We were made to be lovers

bold in broken places,

 pouring ourselves out

again and again

until we're called home.

Is Anyone Among You Suffering?

Well, you see, I was going to write you a beautiful little post about the wonderful power of prayer. I would tell you about how when you pray, you had better expect God to move. Because He will and He does! I would tell you about how I've been praying more lately, and I've been praying with faith. And I would tell you about how prayers are being answered, people are being healed, hearts are being restored, lives are being flipped around, and friendships are being formed. And I would even mention the small things -- like cars starting and bills being paid and cool breezes on hot days -- so that you would know that God cares about every detail of your life. But then I realized that I could go on and on about how super awesome and lovely and powerful prayer is...but I would still fall short of communicating my point to you. So, with that, I will just give you this:

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.
James 5:13-16

Breathe that stuff in.

There is Power in the Name of Jesus

I spent the last seven incredible days of my life at a crazy little gathering called Cornerstone Festival. And, let me tell you, dear reader; it rocked my world.

I told my friend last week that I think Cornerstone is the closest place to Heaven I've ever been. Not that it actually has anywhere remotely close to the perfection and glory that Heaven will possess. But, what I mean by that statement is that Cornerstone is closer to...what it is supposed to be like. It is a little glimpse of glory. The unique people, embracing community, abounding love, judgement-free environment, and constant riduculously insane worship to God. That's what it's supposed to be like, man! THAT is what it is supposed to be like. That is how God made us to function. And, oh man, that little taste of glory was so intensely satisfying. You need to know about it.

God moved/spoke/provided/loved in the following ways at Cornerstone 2011:

• Anchor Stage -- Place where God dwells
• Worship every single day, and I never tired of it -- I think we need to worship more than we do
• Baptism times three
• Hippie Cindy -- a woman healed of many ailments by the glorious power of God
• Meeting a man who is walking across the country to minister to the homeless
• Meeting a man who is homeless
• Moshing for Jesus -- sweat, mud, and Flatfoot 56
• Losing my wallet; praying to find it; finding it with nothing taken from it
• Teenagers who are on fire for GOD
• Signing three people up to sponsor children; realizing those people were 15, 16, and 17 years old
• Jeremy John Smyth -- a Canadian gem
• Spending the whole week with my wonderful friend Erin; knowing her more, learning new things with her, growing in Christ together, loving
• Watching people worship in full abandonment, holding nothing back
• God is supernatural. Believe it. Never doubt.
• Tears just because God loves us so stinking much!
• Listening group -- three minutes of my story and three minutes of yours and we'll be friends forever
• Gungor -- worship as an art
• The lake -- God's gift to the over-heated
• Meeting many people who have been to or are working in Ethiopia! Asking them so many questions. Connecting.
• The Got Your Back Movement -- providing school uniforms to kids in need
• Praying for/with people...and then meeting them
• Kaitlyn and Ashleigh
• Not getting sunburnt
• The song "Jesus Paid it All" over and over and over
• Hardcore bands that talk about Jesus in between screaming
• Learning about God through sand castles that continuously fall when the water comes
• Talking to a Catholic Priest....actually seeing God in him. Knowing that he's legit about Jesus.
• Being challenged in new ways. Questioning things over and over. Seeking truth.
• The man in the merch tent who just wanted to talk to us, not sell us his stuff
• Not passing out
• Anthony makes me smile. God is good.
• Free ramen. A ministry, I think.
• Dancing my heart out for Jesus
• Three dollars saves three girls from sex-trafficking
• Sunday night. When I thought it was all over...and God had more in mind.

The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.
James 5:16

 And just so you can soak a little more of this goodness up, here are some quotes from various speakers, singers, friends, random hippies from the week, that I found worthy of being written in my little yellow notebook:

"None of us really care about what we smell like, we just love Jesus."

"And an Athiest came up to the front and said...I didn't really believe in God until right NOW."

"Physical healing is purely a window into the soul."

"There is power in the name of Jesus. So break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain."

"Freely you have received -- freely give."

"I have a fat crush on Jesus and I love it when he talks about me when I'm not around!"

"Even those who reject the word of God reject it out of a place of  blindness."

"God does not need me to save anyone."

"You're going to find yourself standing up for people you can't stand to be around."

"Forgiveness is not giving someone a free pass for hurting you. Forgiveness is allowing God to be God."

"Most of the people that hurt us are actually the people that we love."

"Forgiveness = seeking justice"

"Humility is the path to intimacy with God."

"There is absolutely nothing you can do to turn His love away."

"Just let Him be Abba, Father, Daddy."

"What is this thing in our culture that when we try to love someone and they don't love us back, we think that is God telling us that we don't have to love them?"

"Don't get all hung up over all the theological bull crap in this society. Love. Participate in what God is doing."

...and hearts were restored that week.