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“Before RECESS, I was comfortable. I have been a follower of Jesus for most of my life – I knew the stories, I knew about His love. There had been moments where I had felt His presence, but those moments were honestly few-and-far between. I yearned to be a Spirit-lead woman, but didn’t know how to truly seek to encounter His presence.
During RECESS, something changed in me. He brought me out of my shell. Instead of an although genuine, ‘I’m praying for you,’ He challenged me to seek what He was truly saying to me, words for my life and words for others. I experienced the power of the word of God. And I learned to not be ashamed of my relationship of the Lord and not to fear what would happen if I truly walked in His presence.
I think there’s a yearning amongst our generation to truly know God. To be world-changers for His glory. RECESS is a tool for women to be able to do so. It pushes you in ways unimaginable, ways only the Lord can. It is a beautiful community of women, each using their gifts the Lord has blessed them with to build the Kingdom. It’s possible for you, too! It’s a decision to embark on the most beautiful journey with our Maker.” –Brynne, 25
“Before RECESS, I thought I could do it all on my own. I thought that the way to Him was by being good — being a good teacher, sister, friend, girlfriend, and person. I couldn’t imagine giving up any of those people or titles that I clung to so fiercely. But then the Lord showed me that they were idols and that they were keeping me from experiencing the fullness of His love.
Through RECESS, I was able to lay down those idols and find His love. And finding His love has changed my life. He helped me overcome deep-rooted insecurities I’d been wrestling with. He transformed all of my relationships. He helped me realize that all I need or want is found in Him. He broke the chains of striving and showed me that instead of having to do it all on my own, I have His Spirit and power and love to guide and strengthen me. He let me seek Him and find Him. He shifted my priorities – I can only love others through Him. He is the One I want to run after, and the devil’s lies have no hold on me – there is no fear in His perfect love.
Through RECESS, and more importantly, through finding His love, I now know that a relationship with Him is the greatest gift in the world. And while I am still in process, and though I still feel anxious and fearful sometimes about my future and my past, I now know that I am an overcomer and that He fights for me and has prepared my steps. I look forward to a season of rest in Him – resting in His love — and I move forward in courage knowing that when I am weak, He will always be strong.” – Melissa, 25
“Before RECESS, I was pursuing the Lord, but not believing in the promises of my salvation. I couldn’t find peace. I prayed for change because I needed rest and a shift in my life. I even remember reading the testimonies from previous RECESS groups, hoping something like that would happen for me, but I was nervous. I wasn’t sure if God would show up for me like He did for others.
But He did! Through RECESS, God set me free! The fear I had before is now gone, and I am finally able to believe that God loves me right here and right now. He opened my eyes to the love He has for me — a love I don’t deserve one bit of but that I have in full through Jesus — and it became very real, very present, and very powerful to me. And where I am now is changed!
I came into RECESS unsure of what encountering God’s love even meant — I always felt I understood God and how much He loved me, so I didn’t put much thought into the idea of really encountering Him. Looking back, I’ve realized that’s all God wanted me to do — to encounter Him and truly understand the love and life He’s secured for me. Through the process of RECESS, I learned tangible new ways of finding and seeking God, and I can hardly express in words what a change in my life this has made. The realization that God truly is with me and loves me every minute of every day both now and in the days to come has provided a peace and hope that truly surpasses all understanding. And this realization is something I pray that everyone will one day come to experience!” – Chelsi, 26
“Before RECESS, I saw God for basically two-thirds of who He really is — Father and Son. I was hesitant to the idea I had in my head of what it looked like to encounter the Holy Spirit. To be honest, I thought the process would be really weird, and I was stuck on my experience being identical to the person’s next to me.
It took a great deal of obedience to surrender those insecurities, but immediately, God broke down some thick walls in me by speaking the simple gospel into my soul — His love, gentleness, friendship, how He’s not ashamed of me, how He offers Himself wholly for me. I’ve been a believer for most of my life, and these were characteristics I’ve known about God, but it just clicked one day, and I started to experience the freedom and fruit that comes with walking in them. I had been bonded to guilt, rejection and fear — I had tried to suppress and not deal with them, but through learning how God specifically pursues and loves me, He started bringing them up to the surface and releasing me from them. I felt His freedom and Him sweetly saying to cling to Him and to seek Him and to do so without looking back.
Y’all, a joy so uncontainable and a freedom so unrestrained, all because He sticks to His promises of who He is, is the most beautiful result I could have ever imagined. He has overwhelmed my being. He’s becoming my closest friend. His love is wild for me (and for you) and that is something so sweet and worth seeking!” – Maddie, 23
“When RECESS began, I desired a relationship with the Lord but was lacking the tools to know how to get there. If I’m honest, I thought of ‘quiet time’ with the Lord as boring and just another part of my to-do list. But then through RECESS, I started getting to know the Holy Spirit, and I began to realize the immediate, incredible, AWEsome and tangible access I have to God because of Jesus’ death on the cross. And it (He) blew my mind!
The more I began to encounter Him, the more I began to become aware of His insane love for me. And that changed everything! He crushed fears in my heart and mended places that were broken. I began to crave time with Him. I realized that He is so worthy of my praise and worship — that He is exciting, He is love, He is joy, He is wisdom, He is power, He is mercy, He is forgiveness, and despite me falling short, He is pleased by me.
Through RECESS, I realized that I had been holding on to the last bit of my old self and that Jesus was inviting me to submerge myself in His intimate grace. And I did! And now I see the entire purpose of my life in a whole new way.” – Courtney, 25
“Before RECESS, I was lost. I didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t really even know I was lost. I had a superficial confidence because I knew that Jesus was my Lord, but I didn’t know Him as Lord of all. I was stuck, and I didn’t know why or where to turn.
Through RECESS, I turned to Him. And as I did, I realized what it means to be redeemed — truly and completely redeemed. I realized that I was actually clean before God and that I always had been since the moment I believed. And I realized the lies I had been believing that kept me from living in that truth, lies that for me were easier to believe than what God says of me. I learned how to lay down those lies and how to fight them off with the tools, weapons and Spirit God has given me. I learned how to overcome. I learned that I am really and truly one with Jesus through His Spirit, and that the battle really and truly is done. I realized the depth of freedom I have in Him.
Through RECESS, I learned that God truly wants to be found and that all we need to do is willingly seek Him. And now I am ready to live abundantly in constant connection with Him. I know that I no longer have to strive to hold everything together and that I never really did and I never really could. And I am at peace with that! I am confident that God really is with me and that He’s got every piece of my life in His hands!” – Brittney, 22