I wanted to update you guys since a lot of you have invested in me and have made it possible for me to be where I am at right now.  So, to update you guys, I am here at RSM now!  I moved in this past Thursday after a 5 hour drive.  I have three roommates in my room and about 40 girls total in the whole dorm.  They are all very kind and caring.  It is such an amazing feeling to be surrounded by women of God who have the same goal, mission, and mindset.

After the stressful process of moving in, I got settled and headed down the street with my roommates to attend, what RSM called, a “Block Party.”  This is where all RSM students, 1st years and 2nd years, come together for a party that held loud music, free snowballs, Uno, dancing, and etc.  This was a great opportunity to meet a lot more amazing people!  It definitely was a great start to this new journey.

The next morning was orientation.  This was the first time I have ever stepped into the Ramp sanctuary.  I could not stop smiling and looking around to what seemed like a dream.  Karen Wheaton spoke about her journey and how she got to where she is now.  She is truly an amazing woman of God.  Her story added to my excitement and I felt like I was at home.

Summer Ramp was also this weekend (Friday night through all day Saturday) and God showed up.  Friday night, His presence was there and tangible.  The atmosphere was different from the very beginning the service started.  The songs they played were all songs I have heard before.  But it was different because everyone in the room MEANT what they were singing.  I did not realize how much the church lacks that until Friday night.  Everybody truly meant what they were singing to Jesus and He was present because of it.

It was so thick and tangible that when they were singing a song that said, “Show me your glory”, I hesitated.  I stopped before singing that part because I was genuinely scared He REALLY would.  I was thinking we were all about to die because there was hundreds of people screaming, “SHOW ME YOUR GLORY!!!” in unity!   They were really meaning what they were singing!  I really thought we were about to die because He was about to show us His glory.  Even though I have sung that song many times, it was different this time because they were really meaning what we are singing to God.

I literally thought we were just going to die under the weight of His glory because of the fact that everyone in the room was really meaning what they were singing.  Of course, we did not die but so many lives were drastically touched just because God came to them.  It was a powerful conference!  Their was a baptism at Williams’ creek.  I decided to get baptized again and I am so glad I decided to do so.  The presence of God was so heavy at that creek.  Hundreds of people just worshipping God on the banks of the creek, waiting to dunk the old man into the waters and come up as a new person.

As I got closer to the baptism area, I stepped down the stone staircase into the waters.  I started to cry.  I was so overwhelmed by His presence and I was only just now getting down the stairs.  You could feel how saturated the waters were with prayer.  You knew the touch of God was in these waters.  As I stepped closer and closer, I kept crying until I got to the prayer line in the creek.  As they placed their hands on me, His presence came upon me so heavy that I started to shake uncontrollably.  I began laughing at myself and because of His joy that overwhelmed me.  I truly felt this was a new start along with this new journey.  I wanted absolutly every piece of flesh to stay in the waters.  I wanted every residue of sin to be left in the waters.  I wanted every thing, person, or feeling that played as an idol to be left in the waters.  So, they dunked me in the waters, along with the flesh, sins, and idols.  But I came out of the waters and all of the other stuff was left behind!  I shook and laughed as they tried to walk me out of the creek.  I barely could stand because the anointing was so heavy.

After, I stayed and just stood in awe of Him.  A while went by and the hundreds of people had left.  But I stayed a little longer because I just didn’t want to leave.  His presence was just so rich and peaceful.  When I started heading back on the trail to get to my car, I started to cry.  Not the teary-eyed cry.  It was the wailing kind of cry.  I cried all the way back to my car (and it was a long walk).  It just all made sense.  All of the questions involving why I am out here in the middle of no where with nobody I know, going to a school called RSM, all disappeared.  It all made sense.  It was like God was telling me that this is the start of why He has called me here.  This was just the beginning.

This season, I have made up my mind.  Deuteronomy 5:32 says, “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you;  you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.  You shall walk in the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”   I feel as though this verse is what I am trying to live out at this moment in my life.  I am putting my blinders up and not allowing myself to become distracted anymore because too much is at stake.  There is too much to risk.  I have realized that I can not tolerate things that cloud the line between what is of God and what is not.  So the cleaning, ridding, and focus begins. (:

I am excited about this new journey.  I met a 2nd year student the other day and spoke with him about RSM.  I told him that I have heard that the first year is a lot of stretching and I asked if that was correct.  His eyes got big and he said, “YES.  You are stretched and pressed a lot, spiritually.  It will get uncomfortable, but after the process you realize how very much needed it was.  You realize why He wanted to stretch you in the first place.”

I am so ready for the stretching and pressing God is about to do in me this season.  I do not care how uncomfortable it is going to be, I am ready.

I did not intend this blog post to be so long, so I apologize.  If you have read this far, God bless you!  That means so much to me!  I just wanted to share with you guys how amazing it has been so far.  It has only been three days!  This upcoming week is when I find out about the programs/classes and decide which ones to do.  I do not want to do anything that is not lead by God.  So, please pray with me that God will make it clear to me on which programs He wants me to take.  Also, please be praying that my focus stays strictly on God and what He delights in.

Thank you so much!  I love you!  God bless!