Really Graduating

The class of 2008 graduates from Pt. Loma in about 10 days, and I feel a strange connection with them.  When I graduated in 2006, I had a feeling in my heart that I was not done doing God's work at Pt. Loma.  The last two years, though finished with school in the natural, I have continued to pray and disciple on campus.  Everyone is always confused, saying "Hey!  I thought you graduated, what are you doing here?"  I would slyly respond, "Oh, you know, just hanging out."  That seemed to satisfy most people.  But in reality, I was stealthily praying for the campus and pouring myself into disciples who would carry on the work of God.  

This last school year, I have had the wonderful opportunity to work for my church doing campus ministry.  As the Pt. Loma campus representative, I have been blessed to give 20 hours a week to building the kingdom of God through prayer, discipleship and connecting students to a local church.  It's been the best job ever!!!  Who would have thought that God would pay me for what I was doing for 5 years for free?  

So as this school year comes to an end, I feel different for the first time in 6 years.  I feel a sense of completion and finishing in my spirit.  I graduated in the natural 2 years ago, but now I am feeling spiritually released from the campus.  The last month or two I've felt like I've had less and less to do there and even the prayer burden has almost gone.  It's a good feeling, a satisfying feeling and an exciting feeling.  So as for now, I am enjoying my last few weeks at the Pt. Loma campus rep. and am delighted that I can "graduate" without having to stress about finals.  It's also good to know that I've done my part in the bigger scheme of what God is doing on that campus and that others will continue to do their part.  I have not seen all the vision and promises fulfilled, but I will leave in faith, knowing others will step into the campus to carry these on.  

What a great live I have!!  It's so exciting to follow Jesus.  I love it.  I love Pt. Loma.  I love praying.  I love God.   I'm free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Signing off,

Deanna

Week of Prayer

Tonight Pt. Loma started 5 days of continuous prayer in the prayer chapel. I went on down there to help set up and pray. It was a great day. I wanted to stay in there, the presence of God was already so sweet! Taryn said that she was praying this morning and God kept impressing upon her to pray for His presence to come like the cloud in the wilderness. Yes Lord! Come like a cloud upon this campus, the manifest presence of God that no one can deny...that all at Pt. Loma would stop what they are doing and worship the Lord! She went to church after praying that this morning and they preached on the same topic. CRAZY! I love confirmation!

There were a few open time slots so I went into the caf and asked a bunch of people. I got some very interesting responses. One girl told me she had thought about it a lot and didn't think she should do it because of where she was spiritually. A bunch of people said it wasn't good timing. Some just stared at me and didn't respond. Others said no. One guy got mad and didn't want to schedule time to pray and said he prayed in his room and didn't need to go to the prayer chapel. It was quite intriguing to do this. I think I want to do it again. :) It gave me more understanding about the condition of our school. Oh Lord, that all men would call upon your name!!!

Resurrection!

Yes, I may in fact resurrect this blog! Why? Because there's more prayer at Pt. Loma and I want to write about it. The semester started last Monday and I've already been down there 4 times. A few of my friends, Taryn and Melissa, are organizing a week of 24/7 prayer during Spiritual Renewal Week. I've been down there a lot to help them out and pray with them. Come on Pt. Loma! Let the prayer of faith rise up! Call upon the Lord!!!!!

Water causes fruit to grow

I decided to post more on this blog because I have to write about what happens in result to all of our prayer. We did not pray last semester just to feel good about ourselves, or to feel close to God for an hour every day, we prayed so that each of us individually and then Pt. Loma as a whole would be changed and powerfully effected by experiencing God Almighty. We prayed that God's Kingdom might come and His will would be done, on earth as it is in heaven. And Pt. Loma has not yet been transformed into what God has called her to. I remember leaving campus on the last day of school and thinking "Man, we just prayed an hour for the last 25 days of school and it was great...but I feel like there's more. This isn't the end." I was graduating the next day but I knew that this was just the beggining and that my work at Loma was not done yet.

