Die Empty

Wednesday night was our monthly Young Adults gathering at church. I got there a little earlier to practice with the band since I hadn't been able to make it the night before. We went over the songs, then just hung out for a bit waiting for the service to start. We had a really good turn out as far as people goes, I just wish we would get the word out more to bring more in. It's the same people week after week, and we're the ones that are already saved. Our goal should be to reach out to the ones that are hurting and lost, and I hope that as our group continues to grow things like that will start to change.

Worship was so much fun! I ended up starting "Our God Is Greater" again this time, and I didn't mess up, which I was excited about. It seemed to receive really well too! It's a little intimidating because we do it in the coffee house at our church, which is a really small area. That meaning there are a bunch of people that are just staring at you and it can feel a little awkward at times, no matter how well you know them. It's always a blast singing with friends though :) It makes it more comforting to know that they've got my back and I've got theirs; we're in this thing together.

My friend Bart and the keyboard player for the worship team spoke, and did a fantastic job. He spoke about what the Catalyst convention had been about for us. I took so much away from it, and I want to share a few points with you guys:

• The graveyard is the richest place on earth---->Full of potential; people that could've been poets, writers, etc. really doing something to change the world
• Potential is what you could do, but haven't done yet
• We all have gifts God has given us and we have so much to offer the world. Don't waste it!
• Life is but a vapor (verse in James). It's here today and gone tomorrow!
• Analogy: It's like when you're walking down the street and a tree just shows up while you're walking. The tree has been there, you just weren't paying attention. It's just like the plans God for us and the potential that is inside of us.
• In every failure there is success
• God pulls stuff out of you that is already there, just takes some time to develop
• Bart told us that he felt that someone in the room needed to hear that they could be an Esther or David that God's looking for. I felt that it was directed to me, because that's something I've truly been praying and thinking about this year. I want to be an Esther or a Ruth; a strong leader
• The enemy will do anything to destroy your dream, but if you let God take care of it and become who He wants you to be, the devil will no longer have control over that.
• Be all you can be
• Stop thinking you have to have a degree or credentials to do what you want. God can use anything and anyone! 
• Basically, in a nutshell, don't die empty! Don't die with any idea or dream left inside of you...die EMPTY.

I was truly inspired after that, and it stirred things up in me that I need to start doing, rather than just sitting around and waiting. After, we mingled with everyone that was there. It's always cool getting to meet a few new people each time and just visit with those, because the bonds become stronger. We had nachos and birthday cake to celebrate my friend Martin's birthday! He had asked a few of us if we wanted to go out to dinner, but I wasn't able to. It was a fun night and I'm so excited to see that God will be and is doing in all of our lives. It was getting later, so I headed home and watched American Idol..couldn't miss that for the world.

That's all for now,
Shelby <3