A few weeks ago I got an email from Gateway Church down in Dallas, Texas. This is the church that our SLI class went to for a Leadership conference several years back. The email told me that there were only 200 tickets left to there Gateway Conference 2018 (again the same Leadership/Worship conference). (200 tickets may seem like a lot, but for this church it is very small. Gateway Church, according to their website, has over 39,000 active members).
Seeing the email excited me in a way that was like, "Yeah that is cool, it would be really neat to go, but no I can't go." I had decided that I couldn't go for several reasons, 1) I would have to ask off work and school - neither of which I want to miss, 2) it would be a lot of traveling (which I don't mind generally, but with life seeming so busy as it is, I didn't think it would be that good of a time), and primarily and most of all, 3) I simply could not afford it. I do not have that kind of money laying around.
However, I felt that nudge from God prompting me to go anyways. I thought that was crazy - I tend to think a lot of His ideas are crazy. But I kept feeling the nudge and the stirring in my heart for it. i didn't lose peace at all about it. So I decided that I would do something that is really hard for me to do, and I would wait. I have a bad habit of impulse purchases and actions. I love new adventures and great deals and gifts, but, in this case, especially since I really didn't have the available money, I wanted to be absolutely confident this was God speaking and not my jumping on a crazy fun idea on my own. So I waited and prayed. Whenever I prayed about it I continually heard God tell me to go and that He would provide. That right there is a theme that He has been working me on. He will provide. If God says it, then He will do it. What He says will be done. As His own living word says in the Bible, His words do not return void (Isaiah 55:11).
That weekend, I woke up Saturday morning with a spring in my heart to act upon His prompting. I felt complete peace and confidence that this was God. So, before doing anything that morning, before food, quiet time, showering, etc... I went and registered for the conference. Since I was a late registration, I had to pay the late registration ticket price, and both of the afternoon/evening breakout discussion groups were full. I am not sure now what will happen with that.
But, I also felt the freedom to register for something else too. I also purchased the discounted (discounted if purchased with a ticket) Live Stream of the conference and all the sessions so that I can go back and watch all of them On Demand until September 1, 2019. In total, the conference cost me $258. Again this is money that I don't have, but I have complete confidence that He will provide it since He said so. Along with that expense comes travel expenses as well. Primarily for the sake of cost, I am driving down and back (roughly 12-13 hours each way). GasBuddy.com estimated me around $100 to drive their and back (a benefit of a Prius). On top of that will be food for nearly all of my meals. The Conference is on a Monday and a Tuesday and includes a lunch for both days. Supper and Breakfast are on my own. Thankfully my dad had enough points to get some free hotel nights to house me while I stay in Dallas for three nights (which is a huge provision already provided), though the hotel doesn't serve breakfast, so I will have to get food for that. Overall I am estimating that the whole trip will cost me about $500, give or take. So that is something that I would ask for prayer for: as you feel led, pray that God would provide in a way that glorifies His name and pray for continual peace and confidence in His provision. I do not know if He will provide all in one sum, or if it will be from multiple sources, or over time - but I do know He will provide.
So I will be leaving around noon on Sunday, September 30th to drive down to Dallas. Why wait till noon to leave? Several reasons, first, I get to serve on parking that morning at church, and it will be a REALLY, REALLY BIG DAY that morning (that may be too much emphasis, but it hopefully gets the point across). It is going to be really busy. Instead of having the regular parking lot, plus buses shuttling people back and forth between one of the city high school parking lots (just down the road), we are going to have buses shuttling to and fro the high school (potentially both parking lots), the city elementary school parking lot (a bit further away), and our Bloomington Campus (a lot further away - this campus was launched just a few Sunday's ago). Why the big crowd? And could I really ask off my parking opportunity to leave earlier on this trip? Well I could take off, but, one they will need all the help they can get, and two I want to be there for the reason of the big crowd.
That Sunday is what we are calling Witness Rock. If you read Joshua 24, you will notice about half way through Joshua tells the people of God to chose who they will follow. They chose God and Joshua then says they are witnesses to their choice. He also sets up a large rock as a "witness" as well. We, at Eastview Christian Church, are doing just that. We have been going through the whole book of Joshua the last year and are boosting off hard and with great umph. We want this not to be just another study, but an experience, thus the name of the final mini-series: The Joshua 24 Experience. In that, on September 30th, we are doing just what Joshua did with the people of God, we are setting up a rock as a witness of our choice to wholly follow God. We want this to be a visual representation to us and a reminder to us that we have dedicated ourselves to God, and that rock will be our "witness" before God. Hence the name of the "event": Witness Rock. (this rock is 1-2 stories tall and is currently in the newly constructed courtyard just outside the church building hidden in a huge box (to be revealed at Witness Rock). This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we are only doing this once. Meaning that all of first service (babies through 120 years old), all of second service (babies through 120 years old); all of our evening service (babies through 120 years old); and all of the Bloomington Campus (babies through 120 years old) will be attending this one "event" at 11:00 am at Witness Rock. Thus why all the bus shuttles, and people. I am expecting well over 6,000 people to be coming - it will likely be a lot more.
So I am choosing to stay for Witness Rock and help out with parking (I can't wait - it is going to be so much fun!!!) before leaving for Texas. I will be leaving parking early, promptly after Witness Rock, in order to get on the road as early as possible. The parking leader gave me permission to park in the main church parking lot by the road (everyone is encouraged to park in one of the other lots and be shuttled here) so I can get out in good time.
