Ok yall STAND 318 is about to hit year 3 and there is so much still to be done. Honestly, we have grown faster than I had ever thought we would, but I feel that the race we are running for GOD is far from over.

Please hear my heart...

STAND has done some incredible things and reached many in the name of Christ... Maybe not always to everyones liking, but I have learned that anyone can and will question you no matter what you are trying to do for GOD. How many of us know a person that claims to have all the answers yet never gets anything done.

I also know that as a leader of STAND I believe that we are falling short of all the things that we can accomplish if we would remember that what we strive for is not for us but for HIM.

We have been given an oportunity to give back and do something great for GOD.

I realize that there are many aspects of my life that need work. And many times it is because of these imperfections that I fall or let others down.

But, STAND is a place where we are free to be who we are in Christ without "putting on a mask." When we realize that NONE of us are perfect and we quit pointing fingers and making excuses for our own spiritual ruts... then I believe that we will get a taste of what GOD is building through STAND.

I use myself because I know my faults and struggles and am not afraid to show them, but I also know THAT I AM A CHILD OF THE EVER-LIVING GOD and through that I live from day to day trying to figure out this thing called Christianity.

I say this not to air my dirty laundry, but to encourage all of you who feel you can't make a difference to realize that He has called every one of us for SUCH A TIME AS THIS!!

Do you have baggage... yes. Don't give satan the upper hand by pretending to be better than what you are. Do you do enough for GOD... how could any of us--He died for us. Does he see through our masks to the real potential in your life when no one else can.. You bet He does!!

2001 is on it's way and we can sit where we are and STAND will become ruotine and lifeless... Or we could raise our expectations and believe in GOd and kick satan right in the teeth.

Have any of you asked yourself... Why does it seem that a lot of us at STAND just went through depression?

Could it be that the next level is around the corner...

Could it be that GOD is refining new leaders...

Strengthening the next wave...

And satan had to attack one of our most vulnrable spots... our self-esteem. Make us question ourselves and doubt the potential that GOD has promised us.

See it for what it is, and be thankful...God has a plan for you.

STAND will make a difference when we all join in HIS NAME!!

innerdawg

<FONT COLOR="#ffffff" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by whit-Dawg on 11-01-2000 at 06:02 PM</font>

Preach on, dawg! I am in total agreement with ya! I have my self have experienced diffcult times these past few months as most of you know. now I feel like God is releasing me from this low feeling and is building me up to be who he wants me to be. I know many of us are feeling the same way. I am looking forward to what God has in store for Stand, us, and those around us who need Him.

Amber

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crazy white girl

::raises hand:: Without copying over the whole book again , I'll say that I've been through some tough times, and will continue to be tried... but like WhiteDog said is right; those are the clues that we're on the right track!

Keep fighting and keep focused on God, and we'll all stand together.

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We must become the change we want to see.
--Mahatma Gandhi

I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.
--A. Whitney Brown

<FONT COLOR="#ffffff" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by guinævere on 11-02-2000 at 02:13 PM</font>

AAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHH!
Translation: Count It ALLL JOY!

And that's all I have to say about that!

(-;

I must admit these past few months have been the most trying for me, but I now that a great deal of it is over and I see what I've done wrong. But no matter what I know that God is with me and He is with STAND.

I can say now that I've struggled with depression for the past 6 yrs, but not anymore. I finally gave the battle to Christ. My depression is gone. When I get angery satan tries to seek up and hand my depression back to me, but I'm not going to stand for. I love not having to fake a smile!! I love showing my JOY!!!!

God has used STAND to get me through this. I have seen the most wonderful changes in my life since I've been at STAND. And I've seen STAND change as well. This new year excites me. I love the way God is using us.

If He can use STAND to make a girl (that's me) who has been told that you can't be depressed and saved realize she is depressed and saved, and show her what's she's got to do to get rid of the depression, then I know He can use STAND to help the people on this campus and in this area who believe they don't have any hope.

I love you guys sooooooooooooo much!!!

Thank you Court for inviting me to STAND!!!!
I don't think I could ever thank you enough. You've been soooooooooo wonderful. You recued me that one day when you picked me up. I would have gone insane being there by myself after all of that happened. You've been a true friend!!!!!!!

WHO LOVES YA????
Kristal DOES!!!!!!!


