Be Proud of Me, Mrs. Fields

I love/loved my high school; by far the best academic experience of my life. It taught me a lot, not just about the course material, but about study skills, time management, and limits (not just in the mathematical sense). It still holds true that these were the four years of my life where I survived on the least amount of sleep, was the most stressed, crammed the most activities and responsibilities into my life, and had made some of the best memories than any other time to date. Granted, I am only 22. Seeing as it was such a formidable time in my life, I sometimes find it hard to believe that the experience wasn’t yesterday but four years ago. Wow, time flies, but thankfully I can say I am not the same person I was four years ago. 

While at college I realized how much I was changing and here at SOM I find myself changing still; I hope to never get off this train. I think back to AP English with Mrs. Fields senior year, a class of mainly girls who were all a bit too concerned with the shape of the “inkblot on a paper.” We were all accused of being “eager beaver overachievers” and warned that we had our “wires wound a bit too tightly and better be careful because they were about to SNAP!” Boy, was she right though then I didn’t know any of other way of living.

Busy just comes so easy for me and is quite often a theme in my life so it doesn’t really come as any surprise that the word God has been telling me for several years now is “REST.” While I may not fully understand ‘rest’ I love it. The act of resting is absolutely amazing. Learning to understand that I don’t have to do anything in order to please God, I just have to be is quite liberating, a certain stress reliever. I used to always think of myself as an even-keel type of person, but there is such a difference in being chill on the outside and having a sense of peace and calm on the inside. 

Peace.

let's stretch

Today a group of seven of us went downtown for a bit of Power Evangelism. We define this as evangelism where we rely on the Holy Spirit prompting and what God is saying to us about and for other people as opposed to handing out tracts or yelling on a street corner. The first stop was Tim Horton's for a coffee and to see what God was saying and who He had words for. We split in two groups and headed off. My group (David, Philip, and me) headed to the Eaton Centre, the rather ritzy mall, and started looking for people that God highlighted to us to speak to. I was looking around but started having a problem: no one stood out because everyone was standing out to me. How was I supposed to pick who God wanted me to tell that God loved them when His heart and desire was for every one walking past me? I started being drawn in every direction and not knowing where to go. All the lostness and unsettledness of everyone was swirling around me and making me quite overwhelmed. I was becoming so aware of God's love for seriously everyone. We often hear or say that God loves everyone but when we see unsightly people we rarely believe it for them, but here I am seeing it is so.

I spoke to a girl on the escalator and then followed the guys. We spoke to a lady and David said God was opening up a job change in a couple weeks. She said she was a Christian too and that she was indeed changing jobs in two weeks! How cool. We were able to pray for her and then went into Sears where we talked to another couple who said they were Christians too. As we prayed for them we each gave a prophetic word which they said were all spot on, which was great since we had also had a few people that we approached who were less than willing to hear what we had to say.

We met up with the other group for a bit before setting out again. We tried a prophetic game with two guys but didn't get anything right and then tried to give a word to a woman who rejected it (I still believe that the word was right). Some were feeling a bit discouraged at this point. We made our way toward the poorer side of town where there is a mission and such. The guys gave a Tim's card to a guy simply as a blessing and then David asked some kids if he could join their bball game. That didn't work out but we were able to give them some cards too and found out they were Christians too. It was cool to see that giving them the cards was a blessing.

When we started heading back the other group got to tell us how they got to be a part of God healing a girl's leg. She had a severed ligament or something and after praying three times she was able to take off her brace and walk normally and even jump! God is awesome. 

Older Than We Thought

This Wednesday we had our second social and this time the theme was an "old person's social" so we were all to dress as old as possible. Each outreach team also had to put together a dance to perform...as old people. haha. Team Finland, which now has a name - Team BABES (Boys And Babes Evangelistic Society) - is pretty chill but we did put together a little something to Thriller. (Another team used part of the song too but it was a different part so it worked.) It was fun to do and especially fun to see the other dances. The SGL's dressed up fabulously though a bit disturbing.  Two were dressed as the nurses of "Halfway to Heaven Nursing Home" and the others were residents some sane and others not quite there. The best was Earl who walked around drooling the whole night in a bathrobe. So disgusting!

