Thursday, August 13, 2015

Aim Leadership Conference 2015

I just got home from a leadership conference with Aim. A few of us from the team in California went to join others up in Wyoming. Here is a little of what I learned.. We will also post more on our team website. Please check out the blog on our website. You can find our website HERE.


      Oftentimes, God takes something small and seemingly insignificant and turns it into something hugely important. I did not really have expectations going for this trip. Sure, I was looking forward to taking some time off of "real" life and going to spend time with some pretty awesome people, but honestly, I wasn't really expecting anything great, anything significant. Thankfully, God has other plans. I would not even say He greatly used the group devotions and sessions to work in me. He used something outside of those things to work.
      Let me be honest, I feel like one of those Christians that is a half-fake. Sure, I'm saved, love Jesus, and want to serve Him. But in the here and now, I am not very dedicated to Him.
I am not very dedicated to Him.
I do not love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
I do not keep up with my daily devotions and prayer times.
I do not find myself even really growing in my faith.
Honestly, I feel like I am kind of in a scary spot. Yet, knowing all this, my heart was hard. Again, I found myself in dire need of full surrender. The same place I found myself back at the 2013 Leadership Conference.
      The first morning in Wyoming, Brooke, Katie, and I woke up early and went outside for devotions. I had not done that in, well, way too long. I started out reading one of my favorite Bible passages. Then I "forced" myself to journal. All of a sudden, a plea/prayer to God came out. It touched me and softened my heart. Yes, I still have a long way to go before full surrender again, but God was able to start the work in my heart this week through something as small as journaling. He spoke to me through the journaling in such a powerful way.

"Lord, lead me to the place where all I want is you... Where I love You more than myself, my needs, my friends... Lead me to the place of surrender yet again... Help me to be able to stand with arms lifted up fully Yours again... Please lead me to that place... The place of peace and rest..."