I've been back from conferences only a few days now and I have had some really cool encounters with the Holy Spirit. Whilst I was at conference I had a very interesting experience whilst leading the group in musical worship with my friends Matt and Peter. I was singing at the top of my lungs when I started to feel a strange sensation starting from my face, then down into my fingers and surging through the rest of my body to my feet. It felt as if someone was blowing cool air into my veins. My whole body tingled and I could not feel anything around me, nor could I feel the microphone in my hand. I could not realy tell whether I was sitting or standing, either. It was as if I became completely deadened to my outside senses and could now only feel what was happening within me. It was the most amazing physical sensation I've ever experienced - the cooling brought not only tremendous inward peace but also joy like I've never felt before.
Whilst this was happening I began to laugh uncontrollably. Not just giggling but uproarous laughter. That was the joy showing up in my emotions! I could not keep myself from laughing, nor did I feel like I needed to even though everyone was watching me...possibly wondering what the heck was going on. I was being taken over by the Holy Spirit and I had no insecurities about what others thought of me. Nothing phased me as I absorbed the amazing love of God in physical form.
On Saturday I went into the church with a friend of mine (let's call her Jolene). Jolene has been going through a particularly difficult time since becomming a Christian and has struggled to understand the love of God. I've been walking with her on this journey, praying for her and encouraging her when she has been at her darkest moments. Saturday we talked more about the love of God and as we were in the church, I began to play the piano. I wanted to take the time to freestyle worship God with music. She sat next to me on a chair and began to pray in tongues. As things came to her mind about God, she would say them outloud. I would then explain what the bible says about those things and she would feel encouraged. As I got more into playing the piano and worshipping God, she began to pray more heavily in tongues.
Suddenly she stopped and said, "Courtney...my lips are starting to tingle. Is that okay?"
"Yes," I said. "That is what started to happen to me when the Holy Spirit overtook me." Immediately after that she started praying ridiculously in tongues and was also overtaken by the Holy Spirit. She had uncontrollable laughter as well as joyous crying. It was quite powerful and we both felt very empowered that night in doing God's work.
Pray that God will continue to do amazing things in [Jolene] and I, as well as the other believers in this area, country and world!
Nov 12, 2007
Oct 17, 2007
The God I know
I often wonder...am I too deep?
I had a conversation with a friend not too long ago. He asked me to describe myself and my response was, "Most people tell me I'm tremendously deep, and I think that's probably true."
Later on in the conversation I said something about my relationship with God. With wide eyes he said, "Wow. That's really deep." I could tell he was being serious, but I couldn't undestand why.
"That wasn't actually very deep for me at all," I said. Hehe. It's a shame, really. I would love to have more profound and deep conversations than I already do, but they also need to be with the right people and at the right time.
I'm not really meaning conversations about theology or philosophy or whatever. I just like talking about God, really. I don't really want to figure out the theology behind Him, if I'm honest. I just want to talk about Who He is and what He does. I want to talk about the things He's spoken to me about, and the deep and intimate relationship I've found with Him. I mean, theology and philosophy are alright and they do have lots to do with this stuff, but...I don't want to pick it apart anymore using some weird mind process. I just want to say things the way they are. I just want to be honest and I don't even need to be sentimental. Just...honest. Am I making sense?
Here is the ultimate jist of it all, though. Life...everything...it's all wrapped up in God. That's something I want to share with people. God does live among the pots and the pans, as Brother Lawrence once talked about (thanks for that conversation Peter). God is in the stuff of life, around every corner, seeping in to the food we eat. Yet we treat Him as if He's cold and distant. No! He's not! It's funny, really, because over the past few years the times when I should have felt most distant from God, I didn't. I always felt like He was with me and I with Him...we were still together, hanging out, talking, chatting, sharing. God is real to me. It's pretty awesome. Is God real to you?
I had a conversation with a friend not too long ago. He asked me to describe myself and my response was, "Most people tell me I'm tremendously deep, and I think that's probably true."
