Deeper Still - Part One

I mentioned that I went downtown for an event last weekend, but didn't go into much detail. I was blessed to go with a dear friend, Carlee, and a few of her friends from church to the Deeper Still Event @ Phillips Arena. It was amazing and I was so blessed to be there with these old and new friends and 19,000 other women praising God and learning from 3 incredible speakers.




Priscilla Shirer, Kay Arthur, and Beth Moore all spoke and did a fantastic job. I felt like Truth (yep, with a capital T) rained hard on me and it's still soaking in. I do want to share some of my thoughts here, but I have to say it will *not* do the weekend justice. If you get the chance to hear these ladies speak - DO IT!

Priscilla started the weekend off and taught us about times we find ourselves in the wilderness - the place where we feel far from everything and yet learn the most. She spoke from Exodus 19, about Israel's time at the foot of Mt. Sinai. They were in the wilderness, but that's exactly where God wanted them to be and where "intimacy is ignited".

Priscilla was so passionate about the Bible and about the parallels between our lives and those of the Israelites. She talked about those times that we find ourselves in the wilderness and don't know what to do. In those times, she encouraged us to do what God called the Israelites to do: Remember all that God had done in the past, recognize their identity as children of God, and surrender before knowing the question - a new level of surrender.

Priscilla had me rolling with her hilarious stories the whole time she spoke. She is a pregnant as well and had some *funny* stories I could relate to! Anyway, the one that stands out most clearly is one she closed with and used to illustrate that we are invited to know God personally and intimately just like the Israelites....

She asked Beth Moore to come up on stage for a minute, and asked everyone who had done a Beth Moore bible study to raise their hands. Well, in a crowd like that - there were A LOT of hands! Then she asked who was a little shy and would be scared to come up on stage. She singled one lady out (her name was Kathy) who had raised her hand at both questions, and offered her a special opportunity to go up on stage and get a hug and talk to Ms. Beth. Priscilla explained that she would understand if Kathy's fear of 19,000 people and the lights of the stage might keep her from making that trip and offered to go up, get the hug from Ms. Beth, and bring it back to Kathy... but it wouldn't be the same as the hug and special words Ms. Beth might have for her alone. Kathy was so brave and made her way up to the stage in front of all of us. It was a really sweet moment and drove home the message that is written for us in Exodus... God brought the Israelites to the foot of Mt. Sinai to meet them there and bless them intimately, but they got scared and sent Moses up the mountain alone. Christians have the same choice as we walk with God... to know Him intimately or to let someone else get close for us (a pastor, friend, parent, husband, wife, bible study leader, etc). I was really challenged to seek God personally and intimately instead of trusting others to bring down His words to me. I loved that Priscilla used Beth as the example because her studies have really reignited a passion for the Bible in my own life. As wonderful as that is... it's still important that I seek God and God alone.

Thank you Priscilla for the passionate call to camp out in the wilderness and see what God has in store!