Spirit-Filled?! 7/22/08

So today was dad's b-day...and so much happened to celebrate without him. We started the day by cleaning our dorm so that we could get some major points for escapades. This is a contest between 10 teams made up of a guys dorm and a girls dorm and whoever has the most points at the end of the week wins. You get points different ways and this is one of them! Plus it was crazy day...the person who dressed the craziest won points for their team and while we didn't win we did dress up!

A guy named Tommy Cruise spoke to the 11th and 12th graders in the morning. He spoke about making decisions and how every decision we make has a consequence be it good or bad, it influences those around us, and it affects our lives. After Morning Slam Natalie spoke to us until lunch time. She talked about praise and worship and why worship God and htings like that. It was cool for me because I am a musical person. One of the things she hit on was that music creates a mood. Like anytime I hear a sad song I begin to feel the sadness. So many times if I know it's sad and I'm happy at the moment I change it so as not to ruin my good mood!!

During free time our guys entered the volleyball tournament they have every year, but they lost!! :( Then we got ready, ate dinner, cleaned up the Cliffhanger (the place we eat), and headed to service. Worship was once again amazing! Spike came up and had them turn out the lights and made us turn from the stage and the leaders on stage turn from us. So all we saw were shadows of people in front of us and the wall. Then we were to just step out and do whatever we needed to so that we could fully enter into God's presence. We could dance, lift our hands, cry, kneel, lay down...whatever we needed to do!

That was followed by Monica Pankratz giving the word for the night. A little background here. 2 years ago we started going to this camp. At that time I was battling depression and insecurity was at it's peak in my life. The first day Monica (at that time Scott) spoke about insecurity and how she found her freedom from it. I saw her on Thursday of that week and told her what her sermon meant to me and that I really needed to hear it. She encouraged me and prayed for me. This time 2 years later she talked about the Holy Spirit and mindsets that hold us back. After she finished and they gave the call for those who wanted to receive the Holy Spirit Spike came up and said I want to pray for those that want to see the supernatural powers in their life. Now I've always had this wild idea that one day I would be able to speak and see someone healed...so with this dream in mind I made my way to the front. It was a little hard to focus when the person started praying for me because I heard her voice and went OMg it's Natalie!! Now just so you know I love Natalie. Her voice is amazing and I just love listening to her sing! So when I realize that she is right in front of me, that it's her laying hands on me...I flipped a little, I wanted to talk to her, to hug her, but I couldn't...oh well! After we prayed and sang the refrain of "You are Here" the girl next to me grabbed me and said, "You are a mountain and God's got you right where he wants you. Never let anyone or anything move you because you are his and you have his heart!" I headed back and was just so excited. I was jumpy and yelling and smiling and being crazy.

Then I look over and see Monica still at her seat talking to someone so I decided to head over and see if I could talk to her again. I got my chance. She looked at me and said "Why do you look so familiar?" After explaining that I had talked to her 2 years ago she asked my name and then said she remembered me. This time I didn't have to say I'm hurt, I'm struggling, I'm depressed, I'm insecure, I need help. This time I got to say thank you for speaking that word into my life two years ago. That word, that whole week, set me on my path to finding my freedom. She was so excited to hear it and again encouraged me and just rejoiced right along with me. The whole night was amazing I came away literally shaking!!

Quote: "When you are tested, whatever is in you will come out. If you aren't relying on God only your weaknesses will come out, not his strength." - Monica Pankratz

Here is part of the campus. The buildings are the dorms we stayed in.