Later on in the conversation I said something about my relationship with God. With wide eyes he said, "Wow. That's really deep." I could tell he was being serious, but I couldn't undestand why.
"That wasn't actually very deep for me at all," I said. Hehe. It's a shame, really. I would love to have more profound and deep conversations than I already do, but they also need to be with the right people and at the right time.
I'm not really meaning conversations about theology or philosophy or whatever. I just like talking about God, really. I don't really want to figure out the theology behind Him, if I'm honest. I just want to talk about Who He is and what He does. I want to talk about the things He's spoken to me about, and the deep and intimate relationship I've found with Him. I mean, theology and philosophy are alright and they do have lots to do with this stuff, but...I don't want to pick it apart anymore using some weird mind process. I just want to say things the way they are. I just want to be honest and I don't even need to be sentimental. Just...honest. Am I making sense?
Here is the ultimate jist of it all, though. Life...everything...it's all wrapped up in God. That's something I want to share with people. God does live among the pots and the pans, as Brother Lawrence once talked about (thanks for that conversation Peter). God is in the stuff of life, around every corner, seeping in to the food we eat. Yet we treat Him as if He's cold and distant. No! He's not! It's funny, really, because over the past few years the times when I should have felt most distant from God, I didn't. I always felt like He was with me and I with Him...we were still together, hanging out, talking, chatting, sharing. God is real to me. It's pretty awesome. Is God real to you?
Oct 15, 2007
A cool thing happened last night. I met two girls, 16 and 17 years of age, who have a heart for the organic church ('bringing church out in to the community where life happens as life happens' is the best way to describe it). I was so stoked to find this out!
You see, for the past year God has put the organic/fluid church on my heart. This started long before I was aware of it when I spent many of my days in ministry talking about the bible and Jesus with friends in coffee shops, private smoking clubs, restaurants, the street and in living rooms. It came naturally to me then, but now I see how it may well be the ministry God is calling me to long term.
This past year I've particulary been praying in to the organic church, praying specifically into finding an expression of organic church for my youth congregation and my ministry. In this time I have met quite a few young people who would like to participate in this kind of 'church service' shall we say. I am now praying in to starting some sort of outreach that takes church out in to the community; basically an organic youth church service. Does that make sense?
So pray into this for me, please. If God wants it to happen, then it should.
Ta!
You see, for the past year God has put the organic/fluid church on my heart. This started long before I was aware of it when I spent many of my days in ministry talking about the bible and Jesus with friends in coffee shops, private smoking clubs, restaurants, the street and in living rooms. It came naturally to me then, but now I see how it may well be the ministry God is calling me to long term.
This past year I've particulary been praying in to the organic church, praying specifically into finding an expression of organic church for my youth congregation and my ministry. In this time I have met quite a few young people who would like to participate in this kind of 'church service' shall we say. I am now praying in to starting some sort of outreach that takes church out in to the community; basically an organic youth church service. Does that make sense?
So pray into this for me, please. If God wants it to happen, then it should.
Ta!
Oct 5, 2007
I'm back!
Well, after probably a year (or more) of ignoring this blog, I am back in action! From now on I hope to be better about posting stories, photos, etc. This will be the place to go to get updated about me. Alternatively, I will also keep my website much more updated. Hopefully none of you will feel out of touch any longer.
Just an update for now. I've finally finished my first year of studies in England. This new year of ministry and life in England should be an awesome one. I'm living in a new home, making new friends, and trying new ways of going about my ministry. Hopefully you will be hearing a lot of good things from me for the rest of 2007 and on in to 2008.
Until next time,
Courtney
Just an update for now. I've finally finished my first year of studies in England. This new year of ministry and life in England should be an awesome one. I'm living in a new home, making new friends, and trying new ways of going about my ministry. Hopefully you will be hearing a lot of good things from me for the rest of 2007 and on in to 2008.
Until next time,
Courtney
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
