Making every situation more fun

There I was, riding in the back of a van at 10:42 on the way back from a bowling alley, and I felt so much peace in not caring what others thought of me.                I got connected with a small group this September at church that consisted of the youth pastor and other adult leaders. They meet on Monday evenings for a bible study and genuine fellowship. I attended once with a few of my teammates and the group seemed to be welcoming. I intended on making it to more meetings, but I wasn’t able to come back for about 2 months. When I came back they, again were welcoming and I got to know them a little bit better. I had a solid Youth group at my home church that I attended almost every Sunday and, so I needed to have deep conversations like I had through my youth group.                Monday, Natalie and I attended their Christmas party and quickly connected with the group. We had supper, played Catchphrase, and then it was time to go bowling. As people packed up their things, I asked the youth pastor, Tanner, if he had open seats in his car. He said he had room and off we went. I realized the most fun wasn’t getting a strike. The most fun came from the car ride home. We sang to Taylor Swift and Luke Combs songs in the back of the vans with people we barely knew. It was the most fun I have had in weeks; It was such a pure good time. As we move into the Christmas season, I think back on the past 6 months that I have been able to serve. Our team has been granted amazing opportunities to attend FFA functions, meet great FFA members, and grow closer together as a team. The best times come from the commitment to just be with someone and enjoy their company. When my team sat down to exchange gifts, we enjoyed the thoughtfulness of each other and the stories keeping those gifts a secret. When you can enjoy simply being with friends, then you can make the most out of any experience. Merry Christmas,   Cole Pearson