CoMpLeTe!

Hello world! 

So, this weekend I got to go to a conference with the girls! It's the COMPLETE conference... only happens in Bama! what what! It's a great conference... just for girls... with a worship leader, speaker, and various workshops that the girls get to pick and attend! So fun! It's just good to be girls, with girls! 

Here's our group... so beautiful! 

We learned so much. I think I might have learned more than the girls did... which is crazy because a lot of times I put up a wall and don't allow my heart to be receptive. I don't know why... just a weirdo.  Anyways... I learned and received so much... because I wanted and needed it!!!! Ahh... so good. 

The conference was all about L.O.V.E! Not just romantic love obviously... but falling in love with Jesus, letting Him love us, and living out of LOVE! It was great.  The worship leader was Heather Williams and the speaker was Sarah Ott. I don't say their names because they want fame... I say their names because they are all about JESUS! Buy Heather's music and support her ministry! AWESOME stuff. Sarah... man... she spoke some TRUTH this weekend. Not just to the group as a whole, but to me individually.  I'm thankful for her openness, obedience, and humility. 

One of the amazing truths I took from this weekend is this:

To LOVE God is to NEED Him. To NEED Him is to LOVE Him.

Often times, we don't truly NEED Jesus... so it's hard for us to LOVE Him.  We don't acknowledge His providence, power, love for us, mercy, etc... so we think we have it "under control" (DANGEROUS!). I desperately NEED Jesus. I absolutely LOVE Jesus.  Those 2 things go hand in hand. The more you LOVE Him, the more you NEED Him. The more you NEED Him, the more he shows up and shows off... and it causes you to LOVE Him more. Good stuff. So maybe you are feeling a little distant from Jesus... maybe a little lost.  Check yourself - do you understand your NEED for Him? Are you following Him because you LOVE Him or because you want things? 

I learned stuff that is more personal than I want to share on a blog, but God totally and completely OVERWHELMED me this weekend. You know how scales were removed from Paul's eyes in Acts? Well... I felt that way. I feel like Jesus has had to remove scales from my eyes to show me different things about Him... I just wonder how many more layers I have on my finite eyes... Whew. But that's how I felt/feel - He pried some scales off... how freeing! Basically, without being detailed because it's not time yet... I learned more about PRAYER (go figure). I asked that he would teach me about PRAYER and He is faithful. 

John 15:7 says:

But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 

I know you are sitting there like... yea... cool... I read that when I was 10. OKAY! me too! But do you GET IT? I didn't.  Jesus is saying that if we REALLY ABIDE in Him and LOVE Him and NEED Him... we can ask our heart's REAL desires. I don't have to put up a wall to Jesus... I can just ask and it will happen. IF we are ABIDING in Him, we KNOW Him and will ask things within His will and for His glory... BUT WE CAN ASK AND HE WILL GRANT IT! WHAT?!!?! That's nuts to me.  

Many times I pray about things and I talk to Jesus about what I think and pray for others... but do I BELIEVE John 15:7? Most of the time... no... sadly. But I experienced a John 15:7 encounter the other week.  You can call me crazy or whatever, but I believe it.  So, there's a girl in our college ministry who has just had ca-razy health problems the past year- galbladder, ovaries, tummy, etc... just weren't working right. Well, 2 weeks ago we talked and challenged each other to REALLY pray... NOT WORRY... PRAY for her health. So... we did. Last Sunday I got her attention to come to the altar during the "invitation" because I felt like I was suppose to REALLY pray over her. So... we got on our knees and prayed. I believed what I was saying... and I felt something. I heard the words "lay hands," "pray for healing," "I WILL HEAL," and "a prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." So I prayed more. All I said was "HEAL HER, I BELIEVE. HEAL HER, YOU CAN." I have never done that before. 

The next day Sam had a doctors appointment and had to have a ultra sound done to see how things had progressed.  Guess what? There wasn't anything in there that was there before. HEALING. Wow. PRAYER... believing. The enemy wants to make us think that it isn't powerful, that prayer doesn't matter, but OH MAN.. YES IT DOES! I don't say that to boast... just to say that I believe and have seen and been taught that more and more. 

I can go on and on about what God taught me (because I was receptive)... but I'll save the rest for another day. 

So thankful for my friends who minister with me and love on these girls with me...

This is Amy. She is such a blessing and a God send. A friend. A prayer partner.
A lover of high school girls! 

This is Christina and Stephanie. The middle school leaders!
So thankful for their love for Jesus and their friendship!!! 

The Magic of Matrimony!!

This weekend I had the honor of being in a precious friend's wedding.  It was a perfect weekend!! The weather was GORGEOUS. The celebration was fantastic. And friends were together again!!!! It was magical!!

Here we are at the rehearsal dinner looking all snazzy!!! Here's the breakdown from left to right:

Caitlin - from Bham, Chrystal - now lives in Las Vegas, Jess - the bride!, Christina - lives in Washington DC, Chesney - from huntsville, Katy - live in Bham, and me!!! 

They are GORGEOUS girls! And I have missed them LOTS AND LOTS! 

The rehearsal dinner was fun and yummy. Then we danced the night away with a live band!!! It was a blast!! 

Saturday morning we had breakfast at this swanky, quaint tea room in Huntsville.  It was adorable!  

Here I am with the BRIDE!!! Hooray for wedding day! 

Here is the stunning bride!!! She was breath-taking!!! We joked with her when she was taking all fun fancy pics that it looked like she OWNED that mansion behind her!! She was HOT! She was so happy... and I loved it.  Her beau (I didn't take a pic of him... oops) got teary when he saw her walk down the aisle... but who could blame him?  A pretty luck man!! They are currently in Bora Bora!!!!!! I'm a bit jealous! 

Here are the maids of the bride.  We look pretty good! Aren't the flowers stunning!!! We took lots and lots of fun pictures. It was a great day with old friends... I loved it! And Jess got married so... it was a success. Mission accomplished! 

The flippie floppies were part of our bridesmaids' gift!!!! HOORAY!!! Do you see those shoes I wore b/c I love Jess... they were REALLY high heels.  My feet don't enjoy those AT ALL! So... Jess, being the kind person she is, gave us those elegant flip flops to change into for the reception so we could get jiggy without breaking our face!!!! And get jiggy we did - electric slide, cupid shuffled, and I learned the wobble (sp?).  We sang at the top of our lungs to DON'T STOP BELIEVING!! It was fabulous!! I loved it and so thankful I was a part of the weekend! 

Congrats Jessica and Jonathan Walker!!!