Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Last week, SCA Sisters gathered for our second annual Valentine's Day party! We enjoyed a yummy cookie exchange, then settled down to talk about how we can show love to one another. We each took a quiz to discover our "love languages," and, surprisingly, many of the SCA Sisters shared the same love language! Later, we created little Valentine's Day cards with a verse to remind each SCA Sister to pray for her little or big sister.
Thank you to those of you who joined us! And, thank you to the C family for hosting! Keep your eyes open for an exciting service project coming up in May!
Love,
Ashlyn and Tessa

Christmas Memories with SCA Sisters

Fudge baking, gingerbread house decorating, and movie watching are all great activities to do with your SCA Sisters—and are especially fun if you do them all at once! Our SCA Sisters’ mom took initiative by texting us and giving us dates that her girls were free. We found a time that worked for both of us, then headed over to their house for a fun Christmas-y night. We baked lots of fudge, had a gingerbread decorating contest between our sister pairs (we even switched teams at one point and got to know our sister’s SCA Sister!), and laughed and sang along with the movie Elf.   

Have you done anything fun with your SCA Sister over the Christmas season? We are thankful our littler sisters’ mom helped us plan an activity this time. Maybe your moms can help you connect with your sister too!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

Happy Fall!

Happy Fall, SCA Sisters!

We gathered for a fun event at the park yesterday and were grateful for no rain! :) Below are some cute pictures we took of the sister pairs who were there!

Also, we wanted to post here on the blog the e-mail we sent out a couple of weeks ago.

*** Remember that little sisters (and even moms!) can initiate activities with your SCA sisters!*** If you have not heard from your sister in a while, it’s time for you to initiate with her! I know we love it when our sisters send us texts just to say, ‘hi”. J

Do not feel pressure to spend huge amounts of time together. Everyone is busy at this time of year. The purpose of SCA sisters is to connect with someone who is older or younger than you, to encourage them in their relationship with Jesus. Every Sister friendship will look different and that is o.k. The goal is to build a friendship of mutual encouragement. One mom mentioned the great idea of simply writing each other an encouraging note with a Bible verse once a month. If you have any great ideas of activities to do with your SCA Sister, let us know and we will post them on the blog!

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

Hello SCA Sisters!

We hope you are well on your way with a great school year. We thought we would answer some questions that we frequently get!

1)      So…what should I do with my SCA sister? There is a list of ideas on our blog and website so check them out, but we’ll mention some here as well: Meet her for a picnic lunch, bake together, go watch her sports game, share with her a skill that you have, shoot a basketball or kick a soccer ball with her. We know sisters who have gone to the movies together, watched a movie at home, baked, painted each other’s nails, gone to the beach, cheered each other on in sports, done a Bible study work book together, gone ice skating, and made crafts together.

2)      What should I do if my big or little sister doesn’t contact me very often? Contact her! Even if you are the little sister, you can reach out. Another idea is to have your moms help get you started.

3)      What should I do if my sister is kind of shy and not very talkative? We totally understand that it can take some time to feel comfortable together, but do not give up! Try writing her a note, sending a card, or corresponding via email. When you are together, you could play a Would You Rather game, or any game. Invite your moms or another sister pair to join you for an activity. Watch a movie or do an activity together so you don’t feel pressure to talk the whole time. Keep trying. It gets easier and it will be worth it.

4)      What do I do if I no longer feel I have the time to participate? Just give us a call and gently let your sister know. We will fix her up with someone else.

5)      Is there anything I can do to help with this club? Yes! If you would like to plan or host an all-sister’s event or service project, we will get on board with you! We would LOVE that! Also, we’d love to have you contribute stories and pictures to our blog. Just send us an email!

Hopefully, these questions and answers are helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us any time for any reason. We really believe in the blessing of mentorship and want to help you gain all that you can through this experience.

Enjoy the sunshine this week!

With Love,

Tessa and Ashlyn Olson

“We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” ~1 Thessalonians 2:8

Fun Activities with SCA Sisters!

