my girls and our words

For the past school year, I hosted some of the high school girls from the youth group in our home on Monday nights.

and i miss them.

we stopped meeting for the summer because- do you remember summer when you were in high school?

Monday nights were probably spent at camp, getting ice cream, swimming, at a friends house, on vacation or a million different things!

so, we're taking a break and will hopefully resume when school picks back up.

I absolutely LOVED getting to know the girls and being with them every week.

the first time that we met, i said "ok, we can meet once a month or twice a month...."

they quickly responded that they wanted to meet weekly!

i'll admit, i was quite overwhelmed at that thought.

that's quite a commitment and a good bit of prep work every week.

but, what a blessing it was!

they encouraged me 

made me laugh

definitely made me cry

lightened my load

gave me perspective

and shared their hearts

and of course, became Judson's 1st crush

i was always encouraged by their commitment to the group

not only did they like being with one another, they were so eager to learn how to be women living for God.

one of the lessons/discussions resonated with me so much. (even though it was intended for the girls...funny how that works, huh?

we talked about encouraging one another with our words and building each other up. 

it is so easy to talk about other people.

a.k.a. gossip

imagine yourself in conversation with someone and the conversation isn't flowing, there's some silence.

your worst fear. awkward situation. 

the easiest thing to do is say, "do you know so-and-so?" or "have you heard what whats-his-name-did?" or "what's going on with thing-a-ma-bob?"

common ground.

you have something to talk about now!

but, is it encouraging? is it beneficial? is it kind, good, truth?

what's the point?

to make you feel comfortable and decrease the awkward.

so, i gave them an idea. and it has worked for me.

ask about the person you are talking to!

everyone likes to talk about themselves or their family, activities, etc.

if a conversation isn't happening or you feel insecure, talk about the person you are talking to!

ask about their school, job, kids, parents, house, hobbies, whatever!!!

and hopefully the conversation will lead to something that is good and fruitful and not detrimental to someone else (someone who isn't even there to defend themselves!)

you follow?

i know this isn't that profound or earth-shattering, but it is a little tool that has helped me quit gossiping or getting into a situation that can hurt others.

you also realize really quickly how shallow your conversations are when all you do is talk about other people.

there is so much more to say and so much more to learn about others when you just ask!

everyone leaves the conversation feeling better and hopefully encouraged.

I told the girls from the beginning that I was not an expert on anything we would talk about, but that I could share with them what I've learned in life and lead them through Gods word so that they can be women/girls of God and of truth.

each time I gave them a little tip or advice or lesson, i'd tell them to put that tool in their toolbox.

even though it might not be applicable to them right now, it might be the exact tool they needed down the road.

I also saw their relationships grow with one another 

it is so good to see people be good to each other.

especially high school girls. amen?

i sure love these girls and am truly grateful that God placed this opportunity in front of me!
there's no doubt that I received blessing after blessing because of them.