{Day 17}

Started out with a slew of announcements that included this lovely video for the new Bethel dating website, OnDaySix.com. After telling us that we should ask someone out today. :) {Don't worry, Mom & Dad, no one did.}


Guess what today is. You'll never guess. Canada Day! I have two Canadian friends here, so I was happy for them. They were all stoked, and Kathy let them all come up to the front and sing their anthem:


Then worship, led by Brian Johnson with backup singer Leah, his sister. It was more of an acoustic set, because Brian's voice has been undergoing some stress. But then, about halfway through the {long} set after some prophetic worship, he put his guitar down, stepped away from the mic, came down to the floor {where we were}, and gave his wireless mic to William and another to Steffany. And then they led prophetic worship {put extremely simply: prophetic worship is spontaneous choruses not previously written and that worship or encourage} from the floor. Then they handed the mic to other people - some of us students. And we were just having a blast. It was fun. Fun worship. Prophetic song after prophetic song, with Brian and William and Steffany just going at it. We had a blast. This video is of the very end, after the singing stopped, unfortunately. The first person the camera pauses on is Steffany Frizzell, then William and Brian sitting on the stage steps. I'm sorry it's so short, and that it's not actually of the song. I was finally ready to film...and we were done.

Steffany & William

Then William and Steffany did the teaching, one after the other. Highlights:

• William Matthews
• Tell of who God is, don't cater to what the congregation is feeling.
• Steffany Frizzell
• Highest praise comes from the deepest place.
• "Worship was never for us." {It's for God, not to make us feeling better.} - Steffany Frizzell
• Worship means laying yourself down.
• Worship is to Him, and for Him, and because of Him.
• Mary "went and looked for a testimony {Elizabeth} because she could not see her own promise." - Steffany Frizzell
• "Don't ask God for a baby if you're not ready to carry one." - Steffany Frizzell
• "Go surround yourself with testimony." - Steffany Frizzell

Then they played a couple of tracks from William's upcoming CD. And this happened:


Lunch, and then Jenn Johnson's talk on prophetic worship. A lot of practical advice that I won't write here, but if that's something your interested in, ask me about it. Anyway, Jenn is awesome and so real. So real. Just incredibly vulnerable and unashamed and real.

"Do not feel something in your heart that you're not willing to talk about."

Then Carol, Anja, Amber, Dani, and I, decided to go to the mall. While we were waiting for Anja to get out of her voice lesson with Joanna, we met a BSSM1 grad named Thais. Thais is from Brazil and awesome. She was also going to the mall, so I rode with her and found out more about her. She's married to a fellow Brazilian, and they both moved up here to go to BSSM. I love her, and I really hope to know her better. She speaks fluent Portuguese.

We went to the mall. We ate. We went to Ross. I got a duffel bag thing that I may or may not keep...for all the extra stuff I'm going to be bringing home. Then we went to church for the evening service. Worship was great, though I'm not sure who led. Steve and Wendy Backlund taught. I have a lot of highlights:

• "You are not the problem." - Wendy Backlund
• "Current beliefs create future experiences." - Steve Backlund
• "The more truth you believe is the more hope you'll have." - Steve Backlund
• "We can't be so addicted to reality." - Wendy Backlund
• "I am well able to overcome it." - Steve Backlund
• "The Kingdom of God is not moved forward by good conduct, it's moved forward by good beliefs." - Steve Backlund
• "You don't fall from grace by sinning. You fall from grace by trying to work." - Wendy Backlund
• "You can't do what you don't think you are." Wendy Backlund
• "You're one belief away from a tipping point in your life." - Steve Backlund
• "The only time your past can determine your future is if you live in it." - Wendy Backlund
• You know what you really believe when you listen to yourself when you're not being religious.
• "The God that is within me, and He will cause me to succeed." - Wendy Backlund
• "You're only able to receive what you think you're worth." - Wendy Backlund
• Are you living in abundance compared to His riches and glory?
• God often has to answer prayers in opposition to our beliefs.
• Hope and faith have to be attached to a belief.
• "How we make decisions, in the long run, is more important than the decisions we make." - Steve Backlund
• "Leaders are not thermometers, they are thermostats." - Steve Backlund
• "If you're an encourager, people are gonna hear you more." - Steve Backlund
• "There are no ideal circumstances to renew your mind." - Steve Backlund
• "You're being prepared for greater influence." - Steve Backlund

Now I'm home, full, and exhausted. Good night!

