Last month's Embracing Life Leaders Training (June 6-9)was remarkable for the profound transformation the Lord did in so many. The following are excerpts from just a few testimonies we received from participants.
From Connie(a Pastor of Children's Ministry):
I have been to many 12 step meetings, Bible studies, retreats, etc. Many times I leave with a feeling that something was left out and a feeling of wanting something more.
Well I got it at Embracing Life! This teaching and study at Embracing Life Series (ELS) teaches you to move forward in your brokenness and pursue the fullness of life. Live life in abundance. ELS teaches that it is ok to move forward in our fallen world embracing life and teach others to do the same.
ELS has a good beginning, middle and end. And all through out the 4 days as we were lead inside our own challenges whether it was pain, chemo, shame, brokenness, rejection or whatever…..I LOVED that we were confronted and left with truth! Truth that heals …we were not left in a place when experiencing emotional turmoil thru the exercises. Life was spoken.
This ELS taught in depth the importance of the cross and the power there of! Healing, release and freedom were experienced and taught how to operate in it at a deeper level.
My ELS small group leader, Debbie, survived a cancer that should have taken her life. Her love for life and vivaciousness to give it away was contagious. Our other ELS leader, Karen, has a husband with Parkinson's and she originally came to help him thru ELS. Well, the Lord gave her so much to give away. She had wisdom and was so transparent, too. They mentored us on how they have embraced life thru all kinds of trials and circumstances. Small group was potent.
For me came freedom on Friday to be bolder and have more courage in what God has for me. Trust Him and step out. I experienced an exercise that was wonderful in helping me realize some sticky words that were spoken over me in the past that still had some weight in my life. I’ll keep this in my tool box!
All I could pray was more, Lord, more. More of You! Lord, help me give it away!
Great prayer tools were taught. So much happened the week I came back. I stayed at the hospital for a friend having emergency surgery, prayed for a friend who’s son had a stroke, prayed for a friend who’s very sick & missing work, received a letter from someone that lost her mother, got a call from a volunteer that lost her mother…this was all in 3 days. My heart wanted to explode and I loved praying MORE LIFE in them and their circumstances AND speaking the truth of John 10:10.
These 4 days added to my continued life long lessons and relationships that strengthened my purpose in this life. Thank you, Lord!
From Elizabeth:
I cannot tell you how profoundly affected I was by the training! It is
nothing short of miraculous! I can't seem to stop telling people about
it! It really feels like the discipleship class I have been looking for
all of my life! Not simply about God, but creating a hunger for more in
relationship with God and then facilitating us into more relationship
right after! God really showed up! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for
facilitating this and sharing your lives with us! I really cannot yet
comprehend how much healing and freedom I received! God is so good!
From Diana:
More Life alive and well in the High Desert. 20
letters have gone out to women from my church and
we're starting More Life next Monday. I've purchased
folders, paper, and name tags. One person "read
ahead" already prayed the prayer at the end of Breaking
Free and is experiencing relief from a long lasting
depression that she previously attributed to chronic
fatigue syndrome. Likewise I've been experiencing
freedom from depression like I haven't in years so I'm
enjoying that.
So "pass it on" is happening!
Well, I think you can tell from the above, the Lord did a lot! There are more testimonies but I think those are potent expressions of the corporate, liberating healing He did for all of us there...leader and participant alike. The enclosed photo is of our wonderful EL leadership team who, together with the Lord, enabled the training to be such a rich, heartfelt experience for everyone.
I wanted to also draw your attention to the "Link List" to the right of this blog. You'll note we also have a blog for EL Finland. Now native Finns who visit this page can click on the link and read up on news - in Finnish - from their EL leader over there: Antti Jaatinen. Check it out Finn fanatics!
In the future we hope to have all our international EL leaders around the world with their blog linked to us in their own native language. Wait for it to happen in a neighborhood near you.
In the future, I'll be sharing here articles written by friends and ministry leaders associated with EL who, I think, have important insights into the more abundant life in Christ we all are seeking. Meanwhile, next month, I'll be getting back to you on the latest news going on at EL.
Blessings,
Jonathan
