My Training Camp Journal: unabridged edition

So here it is everyone, the inevitable Training Camp blog.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to write about. Mostly, because I am still processing through the whole week. That being said, God did a work on my heart and I can see that next year, and the rest of my life, is going to be:            

         crazy, awesome, beautiful, unexplained, beyond imagination, eye-opening, boundary pushing, full of life and love, freeing, guided by the Holy Spirit, and used by and for the Kingdom of God.

At a loss for how to adequately explain my heart to you in this blog, I am just going to let you read excerpts from my journal during that week. I have not changed the wording for my blog, I’ll be giving it to you word-by-word.

Day 1, Saturday July 14 – Breath Deep & Press In

              “God, my prayer is that I would come to you ready to press in. Guard my heart from false teaching, but also allow my heart to be opened for you and to you. I want to seek out truth and nothing else. I pray that I do not close you off, and that I welcome and embrace you as you reveal yourself to me more this week. Thank you for the friendships already made, and those in the near future. You are a good God who takes care of His people. And for that I praise you and thank you! I love you!

Day 2, Sunday morning quiet time

              “God, I do not know what I’m doing, I need you to show me. Make your presence and purpose known to me. God, I need this to be real. Show me what is real and open my eyes to the life you created for me.”

Day 2—quotes from sessions

              “Do my words and actions prepare the group to prepare the seed?”
              “God is faithful to follow and pursue.”

Day 3—breaking my chains

              “We spent the worship session praising Jesus for who He is and the power He has. He has the only power to break my chains. He has the only power to break any and all chains. That’s what I think part of my calling to the World Race is; to show others how Christ has pulled me from the pit and set me free, and how God will break their chains as well.

              I want to see a world set free from bondage and slavery. I know the world as flesh is not perfect, but we are called out of the world and into the Spirit. The Spirit of Freedom!

              Let me be free, God. Show me that this week and this next year. I need to be in Your Freedom. I want to follow you and your plan. Show me that this week!"

Day 4—Holy Spirit (the most incredible night of the week for me!!)

              “Wow, is all I can say about last night….I just began praying that God would show me what is real truth and life. I wanted and asked God to be an all-consuming fire. I prayed He would consume with fire and water. That His Spirit would be undeniable in my heart and the hearts of everyone in the room….that’s when I felt it—peace and a sense of surrender. I felt so at peace with the Spirit and I knew God was with me and present in the room. I couldn’t cry, only smile and take in the moment….

              A sense of boldness was in my prayers, something I hadn’t really experienced before. Then the worship ended with dancing for Jesus, literally. We filled the chapel in praise for our GOD!

              He is good and mighty to be praised! The feeling of praise and blessedness that was over me while watching us all worship was incredible. God is doing something in my life this week and I am eager to soak it all in.”