Why I haven't been able to speak for the past two days...

This week was probably the best week since Bio Boot Camp. I watched Schaumburg on Stage put on a great show in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown-In fact, I saw the show three times! It was so good. Congrats to the five of my friends who were in it :) You guys blew me away with what you did. But, that is not the subject of this note. The subject of this note is Jesus Culture, a three day conference I attended with my friend Cait from college and her youth group. Wow! I mean, really. WOW! It was spectacular for so many reasons. AHH! Just thinking about it right now makes me so happy! And I start laughing and smiling because God is good! While some of it was a bit strange and I'm not sure what to make of it, a lot of it was beautiful. If you haven't read this note I wrote previously, [http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150702194885083OK] then I would encourage you to read it now :) Anyway, this is probably going to be a just a short list of some of the awesome things that happened but if you really want to know more, please come and talk to me! I could talk about this forever! OK, list time:

1. Cait-I love her. I was describing her to my cousin yesterday, and I said that the beautiful thing about our relationship is not that we're interested in the same things or that we think the same way, but it's that we are completely on the same page spiritually. Completely. It was truly wonderful to spend three days with her, praying and talking and worshiping together. God has blessed me with her and I'm so glad I get to spend college with her!
2. Cait's Youth Group-I've never felt so loved and accepted by a group of people I didn't know at all. Cait told them about me, and they were instantly excited to meet me! As soon as I arrived, they literally flocked to me, telling me they'd heard a lot about me and couldn't wait to meet me. It was so uplifting and encouraging. I'm so sure that God will continue to work and see lives changed in their youth group if they just keep doing what they're doing: loving on everyone they meet.
3. The Worship-In a word...well...I really can't describe in one word, or two, or even twenty. Before I went on this conference, God told me clearly that during these three days, I was to worship Him in spirit and in truth. And oh boy, did I ever! 15,000 or more Christians all crying Jesus's name in one strong voice for an hour. And then do that 5 times in the span of three days. That's why I've lost my voice. I just spent too much time praising God! And I would do it again and again and again if I could! It was so glorious! God's name was truly lifted high. Wow :)
4. The Teaching-Jesus Culture is a revivalist conference and I'll admit, some things I heard said a few things I didn't quite agree with, BUT the Gospel was consistently preached. Almost every time someone got up on that platform to talk to us, it was about putting your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and laying down one's life to follow Him. It was wonderful, to hear the truth of God spoken so many times. And that's one thing I gained from this: I want to know the truth of God and who He is, not how He is portrayed by the world. I want Him as He is.
5. The Prayer Time-I loved praying before I went to this conference, so it was fantastic to be able to pray and be alone with God in worship and then, during the teaching sessions to take my notes in prayer form. I love talking to my Lord, He who listens to everything I say and hears my heart. 
6. What I Learned-God desires all of me, which I already knew but it's something I need to keep learning my entire life. It I truly have a heart to see people come to know Jesus-Isaiah 62:1 is a verse God gave me. I will not be silent. The Holy Spirit in me is personalized to me, because I have a personal relationship with God. I need to keep building my secret history with God, spending time with Him and being quiet before Him. I love to worship God, because He's so good. I think I'm going to spend some time reading the Sermon on the Mount, because there's a ton of really good stuff in there. God is ready for me to go to college! Yay! It was really cool, because during the last worship session I was praying and telling Him that I'm sad and I'm not ready, and immediately, the response was, "Uh, I'm ready!" And I rejoiced and started laughing and crying! If He's ready, then of course I can be ready, even if it's sad and difficult to go! Haha! I'm smiling now. God's awesome.

Tons of other stuff went on during Jesus Culture and it's all so wonderful that I could go on and on, but I don't want to be up all night. The link at the bottom of this page is a clip someone recorded of the worship with Hillsong United if you want to check it out. That was the view pretty much from where I was sitting. It was so great.  Just thinking about it all makes me so filled with joy! Ahh! I know I'm weird, but I don't care :) Jesus loves you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XPB_liWZY&feature=related