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I am back. Wow. What a weekend.


So, it all started Wednesday when Megan and Sarah came over. I had never met Megan before, but I'm so glad I got to. We had supper and just really did nothing until 9:00 came and I hadn't packed yet. We were planning on leaving at 6 AM, so I started. =D I stayed up until 1:30 AM because of some laundry I had to finish up, and then got up at 4. heh. Smart, no? I was burning cds, finishing my packing, packing some of Caiti's things, and getting my bedding. 6:00 was approaching fast and I was panicking. We were finally done, so I went to brush my teeth and put in my retainers. I was shaking from lack of sleep, lack of nourishment, and from panicking, so I dropped my retainer case. I saw the one retainer fly out, but I didn't see the other one. I picked up the one I saw and started searching frantically for the missing retainer. I couldn't find it anywhere. Then I really panicked. When I panic, especially over a retainer, I cry. I really cried because I just replaced one!!! So Mama and Nicholas helped me search without any luck. I went to my room to zip up my suitcase and take it to the van and finally Nicholas spotted it on the floor in a spot where it should have been crushed three times! We had all stood in the spot where it was sitting on the ground, but God was VERY good and it is safe and sound now. *sigh* That was too much drama for one morning. And we were off.

The morning went by fast, and with a little difficulty we arrived at the college. Without lunch. =D
However, we all lived until supper just fine. We had the first session at 2, a break, then a session at....3 something? and supper at 5. At 6 the ladies got together to learn a song. Then at 7 we had the night session, sang our song, had a great sermon, and left for our night of prayer. Megan and Bekka were out at the gazebo crying, so I went to pray with them. That was an amazing time. At one point I was praying for them and God was giving me the words. I wasn't stuttering or saying um, and it was all coming out so clear and coherent! haha. I was thinking, wooooww this is cool. =P

It was so sad, praying with them, seeing the pain and hurt that sin causes. Our own sin, sins committed against us, and sins committed against others. So many times there is just nothing you can do about it and it hurts!!! My favorite verse on this topic is Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. I just love how when we have hurts we have give it to him, because he carried it for us already. It doesn't take all the pain away, but it takes the burden of the pain.

Once we finished our prayer time we went and got donuts and had a prayer/sharing party with some friends. =P Fun fun times! We talked about everything from depression to what our parents used to spank us when we were younger! Then we went to bed.

Friday morning was rough. I was grumpy, sore, and cold when I woke up, and my shower was freezing cold. However, since I was the last to take a shower, everyone left and I stayed in the room and got ready. I read Ephesians 1 and Proverbs 1 before I finished getting ready, and that helped my morning a lot! And then feeling and looking much prettier did to. Unfortunately, I took so long that I missed breakfast, so we went to Bojangles and got some food there. haha.

Throughout the day we had our sessions and breaks, and then there was the sweet hour of prayer. I was thrilled that the campus we were on this year was big enough for all of us to be able to find a place to be alone - really alone - for an hour or more of prayer. I went into the laundry room in the dorm on the first floor. At one point I was sure the water heater was going to explode and I would be scalded to death and perish right there. Fortunately that didn't happen!! haha. God was using most of Friday to show me how self-centered I am, and how if I am going to change myself I am going to have to be preoccupied with him. I was very impressed early on (by God, not really by the preachers) that I need to drown myself in the Word. My sweet hour of prayer showed me how sinful I am. It's crazy because for awhile I had been feeling just how sinful and unworthy I am, and then it all came to a really big point during that hour. I was really struggling to accept God's grace and feel cleansed. I knew it, but I still just felt so evil. God is still working on me with that one.

Then there was lunch. *grin* I went to lunch alone, and found the nearest friend to sit with. Quinn!! She was sitting with her brother, Grayson, and some of his buddies. Caleb, Benjamin, Elijah and David. I told Quinn, "PLEASE don't leave me," with this desperate look in my eye, and she looked back with the same look/laugh, and said, "Yeah, PLEASE don't leave me either. " So, haha. Now these are a bunch of redneck southerners, and guys on top of that, so lunch was interesting and fun. At one point all the guys were bragging about all their various wounds and showing off scars. *lol* Poor David gets queasy when they talk about stuff like that, so he was sitting there holding his stomach and groaning. It was really fun. After that some of us trickled to the gazebo and talked about stuff until the next session.

I'm going to post all my notes on the different sessions eventually, but the one I want to mention at the moment was the session on purity. Normally they separate the guys and the girls, but this time we were all together. It was amazing. Bro. Will gave us a very specific plan to be pure. I was really encouraged. People think purity and think more like sexual purity, but it's also about the heart. I mean, anger and impatience and any sin is an impurity in our lives. It was really encouraging.

There was another session, and then supper, and then the last session of the night. After that was testimony time, which is always amazing. I gave my testimony, and I thought it went pretty bad, but apparently I was understandable. I blanked out on what I was saying at one point. :( I finally got through it though. I was amused at the difference between the guys and the girls testimonies. The girls would shake/stutter/mumble/forget what they were saying/be very nervous. MOST of the guys would just go up there and rattle it off like it was nothing else. In front of 300 people! Wow.

I stood around and chit-chatted with a bunch of people. There was a bunch of talking and discussing that went on last night. It was great. This morning a bunch of girls and I went running/jogging/feeling sick to ...my...stomach at 6 AM this morning. It was fun. :D Then we got ready and had breakfast(which I didn't eat cos it was sick), and then there was the first session, and then I got a good apple and some peanuts from the snack shop. The second session started, and then it was all over.

Now it's time for the stuff in random order.

I decided not to drink any soft drinks this weekend, so I have been drinking water. I'm still drinking it. I've refilled my bottle 3 times in the past 2 hours. :D It's getting empty again. I've felt a lot more energetic this year than any other year, and I think it's because I didn't have the lows/highs from the sugar and caffeine. I also tried to eat as healthy as I could (get a fruit and as many fresh veggies as were available at the salad bar =P), so it's been pretty nice.

I "adopted" another sister this weekend. Abby (who is Sarah and Bekka's sister) is a really sweet girl. She got saved last night, as did Bekka! Bekka may have just gotten assurance of her salvation. I'm not sure.

My little sister Abby just got assurance of her salvation tonight, too.

I wanted to ride home the same way the bus was riding home so I could eat lunch with my friends before not seeing them again for months and months, but my mom didn't want to do that because it would mean going a good bit out of our way. I struggled with being okay with that, but decided to really try to be joyful. I didn't do as good as I wanted to, but I did pretty good. Then, the bus ended up stopping at the place we stopped to eat about 15 minutes after we got there! I was able to say goodbye to a few people I hadn't got to say goodbye to when we left the campus. :) That made me happy.

There were more random things I wanted to post but I can't remember what they were. =P

<3
Laura