Seeing the email excited me in a way that was like, "Yeah that is cool, it would be really neat to go, but no I can't go." I had decided that I couldn't go for several reasons, 1) I would have to ask off work and school - neither of which I want to miss, 2) it would be a lot of traveling (which I don't mind generally, but with life seeming so busy as it is, I didn't think it would be that good of a time), and primarily and most of all, 3) I simply could not afford it. I do not have that kind of money laying around.
However, I felt that nudge from God prompting me to go anyways. I thought that was crazy - I tend to think a lot of His ideas are crazy. But I kept feeling the nudge and the stirring in my heart for it. i didn't lose peace at all about it. So I decided that I would do something that is really hard for me to do, and I would wait. I have a bad habit of impulse purchases and actions. I love new adventures and great deals and gifts, but, in this case, especially since I really didn't have the available money, I wanted to be absolutely confident this was God speaking and not my jumping on a crazy fun idea on my own. So I waited and prayed. Whenever I prayed about it I continually heard God tell me to go and that He would provide. That right there is a theme that He has been working me on. He will provide. If God says it, then He will do it. What He says will be done. As His own living word says in the Bible, His words do not return void (Isaiah 55:11).
That weekend, I woke up Saturday morning with a spring in my heart to act upon His prompting. I felt complete peace and confidence that this was God. So, before doing anything that morning, before food, quiet time, showering, etc... I went and registered for the conference. Since I was a late registration, I had to pay the late registration ticket price, and both of the afternoon/evening breakout discussion groups were full. I am not sure now what will happen with that.
But, I also felt the freedom to register for something else too. I also purchased the discounted (discounted if purchased with a ticket) Live Stream of the conference and all the sessions so that I can go back and watch all of them On Demand until September 1, 2019. In total, the conference cost me $258. Again this is money that I don't have, but I have complete confidence that He will provide it since He said so. Along with that expense comes travel expenses as well. Primarily for the sake of cost, I am driving down and back (roughly 12-13 hours each way). GasBuddy.com estimated me around $100 to drive their and back (a benefit of a Prius). On top of that will be food for nearly all of my meals. The Conference is on a Monday and a Tuesday and includes a lunch for both days. Supper and Breakfast are on my own. Thankfully my dad had enough points to get some free hotel nights to house me while I stay in Dallas for three nights (which is a huge provision already provided), though the hotel doesn't serve breakfast, so I will have to get food for that. Overall I am estimating that the whole trip will cost me about $500, give or take. So that is something that I would ask for prayer for: as you feel led, pray that God would provide in a way that glorifies His name and pray for continual peace and confidence in His provision. I do not know if He will provide all in one sum, or if it will be from multiple sources, or over time - but I do know He will provide.
So I will be leaving around noon on Sunday, September 30th to drive down to Dallas. Why wait till noon to leave? Several reasons, first, I get to serve on parking that morning at church, and it will be a REALLY, REALLY BIG DAY that morning (that may be too much emphasis, but it hopefully gets the point across). It is going to be really busy. Instead of having the regular parking lot, plus buses shuttling people back and forth between one of the city high school parking lots (just down the road), we are going to have buses shuttling to and fro the high school (potentially both parking lots), the city elementary school parking lot (a bit further away), and our Bloomington Campus (a lot further away - this campus was launched just a few Sunday's ago). Why the big crowd? And could I really ask off my parking opportunity to leave earlier on this trip? Well I could take off, but, one they will need all the help they can get, and two I want to be there for the reason of the big crowd.
That Sunday is what we are calling Witness Rock. If you read Joshua 24, you will notice about half way through Joshua tells the people of God to chose who they will follow. They chose God and Joshua then says they are witnesses to their choice. He also sets up a large rock as a "witness" as well. We, at Eastview Christian Church, are doing just that. We have been going through the whole book of Joshua the last year and are boosting off hard and with great umph. We want this not to be just another study, but an experience, thus the name of the final mini-series: The Joshua 24 Experience. In that, on September 30th, we are doing just what Joshua did with the people of God, we are setting up a rock as a witness of our choice to wholly follow God. We want this to be a visual representation to us and a reminder to us that we have dedicated ourselves to God, and that rock will be our "witness" before God. Hence the name of the "event": Witness Rock. (this rock is 1-2 stories tall and is currently in the newly constructed courtyard just outside the church building hidden in a huge box (to be revealed at Witness Rock). This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we are only doing this once. Meaning that all of first service (babies through 120 years old), all of second service (babies through 120 years old); all of our evening service (babies through 120 years old); and all of the Bloomington Campus (babies through 120 years old) will be attending this one "event" at 11:00 am at Witness Rock. Thus why all the bus shuttles, and people. I am expecting well over 6,000 people to be coming - it will likely be a lot more.
So I am choosing to stay for Witness Rock and help out with parking (I can't wait - it is going to be so much fun!!!) before leaving for Texas. I will be leaving parking early, promptly after Witness Rock, in order to get on the road as early as possible. The parking leader gave me permission to park in the main church parking lot by the road (everyone is encouraged to park in one of the other lots and be shuttled here) so I can get out in good time.
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