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!

Life-long Friends

Last week, I had the privilege of spending time with another “little sister” of mine. I have known Lizzy since I was about six, so we have a wealth of memories together. Now, she is maturing into a beautiful young woman, and I have enjoyed watching her grow up. Lizzy has been involved in many areas of my life ranging from ballet classes to debate. Our friendship has included many long conversations, late nights, and lots of laughter! It is so much fun to grow closer to friends as the years progress.

When we were together last week, we reflected on the many memories we have together. We also created new memories, like, our quest to make cheap coffee taste good. I can imagine many new adventures together because soon she will be in high school!

Progress Report! :)

Many of you SCA girls have sent us applications to be big or little sisters! We are prayerfully beginning to make the pairs and so looking forward to our “sister kick-off” in May. Keep the applications coming, and stay tuned for the dates for our big sister meeting and "sister kick-off"! :)

(If you are just joining us, please check out our website: http://scasisters.webs.com/)

Tribute to Our Mom

From setting up little tea-parties for us when we were younger, to supporting us by cheering for Tessa in a swim race, or by watching Ashlyn’s debate rounds, our mother holds a special place in our lives.  Over the years, she has always taken the time to lovingly decorate our rooms, make birthdays special, or create fun memories and traditions.  Our mom has faithfully prayed for every aspect of our lives, and for ways to help us to develop our gifts and talents.  This special friend and confidant also whole-heartedly encourages us to pursue our passions.  We know how fortunate we are to have her unconditional and deep love!  She is the truest of blessings to us.

 Being the likeable person that she is, our mom constantly reaches out to others, and gives them encouragement.  It is not uncommon for her to take the time to help a mom get started with home schooling, to make a meal to share with a sick friend’s family, or to leave a special surprise on someone’s doorstep.  She often includes us in these endeavors and so we get to share her joy in blessing others!

Besides reaching out to the people in her life, my mom also cares for our each and every need.  With the huge commitment she has made to home-school us, our mom has a tiring job!  Regardless, she finds time to support us, to stay by our side through tough times, and to encourage us to each have a strong walk with the Lord.  We are sure that at least once every week of our lives, she has written us notes of encouragement in one form or another!  What a gift!  Some of our favorite  “Olson girl” things to do together are to cook and bake, serve others, work out at the gym, explore museums and historical sites, study the Bible, shop, take long walks, and talk and talk at all hours of the day and night.  Probably the most fun we have are our frequent “girls only” nights where we watch a special movie and eat our “traditional” foods: brie cheese, roasted garlic, bread, and fruit!  J

One of the most important things our mom has done for us is to teach us to be true friends with each other and with our brothers.  The four of us siblings are a team!  Because of what our mom has modeled for us, making banners to celebrate each other’s achievements, attending events that are special to each other, and just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, come very naturally to us.  And, since we were very little, our mom has helped us to appreciate and enjoy the gift it is to have a sister. Without a doubt, the two of us are best friends, and we are sure that her influence has helped us to get there!

 Finally, our mom is a Godly woman, who not only spends time with the Lord, but influences others to do the same.  One of our mom’s best qualities is her dedication to her spiritual life.  By watching her stand strong in her faith, and seeing her commitment to grow as a person, it encourages us to do the same.  Ever since we can remember she has prayed with us and taught us to see life from a Christian world view.  She knows God’s word and lives out what she teaches us.

 We love our mom and we want to encourage all of you to love you mother with all of your hearts!!  A loving mom is one of the best gifts that God has given to each of us.  We all have much to learn from our moms, and we are all blessed to have their love and commitment to do what is best for us.

As you hang out with your SCA Sister, maybe you could take some time to talk about your moms and their influence in your lives. J 

WE LOVE YOU, MOM!!!

Ashlyn -and- TessaJoy

Greatest Commandments

We have all heard the two greatest commandments from Matthew 22:37-39. But, what does it mean to truly love God with all of your heart?  How do we really love our neighbor as oneself?

Loving God will all of our heart, soul, and mind means rejoicing in His presence. We can be content in whatever circumstance He places us in, because we have the confidence that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We should delight in reading His word, and continually strive to praise Him in our words, thoughts, and actions.

Loving your neighbor as yourself means reaching out to others in the way that we would want to be reached out to. We should not treat others with selfishness, irritability, or indifference. Forgiveness and grace are key to success in any relationship.  

Our prayer is that God will bless these sweet sister-friendships that are growing within SCA. Will you pray for that too?

JOY can stand for Jesus Others Yourself. True joy comes from obeying God’s greatest commandments and placing Jesus and others before ourselves. So, as we reach out to our sisters in Christ, from infants to grandmas, we are obeying Jesus and furthering His Kingdom. Isn’t that exciting? J

2nd Moms

          In SCA, I (Ashlyn) often feel like we are all one big family. We are so blessed to be immersed in an atmosphere of love. That is the true blessing of the body of Christ! But, not only do I feel as if I am surrounded by “adopted” sisters (and brothers); I am surrounded by “adopted” moms, who I have fondly named “2^nd Moms.” These moms would have open arms for all of us.

Two moms in particular come to my mind—Mrs. R and Mrs. T.

I have known Mrs. R since I was born…literally. Mrs. R and my mom went to highschool together, and have stayed friends ever since. Therefore, this adopted mom has always been in my life. Because of pure the amount of time I’ve known her, I feel like I can be totally myself around her. When you first get to know someone, it can be hard to feel like you can be yourself around someone, especially adults. But, the comfort that comes with just knowing someone for a long period of time helps a lot. You may or may not know your new “big sister” that well, and it may take some time to feel completely comfortable around her. That should just be motivation to keep trying and keep opening yourself up to her!

While I haven’t known Mrs. T for quiet as long as Mrs. R, I instantly loved her. Mrs. T has three wonderful boys, but is lacking a girl. So, I like pretending I am her “adopted daughter.” Long conversations don’t have to just be with highschool friends. I have found that some of my most enjoyable conversations have been with Mrs. T. When you find something in common with an adult, they can offer wisdom, advice, and can actually be fun to be around. Mrs. T is not only my friend, but also a teacher—of extemp, Spanish, and life. I’m so thankful for her!

Get to know not only your SCA Sister, but her mom too! Reach throughout the generations. These women have so much to give and teach us if we just give them a chance. And, we can be a blessing in their lives as well! When we go off to college one day, I think we will realize how immensely blessed we are to be surrounded by a loving body of Christ. I have been blessed by my teachers, my mom’s friends, my friends’ moms, etc.—shout out to Mrs. S, the other Mrs. S., Mrs. G, Mrs. C, Mrs. N, and Mrs. B! J These are truly Godly women, and there are many more whom I do not have time to list.

Even beyond our SCA moms, we can look for Godly friendship and wisdom within our own families. Tessa and I have been blessed with kind grandmothers who take an interest in our lives and pray for us daily. Aunts (and cousins too) can also be special friends. Even one of my good friend’s grandmas has played a special role in my life! :)

And, perhaps the greatest blessing of all would be our own moms…stayed tuned for a tribute to our mom!

Thank you, 2^nd moms for blessing me! It is our hope and prayer that all of us at SCA will grow closer together—moms and daughters!