Last Week

It's a new week, and right now we are starting Week 9- we leave in 3 weeks for the outreach phase of DTS- which by the way, we will be in Northern Africa, which is going to be AMAZING! I'll tell yall about last week (week 8), but have yet to blog about week 7 because it is so important to me, I still don't know where to start.
But last week... we learned about mercy and compassion and just were reminded the Biblical basis for mercy. When Moses asks God to show him His glory, God actually proclaims His name to Moses for the first time. God doesn't tell Moses that He is powerful and almighty but that He is merciful and compassionate. So... part of the glory of God IS the MERCY of God. It was cool to be reminded that we need to bring the truth of the gospel with the tangible mercy of meeting people's needs where they are at. Jesus did both, not one removed from the other. There is no distinction between secular and sacred in the Kingdom. There is only the sacred.
A good quote from Mother Teresa... "If you can't feed 1,000, start with one." It's so easy to get overwhelmed by all of the suffering and injustice in the world. But when we allow this to overwhelm us, we become paralyzed. And then our response is simply to do nothing at all because we are too small. But, Mother Teresa saw things differently. She simply looked at the one, and look at the impact and change she brought to the world. This challenged me because I easily get overwhelmed when I look at injustice. But then I remember Jesus and how he loved people and had compassion on them one by one, bringing healing to each person individually. Because the Kingdom is about relationship. That's where it all begins and ends.
Hey check out this quote: (I got this from Ken during Destiny and Design.. the week that i haven't blogged about..hah)This is amazing:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is ... Read Morenothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Nelson Mandela
K, gear shift.....
So this weekend... Friday night the girls- Thea, Kali, Melody, and I decided to cook the boys a steak dinner. So we bought steaks, marinated them, cooked home made chips (french fries), salad, choc. chip cookies, brownies, and bought Heinz and like 8 cokes! haha... we all ate outside on the courtyard, which was so much fun! Then Zack and Chris DeSouza had challenged us to the ultimate Jazzercise competition, so we had a Jazzercise-Off, which rocked!
Then yesterday (Sunday), we went to Sydney agan- day trip this time!! We got there and immediately got Starbucks, of course! Then we went to the Mac store (again, of course). But we spent most of our day at Manly Beach- which is like the most famous beach in Sydney. We took the ferry there- which is an amazingly scenic ferry ride. The beach was cool, and the town of Manly was really cute too. Then that night we went to Hillsong church, which was awesome! Great, great day in Sydney!
This week, we are learning about Spiritual Warfare, specifically with a strategic emphasis in relation to our role in carrying out the Great Commission on the planet in this generation. Our speaker is from the base in Colorado, and he is AWESOME. I'm already really stoked and ready for this week. God has rocked me with this stuff, and it's only day one. I'm getting ready.
Hopefully soon I'll put up that way overdue post that needs to come. For now, here's some pics.

Sing a NEW song!

Right now we are learning about mercy and compassion and how they are a part of God's nature and who He is and therefore how we should live. But also right now God is teaching me so much outside of the classroom or what I am learning in lectures. He is teaching me to enjoy the moments He has put right in front of me- resting in those, not straining for something distant that I cannot figure out right now anyway! And somewhere, there is a lot of freedom in that-- freedom to look at where others are at. And how I can meet them where they are at instead of zoning in/ analyzing where I'm at and missing everyone around me. I feel like in this, I can just rest in the Lord as my faithful teacher to pour into me what I can pour into others.
He is teaching me about leading from being low and bowed down and how to build others up so they can live fully alive. That is more life-giving and real than so much of the dead worship that I have experienced sometimes. God is teaching me about real and honest worship, which is not always a quiet state of meditation or even a passionate, alive worship with me and God. It is being sensitive to His spirit- praying freedom for someone else in worship with me, giving a word of encouragement to someone, asking for forgiveness from someone if the spirit prompts me in worship, or just being outside with God and resting in Who He is.. it's more than a song. And it usually involves others on the journey- not just me- because we are a body, and our worship is made complete when we are together sometimes. God is so much bigger than my worship.
He is worthy of my honest praise, and it doesn't always look the same. God wants me to sing a NEW song to him because he is singing a NEW song over me! He is still creating every day and inviting me to create with Him, bringing something new, fresh, fun, alive, and real! He is good, and HE is worthy!

Oh Sydney!

