Testimony from Zoe Youth Ski Trip 1-14-11 thru 1-17-11

I've been a little off on my journalling but have stayed on with my reading of the Word since I've been gone. Back to work today & had time to write this. Trying to catch up on Beth Moore reading.... but, I just had to share this!

I've been a Christian & youth sponsor for a long time now... I've shared my testimony with many young girls (one on one or small group) over the years but I have this fear of speaking in front of large groups! Stage fright as it might be, but God pushed me this past Sunday night! Right in front of about 45 people! I usually get tongue tied & so nervous I forget what I need to say or do but wow! the Holy Spirit put me in my place!

Let me preface this with the fact that we had 1 girl who does not believe in God & 2 others that say they do & praise like they do but live like the world (sexually & with drugs/alcohol). I knew these girls were "faking" it the night before & for some time before & one in particular has been on my heart for some time but the timing has not been right for me to approach her about her lifestyle.  Our night began with a meeting of our sponsors & a time of prayer over the room, worship team & for lives to be changed. In that prayer time sponsors prayed for direction of the service, walls to be torn down, freedom from past sins & for God's touch in the lives of the students. We were open for anything God put on our hearts that night & Andrew (our youth pastor) asked that if anyone had anything to share during service to please let him know.

Service started. I was in back just enjoying worship but reflecting on what was spoken in prayer & my heart was heavy for these 3 girls. I stayed in back praying & worshiping & speaking directly to God about these 3 (& watching them to see how they were responding to the worship & later message). Andrew's B-I-L spoke about God's love & redemption from things in our pasts then we went back into worship.

I began feeling this heaviness on my heart & words kept coming to my mind to tell these girls but I wasn't sure if it was for the whole group or for when they came for prayer later... so I kept waiting. My heart is pounding & all of a sudden, my feet are on fire!  I feel this physical burning in my feet & it's working its way up to the top of my head! I'm about to explode! I went up front to Andrew & told him "I need to give my testimony, now" and he said to me that God told him someone was going to give their testimony that night. Needless to say, I began shaking (the stage freight kicked in high gear) but I stood in front of these kids & gave the testimony of my life! I know those were not my words but what God wanted them to hear. All I can truly remember is asking them "why do you hold on to your sin?" "what purpose does it serve you?" It was an amazing feeling to be used by God & spoken thru by Him! I've truly never had that experience before & when it was over I was calm (& cool, literally) lol....

When Andrew gave the alter call a short while later, the girl who'd been on my heart for months came to me! She said it was like I tattooed those words right on her forehead! Truly from God! I told her how I'd been wanting to approach her about things she's been doing but hadn't felt she was ready to receive it but thank God she was last Sunday! She'd been pushing away all the young girls in our youth group every time they approached her about her troubles & that night she gave them all to God. She released her feelings of rejection, of confusion & fear & turned back to God. She is no longer a "luke-warm Christian"!!! Praise God!!

I wanted to share this because I believe God is moving in this group & bringing us all together for a purpose. Maybe not a group purpose but maybe to be that voice to someone else outside of our group. I've been doing a 21 day fast (corporately with our church) & I also believe that has helped in my hearing from God this past weekend. He does honor us when we do as requested of us.... prayer, fasting & knowing His Word!

P.S. The other two girls also had a touch... the other one being luke-warm has a good friend that is working with her to get her to that place where she loves God more than the parties & after our service, she asked for prayer & that she knows she needs to stop the partying. Please lift her in prayer as I'm not sure she's on God's track 100% yet.  The girl who doesn't believe talked with one of our younger sponsors that night & spilled her family history with her. Said she never shares because there's abuse (physical) in her home & that with all the pain they live in, she doesn't see God in that or that He cares because he's never taken them out of the situation. She had questions about God's love & how we could believe in something we couldn't see. She broke down into tears & was embarassed because "she never cries". She's very tough physically & emotionally & is not the crying type so I know in my heart she was feeling God in her soul that night. She just hasn't processed her feeling that & what she is questioning. Also, pray for her that God continues to show himself to her in ways she doesn't expect & that she "gets' it!!