Just because school has started does not mean that the fun with your SCA Sister has to stop! In fact, spending time with your SCA Sister can be a welcome break from your studies. :) A few weeks ago, I (Ashlyn) drove over to my little sister Sarah’s house with some muffins and berries. We had a lovely little breakfast on her trampoline and talked. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures of our time together, but we had fun!

Tessa recently had her little sister over for a manicure day! Here is a picture of them doing each other’s nails.

And, last but not least, Rachael and Aubrey had a fun day together ice skating! Rachael has ice skated for several years, so she brought Aubrey with her this time. Is there a sport or activity you could bring your SCA Sister to?

Have you done anything fun with your SCA Sister lately? Let us know and we will feature you on our blog! 

What have you been doing with your SCA Sister?

We have all of the pairings set for this year. We hope you are enjoying connecting with your SCA Sister, whether you have the same one as last year, or you are just joining our group. 

We recently received an e-mail from a mom of a new SCA Sister that we want to share with you. What have you been doing with YOUR SCA Sister? :) We'd love to hear! 

Hi Ashlyn,

Just wanted to thank you and Tessa for pulling together SCA sisters. Aubrey has known Rachel since she was a toddler and is really looking forward to spending more time with her; we were so sad when she and her family moved from Irvine!

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I just wanted to let you know that we had connected and how excited we are:)

In His Service,

Lisa Burington

Aubrey's Mom

SCA Sisters' 1st Annual Beach Day!

Welcome to a new school year! SCA Sisters ended the summer with a bang at our first annual SCA Sisters’ Beach Day. We had so much fun swimming in the ocean, walking the pier, and just getting to know each other.

We hope you all had a great summer and are looking forward to connecting with your SCA Sister this school year! It doesn’t matter if you are the older or younger “sister”, take the initiative and plan an activity together this month! You’ll be glad you did.

And, if you ever want to host an SCA Sisters event, please let us know.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again!

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

 Hanging out on the beach

 With our SCA Sisters

 The Whole Group

Cute shirts by Tessa and Naomi!

Finding our Identity in Christ

They say that you will know you are a competitive swimmer when your non-swim friends just stop inviting you to things, because they assume you’ll have swim practice anyway. They say that you will know you are a completive swimmer when you smell like chlorine all day, every day. I meet those criteria. I am a competitive swimmer. I swim more than twenty hours each week. But, this year I’ve been learning a lot more from swimming than just stroke technique.

At swim, I sometimes deal with coaches who are happy with me when I swim fast, and frustrated with me when I don’t. At swim, I sometimes deal with teammates who, for whatever reason, exclude me from their “group” of friends. No matter how well I do at a swim meet, there is always the internal and external pressure to get a faster time at the next meet. The swim world can be intense. I know that many other SCA students (and parents) also experience these and similar situations in their own sports, classes, or jobs. Sometimes we can be tempted to compare ourselves with others. We can struggle with low self-esteem, or with contentment. There is a temptation to let other people or our circumstances tell us our worth. I think I am coming to learn the solution to these temptations.

As Christians, we belong to Jesus. We are His children first and foremost. He made us and has a plan for us, and that is where our identity lies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.” So, no matter what the circumstance, we must remember these truths. There will always be a time in our lives when we feel “less- than”, or like we don’t belong. I know when my dad was out of work he needed to remember that he was so much more than “a job”. Some of us may not be accepted into the college of our choice, or get the part in the play or the job that we had hoped for. A boss, teacher, coach, or friend may leave us feeling like we are not enough. Life on earth will always bring challenges. This is when we need to rest in the truth of God’s Word.

God loves you. Jesus died for you. He is good and we can trust Him with our lives. Yes, I am a competitive swimmer. I am also a student, daughter, sister, musician, and friend. Most importantly, however, I am a child of a Faithful God!! I live for His approval alone. I want to encourage you to do the same. Let’s live our lives for the glory of our amazing God! Ephesians 1:3-8 says, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)

Love,

Tessa

SCA Sisters is now accepting new applications!

Mission Statement: SCA sisters is a club designed with the purpose of encouraging special friendships between older and younger girls at SCA in order to teach high school girls leadership, service and mentoring, as they invest in the lives of  their younger sisters in Christ through encouragement, prayer, and time spent together for the purpose of growing closer to Jesus.