So... last week Ken and Meg (this amazing couple from Tennessee) who are on staff here spoke on Destiny and Calling. I always say this, but I WANT to say that I learned more that week than any other week. I don't think I learned more, but it is what I am most passionate about- realizing the dream of God and the dream of me and of you and how my dream is connected and the same with His dream. I have SO much to say about this week that I need my notes (which I don't have at the moment) so that will be the next blog! Get ready... hah
What I will talk about is Sydney! This week, we planned to spend the weekend in Sydney (which didn't work out exactly according to plan- or lack thereof) but was really fun anyway! We planned to stay the night on Saturday night, but we didn't book a hotel or a hostel, so (long story short): we spent most of Saturday afternoon/ night looking for place to stay with no luck (b/c Coldplay and a bunch of people were there) and decided the best option was to come home early Saturday night instead of Sunday.
BUT... Saturday from like 10 to 3 was A-MAZING! We saw the famous opera house, the famous Sydney bridge, this INCREDIBLE place called The Rocks with a bunch of really really good outdoor street markets. If you know me at all, that is my weakness. I bought a couple of bracelets and things and resisted the beautiful $45 leather journal. There was a really cool jazz band playing, beautiful sunny perfect weather day, all together amazing. Let's see.. we also saw Darling Harbour, which was cool. The of course we went to McDonalds and STARBUCKS! Starbucks rocked (it was the first thing we did!) Iced caramel late and banana caramel loaf.. mmm! We also went to one of the biggest Apple stores in the world.. which was pretty sweet.
So.. we saw ALMOST everything we wanted to. We still want to go to Manly beach, which is the famous beach there. And also, of course, go to Hillsong. I might go to Hillsong not next weekend, but the next, because there is a live recording then!
So I really enjoyed Sydney. I think it's one of my favorite cities (maybe #2 to barcelona). idk. It was pretty amazing!!

Fun weekends!

So... I thought I would update about some of the fun things I've done recently and give you a break from all of this intense (but very good) teaching! Not last weekend, but the weekend before, we spent ALL of Saturday at the beach, which was AMAZING! It was the most perfect and beautiful beach day, and a ton of us just hung out there all day long. Then we ate at Subway down by the Harbour, which was delightful! (see last picture)
Then, last weekend, we went to a town called Kiama (about 20 minutes away). This town had beautiful rock cliffs overlooking the ocean and is one of the prettiest places I have been. There is also the world's biggest blowhole there, which was pretty tight (a word i've suddenly adopted in my vocab). We took some really fun pictures in Kiama. Then after that we went to a couple- the Rochester's house there, and they grilled for us. We played Taboo and some other games and just hung out as a community... so fun! (see first pictures).
Okay.. then this weekend....
We are going to SYDNEY!!!! woo hoo! I'm so pumped about it! We're going to see the Opera house, go to Manly beach, and who knows what else!! :) I can't wait. Then we are going to Hillsong Church, which will be amazing! There's like 8 of us going, so that'll be sweet! I'll definitely blog about that one.
k, that's all I really got right now. But enjoy the pics!!
christy

Holy Spirit

Last week a man full of the Spirit AND Truth of God named Barry spoke to our DTS about the Person of the Holy Spirit. I'm warning you now... what you are about to read might be a bit different or unusual, but I am not posting a doctrine here, but my experience and personal revelation from God in my life. So choose now to keep reading, and I hope that maybe the Spirit is speaking to you even now...
For a few months now (even before DTS) God has been speaking to me about the power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. Around November, God started showing me how the same power that raised Christ from the dead is alive and at work in me! That is POWER. And not just a power to love, power to forgive, and power to give my life away. It is all those things. But... what did Jesus do? He did those things, yes. But... he also healed people. He did miracles. He raised people from the dead. He cast out deamons! Yes. Does my life look like that? Nope. It does a little more now, but barely. Jesus said we would do even greater works than he did! What on earth does this mean? I believe it means that he can do these things through me... and not just in his ability to, but that he WILL.
I used to think that this only happened in other nations, far away and removed from me and the relationship with God that I had. God has shifted, rocked, and revoloutionized this view within me. Because this view really limits myself, and you know what? It really limits GOD.
So... this week, I told God yes. If you are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and you wanted to make yourself known in the supernatural in the Old Testament and through Jesus in the new testament and the apostles, then why wouldn't you be moving in these ways today?? I started to really believe and ask God to make Himself known to me. He opened my eyes to a whole new side of Him that I had never walked in before. And I asked God to make that part of Him one with me and me one with that part of Him!
So... I'm not going to talk about all the teaching I received, even though it was some incredible, life-changing stuff. But what I really want to emphasize is my experience of the Holy Spirit, the most exciting, radical, fun Person I have ever met! Ever since meeting Him, I felt a new authority be unleashed during that momemt and from that moment on-- a new strength and empowerment to be able to take on the character of Christ in a supernatural way, where I saw his character formed in me, like out of control (like the Mona story)!
And what is so awesome about all of this is what a respecter of Persons God is. I haven't been scared or needed to walk in fear, even though God is leading me into a ton of new stuff with him. Because he is so gracious to work with me exactly where I am at. He understand me and respects me. He is never forceful with me, but he gives me the exact amount of grace that I need when I need it to walk in.
Most of the stuff I experienced this week, I cannot describe in words on a blog, but I am SO excited about coming home and being to tell whoever of you wants to know about everything he has done in me and for me this week. I am truly experiencing a part of God, beautiful, exciting, extraordinary, radical, fun, new, and more and more.
Thank you all SO SO much for your love and support. You are all such a beautiful part my life and this journey, and I am so blessed as always. Your prayers are changing me, so thank you, thank you. I can't say it enough. Sorry if this was vague. I just cannot put into words what He did in me last week. Sometimes words are not enough.

