Reset Prayer Experience

Crossroads, my church, did a prayer experience this week to go along with the Reset journey that we have been on the past five weeks. The journey focuses on resetting the assumptions that we have about Jesus. I have missed the prayer experience that went along with the past two journeys at Crossroads, and I was very hesitant about this one. Wow am I glad that I went. Here are just some thoughts I came away with because the last challenge was to share our story.

Reconciliation. There is nothing I want more. There is no one I desire to be closer to. Nothing that will fill my heart with more joy. And yet I protect my heart from the one thing that won't break it. Not only will He not break it, but He will restore it. Restore it to His glory.

He isn't afraid of the lies I believe in because He came to blow them away and replace them with truth. The truth that comes whenever we ask, that we are surrounded by daily. I callenge you to watch a sunrise on the Atlantic or fog lift slowly over the Blue Ridge Mountains and not know the truth it proclaims.

HE LOVES US. HE WOULD GO TO ANY LENGTH TO WOO OUR HEARTS. OUR REDEEMER LIVES. HE KNOWS MORE AND HE KNOWS BETTER. and the still, small voice in my heart whispers, it's all for you manderella.

He is the only one who can save me from this web of lies I live in. I am good enough for I am the beloved of Christ. And as a child of God the list of "I am"'s is endless. Forgiven, accepted, recieved, heir, defended, nurtured, companion, fed, child, protected, loved, redeemed, saved. All I have to do is recieve these things. I have to accept the gifts of His love and protection, the inheritance I have as an heir. These things are available to me, but I must recieve them. "This is for you, you only have to come and take it".

He will go to any length to assure that we have the ability to choose him. That's a line I copied down from the audio guide. I love that it is so honest about the fact that ultimately the choice comes down to us. A choice has to be made.

No title can suffice

I love having pictures to start off the blog. When it came to a title and a picture, however, I couldn't think of or find a single thing that would adequately describe or illustrate this past weekend. Last weekend, Finneytown (as well as the rest of Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus) went on Campaigner weekend. For those of you who don't know, although I don't know who those people could be, Campaigners is the "bible study" for Young Life. We took an impressive nineteen kids; a hodge podge group of kids that aren't all necessarily close, or friends. (Not that they didn't get along, but they didn't all hang out) The weekend went well. Rick Shaerr talked (I apologize, but I know his name is spelled wrong) and did amazing, as he always does. We had good talks in the girls room on Friday night as well as during our quiet time in the morning. Seminars went well and we even spent the afternoon all together with lunch and then bowling. After Saturday's campaigners, we had "cabin time" as a school all together.

I clearly am not going to list everything said, for many reasons, but if nothing else because there is no way to clearly write what transpired. I tried to take notes and remember details on Sunday after we got home, but it was all so emotional that I have no idea if I even remembered half of it. Basically, if I were to sum it into one sentence, it would be "He showed up". We ask for signs, we ask for His presence. Well, we got it. And it was unlike anything I have ever experienced.

I've been smiling for the past few days now. (The day after smile is one of those great things in life.) I cannot seem to get over the fact of how great my God is and how gracious He is to allow us to watch and be a part of things when He moves. Nineteen kids. They were vulnerable with each other, they were real about their lives, and we were all broken.

I wish I could tell you, because who wouldn't be excited about this? I wish there was a way to describe so that people could understand, could catch the vision, but it may just be one of those situations in life you had to experience for yourself or you'll never fully understand. I can tell you one thing for sure, He showed up and I wouldn't trade that night for the world because He is real.