Key Verse: “We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” ~1 Thessalonians 2:8

This year, SCA Sisters has met for a service project, cupcake decorating, breakfast, and more! 

If your daughter is entering 4^th-12^th grade in the 2012-2013 school year, we would love for them to be involved!! Also, if you would like to step down from being involved, or request a new sister for next year, please contact us as well.

How? Please print out the application from our website and mail it to us. Our address is in the SCA Directory. Or, e-mail us with more questions: alwaysashlyn@cox.net

Please visit our website for more information! http://scasisters.webs.com/

It is our hope and prayer that this program will help grow older and younger girls at SCA closer together and closer to Jesus!

Belated Valentine's Day Party!

Today SCA Sisters had a belated Valentine’s Day party! Some of the sister pairs gathered at IHOP to connect and celebrate the love that we have as sisters in Christ. While we devoured piles of pancakes, we laughed and created fun memories. Here are some pictures from the event.

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!

Hi SCA Sisters!!

We are so sorry that we haven’t been in communication about our Valentine’s Day party for a while. Yes, the party is still on! Date and location are TBD (it’s going to be an “after Valentine’s Day” party…but, it’s never too late to celebrate love!). But, we want to take a quick survey…how many of you would be available to meet on a Monday morning?

How have you been spending time with your SCA Sister? Remember to show her some love, especially in light of Valentine’s Day this Tuesday! Please let us know how things are going and if a Monday morning will work for you.

With much love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

Happy December!

School is in full swing, sports are in season, and holidays are wizzing by. I love the fall-approaching-winter season, but I always feel the same way—my life is moving way too fast! As soon as the stores start putting up Christmas decorations (which sometimes can be as early as October. Yikes!), I feel like the world starts going into fast-forward mode. With all the excitement, activity, and, yes, homework, sometimes it can be hard to enjoy this wonderful time of year.

I hope all of you are having a great school year so far! And, I also hope that you have been able to spend some time with your SCA Sister. Even when life gets busy, it is important to continue investing in friendships with the people that you care about. Call your SCA Sister, write her a letter, plan a time to get together, or simply pray for her!

Psalm 23 is a Bible passage that has been on my mind lately (probably because I have to memorize it in Spanish for my Spanish class :)). It’s a passage that most of us are familiar with, but I think it is a perfect reminder of how much God loves us. When I read the passage, I am reminded of God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, love, grace, faithfulness, and kindness. I am filled with peace when I remember that God is sufficient for us no matter how crazy life gets. And, He is the best friend we are ever going to have. This Christmas season, take some time with your SCA Sister to talk about how God has been working in each of your lives.

Merry Christmas!!

With Much Love,

Ashlyn

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Service Project Re-Cap

Hi SCA Sisters!

Thank you to all of you who joined us to serve at Open Doors Ministry last Thursday. Kari, the women in charge of volunteers, e-mailed me and said, “Thank you so much for bringing your young women mentoring group to serve with us. The boys were a great help too!”

For those of you who weren’t able to make it, we missed you! We hope you will be able to join us next time. If any of you have any other ideas for a service project (or fun SCA Sister event in general), please let us know!

In the meantime, let’s all remember to encourage our SCA Sisters to serve other this fall!

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

SCA Sisters' Service Project!

Hi SCA Sisters! 

     Please join us for a fun service project on September 15th from 12:30-2:30pm! 

For several years I (Ashlyn) have worked as an intern for Open Doors Ministry. I'd like to share with you my passion for the cause of Religious Freedom.

Open Doors Ministry recently launched a campaign about standing up for persecuted Christians. You can check out more information about the One With Them campaign at http://www.onewiththem.com/. 

Let's meet at the Open Doors' Office to learn more about religious persecution, and to help package bracelets for their new campaign.

We are hoping to car-pool up to the OD office in Santa Anna, so if any moms are willing to drive, please let us know. Parents and siblings are welcome! Please e-mail or call Ashlyn or Tessa ASAP to let us know if you will be coming. 

Please eat lunch before you come. Other than that, just come with hearts willing to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ who face persecution for their faith!

