the connection connection.

Way back when, when Ricky and I were but wee babes, we were blessed to be a part of something that was pretty special. I was in my first super awkward years of junior college, just sort of meandering through academia without any sort of purpose. Ricky was (heehee) still in high school and later Bible college, kind of being a rocker, slash Bible hippy guy. (Weird, I know. But how would you describe him in his onceid Bible college years?) 

And then some friends of ours sort of just birthed this idea for a totally homegrown Bible study, hangout, fellowship thing. Get this: without a pastor. Nary a youth pastor or college pastor in sight- we were just a bunch of kids who really loved Jesus and wanted to enjoy Him together. There weren't any titles, there wasn't one set teacher or worship leader. I'd say no one had any particular finesse because we were all just figuring it out. It was (if my memory serves me correctly) just a super organic and I'll even say experimental sort of thing. It was fun. 

The Connection. 

Right? You guys totally remember. 

I've been thinking a whole lot about the connection lately. What made it different and why it sticks out so much in my mind with some of the best memories and friends that a twenty-year old girl could have asked for. I had been to several churches, camps, youth groups and Bible studies, but I dunno- maybe the connection was special because it was ours. For some of us, at least I know for me, those were the early days of learning to hear from the Holy Spirit- like what He sounds like, how to hear Him, what it looks like when you respond. Sort of the basics in Christian living, when you want to make it your own- your life, living as a Christian for real. 

When Ricky and I got the vision for Hosanna and really started to roll up our sleeves and get into the work of praying for it, Jesus brought back a lot of that connection fun. Only now in a way that's seen eleven or twelve years go by. Eleven or twelve years of joy, loneliness and hardship; even devastation, rejoicing and discipleship. Life. 

I think that in the daily gettin' er done of life, we slowly allowed laziness to creep into our souls. We lost some of that early joy and passion in hearing from the LORD; in savoring His voice and His call. I'm not saying we stopped reading our Bibles or even had no vibrant times of prayer, but I will say that much our drive and enthusiasm to be dependent on Jesus and led by His Spirit diminished. Sort of a lot.  

As we began to cry out to God He did something radical. We were praying for revival in Denver and He brought it. To us. In Denver. He restored to us the joy of our salvation in a way that's brand new. 

Revival started in our home. It changed us. 

With Hosanna, we don't know what we're doing. We're not trying to impress anyone with our awesomeness. Do you know how freeing that is? We're watching Jesus take the gifts that He's given us and do stuff.  And it's like we're learning all over again how to hear His voice and obey it. 

It's so good. 

I was supposed to sit down and say a little something something about how our first Hosanna went and this is what I wrote. Sheesh, right? Our first Hosanna happened a couple weeks ago and it was... well, wow. Jesus dumped joy by the truckload on our house and it was awesome. I'm talking foot stomping, the neighbors could hear it, Holy Spirit was moving, awesome. Our prayer is that Jesus preserves that genuineness and passion as we keep it going and just tune into Jesus. We're so convinced that the Holy Spirit wants to pour His joy out on the churches here and it's crazy exciting to see that start to spread. Prayer, worship and joy- who doesn't want to get in on that?  

So there you go. That's the connection connection.