Filled with the Holy Spirit! part II

Like I was saying earlier...one of the best weekends of my life....

I attended a 72 hour BURN Event at the Harrisburg Life Center (see http://www.lcmi.org/).  I wasn't there for the whole 72 hours, I attended about 12 hours of the event and was electrified.  I can't even imagine how I would feel if I would have been there the whole 72 hours. 

Billy and I decided to go on Friday afternoon.  He sent me an email from work on Friday afternoon and said "So, what do you want to do?" and testing my new found boldness in our relationship said "We will be leaving for the Life Center as soon as you get home, will be staying at my sister's for the evening and going back to the Life Center on Saturday.  How's that for direct?"  He responded with "I like it." and then a bit later on "You may be pushing it."  I laughed!

So we left on our journey around 4 not know what God had in store for us, but saying the set aside prayer the whole way.  God, help me to set aside everything I think I know, for an open mind and a new experience.

Let me tell you, was it EVER a new experience!  The hand of God touched my soul and I am forever changed.  I experienced prayer and worship unlike any before.  The music was fantastic, the speakers were true messengers from God, and the young generation electrified me in the Christian Mosh Pit (well that's what it was like anyway). 

I also met a man by the name of Mahesh Chavda ( http://www.maheshchavda.com/ ), and if you ever have the chance to hear him speak, don't miss out.  Mahesh called my name in the middle of his healing session, and being tested, I froze.  I was devestated when I left on Friday, but when I returned on Saturday I was able to speak to him in private and he prayed for my family. for my brother in prison, for my children and I felt at one with the Holy Spirit.  It was amazing!  Thank you honey for encouraging me to go up to him, and I'm sorry you didn't grow a new tooth...you too Mike, we will keep praying.  :-)

So, I am encouraging everyone to open their hearts for the Holy Spirit to enter.  The joy I feel is beyond words and if I can bring back a fraction of that to my friends, family, congregation, neighbors and strangers in the name of Jesus Christ, then I feel it was worth more than I could have ever comprehended.

Filled with the Holy Spirit

I just experienced one of the most powerful weekends in my life.  I've had a few of these experience, all of them on a much smaller scale.  Weekends where I released the pain inside me that bound me to Satan.  Pain that kept me from God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ.  During those weekends, I focused on releasing that pain and it was very targeted to certain experiences in my life.  On one of the occasions, I was told that the pain that was released from me could be seen and that the light of the Holy Spirit could be seen entering me.  (Believe me...at that time I had no clue exactly what the gentlemen was saying, but my ego was boosted because it moved him to tears).

This weekend was bigger.  This weekend was explosive.  This weekend was Super Natural!!

More to come...right now I have to go run some errands.  God Bless!

Jonah and the Whale

Well, I read Jonah this morning. Not really sure how I got led to Jonah, but I guess that's what I needed to read. As I'm reading it, I'm thinking "What in the world could I have in common with a dude who got swallowed by a huge fish!". Okay...okay, I get it. Here is his prayer as he's inside the fish: (NIV 2:2-9)

"In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.' The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."

Only when I was swallowed up by life and felt the desperation of death (death of my spirit, not of the flesh), did I turn to the LORD and ask for HIS help. I am getting much better at asking and receiving His help before I get to that breaking point. Sometimes I wait too long and it again becomes painful. The great thing is, is that I now know where the answers are and fall to my knees quicker, before I get completely swallowed up.

Matthew 5:7

We have been studying the Be Attitudes at church the last couple of weeks and today was all about being merciful so that we may be shown mercy. Basically, we need to forgive if we want to be forgiven.

I thought I had this one down, I really did. I have had my share of things to forgive, big things, that I truly have forgiven. It's the small things that trip me up. I am still a very, very sick person and God loves to show me how human I really am. Again, the reason my name is Christina, not Christ! Thank you Lord for your patience with me. I pray for myself and those that I love to have a fraction of the patience you provide.

Catching up

Unbelievable! I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I posted anything. The good news is, nothing traumatic has kept me from it, I was just being lazy I suppose. I have recommitted myself and may be changing a few things along my future journey here on Blogger. More to come on that.

As for a quick update: the kids are older, so am I. I am off of nicotine for good, only by the grace of God. My family is still in tact, although some of my friendships have been changing. Not for worse or better, and not ending...just changing. Mostly it is me and my outlook on friendships. I have been building my friendship with my very best friend, Jesus Christ. He loves me and I know he will be there every hour of every day, no matter what. I am working on being that way too, but I fail every freaking day and have to pick myself up (with His strength) and start over again.

My life is taking another turn again. I'm not quite ready to give it all up yet out in the cyber-space world, but I am so excited about it and can't wait for it to start. I am fully addicted to something new, but trust me, it's a healthy addiction.

So hopefully I've gained some attention with my secrecy, and you will come back to find out what is new in my life. If not, that's okay too, I know Jesus is watching. :-)