New Year, Bigger Impacts

"Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one."

~ Brad Paisley

Happy New Year everyone! I feel as if I blinked and 2018 is gone! It's crazy how a year full of ups, downs, and roller coaster rides can come and go so quickly. I could share so many stories from 2018, because it was definitely a year for the books, but instead of focusing on the past, I want to look forward to the future and what 2019 has in store. The first thing I'm doing this year is a game night at the church with some students, one of which invited me to come along and join in the fun! 

A week from tomorrow youth group starts up again and I'm excited to jump back in and kick winter semester off. What I've learned leading youth is that you not only teach and equip your connect group to go out and share the word with others, but they've taught me some things about myself along the way as well. Patience for me is something that does not come easy, and these ladies have taught me that some nights, you just have to let them talk, and get things off their chest because middle school is hard sometimes! With patience comes trust, friendships and the opportunity to mentor and make a bigger impact in their lives outside of Wednesday nights. One girl in my group has already become a close friend of mine and has "volun-told" me that I will be her camp counselor this summer even if she has to beg the youth pastors LOL! To go along with that, she has also said that I will be going on all the other trips this semester...I wonder if she'll be requesting my time off for all of this!?

It's those impacts on Wednesday nights that turn into so much more that just me being their leader. I consider my girls friends, and they know that I'm always a text, phone call, or ice cream stop away if needed. That being said, I really want to make being a impact a challenge for my girls this semester. Whether that be praying for someone who may not know Jesus, sitting next to someone new at lunch, or sharing their testimonies with friends or even the youth group would be awesome. It's always the little gestures that make a huge impact on someone's life, and I know that they can do it!

As for me personally, I want to take what I've learned Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights to impact those I see on a daily basis. I've made it a goal this year to get involved in Chamber events to not only put myself out there, but to learn from others not only improve myself at work, but in my personal life. I hope that getting involved more in Connect 2140 and WILL (Women in Leadership and Learning) events will help me make those impacts with others as I have with  my youth girls. I just have to trust that when God opens that door, He'll give me the courage to walk through it and make that connection.

Every day is your mission field to touch someone's life and make a difference and I hope to continue to do so in 2019. May you all have the courage to get out their and make your own impacts! Have a blessed New year!