What are you doing today? :)

“What are you doing today?” When my (Ashlyn’s) Little Sister Sarah texted me last Monday, I didn’t know how much fun I was going to have that afternoon! After I got off of work, I drove over to her house. We baked, talked, ironed (seriously!), made crafts, and discussed one of our favorite activities—reading. I had so much fun getting to know her! Sarah was ready to be spontaneous and to take initiative to make sure we spent time together. You don’t have to have an elaborate day planned to have enjoy being with your SCA Sister. Sarah and I raided the shelves to find cookie ingredients, and we had a blast!

So, what are you doing today? :)

Summer Activities

Allyson, Ellysa, and Carissa recently took their SCA Sisters (Denise, Elise, and Ollyvia) on a group date! They went to watch Winnie the Pooh and to eat lunch together. Allyson said, “These girls are amazing, and I’m looking forward to getting to know not just my SCA sister (Denise) better, but also my sisters’ SCA sisters too.” Going to movies and going out to lunch are two perfect activities to do with your SCA Sister! And, we love the idea of getting together with other sister pairs. :)

What have you all been doing with your sisters?  

Cheering for our SCA Sisters

I (TessaJoy) was so blessed to have my little sister, Naomi, come to cheer for me at my Junior Olympic Swim Meet. She even made me a great sign! Just as Naomi cheered me on, we can all be cheering on our little and big SCA Sisters to live for Jesus. 

What have you done with your SCA Sister lately? 

Words

Words are powerful. We probably all disagree with the cliché, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” As you deepen your friendship with your SCA Sister, be conscious of the words you use.

            Unfortunately, as girls, we can fall into the trap of gossip. Proverbs 16:28 says, “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” It is easy to  tell the latest “juicy news” about somebody else, but consider the impact that it has on that other person. In your conversations with our SCA Sisters, let’s choose to instead talk about things that would glorify God.

            Instead of gossiping, use your words to encourage one another! Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Even when we are not discussing Biblical topics,  we can use our words as a tool to encourage our sisters.

            It is our prayer that we can all be an encouragement to each other using our words! So, write a note, or give your sister a call this week! :) Happy summer! :)

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

Here are some ideas of topics to discuss with your SCA Sister:

Gossip-- http://www.gotquestions.org/gossip-Bible.html

Power of Words-- http://www.openbible.info/topics/power_of_words

Also, check out our website for devotional ideas: http://scasisters.webs.com/devotionals.htm

Kick-off Event!

Our kick-off event was success! Thank you to all who came, and to all who prayed for fun fellowship. Many of our sister pairs were able to connect, and some girls met each other for the first time! After sharing one interesting fact about each of our new “sisters,” Dani gave a little devotion about unity, which encouraged us all to grow closer together as sisters in Christ. Decorating over 150 cupcakes was the highlight of the event! From talking to playing soccer to jumping on the trampoline to snacking on many desserts, we all enjoyed getting to know each other better.

Happy summer, everyone! Please check out our website for some fun ideas to do with your SCA Sister! http://scasisters.webs.com/activityideas.htm Let us know about your adventures! :)

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

Sister Pairs have been Announced!

We just sent out an e-mail to all of our SCA “Big Sisters” announcing the Sister Pairs! If you are a Big Sister, please check your e-mail and contact your Little Sister, inviting them to our June kick-off event. If you are a Little Sister, your Big Sister should be contacting you shortly. :) If for some reason you are a Big Sister and didn’t receive our e-mail, or a Little Sister and haven’t been contacted by your Big Sister by the end of the week, please let us know.

We hope you enjoy getting to know each other a little bit before our kick-off! If you are looking for ideas of fun activities to do with your sister, check out our website: http://scasisters.webs.com/activityideas.htm Feel free to post your own ideas in a comment to this blog post!

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

“We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” ~1 Thessalonians 2:8

Update :)

Tessa and I are almost finished with the sister pairs! In a couple of weeks, we will meet with the big sisters and reveal the pairings, then have a big kickoff lunch where you can begin your hopefully life-long friendship with your new SCA Sister! We can hardly wait!

Happy Easter! He is risen!