{Day 5} Sunday Morning Church

So we went to church today. :) {Early service, because there are so many people here for BSW.} William Matthews and Steffany Frizzell led. There's a bunch of new songs here, so I'm still getting into the rhythm of that. They really like "Love Song," by Jason Morant. We sang it Friday night and this morning. I really like the bridge (or, I assume the bridge).

You walk on waves

You run with clouds

You paint the sky for me to see

{In the video, a girl sings the verse and chorus, and a guy sings the bridge. That's how William and Steffany did it this morning, but Friday night the guy leader sang it all, I think.} {We also sang "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" this morning. And some others.}

Danny Silk spoke a sermon titled "Virtuous Men: Proverbs 32." It was really, really, really good. He uses a PowerPoint - unlike most Bethel pastors, I think - and he showed two Youtube videos. That's Danny Silk! :)

In other news, I just put in my first load of laundry, so we'll see how that goes! :)

{Day 1}

the trek

that's Bethel, on the hill

Where do I begin?

This morning we woke up (after dealing with 2 hours of jet lag and the fact that the sun rises at 5:30AM here) and began our 15 minute trek to Bethel Church. Dry, dry weather here.

We stood in line for a long time, and I registered. I'm official! So happy!

i'm official!

the line

my binder: even more official

More waiting inside the sanctuary, and then, finally, it was time for worship. Jeremy Riddle and Steffany Frizzell led. ("Furious," "For Your Glory," "I Will Exalt") It was delicious. I went to the back and danceddanceddanced. So wonderful, although I realized that my dancing stamina is a CCC stamina...not a Bethel stamina (longer worship). So we're gonna work on that.

my entry

And then a guy started singing, and it wasn't Jeremy. I looked around and finally realized that it was Brian, somewhere offstage. He and Steffany began this back-and-forth, back-and-forth. About opening up heaven and calling down freedom and Jacob's ladder and angels. It's worth mentioning Jeremy's reaction to Brian's interruption of the worship: worship. Worship was his reaction. He stepped away from the mic and just enjoyedenjoyedenjoyed. That was cool to watch, though my mind was on other things.

Things like the grand something that the music did. Things like the three guys - not BSW students, and I'm pretty sure they're with Bethel - jumping up onto the stage dancing. Any other place, it would have been weird. But it was so...right.

And the room exploded. I had already been dancing, but now it was just like it just turned on. Dancing without caring, just like dancing. I don't really know how to explain this explosion. Jeremy Riddle started dancing. Everyone was dancing. It was just free. I can't explain it any better than that. It was awesome.

Then Brian Johnson spoke. His topic was on fame and waiting for God to promote you.

• "Worship isn't a song that's sung. It's a heart that sings." - Brian Johnson

We had lunch. We did announcements and were introduced to all the instructors. And then Dan McCollam spoke on not being intimidated by the other talent in the room...and also about being yourself and not trying to be someone else. Tears. So good. Highlights:

• A song does not gets value by how many people like it. A song gets its value by God's influence in your life through it. - Dan McCollam
• "You not only have an original song, you are an original song." - Dan McCollam
• When you use someone else's sound, something {your sound} is missing in heaven. - Dan McCollam
• "Stop cultural genocide. Be yourself." - Dan McCollam
• Supernatural worship is
• a priority on the presence of God
• creating a heaven atmosphere
• as relevant to heaven as you are on earth
• "Give me the music of a generation, and I will change the mind of a generation." - Plato
• And, to top it all off, brain studies show that the mind is 8 times more activated by music than a sermon.

on the way home; see mountain with snow

me and my Alabama and France roomies

 And now I'm home, or, my home for these few weeks. I've finally met all my roommates. One is from France, one is from Alabama, and one is from Dallas. The ones from France and Alabama and I have taken to hanging out, and I enjoy their company.

my house! it's purple!

in the backyard

the exquisite back porch

also in the backyard; i think this is what smells so good