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><> mosshillmoma <><

new excitement!
new passion!
new visions!
new dreams!
new life!
new fire!
new awareness!
new love!
NEW EVERYTHING. . .
WITH THE NEW YEAR!!!
[except for the MAN in our lives that we call FATHER, DADDY, LORD, SAVIOR, REDEEMER, and all those other wonderful names we love so much--HE stays the same old yet wonderfully new]
wow! are you all excited about what GOD has done this year or what?!?!?! i mean, even through the rough times GOD has truly shown HIMSELF faithful -- as always. i know that for me in my life i would not go back and change a thing (except maybe my hair-do ) because i know that it is by what i learned through those not-so-fun times that i am where i am today. thank you JESUS, for the things that make us stronger. i know that i am so pumped up about this new year and all of it's newness that it is going to bring BUT this is not time to sit on our hands and sleep . this is the time for us to pray hard and get ourselves ready for whatever will come our way!! time for us to stay on our knees - that's where i've been spending most of my time these days. i know that beyond a shadow of a doubt that i wanna be ready for satan when he tries to attack and i'm, we're, STAND 318 is definitely going to give him a reason to fight and fight hard. get ready, get ready, get ready!!! it's time to gear up and prepare to follow COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF JESUS into the year 2001. come join the STAND 318 force and "be all HE wants you to be" . . .'for such a time as this' as whit-dawg so wonderfully put it. are you ready to give 180% ?!?!?! there ain't no doubt in my mind -- i'm ready!!!!!!!!! how about you???

~~kristal, you are so very welcome for the invitation but i have a feeling that you would have gotten there any how! yet, i'm very thankful HE chose to use me. GOD only knows how thankful i was that you called me on that day; i needed you that day just as bad as you needed me. i have a huge hunch that DADDY knew what HE was doing. i love you and don't forget. . . ANYTIME. "YOU ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT (and mine too)." *court~~

all my love,
courtney

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STAND 318 MA-MA

NEW LEVEL---NEW DEVIL!!!

WE have all seen the new DEVIL--So where is the new Level??? Well, I have no doubt it is right over the horizon. We will see it soon just as we see each new morning with the beautiful and bright colors that light up the big blue sky. We are surely coming into the new year with alot of hope and incredible strength. We will continue to take many steps to reach the goal GOD has placed before us. It sure feels good to know you are doing something right!!!!!!! Just as the morning comes so does the evening sky that makes you feel that you've completed a long and fulfiled day--YEAR!!!! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder just as a since of accomplishment can only be held by you!! Dream big for this new year and lasting 2mnths of 2000

Purity

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Love,Joy,Peace,
and Holiness Always

I am with all of you guys... finally we are seeing the vision spring forth anew! All of this *&%)*&% we allowed satan to bog us down in this summer has brought a new awareness of where we are in Christ!


Luke 12
48
...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.


We have a destiny, reach out and grab it!

Bigger, Faster, Stronger



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Allen

i think tonight's message given by Alton Johnson goes right along w/ what's been said here. looks like we've all been cut and have gone through, or are going through, the stinky dung that God has given us so that we might bare fruit. With all the stinky situations everyone has been goin through, i think we can expect an awesome time ahead of us in which we are all full of fruit to give!!!

poo poo stinks

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><> mosshillmoma <><

Hola mi Amigos and Amigas....

We are planning a retreat in January to brainstorm and pray for guidance for the year 2001.

It is going to be at Lake Rayburn in the middle of January.

Details to follow, but get to plannin if you can make it.

RRRRRRRffffffffffffffffff
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrffffffffffff

innerdawg

When I got out of highschool and started college, I was completely w/out guidance. You know the story, you graduate, your practically kicked out of the youth, your new on campus, well, your basically lost. I stayed lost (w/out good Christian friends) for two years. This is my 3rd year in college and finally I found a group who completely takes you in and really makes you feel at home. This year with STAND has been so great for me. I know God has been working for me so much! I stayed depressed all through college until now! (I was the most unpleasant person to be around for those two years) I never knew how to speak up about God or tell others my spiritual feelings or experiences until now. Just being around all the smiling faces and warm people in STAND has helped me come out of my religious shell. So, I would like to thank all of you for taking me in and making me feel at home!