"When you are loved, you no longer fear change nor are you afraid to change. When you love, you are willing to embrace a sacrifice of change and make the sacrifices to change. When you live a life of love, you are not bound to who you are, but who you will become. Love transforms. It leaves nothing it touches as it was before. The only thing you need to change is love."
-Erwin McManus
Wide Awake p. 87

christy

Missions

I feel like I am always starting my posts with the question, "where do I start?" There is just so much going on... God is changing me faster and deeper than I can process it, and it can be overwhelming to try to put into words (hence, why I haven't REALLY updates this blog in two weeks!). Not last week, but 2 weeks ago... our base leader, Bruce Skinner, talked on missions. He reminded me of that I have been blessed in order to be a blessing to nations, to peoples, to the 2 billion people on the planet that statistically will never even hear the name of Jesus in their lifetime! It was such a challenge to go into the world, to those who have never heard. God really opened my eyes this week to the challenge and adventure that missions is. It is not some distant thing reserved for the faithful few. But it is the very mandate given by Jesus Christ, my Savior, before he left this earth. The great commission wasn't just something Jesus thought he would throw out there... it was God's revelation of His plan to redeem the world- all peoples, tribes, and nations, and His desperate desire for us to join with him. We can actually SPEED the coming of Christ. Because it is not until all hear the name of Jesus that he is returning. I don't know if God is calling me to "be a missionary" but I know he is calling me to the nations because if we are following after Christ, then we ought to be about people, about nations. Because this is the heart of Christ. This is the heart of missions. This is what I want to be about.

"It is possible you'll never find greater contentment or joy or exhilaration until you're willing to give up what you know and what you have for what awaits and exists in the unknown."
-Erwin McManus
Wide Awake p. 49

peace.

christy

Mona

I know it's been a while. I've discovered that it takes me about a week or two to process what I'm learning during lectures and in life from all God has taught me during this time. Last week was Missions, and I have a ton to say about that. And this week, I don't even know where to start or how to put into words the incredible teaching I have been receiving on the Holy Spirit. So, eventually I will do my best to sum up all of this, but right now I want to tell you a story about something God did through and with me today.
Today we went to a school to do a Bible study with some kids, and we also went to a retirement care center place. Before I left for evangelism today my friend Samone told me about the most beautiful woman named Mona that I had to seek out and pursue and give a big hug and kiss for her, named Mona. As I prayed about what the time would look like, all I heard God saying was “Find Mona.”
I talked to a couple of women and found myself talking to this 90 year old beautiful woman. As I talked to her, I felt like I was mouthing the words of Christ and speaking with this incredible grace and compassion, completely not of me. I was amazed at the Spirit’s ability to give me the character of Christ in that moment. She began to tell me how her husband passed away three months ago, and tears filled her eyes. My eyes began to feel with tears as well as she told me about the incredible husband and Father he was.
Then she asked me my name and I told her “Christy.” I asked her hers and she smiled and said “Mona” M O N A… Mona. Incredible, indescribable joy filled my heart as I told her about Samone who loved her and told me what a beautiful woman she was. I told her this story of how God had sent me to her that day and I didn’t even realize it was her. Then she asked me what Religion I was. And I told her I followed Jesus. She said she was Catholic and I asked her if she had a relationship with Jesus. She said she knew him and couldn’t make it without him. And I was able to speak over her how much he loves her, he delights in her, he knows everything about her. He gives her grace and strength and on and on. It was such a beautiful picture and opportunity to be able to move with Christ in this woman’s life.
I just wanted to share that with you, while it was fresh on my mind and my heart. Your prayers and your support is going far, far beyond just a cool experience in Australia and some amazing teaching. You are a part of God's redemptive plan of the nations and all of his people. Be encouraged. How great is our God!
love you all, Christy