Hello my favorite friends, supporters, and blog followers!
Today is my fiftieth day at YWAM, and so much has happened since I last updated you all. I have actually been camping in Orlando for the past two weeks, which is why I have seemed to have disappeared! When I say camping..I mean CAMPING! No running water...no toilets...raining for three days straight....CAMPING! It was exactly what I have been asking of God...to make me uncomfortable. I want to surrender every part of my life...and that includes my health, safety, cleanliness, and comfortableness. As Americans we take so much for granted! Camping forces you to appreciate the simple luxuries we have as Americans. It also forces you to see the beauty and creativity of God's earth.
The past two weeks in Florida have been my favorite weeks...which is a very hard statement to make, considering the great life changing things that have happened in previous weeks. However, our first week in Florida, our speaker was a local house church pastor named Andrew Lamb. He not only taught on the Holy Spirit, but helped usher Him into our lives in an overwhelming way. Most all of the other students were introduced and re-introduced to the Holy Spirit...my best friend!
On day one of the week, I realized that I didn't really believe in God's ability to heal! I have always thought people were over exaggerating or faking their healing. But through Andrew's teaching I suddenly understood that God heals because HE LOVES US! He doesn't want to suffer, and whenever He can, he heals us! Sometimes He doesn't heal, and I will never make up a reason why He doesn't. I don't want to create a theology based on what God doesn't do...instead I want to focus on how He loves us, and therefore can and will heal us. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit is power, and when Jesus left us, He gave us the power of the Holy Spirit! That may sound simple, but when you truly get that knowledge from your head to your heart, it is amazing!
So, now I know that the Holy Spirit's power has nothing to do with me! I can easily pray...and should pray for every person, in every situation...because God wants to change things through prayer! I used to never pray for healing because I felt that I could not heal them...but it was never about whether I could do it! It is about whether God can...and He can! So I encourage you to pray for healing...and believe...and keep praying...and listen to God's voice.
I am going to end this blog, without telling you what God did the next week we were in Florida...because I want you to come back and read it! God has been speaking and doing incredible things in the hearts of those who are desperate for Him....be DESPERATE for Him! I have never felt this hunger for the word...and this thirst to hear His voice...and such a longing to just be in His presence before. I can't even explain it as well as I would like to...but something happens to you when you finally give up EVERY area of your life, and say to God..."You are ALL that matters...ever".
I pray for you all to receive that kind of zeal and hunger and thirst.
I love you all so much, and would not be here if not for your support and prayer.
Please continue to pray for us!
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be satisfied...for they will see God!"
