before i knew it, the conference was coming to an end. i've learned so much, experienced so much, and most definitely been blessed beyond my imagination.
worship was once again amazing, and i was just filled with so much joy again. i love having a blast worshipping God, and best of all, it never seems to end. the word shared was so powerful. we were created by God, for His pleasure. God created us because He wants a relationship with us, He wants to be our magnificent obsession. just thinking of how 'important' we are, that the God who can have anything He wants, would chose to have a relationship with us, is mind blowing.
also got a chance to attend another info meeting about IHOPU and the Forerunner Music Academy. even as i listened to all that was being shared, and learned more about FMA and all that they do, i knew that it was where God was going to send me to be equipped. i'm even more excited now than i was before to graduate from college and go to FMA.
if there's one thing i could take away from this conference, it would be all the teachings on the life of prayer and fasting. i've learned so much about the importance of it and there are many tools on how to start and sustain a life of prayer and fasting. most importantly, even if u have a slip and mess up/fail, just pick yourself back up and jump straight back into it! it's never easy, and it's ok to make mistakes. just keep sticking to it. i'm very thankful to God for allowing me to have an open heart and mind throughout the entire conference. i literally feel like a sponge, soaking every thing up.
just when i thought i couldn't get any better, of course God would blow my mind away again. worship tonight was literally, a mass Jesus dance party! imagine about 30,000 people in the same venue, with a lot more connected through live webstream, all worshipping and partying it up for God. it was INCREDIBLE and a whole ton of fun.
if you ever want to have a good time welcoming in a new year, HAVE A JESUS DANCE PARTY!! that was what we did, and it was a blast. there is nothing better than to have the very start of the new year centered around God. it was wild and crazy, but it's just so much fun! and after the conference was officially over, i headed over to the prayer room for the night watch, and had an amazing time spending the first few hours of the new year with God.
admist all the fun and excitement, the highlight of the night was still healing.
instead of having a sermon, they followed the leading of the Spirit and entered into a time of prayer for everyone that needed healing. i decided that i was going to take my chances and receive prayers for my back. THIS IS MY TESTIMONY....
a little over a year ago, i hurt my back while practicing for cross country, and after several months of unknown, they finally diagnosed me with stress fractures in my lower back. since then, it's been a frustrating road to recovery, lots of uphills and downhills. spent 3 weeks on crutches early on because it messed up my nerves and left leg. countless times i would wake up to back spasms that left me paralyzed for a good 20 minutes. this summer, even though xrays showed that the fractures were healed, i was told to take it easy and that i probably wont ever run long distance again. also if i did and had more fractures, i risked being paralyzed at least waist down. although everything seemed to be doing well over the summer, it started going downhill again after i got back to school.
we prayed and prayed, and i didnt feel anything different, and was starting to get discouraged, but it was the faith of those who were praying for me that really helped me to believe myself and to keep pressing in. still nothing happened and i was starting to get frustrated, but it was that desire for healing that kept me in it. then Gloria, one of my friends, came over to pray for me too and then she said that i needed to repent from hating my own body. all the emotional hurt that i felt had caused me to hate my own body, and because of that, it was manifesting as physical pain.
i broke down and wept as i felt God just starting to heal me emotionally, that all the pain that i thought would never be gone was being taken away. no matter how guilty or how terrible i felt about myself, God kept reassuring me that He still loved me, and that it was all going to be ok. right after that, the pain in my back got just a little better, and i was able to lean backwards quite a bit more than i could previously. Praise God!
i had been warned, that before i was completely healed, it could end up hurting even more at first, but i need to keep believing that i was healed. even after going to bed, i was very fearful of it hurting more because i knew how bad the pain could be, and it was the last thing i wanted to deal with.
the next morning when i was in the shower, for some reason, i decided to bend backwards. something i dont usually do, and it was then that i realized that i had no pain. i got so excited i kept on doing it over and over. and there was no pain at all! not the slightest bit! throughout the day, i tested it every now and then, and there was no pain. the car ride back from kansas city was the true test because having to sit in a car for a couple of hours usually caused me enough pain that i needed to pop some pills. this time, i made the entire trip pain free!!
it's been more than a day, and there has not been the slightest little sign of any pain, and i no longer worry about doing something that might risk hurting my back again. Thank God for His healing. both emotional and physical. being pain free is a huge relief, and i've just been ridiculously happy since the conference. it feels awesome!
