GDO 2011

Girls Day Out 2011 was a wonderful time! We didn't have an amazing turnout, but 70 girls/women of all ages came and hopefully were blessed by something that afternoon. I, for one, am very grateful for all of the good people who shared the vision and chipped in to make it a great event! Laurie did these girls' hair and "make-up" for the recycled/upcycled clothing fashion show....

Laurie & Lexi

Devany, Paige & Malaina wait for the fashion show to start

while Diane worked her magic on her own little girls, including "Sara Bear"......

Hold still, honey!

....and Kate & Wynne always manage to find something to keep themselves busy.  This time it was pipe-cleaner jewelry!

Can you spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E? ;)

We had the beautiful sewing work of the ladies from Broken Hearts Ministries (Juarez, Mexico) on a table for purchase, and Joyce & Lonna were expert greeters.  See the two tablecloths I borrowed from you, Mom?  Thanks! ;)

Lonna, Joyce, Pat, & Mary

Angie & Megan served up a delicious soup-and-sandwich lunch, while Amy D. (far right) was our "emcee". Thanks ladies!!

Angie, Megan, Mandy, Shae, Laurie, Amy D

My camera battery died after this picture, so you don't get to see all of the girls in their thrift shop or handmade clothes, but it was a lot of fun and shows you that we don't need to spend a lot of $$ to put together a cute outfit!

The best part of the afternoon (for me, anyway) was the worship time we had after lunch/fashion show.  Five girls from an area high school have come together to form a pretty good little praise band.  Thank you, Living Proof!  Also, our keynoter was our church's very own Leah S., who 3 years ago was told she would never walk again after suffering paralysis from a car accident the summer before her senior year.  Leah shared how God has used this experience in her to make her a better person and to reach out and help others with her story.  Jesus truly is "The Great Recycler" and we are thankful to Him and to Leah!

The afternoon concluded with break-outs for ages 5-8, 9-12, teens on up, and women.  I led the tween (age 9-12) break-out session and put together a Bible study on Rahab.  I called it "Recycled Rahab" and had a craft (braided red t-shirts into wristbands) to help the girls remember how Rahab (who put a red cord out her window for God's protection) changed her life around, once she recognized and accepted that there is only one true God.   

All in all, it was a good afternoon and concluded with a special treat--Ally and I got to go (courtesy of our pastor) with the youth group to the Rebecca St. James concert at UW-Platteville that night.  Rebecca and her brothers and husband and friend make a great band, and she had a powerful testimony about the importance of purity and waiting for marriage..........something all of the girls AND boys needed to hear! 

What a special day! Girls Day Out could also be called God's Day Over because it was packed with reminders of how God has a plan for us and will work everything out if we trust Him to do so!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.--Ecclesiastes 3:11