About a month ago, I attended Passion Conference 2016. It was special, because it was unique and different from the years in the past. This year, Passion and the Jesus Generation became "one heartbeat." Although I was skeptical at first, I ended up loving it. I got to hear from amazing worship bands throughout the weekend, all live. There were plenty of live speakers for the Gwinnett Arena, and if I was watching a sermon being live streamed it was too good and deep to zone out. I loved that two cities were united as one in Christ.
Before going to Passion this year, I wrote down what I thought of last year's, which was so amazing. I had high hopes for this year, but I wanted to go in open minded, because the last thing I needed was a "church camp high." Last year, I realized I wanted to go to Samford University to surround myself with those who believe and trust in my God. It wasn't until the summer time I thought I'd made a mistake. "What if I need the challenge of not being surrounded by faithful people?" I asked myself. As I sat in the Arena this year, and heard Christine Caine preach whether things in your life are good or are God, I noticed Samford is what God put in my life. I needed to trust His choice.
There will always be moments of questions and regrets, like whether UGA would be a better fit for me, but right now, I'm at peace. This year at Passion, I knew that my words for this year would be "peace" and "patience," because who doesn't need those in their life when everything is changing?
When I attended Passion in 2015, I took a leap of faith. I drove to Atlanta by myself and entered an arena of hundreds of people. I was completely out of my comfort zone, and I loved every second of it. This year was slightly different. Although I was driving myself to a smaller location in Gwinnet, I met up with my cousins and their friends at Passion. Instead of saving a single seat, I was saving seats for eight. I was able to see the Lord touch the people I know and love. Last year, I made friends with other high school seniors, because that's what my family group was made up of, but this year, I loved being in a group with college students that could share their experiences and opinions with me.
Last year, my take away from Passion was the word "faith," and if you know me, you know I love the word "faith," and try my hardest to live by it. I have faith in others, in myself, and most importantly, in God, but this year, I am praying for patience and peace. Being a freshman in college is hard, and definitely calls for patience in everything you do. I am trying to have peace with my past and my present.
With that being said, I had great expectations for Passion 2016, and it met them all. God shined a light in my life through community groups, family groups, Louie Giglio, and the Passion Team that lead me through the weekend. I was inspired to get out into the world and accomplish great things. I could go to Africa to explore the culture and share God's Word. I also learned a lot about myself. I know I have amazing friends, that I want to travel the world and embrace culture, that I have a passion for writing, that I have faith that can only grow stronger, and that my ability to have patience and peace daily will improve.
Attending Passion was an amazing opportunity. I drove myself to Atlanta each day for a weekend and listened to the best worship leaders and most influential speakers. I thought I was crazy when I walked into Phillips Arena alone last year, but I wouldn't trade that experience for anything! I was surrounded by people who believe in and loved the same God as I do, and I've never felt more peace.
If you're a senior in high school or a college student, I fully recommend going to Passion. It's life changing! As I returned a year later for Passion 2016, I realized that it wasn't just a "church camp high," but a feeling that was inspiring and made me want to join hands with the Jesus generation. I will say again, and I will always say, if someone has the opportunity to attend Passion Conferences, they should, because there's honestly nothing like it!
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