Life Lessons with Allison

Gather round children. 

Allison's about to share with you some very helpful tips that could very well save you from the following:

Embarrassment

Awkward moments

Times of frustration

Blushing

Irritation

If you have previously suffered from any of the symptoms listed above, you will want to carefully read what I am about to share. If you wish to prevent the above from happening, I would also advise you to take heed. You will thank me later. Not that I've ever done any of these things...

1. When taking your brother to his homeschool co-op, follow your instincts and do not wear slippers. You may need gas and end up showing all of the people at the Seaford Royal Farms your horrid choice in footwear.

2. Never convince yourself "Oh, I won't fix myself up. I'm only going to (anyone of the following: Walmart, Dollar Tree, my brother's co-op pool party). You could end up seeing an old (guy) friend who just might be good looking, and you will want to go hide somewhere that will never be far enough away.*

3. Always remember to close the sun roof of your car before belting out "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson at the top of your lungs, whilst driving through a small town. There is a rather large chance that there are many pedestrians (who have ears) walking the streets of said town.

4. After house-sitting for your aunt and uncle, do not take their house key back home with you to your house. They will end up having to send your 5-year-old cousin through their kitchen window to unlock the house. And you will feel irresponsibly foolish.

5. While operating a motor vehicle, do not open a bottle of water by holding it between your legs. You could hold it a smidgeon too tightly and in the end, look like you wet yourself.

6. Always double check who you are sending a text message to. Otherwise, you may end up sharing a funny story about a guy you like to another guy friend and he will be confused. And you? Well you will want to go die somewhere.

7. Do not go to the dentist the day before your birthday, more importantly, your 16th birthday, despite your father reassuring you that it's "just a filling". Your dentist could end up hitting a vein in your cheek with the novocain needle, causing said cheek to be swollen for the next few days. One of those days is your birthday.

8. Always check your teeth after eating strawberries.There is a rather hefty chance of you ending up in conversation with your long lost best friend that you used to like for a good portion of your life, and your aunt will inform you mid-conversation that you have seeds in your front teeth.*

9. Check the date on a coupon before you plan on using it. Otherwise you will be filled with sheer bliss at the thought of the chocolate lava cake you are about to eat, only to have your dreams crushed when you are informed the coupon expired over a week ago.

10. Make sure that your bedroom door is shut all the way before changing your clothes. Even though you think it's locked, your dog could waltz in, pushing the door open, thus enabling your brother to see a quick glimpse of you in your underwear.*

11. When shaking a bottle of nail polish, don't forget to have a firm grip on said bottle. If you fail to do this, you can send the polish flying through the air, and then it will plummet to your bathroom floor. You will then have to clean up puddles of fuchsia nail color off of various surfaces in your bathroom.

12. When wearing a new shirt, remember to take off the size sticker. You may end up walking around a science fair for a good half hour, if not longer, before realizing that the very noticeable vertical sticker is still on your belly.

*(These lessons are the most crucial to remember and will save you from the most severe of awkward moments)

TPNC12 // The new friends.

I have a few new friends in my life. Some of them are even my best friends. 

And I just met them last week.

Since I find these dear friends to be so fabulous, I want to tell you all about them.

Let's start with Emmy.

I first met Emmy in September at Back to DC. We talked a grand total of 5 times tops. Looking back now, I don't know how I didn't spend every waking moment with this girl.

In the couple of months leading up to NC, we would text each other every once in a while about our excitement. But we were never really close friends. 

When we were finally reunited, we clicked. In the first 24 hours of us being around each other, we said the same thing at the same time at least 7 times. It was like I found my other half. It's amazing how we had had so many chances in the past to become great friends, but never even talked. 

We quickly found out that we are so similar, it's scary. 

Through the course of this past week, Emmy, or Mae Ling as I like to call her, has become my best friend. I feel like I've known her since birth. She makes me giggle in a way no one else can. I can tell her anything and I know that she won't think differently of me and she'll be honest with me. Emmy, I love you so much. Thank God for Skype.

Next up, Callie.

I met Callie the beginning of the week. I had heard of her before and that she loved One Direction, so I figured that we'd at least have a conversation or two about it. Our first real conversation was when we were both waiting for our staff interviews. From that moment on, we just hit it off. Just like Emmy and me, we both have a lot in common. We are both fangirls. We love Bieber and One Direction. And we love Target's clothes. Calz is one of the funniest girls I've ever met. She'll be straight up with you and tell it like it is. She is super stylish. She is gorgeousssss. Also, her handwriting is so pretty it makes mine look like a 9 year old's. I don't know where this girl has been my whole life. But I'm glad that we know each other now. Cause she makes life more enjoyable. Love you Cal! (You'll appreciate what I just did there.)

This is Lydia:

She's most def totes adorbs. Her and I never talked much before this past week either. I'm so glad we finally did! Lydia is Emmy's sister. So you can imagine how much I love her too. Lydia is a beautiful singer. And an even better writer and artist. Seriously, you should look at this girl's notebooks. Her doodles are extraordinary. Lydia is also one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. We all need someone like her in our lives. :) I'm so blessed to have been able to spend over a week with this beautiful woman. She's so encouraging and she radiates the love of Jesus. Love you Lydia!