The seeds of prayer this last semester were not in vain, because God is not mocked, we will reap what we sow. The Lord said to me "Gather the people together and I will give them water" (Num 21:16) and I believed that there would be water, that the Holy Spirit would be poured out. Well, this summer I saw the first fruits of this promise being fulfilled. I went to the Campus Transformation Network conference at UCSD in July along with two other Pt. Loma women (Melissa and Taryn) and God moved powerfully. Not only did He give us vision and understanding about what He is doing on campuses in this next season, but he brought healing to our hearts. It says in James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." One of the most powerful times of the whole weekend was the last night when we drove back to my house after the session and ended up talking, praying and confessing sins until 3:30am. God broke through as we opened up to each other and the healing rain came down! I believe that God was able to move so powerfully at the conference because of the prayer that was done last semester. This is only the firstfruits for Pt. Loma and I will stand and watch the salvation of the Lord. Oh, and another huge answer to prayer. I am graduated so I've been praying for people who would pick up the burden of prayer. Well, Melissa and Taryn have responded to the call of God and are now going to head up a 24 hour prayer room for our campus this year. God has called the college campuses in this nation to a YOPP (year of prayer) and Pt. Loma is going to walk in the will of God and pray like never before!!! Rise up Pt. Loma, rise up! Call upon the name of the Lord! Let the song of the Lord be released! Pray and worship and prophesy day and night!!

....Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done...on Earth as it is in Heaven....All praise and honor and glory and power be unto you. Amen.

My final answer

After much fasting and praying, as well as plucking flower petals, I have decided that I will not continue to blog at this point in my life. I really enjoy visiting the blog world every once in a while, but I do not feel like I would be a very faithful blogger. My time blogging was quite an experience and I want to thank everyone for making it memorable. Perhaps I will return some day...but until then. Happy blogging!
Servant of the Most High God,
Deanna

To blog or not to blog?

So I was thinking that I wouldn't continue blogging because I did not know why it was benificial to post my random thoughts for all to read. But then I went and read everyone elses random thoughts and had this strange desire to join in the fun. Like I read a few blogs and all of a sudden I have these random thoughts that I did not know were there. Do you know what I mean? It's like art. You may not usually paint or draw, but then you see people doing it, or you go to an art show or something, and then you have this strong desire to be artsy. Uh oh, it's happening. I really wish I had some paint or crayons right now. I bet you are getting that desire too. Is it peer pressure? I don't know. The power of suggestion? Advertising? Who knows. But all I know is that I have a desire to continue this blogging thing and release my random thoughts.

Know what else is cool? I graduated on Saturday and I learned (for the first time) that Isaiah 62 has been a passage prayed over my school for many years. They read parts of it at the ceremony and it was amazing. Myself and others have been praying that passage out for at least 3 years. I swear we couldn't get away from it, and now I understand why!

Other weird thing. There is this random piece of artwork on the south side of the music building that looks like a slice of a rock. It's real tall and jagged and is dark grey/green in color. I have seen it sitting there for four years but never went close to examine it until yesterday. And what did I find on it? Parts of Isaiah 62 written both in english and Arabic (I think). Oh the word of God just shook me. Is not his Word like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock to pieces?

25 Days of Noonhour prayer

This school year ended today and we finished off our last noonhour prayer meeting of the year. I took my last final this morning and graduate tomorrow! What could be better than ending my last day of college with prayer? And hey, my "12x400m plus 15 minutes of tempo" workout I get to do in a half hour only adds to the joy of finishing college. haha.
I can't believe that we have prayed everyday since we came back from Easter break. It's been so amazing and I have been so blessed by everyone that has been part of it. Who would have thought that I would make a ton of new friends in the last few weeks of school! Prayer this week was really powerful because a small group of us were there everyday. Today we were especially blessed because the wife of one of the staff on campus came over when she saw that we were praying and prayed for us. I don't know where the Lord is going from here but I know this is not the end. We also prayed over the campus for this summer and for those who are staying to work or take classes.
So now that 21 (or 25) days of noonhour prayer is over, the question is, will I keep this blog? Will I get another blog? I will have to think about that one. But until then, here is my closing word to all who have been out there on the deck above Jesus and Peter these last 25 days, and to all across the nation who are following Jesus:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. 15:58

I am filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit and I give all glory and praise to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I come to the end of a season and say that "...the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Tim. 4:6-7

And I close with the song that we have closed prayer with the last 3 days...complete with the guy/girl echo!.....

And as for me I watch and hope for the Lord.
I look to God my savior.
My God will hear me.
And we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever.
We will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever...forever...forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!