An Ellerslie Summary

How in the world do I begin to summarize nine of the most spiritually intense weeks I've ever experienced? It's not going to be easy, but I pray that God will give me the words.

I saw such a beautiful picture of what the true Christian life is supposed to be. I saw that God's commands are to be obeyed truly, not just given a nod of affirmation and then disregarded. I saw that His promises are rock solid truth, not just comforting poetry. I saw even more clearly the weight of what He did for me, and what my response must be: complete, unconditional surrender. So much powerful truth, but at the heart of it all there is one thing.

Jesus. All that I've learned only has worth if it is the outflow of a relationship with Him. This life can only be lived victoriously by total dependance on His enabling grace. In Him we have the strength to love, forgive, overcome the enemy, pray with power, find perfect peace and joy, die to self, follow Him, and so much more, but that's the key- through Him! He is all that matters! We have the breathtakingly wonderful and sobering privilege if representing Him on this earth. We can't esteem His pattern and seek to imitate it; we can only come to Him and allow Him to live His life through us. It's all by His grace, and all for His glory!

There is more I could say, but that's the heart of it. God did so much in my life over those nine weeks, and this is only the beginning. My hearts desire is to know Him more and to make Him known. I don't know the next step, but I know the One who goes with me! May He receive all the glory!

A few pictures!

Here you have a TINY sample of what I've been up to! The first picture is of some of us at Lily Lake, the second is my roommate Karen and I. We dressed alike by accident. The third picture is one of many I've taken of the campus. All of the leaves are gone now, and it's snowed twice. The last one is of my team the day of the Ellerslie Epic Games. :)

A Video!

Hello everyone! I'm sorry I've been neglecting my blog. There is SO much to process that it's hard to get around to writing it out in blog format. Things are still wonderful, and God is doing amazing things as always! I'm rather short on time now, but I did want to share this video from the Epic Ellerslie Games, Fall 2011! I'm on the orange team, and I'm not wearing my glasses. :) http://vimeo.com/31568598

P.S. It's cold here.

Ellerslie Update

There is absolutely no way to put words to the work God has been doing in my heart, and no time to tell you all I've been doing. I'll simply share a few highlights and then zero in on one specific area of what I've been learning.

-The His Little Feet choir (look it up!) has been here preparing to go on tour. It has been such an incredible blessing to minister to the kids and play with them. You don't have to speak the same language to show God's love. Last night they gave us a concert, and it was one of the most intensely moving things I've ever witnessed. They are gone now, and I miss them already. Please pray for them.
-Last Saturday we had a picnic and hiked around Lily Lake. Understanding the power of God and the awe of knowing that His Word makes mountains tremble is taken to a whole new level when you see grandeur like that. The hike up and around was unforgettable.

Again, there is so much God has been teaching me, by there's something central to what I've been learning. (This is sort of a follow up to my post on God's promises)

Just as His promises are to be believed, so His commands are to be obeyed. He is God, we bend and bow to His definition of reality rather than trying to redefine it. He has bought us with His blood; we are not our own. We must "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey it's passions. (Romans 6:12)

You therefore must be perfect, and your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Sounding impossible? If you don't think so, try to live this way and you will quickly change your mind. In our own strength, we are completely and totally unable to live this way. Here's the thing: We aren't called to do it in our own strength! It is Christ living in us that enables us to walk as He walked. We must decrease, that He might increase.

Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20)

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may be partakers of the divine nature... (2 Peter 1:3-4a)

This barely scratches the surface, but there you go. Those are things I've always understood on a certain level, but not I'm standing on it, in His strength, and accepting His Word as truth in an intensely practical way. I'm seeing my own depravity apart from Him, but I'm also seeing the depths of His grace and power like never before! I don't just feel free, I am free!

Here I am!

(I wrote this on yesterday but didn't have time to post until today.)