Who's next?

How about Toby...

The story with Tobias (Tobias is his real name) is like the rest. I met him for the first time last week. I had heard of him a couple weeks before on facebook, but that's all. I quickly found out that Toby is a people person. Everyone loves Toby. You can't help but love being around him. Right off the bat, you feel like you've known him forever. Also, he can see into your soul. It sounds creepy but it's not, promise. :) He's just really good at giving advice and listening to you. If you need to talk to someone, he's your guy. I think he should go into counseling. After all, he invented the circle of honesty. He's also a good ballroom dancer. He taught me a couple moves and we also attempted the lift from Dirty Dancing. If I was able to plank, it would have worked. But I have no abs. Anyways... Toby is a wimp when it comes to fireballs and spicy chips. But he's such a fun driver, so it makes up for it. Toby's also an awesome man of God. I've learned a lot from him, whether he knows that or not. He's the awesome guy friend that I've always wanted but never had. And he's one of the few people that I let call me Ally. Love you broski!

Eli is up next.

This guy is Elijah. Wearing my glasses. He's super awesome cause he likes One Direction. He's also the one who convinced me it was cool to do the whole "Allison Kelly, Peanut Butter and Jelly" thing. So thanks, bud! I owe you big time. :) I didn't really start talking to him until halfway through out the week. It was during volleyball that we really started to bond. When he was making fun of me for being awful at it and then almost got poison ivy and then almost wiped his bloody elbow on me. Good times... -__- I love hearing Eli talk though because he talks very emphatically and sounds so serious. Like some of the staffers. It makes me chuckle. This guy is gonna go far in life, he's got so much potential. He's a great singer and he can freestyle rap too. I love hanging out with this kid. You just have loads of fun with him. Also, his name has many songs. "These are the days of Elijah", "come back, come back, come back to me Eli", and my personal favorite, "Eli-Eli-O" See you in August, Eli! :)

Last but not least, Ben.

Ben/Benny/Bennihanna. Whatever you call him, he's the coolest kid I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I wish I could be as witty as he is. He always, always makes me crack up. Once, I didn't wanna walk by myself over to the cabin, so he walked with me all the way over from the volleyball court. He also plays the ukulele, which makes him even cooler. I can't wait to see how awesome he is when he's older. Ladies, watch out for this stud muffin! Love you Ben!

Also, to my friends who were already my friends before this year's NC, (Evan, Habel, Giann, etc.) I don't love you any less! <3

TPNC12 // The memories.

I used to think that it was better to share my stories and memories in chronological order.

But I forget stuff and have to go back. 

Without further adieu, here's the fun times that were had at National Convention and Meghan's weekend-long-birthday-after-party. (In no particular order)

I played Christmas music on the Martin's piano with Evan cause we couldn't remember any other songs.

I learned how to catch a frisbee, twirl like a ballerina, and throw it back.

We sang along to the Prince of Egypt soundtrack.

We couldn't breathe when we pulled up to Fort Bluff.

I made it out of primaries.

We did a fireball challenge.

I ate Nutella with Meghan and Callie off of a piece of a styrofoam cup.

Our team lost the volleyball tournament.

I found out from Eli that I pronounce "tournament" wrong.

I was informed that I have an accent.

I spoke in front of 500+ people. Twice.

Emmy flung orange juice into me and John's eyes.

Emmy spilled her drink all over the place. Twice.

Callie and I planked.

We had a cone of safety. 

I ate jalepeno pretzels and there was no water left.

Callie and I got fake nose rings.

We all got froyo.

We sang Call Me Maybe a billion times.

Evan, Habel, and I drove for 5+ hours in Toby's car to Ocean City.

Circle of honesty. Enough said.

The guys asked us questions about how girls think. And vice versa.

Emmy and I slow danced to Enchanted.

The girls in my room helped me figure out what to say for open forum. Hilarious.

"Most def totes presh"

We went to Wawa at 2 am.

We found out Eli can say "Vas Happenin'" like Zayn Malik.

Also, he's a One Direction fan. :)

Joe got really bad sunburn.

Toby and Evan tried to get me into the ocean.

I let my friends bury me in the sand.

Toby and I allllmost succeeded in doing the lift from Dirty Dancing.

We played "Class or Swag"

Fangirled over the Venture commercial.

Fangirled over No Direction singing Elect Me Maybe.

Toby taught us how to ballroom dance.

We went star tipping.

Had a Back to DC reunion dinner and played pterodactyl.

Hayden acted like he was in a movie and totally tricked me when the dump truck drove by. (You had to be there. I can explain it better in person.)

Sang Jubilate Deo with the Endeavor girls.

Toby is a wimp when it comes to hot food. And he can see into your soul.

Eli talks very emphatically. Like a staffer.

Played glow in the dark frisbee.

