S A V E D B Y C H R I S T >> season of revival and growth

Saved by Christ.

I am kicking myself now for not writing this post sooner, but I have been completely overwhelmed in the best way possible with the way God is working in my life right now. More things have come to fruition than I ever thought was possible. I am gaining new knowledge and wisdom through the Lord daily and He continues to blow my mind.

My last post was right at the beginning of my revival... I had just reconnected with a dear friend/old volleyball teammate from college that I thought I lost, and a dear friend I had played softball with since I was a little girl. It is hard to put into words what exactly they have done for me, but it has been a massive blessing to say the least. God placed these two girls back in my life, at that moment, specifically to guide me back to Him. As I say it, they are God's angels sent by God to save me. Both have shed God's wisdom, love, grace, and mercy on me and have lead me to where I am now.

Friend from college/old teammate: Christina
It had been about 3 years since I had seen her. One day, I got a sudden urge to message her on Facebook; I explained how much I missed her, how I enjoyed seeing all her happiness after leaving CT through Facebook and asked her if she would want to get together. She was overjoyed I had reached out and we met up for coffee that same week. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but let me tell you, God knew exactly what was going to happen. Christina opened up and shared her story with me. Her vulnerability was beyond inspiring and her revival with Christ was even more so. I shared what had been going on in the past few years of my life and we were connected on such a deeper level. (Background info: When I first met Christina, back in CT, we immediately connected. As our other teammates would go tanning in between practices on double days; Christina and I would go sit in a lounge talking about life and God. I knew right then that we would be great friends. Christina saw the madness of our coach and was able to escape after her freshman year, hence the 3 years since I had seen her) Anywho, we shared something that I have never been able to share with anyone before. She understood everything I went through in CT because she was once there too. Sharing the same values, beliefs, and views, we encountered the same struggles in CT. She understood what I went through and knew exactly how I felt, which was a huuuge weight lifted off my shoulders in itself. Christina shed light on her healing through J E S U S. She fearlessly explained the truth and power residing in the Gospel. That knowledge from the Gospel comes directly through God and this allows us to connect with Him on the deepest level. Now I am not going to lie, I was born and raised Catholic and the only time I ever picked up and read a Bible was for an assignment for religion classes throughout High School. I didn't know how to read it and how exactly I would get any sort of 'wisdom' out of it and that is what was keeping me from opening it in the first place... but here is where my dear friend I played softball with comes in...

Friend from childhood, softball teammate: Jayme
Back in August of 2015, a group of us teammates got together for dinner. I sat next to Jayme and our other friend Taylor. It almost felt as if we were having our own conversation most of the time... we just reconnected very easily. As soon as Jayme and I got to talking we began to realize how much of the same person we were. We ended up sharing food and this was the start of a my huge revival. From that moment on God sent Jayme after my heart. She continuously invited me to Flood, a church service on Thursday nights. Unfortunately I had a prior engagement on Thursdays; I was training for a half-marathon and Thursdays was a group run. A month later Jayme, Taylor, and I attended a worship night called Ignite and not to be funny... this truly ignited a spark inside me. I had never listened to worship music and never understood the power of it, however that night I was inspired and even more intrigued to try and make Flood one night. Of course God has a funny way of working out. Soon after Ignite, I had received the news that I should not run on my knee because of the extremely crappy condition it is in (3 surgeries later). This meant I would be a fool to continue training and run in the half marathon. Devastated on a whole new level for many reasons; I am never the one to listen to my body, give up on a challenge, or not complete something I said I was going to, to name a few. Unable to run any more... my Thursday nights became free and I attended Flood with Jayme for the first time.
I was immediately overwhelmed and overjoyed with the sense of God's love, a beautiful community, and complete peace with being uncomfortable. Again, I was completely in new waters after attending Catholic masses for 22 years of my life. Yeah it was awkward and uncomfortable because it wasn't what I was used to, but I experienced God's presence and felt God speaking that day more than I had in any Catholic mass I attended in my 22 years of life. That discomfort yet complete peace can only be explained through God. I was terrified and in awe all at the same time. A feeling I now know to follow in a lot places in life.. i.e. going to medical school- it completely terrifies me yet excites me all at the same time. It is how I know I am headed towards where God is leading me.

Flood. Flood. Flood. The magical Thursday nights that have impacted my life in more ways than I can explain. I was immediately captivated by the Pastor, Brian. I love the way he speaks- I am able to soak up every piece of knowledge and wisdom he sheds every Thursday night. He is beyond caring and goes out of his way to ask how my relationship with Jesus is going throughout the week. One night at Flood, Brian explained he was going to hold meetings for those who wanted to teach us how to read the Bible. Completely terrified yet completely compelled, I signed up and met with Brian. I just remember how embarrassed I felt because I didn't even own a Bible!! That day I met with Brian was the day my entire perspective changed... I began seeing things through God. I opened up to Brian, giving him a brief background on my life story. I was explaining the hard times I went through in CT and how I have been continuously asking God why, why I went through that, why didn't I go to another school where I could have been happier, why did I stray so far from Him, the list goes on but as I was speaking that, it hit me, it wasn't until I began to come to Flood, learned God's wisdom and grew closer to Him that if the only reason I was at SHU was to break me enough to get closer to Him, as I am now, then I don't care. All the hurt, all the pain, everything was worth it." Brian immediately opened his Bible and read 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, "For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again." I broke out in tears as he read this to me. This was such a Jesus moment for me. For those that know me, I rarely cry, if ever YET the fact that Brian read three verses in a book of the Bible and I was in tears was straight proof of Jesus. It was unreal. I was there to learn how to read the Bible and I was completely exposed to how much truth it holds, first-hand. Brian taught me some tips and tricks and even bought me my first Bible a special moment that words won't come close to describing. That moment I completely understood the truth the Bible held that Christina was telling me about. Even more so, through the Gospel I have grown so much in God's wisdom it is truly indescribable and blows me away.

I have continually been able to see God's presence and hear His voice in ways I never knew were possible. The truth and wisdom I have acquired over just these past months have shifted my view on EVERYTHING. I cannot wait to grow even deeper with God throughout the rest of my life. Most recently at Flood, Brian said "You never know what things in the past God will use to show you He's been speaking to you all along and pointing you toward what He has next." WOW, how beautiful and spot on is that?! There are many ways I connected with that statement. 1) I met both Jayme in Christina in my past and God used them to show me what He's been speaking to me all along, pointing me to what He has next (my revival!) 2) We don't always see what God is doing now, but you see it on His time, which is the right time; Prior to my revival I was lost and mad at God and wondering why I had gone what I went through, yet looking back I now see what God was doing in my life. I had no idea what I was going through was preparation leading me back to Him. I now want to share my story on how my life is completely changed in the best way possible all because of Him! 3) The things you get out of what He tells you or reveals to you at a certain time can mean something completely different on a different day; I can go back in my journal and read what I wrote about a specific verse and I can connect with THAT same thing I wrote down with a completely different situation and different meaning... that to me just completely blows my mind!! 4) Just because He is silent right now does not mean He is not with you; We have to be okay with the quiet times because they push us to seek Him even harder.

I honestly cannot thank God enough for continually pursuing my heart, loving me even when I strayed, for showing me His presence, for giving me the people in my life who have lead me to Him and continue to push me to grow deeper and stronger in Him, standing alongside me as I continue to gain His wisdom.

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I have never been happier or prouder to say, I am a Child of God!