Palmetto Girls State.
One pretty freakin' awesome/ but unusual experience of a lifetime.
If you are not familiar with what in the world it is. PGS is a week long program
sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary for rising senior girls from all over
the state of SC. We learn about the government, leadership, politics, and about
today's world in general. We form our own government, elect officers, eat, sleep
(very still), compete, sing, cheer, and go cray cray. We form political parties,
make posters (my faaaaav), create a House& Senate (similar idea as with Youth in
Government "YIG"- if you know what that is) We wear a tshirt with a skirt ALL
WEEK LONG, we dress up, post lots of pics, and finally meet up with the boys
version of this program in Columbia to trade shirts and inaugurate our officers
(Governor, treasurer, etc.) and EAT CHICK FILA #turnup!!!
So yeah, A lot of sweet memories, but more importantly I learned a lot.
Sure I learned about government, leadership, and the US of A...
But more importantly I learned a lot about my purpose in life.
I learned that a lot of things that life IS, but also things that life is NOT.
1) Life is NOT about the jack rogers on your feet... It's about where those feet
lead you or even where God directs those feet on his path for you.
2) Life is not about you show off Lilly Pulitzer dress you wear, or the cute J
Crew skirt...It's about how you outwardly portray yourself, your personality, how we show
ourselves to others, showing our true colors.. Just being real.
And
3) That our purpose in life is not to rack up achievements and advance ourselves
forward. Life is about doing everything we can to bring others up with us.
Achievement by definition (straight from dictionary.com) means:
1. something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great
courage
This "something" I learned is not getting all A's, being student body president,
winning a game, or an election...
This something is how well we can use your God given talents to have an positive
and powerful impact on another person's life.
One speaker, don't remember who exactly said something along the lines of
"People will not remember what you achieved or what you said but how you made
them feel."
Thinking back, this is really a WOW.
So true... so awesome.
One of my very fav people, Kid President (search him on youtube- he rocks) said
"The world would be so much more awesome if everyone's goal was to make
someone's else life awesome"
Wouldn't it be so cool if we could do this??? The world would be SO AWESOME.
Making someone else's life awesome does take superior ability, special effort,
AND great courage.
It takes the effort the ability and courage to be real with people, open up, let
them see the real you. We have to put yourself out there I know this, we have to
take a chance and believe in people. Life is one big adventure, and true success
or achievement in life is reaching our and connecting with beautiful people then
rising up together to live out the life that Chris laid down for us on the
cross.
Now, this all cannot happen if we don't love ourselves first. Love comes within,
and I have learned we HAVE to love ourselves in order to have love to give to
others. We must have faith in ourselves, and the confidence and strength to love
on others. LOVE is so important: for ourselves and for others.
This week I had the opportunity to do this with 600 girls from across he state
of South Carolina, like woah.
Especially the 28 girls in the city of SPEARMAN #fearthespear #SPEARcity
28 girls from every corner of SC... At Presbyterian College ... All With
different stories, completely different lives: viewpoints, opinions, stories....
28 of the most awesome/crazy/weird/unlikely girls to connect and mesh together,
but we did. We may not have won much... Or anything at all. We may have only
slept 3 hours a night and we may or may not have had a TWERK session, a yelling
session, or even just a cry session. But I love these girls with all of my
heart, and am beyond happy they were all put in my life.
Every moment was beautiful. And each of these new connections and friendships
are successes in my book. I wouldn't have traded a second for the world.
And 1,000 boys from all over the state got the same chance and experience at the
same time @ Anderson University. Wahoo.
This is where I will preach again, sorry bout it. I firmly and whole heartedly
believe that we were put in this world for a reason, and everything happens for
a reason as a part of God's great plans he lays for ALL of us, EVERY SINGLE
PERSON.
He put the 28 girls of Spearman city and the 600 girls at Palmetto Girls State
together from June 8- June 14, 2014 for a reason.
We are able to lean on each other, share with each other, laugh with each other,
cry with each other, and learn how while we are all so different... We are also
sooooo the same, beautiful girls made in God's image.
Usually during a school election, if someone where to stutter, or share they
were nervous, say something awkward, or even shed a tear they would be ridiculed
and make fun of. At girls state, the crowd cheered and encouraged each and every
girl on. Girls that would not have usually won elections at their school
(because sometimes those are just popularity contests) got their moment to shine
here, an wowed everyone with beautiful speeches and words from their hearts.
This not only makes me kind of tear up with tears of joy, but also gives me hope
in my generation. We are freakin awesome with awesome ideas and awesome outlooks
on life.
I grew close this past week with lots of these awesome gal pals.
And back to Spearman city...
We all have each other's phone numbers, snapchats, and even a group me. We are
friends for life... And I could call any one of them at an hour and ask
anything.
Not only these girls, but I have gained lots of other sweet friends for all over
my state. New friends I can even call my sisters for life. Sisters that were
strangers 7 days ago.
If that isn't an achievement then idk what is really. Awesome. Really awesome.
And while I was on that adventure, several of my other friends were on beautiful
adventures on their own all over the world. Europe, Punta Cana, Wilderness Ranch
in CO, and Washington Family Ranch in Washington.
Even awesome-er.
Any of these adventures no matter how big or small or long or short were true
blessing. An opportunity to succeed. To grow in our faith. To live life. Love on
others, and connect with other beautiful people.
Over the course of the week, I smiled and smiled and smiled. Another speaker
said "A smile is a tell tale sign of a full and happy heart" Well, my heart is
not just full, it is overflowing.
South Carolina. "Smiling faces, beautiful places" After this week I truly and
honestly believe that.
And let's just take a moment and talk about how cool it is that after all these
adventures we can come home, changed people, and trade these stories and
connections once again, impacting each other. Connecting, sharing, loving,
succeeding all over again.
That to me is so beautiful.
That is success.
I am so thankful and blessed.
1 John 4:7-21
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has
been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God,
because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that
God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this
is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to
love one another."
Romans 8:28
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose."
1 Corinthians 13:13
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is
love."
