realize that we don't need to take ourselves too seriously, life is full of funny moments, lets laugh and be goofy.  We talked a lot this weekend about the false selves we tend to create, the St. (Crysties or whatever your name is) if you will.  THere is a website called I am second, where some people talk about their lives and how they are second and Christ is first.  There was one video we watched where a pastor told his story and talked about how he created a false persona for other people to think he was perfect.  We need to be set free from that and realize God loves us as WE are.  THe goofy, laughter filled people that we are.  

Here are two pics (i know I am cheating) of sweet laughter from the weekend.  

Memories and Friendships

Sunday, I had the great opportunity to spend the day helping my mom pack boxes at her house.  We really spent the day sorting through old photo albums and memory boxes.  At times it made me a little sad.  On Sept. 20 I am saying goodbye to a house that I have grown up in.  There are thousands of good memories in that house.  But, it is time to move on from all that and for my mother to finally turn over a new leaf.  I am excited to see where God takes my mom on this journey.  Goodbye 2321 Mt. Hebron Dr.....

Today (monday) I got lunch with one of my favorite people in the world (Jaq).  The Lord brought her into my life when I was a senior in high school and she was a freshman.  And to be honest we have always had this real and fun friendship.  She has been such a blessing in my life.  I love friendships.  My roommate sara and I went hiking in the woods today (next time I am taking my camera), what an adventure.  She has been another example of a deep and real friend.  The Lord provides for us in so many ways....

Beamers, Weddings, Sunshine

I have a lot of catching up to do!  On friday I flew to Columbus for a few days for the one and only Geoff Triechler's wedding.  It is true Geoff had finally tied the knot.  The trip was eventful to say the least.  My roommate sarah and I (pictured) were on the same flight.  We were lucky enough to be on the flight with the ccri (community college of rhode island) volleyball team, you would have thought they were none other then brad and angelina by their star treatment.  I arrived in columbus to discover that my car for the weekend would be none other then a beamer convertible (then to me by our dear family friends).  So to say the least I had fun cruising around Columbus. 

 I planned for the wedding to be the pinnacle of my visit there.  But, I greatly enjoyed the conversations I had with old friends.  It reminded me of the utter importance and impact Christ can have in your life.  Without Him, what are you really living for?  I had the best date of my entire life saturday night, the sun was setting and I sat leaning against the window of my airplane enjoying God.  Thanks for romancing me.