Hello from Windsor, CO! Let me just begin by saying that I love it here. It's only been a few days, but already it feels like I've been here a very long time in the best possible way. Someone asked me this morning what my favorite part of being here has been. That is a very difficult question to answer. I love the fellowship. Everyone is so genuine, and I've had the most wonderful conversations with some of the girls. What really makes it special, however, is how the environment is completely saturated with Christ. It's very hard to articulate, but the worship, fellowship, teaching, and ample opportunity to be still before Him are priceless. I am at the threshold of something amazing, and though it sounds cliche, I'll say it anyway: I am so excited to see how God is going to work in my life and in the lives of those around me. He promises that in His presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) and I am beginning to taste what that means.

Several random things:
-My roommate's name is Karen, and she's from Australia. I love her.
-Our dorm room is very cozy, and we have a beautiful view of the mountains from our window.
-I have taken quite a few pictures already, and you can't escape seeing them when I get back! (haha)
-I never realized what a thrilling place Walmart can be when you're out on your own! I've never had such fun paying for soup and laundry detergent. (We'll see how long that lasts.)

Watch this video for a taste of what I'm hearing. (Seriously. Watch it.)

Tomorrow!

After months of planning, preparation, and prayer, I will be leaving for Colorado early tomorrow morning! I've spent the last few weeks saying goodbye and the last few days packing like crazy. I know it's only two months and it will go by quickly, but it's still hard saying goodbye. God has blessed me with a wonderful community here, and I will miss my family and friends. The support, especially over the past week, has been overwhelming. I can't thank you all enough for loving, encouraging, and praying for me!

This is probably the most dramatic life change I have faced so far. I will be leaving everything and everyone I know and going somewhere I've never been, not for a few weeks, but a few months. It's not forever, but much longer than I've been away. Am I nervous? Yes, a bit. I am facing many unknowns, but anytime I've started to worry, God has been faithful to remind me that He will never leave me or forsake me. Am I excited? Absolutely! I am amazed at the way God has brought me to this point, and I can hardly wait to see what He will do in my life over the next few months!

Here are a few prayer requests:

1. Safe travel! My flight leaves at 8:30 am and will arrive at 2:21 NC time. Pray that I will be able to make my connecting flight with no trouble!

2. Please pray that my allergies will not cause problems while I'm there.

3. Please pray that my focus will be on Christ, and that nothing will distract me from seeking Him.

4. Above all, please pray that God's purposes will be accomplished in my life and in the lives of those attending with me, that we will learn, grow, and draw nearer to Him during our time there!

Well, this is it! Now to finish packing...

Ellerslie

I have mentioned Ellerslie several times now, and I suppose it's time to fill you in. Ellerslie is a two month long program begun by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Rather than trying to summarize it myself, I will give you a quote from their website.

Ellerslie Training specializes in taking students deeper with God and providing an atmosphere in which a love for the Word of God, prayer and Biblical study can be cultivated. We are more of a spiritual-training retreat than a classical school environment. But though our primary goal is to help students go deeper with Christ, we are also very purposeful about giving students a strong Scriptural understanding and Biblical framework as they walk through this deepening process.

There are five major themes that we seek to develop in the hearts and minds of our students through the semester-long training:

1. 1.A passionate love for the Word of God
   

2. 2.A clear and intimate understanding of the Gospel life
   

3. 3.The cultivation of a vibrant prayer life
   

4. 4.An establishment of healthy, life-long spiritual behavior patterns
   

5. 5.An intercessor’s mentality – being made strong in order to be poured out for the weak
   

This is what we specialize in at Ellerslie - stoking the fire of the human soul - acquainting Christians with the enormity of our God and His ability to bring about a very real triumph in the human soul.

At Ellerslie, our desire is not to talk about Christianity, but to live it.

I have followed the ministry of Eric and Leslie for a long time, so I heard about Ellerslie soon after it began a few years ago. I distinctly remember a strong impression that God would have me go. That dream never died, but I never thought of it except as something that might happen years down the road. As I mentioned before, God used a conversation in January with my mom to change all that. Now Ellerslie is not something in the distant future, or even what I will be doing later this year.

I will be there in less than a month.

It still seems surreal that I'm actually going, but as time goes on, the more real it becomes. When I think of all that must be done in such a short amount of time it is rather overwhelming, but if God has called me there, I know that He will enable me to get it all done. If you think about it, please pray for me as I prepare both spiritually and practically!