LifeStories II and Other Important Things

Well, reason #78465 that I have not made an entry in a thousand years is because my computer died. It refuses to turn on.
So, farewell to the old Acer. I'm actually gonna miss you. And I'm so relieved that I backed you up.
I'm praying that the opportunity for a new computer comes through. If not, I won't be able to Skype and blogging will become a thing of the past as well as uploading anything on Facebook.
I will go completely dark and the only way you'll be able to contact me is through letters. Primal.
I want to go ahead and warn you that if there are any young ones that are keeping up with me, you might want to refrain from sharing this particular entry with them. There's going to be some more mature content this time around.
Well, I might as well start with LifeStories.
We told them.
It was crazy and amazing and so eye-opening.
I learned so much. Many times, you never know the struggles and and painful things that your friends, your family, and the people you spend your life and time with have endured. I saw so much hurt unveiled from stories of bullying, rejection, and abuse - both verbal and sexual. I saw so much struggle in dealing with addictions - Satan has an incredible way of holding us bondage. Alcohol, tobacco, weed, and masterbation. Goodness, if only the world knew how much of a struggle our generation, our young people have with sexual temptation, men and women alike. It's such a quiet sin, something done behind closed doors and in secret. And the shame it carries is crippling, especially for young women. Sadly, our society finds it "normal" for men of all ages to fall to pornography and lust, but girls are considered doubly dirty and worse for some crazy cultural mindset. And the shame works to cover the sin, because though it breaks her heart, she feels dirty and scared of judgement in confession and in asking for accountability. And girls, I cannot stress enough right now how important it is for you to have discernment in how you dress. We don't want to cause downfall to our brothers in Christ - whether they be boyfriends or just friends - we want to uplift them and steer them towards Christ, not become a stumbling block.
Now that I'm done preaching.
Learning these stories brought us all so much closer - I already felt such an incredible bond with these amazing people, but knowing their trials and triumphs and everything in between really broke down walls and made us all so vulnerable to one another. I really do love these people with all my heart and they feel so much like family.
We started lectures this week to! Definitely soooo exciting!
Mal Maloney taught on the Holy Spirit, and man, was it crazy. The Person, Presence and Power. Though I want to really dig in on some of the things he talked about - he downgraded (for lack of a better word) theology and though his lectures had heavy scripture in them, he seemed to run off 75% emotion/Holy Spirit impact and only 25% biblical backing  - what he had to say was powerful. After his lectures, he prayed over each of us.
It felt so amazing to have him anoint me with a spirit of creativity and a spirit of song. He also prophesied over me, casting out doubt and fear, casting out any feeling of restraint and inability in using my gifts. And let me tell you, it was a blessing. I feel God calling me to write songs, and I love doing it! He's clearly instilled a passion within me, but I constantly have a spirit of fearfulness, I am so afraid of doing it all wrong. I am so afraid of what I can't do, and who and what I can't compare to. Many times, I can't help but think how much better another person could do it. She could sing it better, he could construct music so much more beautifully, I am so unskilled and untrained, how could I possibly even measure up?
And that was rebuked! I am the only person holding myself back! God is calling me to worship Him in the best way I know how and I keep cutting off the means He gave me to do it! Isn't it funny how Satan works from the inside out, making our insecurities our downfalls? Man, if only we could cast it all out sooner!
Anywho.
The place where the students spend the most time on base aside from the lecture room is the Gap. It's basically a huge room with dusty painted walls, old sofas and chairs falling apart, and various instruments that are all constantly out of tune.
And we love it.
Besides, the only instrument we can't fix is the piano. And it's on it'a last leg anyway.
We watch movies in there, study in there, etc etc. But someone always up picking up a guitar or tapping the drums, and it always eventually leads to a crazy jam session. Whoever's present picks an instrument and we all just go at it. I love it so much. You'll hear anything from John Mayer to a full-on, spontaneous, student worship session. I love being around people that love it just as much as I do.
Oi, I've said so much and I have no pictures to give you. It's because I have no computer. And I can't upload pics on German computers.
Sorry.

Peace Out, Girl Scout