We students also got into the dress-up activities. I found the guys who dressed like old ladies to be the most hilarious. We even had a "Moses" and a Santa Claus.... I guess they could be the epitome of old. I tried to make wrinkles on my face but it didn't go so well; I kinda just looked dirty, but others got the jist. Many went to Value Village for costumes but I didn't feel like spending money for old clothes so I just wore a skirt and my roommate's sweater. Too bad I wasn't at home; I could've just raided Mom's closet! haha sry, Mom, your clothes really aren't that bad....anymore! :)


There were also games of course: 1. one team member is the hands for another whose hands are behind his back and feeds him pudding as fast as possible 2. one team member lays on the floor under a chair with his head sticking out with another standing on the chair with his arm extended at shoulder height; whichever team drops the most pudding in the mouth of the 'layer' the fastest wins....a bit messy (I definitely did NOT volunteer for this game) 3. BINGO! we won one round and won some candies. woot. Good times. Hopefully we'll at least have one more social before we go...wonder what that theme will be.

For the Love

This Tuesday we were put in our first sermon groups (we will have two) and my first one will be on "The Cross". Sadly, I don't really remember signing up for that one, but I am excited to see what comes from it. Obviously, the cross is a big part of my life and has definitely shaped me into who I am, but at the moment there is no one big revelation about the event that I feel rocks me to the core. 

In hopes of stirring up ideas and revelation, I went to the "Come, HS" meeting at the church and started brainstorming- a fabulous atmosphere for getting into the flow. In scribbling down everything that came to mind about and surrounding the cross and why it is important and such and so, I made a discovery! Or a re-discovery, if you will: I love the book of Isaiah. Truly, it is my favorite. Lately I have been desiring more of the Love of God to be revealing in me and to me and that I might understand it better. Omg, Isaiah is such a book of the Father's love and it was so very refreshing to flip through and read all the underlining (which is a lot) and soak it in again. Let me share with you....

- Tell the righteous it will be well with them.
- I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
- Your guilt is taken away and you sin atoned for. 
- God is with us.
- The Lord has established Zion, and in her His afflicted people will find refuge.
- Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us.
- Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
- Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!
- I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you...I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
- Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
- I will go before you.
- I will not forget you!
- My unfailing love for you will not be shaken.
- You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.
- Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking, I will hear.


And so much more... be blessed. I leave you with a favorite:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength."

still moving

Monday 15 of us rode on the Chariots of Fire (a bus) down to Niagara Falls courtesy of our wonderful tour guide Mel. It was a bit overcast and had just rained but the Falls were still amazing of course. Oddly enough they looked a lot smaller than I remember them from several years ago. We also had the opportunity to walk around Niagara-on-the-Lake, a small, quaint town on Lake Ontario that is absolutely exquisite. The Prince of Wales Hotel is here - quite ornate and ritzy. A lovely way to spend our day off.

I turned in my first book report Tuesday. The Heart Module has to read The Tale of Three Kings and The Shack. I wrote on the former this time and will be rereading the latter sometime soon. I definitely recommend Three Kings to anyone; it's by Gene Edwards and is a tale on brokenness and how God desires to use broken vessels. It's rather short with really easy-to-read chapters but is best when read slowly for absorption. 

This week Rick D'Orazio is speaking with us on Identity and it has been fabulous. Here's a quote: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." That is to say, when we finally realize and are comfortable with who we are, who He created us to be, and who He says we are then He can truly be glorified in and through our lives. (All goes back to being a vessel; the vessel has to accept its identity before it can function as it's supposed to.) Several of us have had the opportunity to stand before a giant mirror at the front of the room and ask the question, "What do you see?" That is the question of the week: What do you see? Follow that up with: What does God see? Are they the same? They should be. We are princes and princesses and we are loved. Many know this, but do you really believe it? Do you act like you believe it?

