Powerhouse Summer Retreat and The Coming Year

Thursday-Saturday, of this past week, was Powerhouse Summer Retreat. It's basically where all the 18-25 year-olds, in our church and our sister churches, go to Central Coast and party! There's services every morning and every night, and during the day we go to the beach, or shopping, or whatever else we want.

I hung out with Letitia and her Connect Group--which has now become my Connect Group--and got to know them over the weekend. Absolutely beautiful people. We stayed in cute little cabins really close to the beach, and some of the cabins had a gorgeous view of the ocean. I stayed in a cabin with Letitia and four other girls from different churches. It was nice because everyone else's cabin was really close so we could hang out with the others from our group.

Each of the morning and night services featured a different speaker, including Thomas Hanson, who oversees the Powerhouse ministry. He's great, very funny, but full of the word and very straightforward. So, every night was wonderful and God really moved that weekend. Lives were changed-inside and out. Several people were healed of sickness, limbs were lengthened, the lame walked. God is so good.

God spoke to me on every night, but what He did on Friday really moved me. It was after the sermon and we were worshipping, I just had my eyes closed and pictured Jesus standing in front of me on the beach (That's my prayer closet, it's where I go, in my mind, when I spend time with God.) and I was just praying and singing. I could really feel His love and intense desire for intimacy with me. And I suddenly became very still. I stopped singing and swaying, I just stood and listened. And I saw and felt him take a step towards me, and into me. Because He is spirit, He just became a part of me as He stepped forward. And what I felt God tell me as this happened, was that He was filling the holes and voids in my life; He was replacing the broken parts and restoring strength. That He, Himself, would step into my pain and brokenness, and be my strength when I can't be strong. I was overwhelmed by the realization. I've so many times been told and believed that God was strong when we are weak, but that visual picture of Him physically stepping into me, and physically feeling a difference in my body and in my spirit, has given that promise a totally different meaning.

After retreat, I was exhausted. But on Sunday morning I was so excited to go to church! I woke up in the best mood, and was so ready to go spend yet another morning in worship, with my church family. And once again, it was so good. I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness. He's just proved Himself over and over again since I've been here. I can't wait to see what He does next!

Also, tomorrow is the first day of classes! I'm so excited! The first 2 weeks are just intensives, where all the new students stay together, in the same auditorium, and go over some general ministry stuff. It should be fun. I'll be in classes from 8:30am-5:30pm, Tuesday-Wednesday and then 9:00am-5:30pm on Thursday. I'm looking at my student calendar and it's full until the middle of February, and I'm realizing how quickly time is going to go. I'm so excited to be completely immersed in ministry, church life, and God's word. It's going to be a great year!

~~ Thank you, Jesus, for always being there...For being strong through my weakness, and perfect in my brokenness. I can't wait to fall more in love with you this year. Once again, I'm changed by you, into the person you want me to be. What a friend I've found... ~~