IndyCC!!!

Well, now I have had a little bit of time after IndyCC to reflect on it. It truly was a fantastic week and God really moved in the hearts of people, especially mine. The main speaker talked about God's Holiness, our brokenness, repentance, and then God's grace and how we can live for Christ because of it. The worship band there was great as well! For those that don't know what IndyCC is, it stands for Indianapolis Christmas Conference and it's a Campus Crusade for Christ thing. It's a week of great seminars and Christian fellowship and so much more.

The best part of the conference was meeting new people and seeing some people who I hadn't seen in a while and really catching up with them and having deep conversations and better friendships that will carry on after the conference got over with. I also did my first freeway driving and city driving, both of which went great. It truly was an answer to prayer. The entire way down, the roads were dry and the driving was very fun. The fellowship on the way there and back was also great.

I guess I have to go into detail on at least one part of IndyCC more than I already have. One New Year's Eve, we had a big Dance Party and also there were inflatable games. Then after that, at about 11:20, we got together in the big conference room. We sangs some songs and praised God as a large group, and then we broke up into smaller groups and prayed with the people around us. I went and sat with some new Indiana University friends I made which was awesome and it was sweet to pray with them. First we prayed for our world globally, and then for our country nationally, and finally for our campuses locally. While we were wrapping up with the campus part, I heard a noise and looked up. It was the 30 second countdown to the new year. Then everyone around started counting down. Approximately two thousand other college aged people all joined together in prayer and then counting down to the new year. Once it hit, we were all hugging each other and it was completely indescribable. After everyone calmed down just a bit, we sand for about an hour praising God in the new year. What an awesome way to start a new year and let alone a new decade!!! After the singing, we were all invited back to the dance and party longer if we wanted to, but the IU people I was hanging out with went to the Steak and Shake. I had never been to one, so I joined them and talked to them even more. There were 2 or 3 cops inside the restaurant because so many drunk people were going there. When you left the restaurant, you had to pay for you food and get a ticket that said paid on it. Then you had to give it to a cop to actually leave the place. It was cool.

Man, I cannot get across in words how amazing this Conference was. It's not fair that I'm limited to text, but that's the way it has to be. If you really know me well, or want to get to know me better than you do, I'd love to talk to you about this in person some time. There are some things I don't want to put on here that I will mention in person if you ask me.

After having gotten back at home, I have been much more passionately pursuing God. I read Romans 11 today and learned more about God's grace and how salvation came to the Gentiles because the Jews rejected it and more of God's full plan. If you're confused by any of this, read Romans 11.

I have also been journaling ever since my good friend Alex Helmboldt gave me a journal as a Christmas present. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received because thought has to be put into something like that. He put some really good Bible verses in the front and then a note to me and we had talked about journaling in person and how it has really helped him grow closer to God. Well I wanted to journal after hearing that but I hadn't gotten around to getting it. It's actually funny, because I was thinking about going to Walmart and buying a journal earlier in the day and then I got a package and it was a journal. I couldn't believe it. Small acts like this mean a lot to me and to most people.

Moving on, I've put many notes from IndyCC into this journal and then I reflect on it and put in prayer requests and it's great to sort of document my life story that hopefully I can share some day. That's also why I'm doing this blog. I'm going to look back on this and see what God's been doing in my life. It's just that in a journal, I can write personal things that I wouldn't write online and I can feel free to write ridiculous things in it, which I love. I'd recommend anyone reading this to start doing it.

One last thing I would like to touch on. I have felt God tugging hard on my heart to share my testimony with all of Campus Crusade as an illustration in a talk that I could give on God's grace. I'm actually very excited. I would like to do it this semester. I'll be a little nervous, sure, but I know God wants me to do it and for him that knows to do good and if he does not do it, to him it is sin.

I cannot wait to see what God does through the Christians on Michigan Tech's campus! IndyCC had a great impact on me and I can be sure that the lives of other Tech students were affected as well and we can all bring this passion back with us. It is a new year, a new decade, but the same awesome God we serve. Praise God for all He is doing for His children!

I am going to close with a list of songs that were sung at IndyCC that really impacted me and after my friend sent out the list of them, I bought them all with the itunes gift card I won while I was down there. Now I can bring a little IndyCC with me wherever I go. Here's the list:

From the Inside Out (Hillsong United)
Glory to God Forever (Steve Fee)
Happy Day (Tim Hughes)
Hosanna (Brooke Fraser)
How He Loves (John Mark McMillian)
Jesus Paid it All (Kristian Stanfill)
None But Jesus (Hillsong United)
The Stand (Hillson United)
You Alone Can Rescue (Matt Redman)
You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)
Your Grace is Enough (Chris Tomlin)
Your Love Never Fails (Jesus Culture)
O Bless the Lord (Lindsay McCaul)

If you get these songs, please hear out the lyrics in them. They're so uplifting!
Peace and Love,
Nate