Freshwind!

In the days prior to traveling up to Toronto and attending the (youth) conference Freshwind I was having conflicting thoughts concerning my prudence. Why had I splurged so much money for a week trip to another country? Was this smart? Would God meet me? Really all I wanted was for my world to be rocked again...for God to remind me yet again that He truly does love me, He knows me, He knows what I need, and He watches over me all the time. Guess it's that innate need/desire for that Protector in my life. I wanted to be jolted away from the crappiness that the world tells you is reality and to be swallowed up into the supernatural, the spiritual, the Real. Does this mean I expect this scenario only to play out in the river of Toronto? No, but this trip sure did look like a good excuse for such an encounter.

Seeing my SOM fam was amazing and more than I could have asked for. At first I found it hard to grasp the reality of seeing my friends in the flesh before my eyes but with each encounter, my heart softened a bit more and more. Suzi, my love, was the first and that was an indicator of what God had in store for me the rest of the week. Best encounter = Olivia. By Friday I had seen a good deal of the students from my school, outreach team, and small group, but Olivia wasn't getting in town til Friday and I was looking out for her. As I walked into the auditorium I was about to tell Erin (my roomie) to keep her eyes open for Olivia when saw some of O's good friends that I had already seen. My eyes passed over Claire, and then Stine, and then, oh someone else was with them...AAAEEEIIIIKKKK!!! I screamed and then Olivia screamed and we caused a roucus and it was amazing! And I almost cried. Wow, that's a testimony to a working of the heart. I'm a now a softy?? haha, yes.

The conference was good with amazing worship and powerful speakers. (The sessions are online at http://www.catchthefire.tv/ for the next week.) They were speaking to a group of 2,000+ teenagers but the message applies to all. God is calling us to step up, be leaders in this crazy world, and shine the light where there is darkness. So, let's rise up, friends. Let's choose life and not death. Let's move the rudder even the slightest degree and get this ship back on track. It starts with us, the sold-out believers willing to sacrifice the temperal to reap the eternal. Seek Him; He wants to be found!

Fri and Sat nights were epic in worship. Cory Asbury and the IHOP crew led and Daddy blessed me with room to dance and go crazy. Yep, God is still real. He knows what I need. And He loves me. Sat night they ended the conference in true CTF fashion with fire tunnels and despite not being on school this term I joined the crew on the outside of the tunnel, right where I love to be! Wow - truly the only word to say. It was rockin', I danced almost the whole time, and I lost my voice. :) Erin, our beloved driver, was still drunk (in the Spirit) on the way home driving and walking....hilarious.

"If you know the Lord's been good to you,
I say, if you know the Lord's been good to you,
Yeah, if you know the Lord's been good to you,
Then dance, dance, dance!"

Peace.