blessings

More

God knows our hearts, you know? My main prayer for the past few weeks and especially this last one going into the Mountain Mover conference was to know more of God's love, and not just to know it because I have known it all my life, but to understand it more and to truly have a heart change as a result. On both Thursday and Friday evenings someone prayed for me and word-for-word echoed my prayer to God. Isn't it amazing that He so intimately knows the desires of our hearts that He lets us know He knows? And more than that it shows that what we are asking for is the exact thing that He wants to give us. cool. And I'm learning never to be satisfied. If my God is infinite and He wants to give me all good things then His provision never runs dry and I'm determined to always say, "More, Lord."


Thursday I had the opportunity to go out to lunch with Amber and her mom who came up from PA; so nice to eat off campus for a change. John Arnott spoke in the afternoon and Johnny Enlow in the evening. Enlow is from Atlanta and wrote a book on the Seven Mountains of Influence (Ed, Gov, Media, Religion, Arts, Business, & something else). He spoke on how we most effectively affect change on these mountains - I recommend his books. I was on the ministry team again and after praying for people hung out with all the students who were getting affected by the Holy Spirit-so fun. Friday Heidi Baker spoke in the morning and evening sessions with Johnny in the afternoon. Heidi is amazing, she has such a pure heart for God's and is so simply passionate about intimacy with Him. I wasn't on ministry team that night but took part anyway; all those who hadn't felt like they knew the Father's love came to the front and we just gave them hugs and prayed for them. Such an opportunity to show God's love. Heidi also prayed for those called to the lost and those on the mountains of Arts, Education, and in the sciences. 


Saturday = even better. Carol spoke on forgiveness in the morning. I could do this every week: continually in the presence of God; soaking in His love, peace, and joy; and seeing God touching so many people around me bringing breakthrough and restoration. Saturday nights mean fire tunnels often so in the pre-ministry time we of course had to practice so most of us were already Holy Spirit drunk before we even went into worship. It's really exciting for me since I don't typically manifest in the Spirit but I have been sensing more and more as we have been here. Worship was good and I was dancing in the back again when two guys came over and 'ambushed' me resulting in me on the floor for the remainder of the session. In spasms. I'm learning the difference between feeling with your brain and "feeling" with your spirit. So I was definitely ready to go when we were called to start the fire tunnels; so cool seeing the Spirit fall on others and seeing yourself being used as a vessel. The party for some of us continued til about 3am. So good.  

More to come. Peace.

Move the Mountains

Awesome week in the making. Monday through today SoM students sat in on a Soaking Seminar held by Connie and Jeremy Sinnott; I really enjoyed the teaching on 'intimacy' by Connie and the animation of Jeremy as he spoke. It was a good prep course to have before a conference. Tonight started the Mountain Movers conference here at the church which is focusing on two of the 'seven mountains of influence': business and government. Jerry Anderson, president of La Red Business Network spoke tonight sharing on the impact that this program has had around the world in governments and businesses just by bringing principles and values back in the picture. No denying that the transformation that our nations, governments, and business desperately need lies in the lack of morals, values, and conviction of principles. Already prisons, militaries, and judicial systems in Guatemala, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Ukraine, and other nations have seen drastic improvements in crime rates and corruption by teaching values to their leaders. Awesome. It's circulating in the US too; yay. So, how's your character?


What's God doing? Shaking the mountains; in me, in us, in the air. Wow, is He good. Even at the beginning of the week I was excited to see all the things that God is going to do and bring about this week (I've been praying to get completely smothered in His presence) and today was no exception and He did not disappoint. The Freshwind band played tonight and are typically rockin' but they started off slower tonight which went against how I was feeling; I was ready to go! I went to the back where there was space to dance and just went at it and the band finally caught on. ;) His holiness was everywhere and I couldn't worship hard enough. He is so so worthy. Ahh, it was so good and I was so sweaty by the end. Fabulous! Ministry time was good too; I prayed for others with Kristyn from my outreach team and because there aren't as many people at this conference we had time to pray for each other. I love God.


Peace.