Monday morning.
Note: Two days per week, our CGA class splits into three different “tracks” (Worship, Field Leadership, and Liberation/Human Justice Issues) for practical application in these areas of our calling. The following chronicles are from a day when our whole class trained together.
6:00am – Roll out of bed. Grab a pillow and retreat into the closet to hang out with my heavenly Father (one of the only truly quiet places in our house 🙂 ).
7:45am – Grab my note-taking tablet, snacks and travel mug and head toward the deck stairs to my car. I pause just outside our door: the sunrise view over the trees is spectacular.
8:00am – Walk down the hill to Adventures in Missions’ headquarters to prep for Monday morning all-staff worship. I serve with the ministry team today, which is an incredible opportunity to pray for both individuals and the body of Christ during our time of worship. My team spends time with a few other leaders, listening to the Holy Spirit for what He may want to say to our church body this morning.
8:45am – The band opens the conference room door and good-naturedly joins our prayer time. They share how the Holy Spirit has been guiding their music practice, and I’m amazed how He has been speaking along similar lines to our team and theirs (but should I really be surprised?).
8:55am – I re-fill my coffee in our large training center and pray over the room as Adventures’ staff begin to arrive.
9:00am – The prophetic team MC’s the morning and invites the staff to focus in on our Father as we start the new week. During the next hour, musical worship lifts our eyes to Him. As a body, we listen to what He wants to say to encourage and exhort us. Some pray for one another, and others sit quietly, reflecting over the previous week and the one to come.
9:50am – One of our senior staff moves up front to share with us the mission our leadership has been developing these past few months. The action steps he shares are simple, yet rich and compelling: love God, love others. Be the church, locally and globally. Develop leaders through lasting discipleship.
10:25am – I greet my CGA classmates (lots of hugs) and head up the stairs through the woods to the upper lodge for classtime.
10:35am – One of our leaders, Mason, introduces an open discussion about the battle for our minds. He shares part of his story: “I was busy forecasting other people’s negative thoughts toward me, and that was the war. It was causing unwarranted anxiety in my life. But I began to pray every day over the truths God says about me. I am a son of God. I have His Holy Spirit in me. I am completely freed from the bondage of sin. I earnestly asked God to sow these truths deep into my heart. And God started to renew my mind!”
11:30am – I resolve to begin a similar list. As we spend a few quiet moments in reflection, the Holy Spirit whispers to me: Being You is one of the Greatest Gifts You could ever give Me, because You’re honoring My Creation. Your praise brings Me Great Joy, Anna.
12:00pm – We break for lunch, and I head down to the lower lodge to enjoy the delicious cafeteria food. Adventures is hosting “Spirit Week” this week, and today is the “pun” competition. One guy wears a t-shirt reading simply: “Life”, and begins handing out lemons to people as he passes them. When life gives you lemons…
1:00pm – I head back upstairs for our afternoon session. Another one of our leaders, Amie Beth, shares about her experiences with trusting Father for families & individuals to support the ministry to which He has called her. We then break up to spend time praying and contacting our own ministry supporters to encourage them and share what the Lord is doing in and through our lives.
3:00pm – We break away from the guys for time together just as women. This week’s theme is confidence. Women who are a bit farther down the road encourage and challenge us: we have the choice to walk in confidence that we are who God says we are and we are created to do what He has made us to do. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Alysa quotes (Philippians 4:13). “Our confidence isn’t in ourselves, but in God!”
5:00pm – Head home with my roommates for house dinner. Rocky cooks up scrumptious “adult” grilled cheese sandwiches with French baguettes, tomato slices, fresh basil and chunks of mozzarella cheese. We laugh a lot and brainstorm hilarious goals for the week.
7:00pm – I pray over my violin and pull it out of its case for a half-hour of engagement with one of my favorite gifts from Father: music!
7:35pm – Grab a hot cup of tea and sit in our cozy living room to prep for our Bible study. We’re learning about “covenant”. I am blown away when I discover again that God made a way for every spiritual roadblock in our lives. You’re heart’s hard? I’ll give you a new one. Can’t keep the law I gave you for a full life? That’s okay. My Son will fulfill it completely for you (see Ezekiel 36:25-27, Romans 10:4 and Matthew 5:17).
8:40pm – “Shenanigan” time at the Mansion (the endearing name for our double-wide, cozy trailer). Playful games of “What are the odds”, outbursts of laughter and awkward snapchats ensue.
9:40pm – I gently close my bedroom door to journal and go over verses we’re charged to memorize each week. Crawling under the covers, I practice gratitude, both for what went well and for the mistakes I learned from that day.
Thank you, God.