God Bless You,
Amy

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<A HREF="mailto:earthangl07@aol.com">e-mail me</A>

It's been one month over a year since I started going to Stand. It doesn't seem like that long, and yet it seems like forever. I can't imagine not having a personal relationship with God. Growing up in church it is relatively easy to take Him for granted. In Stand, I have not only found the most sincere, loving people that I have met in my life, I have found God as well. He is everywhere, but He chooses where He will move. And I have seen Him move in and through Stand. I still have problems. Who doesn't? I'm still struggling with things that I wish I could have let go of--things that I wish I had never picked up to begin with. But I know that I am not alone in my struggles. I know that there is always someone to pray for me and with me. To hug me. To just love me. I may not get to go to many Stand events because of circumstances in my life, but my heart and prayers are always there, and that is the best that I can do. Stand has been a blessing to me, and I hope that I can share that blessing with others.
There have been times when I wondered if I am where I am supposed to be. I just want to seek God's will. And every time I ask Him if Stand is where I should be, He resounds an overwhelming answer: YES. Loud and clear to the point where I would have to flat out be IGNORING Him to miss it. I've told the story before of when I first started going to Stand and I wasn't quite ready to give my will over to God. I knew I needed to and the spirit was almost willing, but the flesh was really weak. I missed Stand for the first time to do something that I really shouldn't have been doing, and God convicted me so strongly that night that I couldn't stand myself. I was miserable and needed comfort something awful. So I opened my Bible and just sortof at random picked a spot and asked God to show me something. I read the story bout the prophet who married a harlot because God told Him to. I didn't understand the story. Got nothing out of it. And I was frustrated. So much for that idea, I thought. And then it happened. Rick called me to ask how I was and to tell me that they had missed me at Stand, and I asked what the message was about...it was about the exact story that I had read...WOW...
There have been several occasions alot like that, but the most recent I thought was pretty awesome. It was about 3 weeks ago, or maybe 2...I dunno. Anyway, I was studying my Bible on my lunch break at work, and I came across a scripture sort of in passing, I was flipping through looking for a different story that I thought was somewhere in that chapter, but instead it was a parable that I hadn't ever payed much attention to. But for some reason, it really struck my attention, and I read it several times trying to understand what the parable was saying. It was the parable about the tree that was not bearing fruit, and the master said to cut it down because for 3 years it had taken up space but not produced anything. But the gardener said to give it a little more time for him to fertilize it and cut around it...you know the one I'm talking about. It bothered me for the rest of the day that I couldn't really figure it out. So that night I read it again...and I still wasn't quite sure. Now I'm not stupid, but for some reason, I just wasn't gettin' it. And so I prayed that God would give me understanding. And that Monday night, Alton spoke about...that parable (just about knocked me outta my seat.)
He does things like that all the time to let me know that I am where I am supposed to be for whatever reason. And I am more than glad that He picked such a wonderful group of people to be with. So I guess you guys are stuck with me!
I agree with what someone said earlier. Alton's message really applies here. I think that God is and has been cutting away junk and causing us to grow. Our growth is stiffled sometimes by the junk that we allow ourselves to be surrounded by and by the junk that we have picked up over the years. And when he cuts garbage away from the roots, it gives us more growing room...
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Michelle

Amen Michelle...


Really looking forward to that retreat Jason... need it now...

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- Allen

<IMG SRC="http://stand318.com/ubb/ribbit.gif" border=0>

Yeah...I could use one, but I prolly won't get to go. Yall have fun, tho.

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Michelle

Plan to go now... you can go...

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- Allen

<IMG SRC="http://stand318.com/ubb/ribbit.gif" border=0>

The best of luck to Jason and the other leaders, as with good direction comes good results. I am attending a planning for a retreat in Houston that originally started at A&M called "Awakening". It is an outstanding prgram and might lend help to your retreat. It has proven sucessful throughout Texas and Lousiana. If you are interested, I will be glad to lend somone who might be of help. If not, the best of luck and prayer. A "bonding" of sorts would be great and is really almost necessary regularly .... The Lord will provide ....

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Jenn

I just wanted to say how AWESOME it has been to see and feel the difference in what GOD is doing at STAND!!

He has tapped a new vein of expectation and intamacy that we haven't been a part of in a long time.

THANK YOU for all your prayers and support!! Keep it up and GET READY...GET READY...GET READY!!!!!

innerdawg

ummmm... we have a little less than 12 hours to have that retreat in January.... jes checkin if I should go pack...

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- Allen

Yeah what happened to that ? I heard about it once and then never again. Was there a post I missed ???



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If at first you don't succeed, try and try again ...

Actually, I think "The Road Adventure" took its place. Quite a few went a couple of weeks ago, and several are going this weekend too...

Next one for first-timers is March 9-11...

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- Allen

I wanna go soooooo bad, but I doubt I'll be able to get another weekend off. Lynn and Laurie are allready MAD because I got a Friday and Sat off this month. I didn't even ask for it, but she gave it to me...and I never heard the end of it today! But I will try...can't hurt anything...I really wanna go! So yall pray... please?

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Michelle