Monday, January 9, 2012

27 Million

God had a plan for me to go to Passion 2012, but it didn't come together until the first week of December.

I stumbled upon Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries blog back in September, and they had a blog up that was Beth's heart to send 1000 women to Passion 2012 who couldn't afford it. There was no way I could afford to pay for Passion to go. I felt like I should apply, not knowing what would happen. I applied, 10 minutes later I got the email saying I received a scholarship. I thought, well okay God if you really want me to go I have to find a hotel, a ride, and people to go with. But I was trusting in Him, well sort of. He was on the back burner. I looked on our Hilton Employee rate website and there's a room at the Hampton about a mile away from the Georgia Dome for $29.00 a night for the EXACT dates I need. "Okay God, I have a hotel, now I need a ride."

So it's October and my best friend and I aren't talking, so she's out of the picture. Another girl I knew was flying with her parents. Great, I have no one to go with. Well my best friend and I work things out in November and she mentions she wants to go to Passion, well we started figuring things out. I have the hotel, one of her friends works for Allstate and got us a rental car for 9.00 a day. (AWESOME!) So it looks like we're going to Passion! God wanted me there, and He made it possible. Well it's second week of December and I'm not getting hours at work, and money is tight in my family so I had no idea how I was going to pay my share of the hotel and parking, and gas. So I send some emails to people in my church asking if they know anyone who can help us. The never responded. I emailed Living Proof, and tell them that I can't find anyone to sponsor our hotel, if you know anyone who can. I sent this email, like middle of November. I got a response December 23rd. The response was Living Proof will pay for your hotel, send me your confirmation and all that. PRAISE THE LORD. He worked that out too! My parents gave me cash for Christmas for gas. God really wanted me at Passion 2012. It's January 1st and we're on the road to Passion with everything worked out, Praise God!

I'm at Passion and I'm loving looking around and there being 44,000 18-25 year olds there worshipping God and proclaiming His Glory. My favorite Christian artists in the world were there: CHRIS TOMLIN! Charlie Hall, Hillsong, Lacrae, Christy Nockles, Matt Redman, Kristian Stanfill, and David Crowder Band. It was amazing. And the speakers, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, John Piper, Christine Cain and Louie Gigilio of course. Seriously so amazing.

Louie opened the conference talking about Luke 7&8 about God stopping our funerals! He really opened my eyes about the power of Christ. God doesn't want us to die, but to live for him! Francis Chan talked about just doing what the Gospel says. His sermon was so simple yet so eye opening. We sometimes think, "Oh they'll do it." NO! Just do it yourself!

And John Piper blew my mind. He talked about the supremacy of Christ. He said that Freedom is being so in love with Christ that you do exactly what you want to do, and it is accords with His will. There will be no struggle in Heaven to obey.

Bam. If we're living in Christ's will, we'll do what we want but it'll be of Christ. How powerful is that?!

Beth Moore, John Piper, Louie and Lecrae read the book of Ephesians one morning and it was powerful. Such an amazing book of the bible.

Our mission, or Do Something Now, was talking about the 27 million slaves that are in existence today. 27 MILLION. more than ever before. Louie's goal for the 44k of us was to raise $1 million dollars for this cause. People were waiting in line for hours to give their money, broke college students. We raised $3.1 million. To God be the glory.

It really opened my eyes of how blessed we are to live the lives we live. How it's our generation that will stop this. Our generation will rise up. We will change the world and create FREEDOM for people.

One of the songs that we heard for the first time at Passion was incredible. It talked about waving our white flag, and the war is OVER, love won. It was so powerful for me. Because God already won the war, we are free.

God moved at PASSION and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to go! I am searching for a community to get involved with and grow in my faith and learn more about the love of Christ.

Passion 2012, was life changing. I can't wait for Passion 2013, I hope you will join me in praying for those who went, and the world tour Passion is going on. God is so good and moving in our generation!

Blessings and Praise to HIM!


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