This. right. HERE! is. my. SWAG!

Oh Brenna, the two of us make a crazy pair :) I love it!

Oh, how wonderful the past two days have been! Truly, truly! Quick recap of friday morning/afternoon:

• Woke up and packed.
• Got/loaded the car.
• Picked up my paycheck and took it to the bank.
• Led my second Bible study! It was on Rebekah :)
• Drove HOME!

Then, this Friday-Saturday evening (Saturday being today) was a Girls' Retreat for the youth group, and it was absolutely amazing! I am so glad that I decide to come home, because it was more than worth it! I love seeing my loves grow closer to each other, but more importantly seeing them grow closer to and further depend on God. I witnessed their vulnerability and they're eyes being opened to Truth that many of them really needed to hear. I watched one of my dear loves say in front of everyone, "I am beautiful," and when she said that I knew that she really meant it! Seeing that and hearing those words literally made me cry, because that was something her friends had been trying to get her to believe and verbalize all day.

I saw boldness, and I saw the combatting of fear, anxieties, and lies that are ever-present in their lives. I saw girls bursting from their shells and being more themselves than I normally ever get to see. As a group of 60+ girls, there was an understood freedom of being able to let loose! Whether it was doing zumba, playing dance central, defining our "swag" in the hallway, having our traditional dance party, or just goofing off during free time... I witnessed joy    carefree and pure :)

Kaitlyn, this is your shout-out! I am so proud of you, and I am so happy that you were on the retreat this weekend!

I love you so much, darling! To infinity and beyond ;)

A few more pictures!

 Lisa! She is one of the sweetest girls, ever!

 We like to believe that we have swag. (Myself, Juliana, Marin, and Alex)

Juliana and I in da hoooood! Haha! And Kaitlyn seized the photo-bombing opportunity :)

My heart continues to grow for these girls, always. They have touched me in ways that none of them may ever truly fathom, and they continue to bring joy into my life :) God has blessed me    not just with getting to know these girls, but also in being able to witness His work being done in/through them. I love my little sisters in Christ, each and every one of them, with every single fiber of my being! They are beautiful. They are incredible. They are a beacon of His light, and I see them shining brightly :)

Goodnight loves! Sleep well :)