Evan read riddles to the van.
Toby flipped Callie in the sand.
Deep heart to heart conversations.
We all felt awkward wearing swimsuits in front of TeenPacters.
I can't read my gps on my phone.
We played Mow. Joe still doesn't get it.
Evan, Toby, and I took spontaneous stops to Georgia House and my brother's co op and played ultimate with fellow TPers. We also watched She's The Man.
Video diaries.
"Quesadillas for my boyfriend"
My small group played signs.
We got little sleep.
Toby got everyone sick. ;)

"For all Your goodness I will keep on singing, ten thousand reasons for my heart to find."

The "theme song" of the week was 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman.
NC truly gave me 10,000 reasons to bless the Lord. 10,000 reasons to smile over and over again. My heart is overflowing with joy. Thank you, Lord.

*My brain is on overload. If I think of any more, I'll post them later. If you have any that I forgot, tell me!

TPNC12 // GO!

Ya know how I said I've been wanting to make my posts shorter?

That's not happening today.

Wanna know why?

I'm blogging about National Convention 2012!

Where do I even begin?

Let's start with the feeling I got upon arriving at Fort Bluff on May 20th. This was my third time pulling into the driveway of this camp, seeing other TeenPacters charging toward the vehicle with signs exclaiming "Welcome to National Convention 2012!". But, this time was much different. This time, I new more TeenPacters, I was running for Senate, I had changed a lot, and I knew a whole new experience was in store. 

The moment of arriving at TPNC12 is an unexplainable one. There are no words. Just a million emotions ranging from nervous to excitement some people only feel on their wedding day. And no, I'm not exaggerating. It seemed like at least an hour from the start of the driveway to registration which was set up by the dining hall. In a split second after the vehicle stopped moving, all 18 people in our van fought to get out as if the car was going to explode. As each of us set foot on the precious ground, the TeenPacters who were already there started applauding us. I'm still not sure why, but that's ok cause I sort of felt like a pop star. 

The next hours that followed are a blur of sheer joy. My heart is smiling just thinking about it all. There were screams when I saw dear friends that I hadn't seen since we'd said goodbye at this very same place exactly one year ago. There was excitement when I found who was in my room. There was frustration when I couldn't find my campaign material box. There was laughter when my new friend Emmy and I wondered around aimlessly putting up campaign posters. There was relief when Evan found my box of campaign shirts. (I owe you big time Evan). 

With each long lost friend that I reunited with, my heart leapt. 

After I lugged my suitcase to the second floor of the girls lodge (I swear that thing weighed more than me), I was free to go roaming around. I smiled like a fool when reliving the memories in my mind upon seeing the various places we had created them last year. That made me even more excited for the new memories I knew I would soon be making. 

The theme of the week was GO!

Go in faith. Go somewhere. Go and do likewise. Go and make disciples. Go in peace. Go home.

Our focus was on sharing the gospel and throughout our very short week, we learned how to live that out in practical ways.

From our many powerful and thought provoking speakers, I took away many things. (I also took MANY notes.) Here are some things that stood out to me and challenged how I live:

//Having faith allows us to take risks.\\

//Hold on to your plans lightly and let God direct your path.\\

//Loving people is a reflection of our love for God. The evidence of your love for God is in your love for people.\\

//"Love God and do what you please." When we love God entirely, our desires with be aligned with His, and what we do will please Him.\\

//We have to deal with uncomfortable things to go where God wants us. We need to be ready to have our plans dismantled.\\

//The things we do now need to be spring boards for something greater.\\

//If God can meet our greatest need (a relationship with Him), how can He not meet out lesser needs?\\

//Drown the evil pleasures of the world with the greater pleasure of God.\\ 

The things mentioned above are just a glimpse of what God taught me that week. I learned countless other things through the people in my small group, during rendezvous, and through simple conversations at meals. However, there's one thing that I heard that week that is the most important thing in the world to me. If I were a tattoo kind of girl, it would be on me somewhere. I want to write it everywhere so that I don't forget it.

One day during the week, we heard of the impact of Jimmy Brazell. Jimmy was a TeenPacter. I had never met him, only heard great things of him. 

Last August, Jimmy went to be with Jesus. Ever since that day, his life has been a shining example of what it means to live and love like Jesus. 

Jimmy's brother, Christian, shared with us about his life. He said how he had written once, "My goal in life is to bring everyone I meet one step closer to Christ". Among many other powerful things that we were inspired by, this by far changed my life more than any other.

Although I never got the chance to meet Jimmy, I am so thankful for his life, and for the chance to become friends with his dear sister, Rachel. Anyone who knows his story is impacted by it and I am so grateful that I am one of the many who has heard of and been changed by his incredible legacy of love. Thank you, Jimmy.

Now, the week has come and gone in the blink of an eye and I'm filled with another unexplainable feeling. This feeling is one I only get after leaving National Convention. It's a mixture of joy, for the memories and relationships made. Awe, for everything that God did through the week (way too much to write here.). Anxiousness, for the coming opportunities to live out what I've learned. Sadness, for leaving the world's best people and the place that is like a second home to me. And excitement, for the fact that in just 12 months, I'll get to do it all again. 

But I wouldn't trade that complicated, unexplainable feeling for anything in this world.

"My goal in life is to bring everyone I meet one step closer to Christ."