Part 1: Jesus Culture Conference

To all the dry and weary souls
Take joy, take heart, be filled with hope
I know that He's alive
To all the ones who have no home
Get up and run, we're going home
I know that He's alive
I'm coming alive

Alive~ Kim Walker Smith, Jesus Culture

Words like incredible, inspiring, amazing can’t even come close to my experience this past weekend.  Dan and I got to spend Friday night and all day Saturday at the Jesus Culture Conference at the convention center. 
 If you have never heard Jesus Culture Music I would highly recommend it.  Dan’s younger brother introduced me to a song of theirs years ago and still to this day I experience the Holy Spirit in ways I never had when worshiping to Jesus Culture.

These past few months I have been feeling God working in new ways.  But I didn’t really understand because He was silencing my mind. 
It has been a season of sitting with Him and listening, and if you know anything about me you know this…..I have a hard time being quiet and just listening!  
 There is something so beautiful about the season of listening.  When He calls you to lean in deep and let go of all those distraction’s you typically go to instead of Him because He is preparing you for something bigger.

You don’t know what or why but you know the Holy Spirit is impressing something deep into your heart.

These last few weeks leading up to the conference I felt an overwhelming sense that the Holy Spirit was going to press into Dan and I at the conference in ways we needed.

Let me just say, WOW, did that ever happen!

After the first session on Saturday Dan and I were walking to get lunch and I think I was talking a mile a minute and completely overwhelming my poor husband, but I was explaining to Him how I felt God shutting my mind off to blogging and quieting my mind these past few months and after that session it was like it switched back on and I was filled with all these visions of words. 
Anyways I will share more with you about that conversation and all the amazing things the Holy Spirit stirred up in other posts, but for now this is what I feel the Holy Spirit calling me to share with you.

We were waiting for a session to start and Dan and I were hanging out in our seats people watching, let’s just be honest sometimes you just people watch.  I was scanning the crowd taking in the complex differences between our outward appearances, but also soaking in the fact that we all were united because we have one thing in common, our love for Christ and a deep desire to worship our creator!  The sad thing is if I would have walked past most of those people on the street I would have assumed them to be lost and definitely not believers.  I turned to Dan and I said, “Isn’t it so cool to know that this is what heaven is going to be like, people of all different kinds, people we would never have even looked twice at!!!” 
 Friends, every person from young to old in that building was alive with the Holy Spirit and was giving there all to Christ in ways I would have never been able to see if we hadn’t been gathered for that common reason, because the reality is we come from different backgrounds, culture, looks, etc.  Sad I know, there are so many barriers that need to be broken down.

At that point I began feeling the Holy Spirit speaking to me about heaven.  I didn’t know why, but I was open to listening.

I may have shared this in a previous post at some point, but I will re-share it:  Heaven and death have always been something that has given me anxious feelings when I think about it.  Yes I know the promise of Jesus and all the beautiful things the bible says and I absolutely believe these, but it is the unknown that scares me.  The thought that if I die tonight in my sleep I leave behind my husband and children and a whole lot of life and memories.  Ugh….

Later that afternoon the auditorium was being filled with praises to Jesus through the music of Bryan and Katie Torwalt.  The spirit was ALIVE, hands tingling, heartbeat racing and Dan taps me on my shoulder and points to this elderly woman with a cane walking back to her seat and says, “That is my grandpa Heyer’s sister-in-law”, I looked up and saw her and I immediately began to cry and felt so overwhelmed by God’s presence that it took over me.  My immediate reaction was to turn to my husband and say, “Babe that was God reminding you that grandpa is alive with Christ and we will see him again."

As I closed my eyes and continued worshiping the Holy Spirit called out to me and impressed a  promise that I will hold on to forever……

“Heaven is beautiful Nicole, you have nothing to be worry about because I see it finished, stop getting stuck and trust me and follow my voice, give me your all even if it looks crazy to others, it doesn't matter what they think what matters is I love you.”

Friends it is not about us, it is all about Him.

At that moment He allowed me to feel for a split second His kingdom that He is preparing.

A reminder for those days when Satan is trying to scream lies at me.

A tiny drop of rain hitting the tip of my tongue during a violent storm reminding me that it is all going to be ok in the end.
It is going to be ok

I didn't want to open my eyes.  I wanted to stay in that moment as long as I could.

All the pain.
All the joy
All those battle wounds
The amazing beauty
All of it is preparing us for His kingdom. 
I have believed this for many years, but there has always been these lingering fears that maybe I would be left out or something because of my mistakes.

Sometimes He gives us glimpses of something bigger, something beyond ourselves.  Other times He asks us to wait quietly.
Wherever He has you trust that He knows and in His time He will make it known. Never stop pressing into Him.

If you have time to sit with Him and worship this is a great song.
Spirit Break Out... Kim Walker Smith