The Real Nicole.

In my previous blog i talked about the emptiness i felt at camp in the spirit and how i just had so many questions about how God chooses to move and everything. I was talking to one of the guys fro my church who had preached at camp and had prayed for me and i asked about Gods spirit and its workings. We talked about it for a while but it was obvious there was more to this conversation then a facebook chat and maybe we would actualy meet up and discuss at a later date. As he was going away he reminded me that the Scriptures were awesome and a way straight to what God wanted to tell us, and encouraged me to read them. So thats just what i did. Tuesday was a public holiday so i spent the day lazying around i decided to read the bible and thought i would read Acts as i was interested in learning about the Spirits movements and knew Acts was a good book to talk about that. just over 5 hours later i had finished reading Acts and journalling my way through it. So much awesome stuff happene

Easter Camp this year was a bit of a weird experience for me. Camp was so good because i got to hang with the other youth leaders heaps and get to know them. Made me feel like i really fitted in and was one of them. I also got to hang out and have a few deep convos with some of the youth girls. this was really cool coz i could share of my faith and got to find out a bit about what God was challenging them with. i loved to see God at work in the lives of others and especially when i got to see how GOd was working in the lives of my friends. gaev me a few tears! i was a bit let down thou because i felt like i didnt really get to connect with the people my age. This time last year we were so tight everything was fun and there didnt seem to be much complication. Everything felt like it had changed this year. there were awkward tensions between people and we just werent a tight group. i missed that. i miss my friends. i miss fitting in. i miss true honest and raw friendship. i feel like

As of lately i have been feeling a bit disconnected and i guess you could say not loved and valued in my church. i was wondering whether God was still calling me to Hope Valley or if it was my time to gosomewhere else and use my gifts somewhere else. On the 19th of April the Paul Colman Trio band came to HOpe Valley for their Adelaide gig. Our youth group were running the night as a service project so as a youth leader i was there helping out and having a good time. not only did i get a new found love for an awesome band but i also got to meet and get to know some of the youth girls in our youth ministry better and see then work with such a servant heart. It was actually beautiful! i also had something i will call a God moment that evening. As i have stated i was feeling a bit unvalued and not heaps loved in the community at Hope Valley, and that evening was not much different feelings wise. however as i was leaving i went and grabbed my handbag from the kitchen where i had left i

INETGRITY... its a pretty big word. Means some pretty tough stuff at times, but stuff which is totally worth it and something in which you can hold your head high. recently at church the sermon was about living with inetgrity. i was moved by this message as i had felt like i was someone who was pretty honest and someone which didnt really struggle with all that much but the stuff i did struggle with was well hidden and hidden deep away. i came to a realisation... i'm only hiding it from the world. God still knows its there and he still wants me to be honest with it too.. i was heaps challenged with it. i wasnt at a place where there i could confess what i was hiding but i know God wants me to and know how much freer i will be living once ive given it up to him and can live with inetgrity and honesty.

ES is the Christain group at Uni, it stands for Evangelical Students. The people ive met through this group are simply amazing, they have a real heart for God and to see people chnged for Christ on Campus at Uni. ES have really taught and challanged where i stand with my faith. Why do i Believe what i believe? What does the bible actually me to me? What does the Gospel actually mean to mean? and How do i actively live out what i know through Christ? The Flinders, Magill and Mawson LAkes ES groups meet every Tuesday night for an awesome night of Fellowship, Worship, Prayer and Teaching this awesomeness is called TNT! this would have to be my favourite part of the week. I've be so challenged and encouraged of my faith through the four weeks that has been on so far. Ive really been encouraged to think about my faith Journey and the story i have with my personal faith and think about where Jesus sits in that. Where does the Gospel come into it? the heart of the gospel and what i believ