Nicole

Retreat Draft 3 Can anyone fathom, is it even humanely possible, to put into words the majesty of God? How can anyone describe the feeling of His power pervading a place, filling hearts with the rush of His Holy Spirit, tears streaming down upturned faces. Hands raised in worship attempting to grasp and hold His overwhelming presence. Some with knees to the ground and hearts overflowing with indescribable emotions. Back in October, something like this happened in the well-used pews of our sanctuary. There us students were gathered together, and whether we were prepared or not, God did work in many hearts. Now seemingly so much time has passed from those two days of the retreat. And really, I forget exactly what was taught and exactly what occurred. The retreat taught me more about who God is, but in the time after the retreat there is a truth I have stumbled upon. God is not an occasional God, but a constant God. Retreats, with powerful speakers and music, are not the only times God shows up in our lives. If we are looking for Him each day, we will see how true it is that He is always there. He is always there to look to for help and nerve-calming when a big test is looming. When there are problems in a relationship He is always there to give us wisdom and the right words. When sleep was lacking the night before, He is there ready to give you strength throughout the day. Also He is there to thank when even the little things go right. So in the knowledge that God is constantly with us, my challenge is to make a conscious effort to talk to and look for God throughout the day. Thank Him for what goes well, and see all the ways He comes and supports you.

__Isaiah 45: 18 -19__ 18 For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other. 19 I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel[[|c]] to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. Retreat Draft 2 Can anyone fathom, is it even humanely possible, to put into words the majesty of God? How can anyone describe the feeling of His power pervading a place, filling hearts with the rush of His Holy Spirit, tears streaming down upturned faces. Hands raised in worship attempting to grasp and hold His overwhelming presence. Knees to the ground, hearts overflowing with indescribable emotions. Back in October, something like this happened in the well-used pews of our sanctuary. There us students were gathered together, and whether we were prepared or not, God did work in many hearts. Now seemingly so much time has passed from those two days of the retreat. And really, I forget exactly what was taught and exactly what occurred. The retreat taught me more about who God is, but in the time after the retreat there is a truth I have stumbled upon. God is not an occasional God, but a constant God. I mean that retreats, with powerful speakers and music, are not the only times God shows up in our lives. If we are looking for Him each day, we will see how true it is that He is always there. He is always there to look to for help and nerve-calming when a big test is looming. When there are problems in a relationship He is always there to give us wisdom and the right words. When sleep was lacking the night before, He is there ready to give you strength throughout the day. Also, He is there to thank when even the little things go right. So in the knowledge that God is constantly with us, my challenge is to make a conscious effort to talk to and look for God throughout a day. Thank Him for what goes well, and see all the ways He comes and supports you.

__Isaiah 45: 18 -19__ 18 For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other. 19 I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel[[|c]] to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.

1/13/10 The scuffed lockers tell stories of the lives of the kids moving through the hallways. Conformed to the jingling of dials and jostling required to reach your private space in this school that feels more like a home to me. Everyday I come here to my locker, bathroom smells wafting around the corner, and a mysterious door that never seems to be opened labeled "Mechanical Room." I've played hide-and-seek, jumped out at people in the dark, and been chased by boys with mouths full of water. I've laughed, cried, and slammed my locker in frustration. I can see ghosts of myself shimmering by. Icy blasts of myself as cold as the building after school is out glistening in my memory and reforming themselves before my eyes.

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Retreat 1 Can anyone fathom, is it even humanly possible, to put in to words the majesty of God? How can you describe the feeling of His power pervading a place, filling hearts with the rush of His Holy Spirit, tears streaming down upturned faces. Hands raised in worship attempting to grasp and hold His overwhelming presence. Knees to the ground, hearts overflowing with indescribable emotions. You feel as though you will burst in the enormous presence of God. How awesome is our God! I’ve seen God work in big and breathtaking ways before, but to see it among people I interact with every day and am closely knit to is something unbelievable. To see everyone as they really are, weak and fragile just like me and needing God, is too much for words. Bonds grow stronger as we humble ourselves before God and shed tears on each other’s shoulders. As we reveal our burdens and blackest parts. There is no shame, just a sense of brotherhood and love. The taste and emotion of these moments, they stay with you forever. Keep them in the forefront of your mind and allow their emotion and intensity to wash over you. When you reach a pit again, recall the feeling of God’s presence. Don’t let Satan bury it in your heart. Keep it always ready to be drawn on to uplift and comfort. Always remember that that intensity with God is not reached just by great speakers and worship leaders. Our very lives and days can constantly be filled with God’s presence if, throughout our days, we are drawing on Him, His love power and mercy, just like we do in a group and in our weakest moments. God is not just an occasional God, but a constant God who is always there to fill us and support us. His intensity is always right there to reach out and grasp. As we get to know God more, we understand Him more, feel Him more, and see Him more in our lives. We can live each day with a great intensity of emotion because we have someone unbelievably worthy to live for.