God has put a new spring in my step! This is actually an understatement….I am leaping on the inside for JESUS!!
Can’t really attribute it to just one thing, so I will try to paint the picture for you of why my heart is welling up so much inside.

I love my children and they are my passion and life. God has called me to a special calling that I take very seriously in raising them to be mighty warriors and teachers in the kingdom of God. He has told me that He will use them specifically and with His help My husband and I are training them in that way.

I praise God for all of our moments together! However, I am PRAISING Jesus that they have awesome schools to attend today. ☺

I prayed for them fervently this morning that God would protect them and use them in a mighty ways to show others that we have been changed during this holiday season of our Savior’s birth. I kissed their sweet cheeks and smiled as I came home to begin my usual routine of life.

God knocked on my door and said, “Let’s just cuddle up and talk this morning!” I said, “oh, Great! I need you to tell me what to write on the blog…I am a little behind.” He gently said, “Oh I will tell you but it will take awhile.”

Therefore, I have spent the better part of the morning just soaking up his teachings.

There is the neatest thing that I have been privileged enough to know about for the last 8 years. It is called Passion Conference. Many of you may have heard of it – it is a conference held mainly for up to 20,000 college students to pump them up with JESUS.

They bring in some amazing speakers that most would never have the privilege of ever hearing. The worship music time is led by the most incredible artists! Chris Tomlin rocked the house this year! Actually, God did – I felt so many times that I was right there and could feel the Holy Spirit in that arena in Atlanta.

Passion does this amazing thing of LIVE STREAMING the talks…which I have been listening to for the last 2 days. I feel like I have been eaves dropping on a huge event with being able to watch from the comforts of my chair.

After 24 hours they take them offline so I have had to steal time to listen to them. I couple of them I missed – like Beth Moore’s talk (sad about it! )

One of the speaker’s that has spoken for year’s at previous passion conferences, that to be really honest with you, I haven’t “clicked” with before. This year he REALLY NAILED IT! His name is John Piper. He is really an ordinary guy doing extraordinary things for God.

It is not really about who this man is or all the accomplishments that he has attained.

It is the message that he brought forth that sunk deep down in my heart and lingered this morning. I am still trying to process it all. In fact, I had to desperately try to figure out how I could buy the DVD of this talk so I could soak more of it up!

Here was the bottom line of the message.

God takes a whole lot of pride in making much of us and lavishing His treasures and gifts (not earthly) on us so that we can make much of HIM.

Let me say that another way, Yes, God loves us so much because of what Jesus did on the cross for our sins but more importantly, He makes much of our lives with His blessings so that we can make MUCH OF HIM – i.e. bring HIM GLORY.

When it is all said and done, the bottom line is God and his son Jesus receiving all the glory for everything in our lives. Not us.

That is the difference in LIVING FOR JESUS and getting your ticket punched. (I am sure I lost some blogger friends through that one.) This is how hard the truth hit me this morning.

This group of 20,000 plus young adults or kids that live off of romen noodles and pop-tarts have over the last 4 days embraced this entire point of living to bring glory to God. In between each of the sessions – they have had opportunities to “DO SOMETHING” as the tents were called.

This fabulous Passion team has found tons of great missions in which they could make a difference.

Everything from dropping bibles into Columbia, building houses in Haiti, building wells in India, rescuing women from the sex trade in the Philippines and LOTS more that would blow your mind. (Check out USA Today for an upcoming article)

This group of random kids raised over $1,700,338.00 in just 4 days! Yes, that is ONE MILLION! Isn’t that incredible? I am not sure I was that Self-less or “into God” at that age. That is what blows my mind. This generation is blowing the socks off of generosity!

I want to be involved in doing life-changing things like that! Even here in my little South Georgia town!

There is so much – much more that I learned and I am praying that God will organize it all in my brain so that I can share with you. This is some powerful stuff God is showing us. He is SERIOUS about our relationships with him. If you are playing games with your walk with Jesus then…watch out!

So there you have it – my 2011 New Year’s Resolution (or revolution as one of my children call it.) To Change the world for CHRIST and Him receive the GLORY not me!

How do you want to change your world for Christ?

Below is a song by Chris Tomlin that has been following me every day for one whole month. Warning…the words are piercing if you believe in the same God that I do – HE is AMAZING! It is only in audio because I want God to do the video in your mind as you listen. Close your eyes and turn up your speakers…Let God come talk with you today.

01 Our God

Happy New Year!

Amy