Reflections from walking the property

Every tuesday night we have class for elevate. We have three one hour classes and it is awesome. But tonight's first hour class was quite different than usual. We met on the grounds of the new property of Healing Place Church Highland Campus. Dan Ohlerking led us in a prayer and then we spent some time praying over the property and walking it. As we were walking I began thinking about all of the future generations that would be the leaders and laborers of the church. I thought about how when this generation is gone, our children's children will be worshipping on this ground. God led me to 1 Kings 8 when Solomon dedicated the temple. Though David made the preparations, Solomon was called to build the temple. At it completion, Solomon dedicated it with a great prayer. As I was reading this prayer I was amazed that it spoke on so many different areas. He spoke about new and future visitors to the church. He spoke about missionaries being launched from the church. He spoke about sin in the church and forgiveness of the church. You should really check out this prayer in 1 Kings 8:23-53 and while you are at it, check out the Ch. 2 website and please pray for this project and all the lives that will be impacted through it! Thanks!

Youtube Videos on Christianity and...

Jessica Turner, one of my best friends in the world, is married to this totally wacky, fun-loving, godly Christian writer, Matthew Paul Turner. He just put out two promotions for his new series of books on youtube. (To be honest, I didn't really know that youtube even existed or was popular before about ten minutes ago when I viewed these videos). You have got to check the videos out:What You Didn't Learn From Your Parents About Christianity and What You Didn't Learn From Your Parents About Sex. Oh, and don't forget to pick up his books at the local bookstore. If you really want, I can probably get them signed... for a small fee of course.

Whirlwind of Ministry

Full time elevate has been such a whirlwind. It is hard to believe that my first month of the internship is already passed. I have learned so much about myself, about God, and about full-time ministry. I am discovering more about the character of God. I realize how little I truly understand about the grace and mercy of my Savior and how desperate I am for it. I was telling someone this morning that elevate is an environment that will, if you allow it, totally tear at and rip away your flesh. I am challenged, encouraged, exhausted and exhilarated by all that God requires, desires, expects, and deserves from us.

Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?

Challenge of the week:
Yesterday at Chapel, Michelle Gros, the HPC Elevate director, spoke to us about intimacy. She said something that really stuck with me and I have been pondering all week long. She said that you have the choice to be either a thermometer or a thermostat: thermometers are controlled by their environment; they adjust to the necessary temperature to neutralize the heat in the room. thermostats are just they opposite; they control the environment of the room and detemine how hot the room gets regardless of how who is there.
One of the things that I began to recognize in elevate is that even as passionate and enthusiastic as I thought I was, I am choosing to be a thermometer. I found myself lessening my enthusiasm in a room to make other people feel “comfortable”. I was stifling the passion God has put inside of me to accommodate.
Please don’t take this out of context, as a friend told me today and it is important to note, I am not talking about unfocused energy (though I do have that problem often) . I am talking about not crying out or seeking God with the intensity that I had before.


Lord, I pray that you will revive the passion, fan the flame inside of each of us. Burn with a strong intensity than ever before. Turn up the heat. We give You full reign to raise the spiritual temperature in our hearts, our homes, our relationships. Holy Spirit, revive us with a great enthusiasm. Consume us with your Holy Flame. Thank you for creating us to be on fire for You!

St. Louis Dream Center

This past week Elevate took a field trip to the St. Louis Dream Center. WOW! What an incredible ministry that reaches a lost and hurting community in St. Louis. Joyce Meyer was in town for her annual women’s conference and God provided this awesome opportunity for us to attend the conference. We were truly blessed this weekend! Thanks so much to the DC interns and staff for their hospitality and thanks to Joyce Meyer for her compassion and love toward all people!