MOVE

C.I.Y, has now become MOVE.

I had a freaking blast! Something powerful happens when you worship the Lord with more than a thousand of you peers. The theme this year was talking about moving for God and what he is moving us to do. I learned alot of things about how God wants us to act and what he's calling us all to do. I'm horrible at explaining it, I feel like i'm not doing it justice because it was so much more amazing when your there. We had a lesson on boldness one night, being bold for the Lord and not holding back your faith. At the end the speaker said when the worship leader came out not to sing, just listen to the music and pray to God about being bold, and if you feel your need to change and be bold for Christ, stand. Well, while he was saying this i already felt the pull of the holy spirit to stand, I knew me being bold and not holding back was what God wanted from me all along and upon hearing my readiness was rejoicing and "sitting on the edge of his chair with excitement". So my prayer was this, "I understand Lord, give me strength! AMEN!" and i was standing singing my heart out. It was an amazing moment. I've also come to the realization that the Lord has plans to use me, and from what i can tell/hope (but who doesn't) in a big way. I'm not sure what He wants me to do but i know, i can feel, He has a major plan for me! and i'm nothing but excited, I want to serve the Lord that made me who i am! and another cool thing happened that moment. It was another call to stand thing, at the end of the last session, a gentelman asked us to stand if we had made verious decisions, When he asked anyone who felt God was using them and that they wanted to serve him, i felt another pull to stand (which was the Holy spirit telling me i was to be used.) I stood. Then the man instructed those around anyone who was standing up to put a hand on them and pray with him. Well, Jason Smith grabbed my waist and held on like a little child, in one of the most memorible hugs i've ever had, then about fifty other hands were felt on my arms and my back and it was funny watching my friend Kory struggle trying to touch both me and our other friend Brooke, who had also stood up.

It was an amazing feeling to have all the support and care all around me.

My favorite part of CIY is friday night when Jayson French yells at us. This year Jayson brought to our attention the over ratedness of the cross. Don't take offense he makes a strong point. If Christ had never risen from the dead after dieing on the cross his death there would of been nothing more than a common criminals, and completely usless to us. That the fact that he is still alive and defeated death is what saves us! now, yeah thats nothing compared to how he said it, it was amazing and by far a big realization. Another cool thing that happened that week. We did this thing called WEAVE, its where the students are broken into groups and each group sings, prays, or reads scripture and thinks on questions given to us. Its an amazing sight but hard to explain in typing, but anyway, after each group had done everything the screen said "NOW MOVE" and we were saposed to do what ever the holy spirit was moving us to do. The first night i was moved to apologize to my exboyfriend who i was having issues with, The last night though, was by far the most amazing. I was having trouble concentraing on God during Worship because i was focusing on my relationships and how i felt about some of the people in my youth group, and then a church walked up front by the stage and soon other followed, usualy I love worshiping with people and being crowed together like that, but for some reason i was really uncomfortable, which bothered me a little. It was not how i usualy was. So when the "now move" came i prayed and asked for a clear mind and to have it be just me and God. It didn't work, so i decided to walk and sit in an empty area in the bleachers and close my eyes and sing, not looking to see what my fellow teens were doing. I prayed again, and told God that i just wanted it to be me and him but if He wanted to send someone it didn't matter. I was struggling to not look to see if He was sending anyone from my group but i kept my eyes closed or locked on the screen. Then i felt an arm around my sholders and i didn't look to see who it was but i saw the hand and thought it might of be Zacharia, then i saw a girl i didn't know come and she kneeled down behind me and prayed for me then she moved on to help others, but the arm around my sholders stayed with me for the next two songs, when i decided i was focused and ready to rejoin my group, i turned to thank the arm and saw that it was a complete stranger, thats what i love about CIY teens that aren't afraid to reach out to each other. I thanked him, and then thanked God. I thought it was cool the God sent two strangers to comfort me instead of people from my 0wn group, expecaially sense only moments before i didnt want to be anywhere near people i didnt know. Kory likes to say C.I.Y. is a slap in the face and thats what makes it so amazing. I disagree, i wasn't slapped this week, i was gentely lead to find myself and who God wants me to be. by far more amazing.