Thursday, February 18, 2016

1994 Flashback: The I went to California




















Anaheim, CA

















View of Disney Land




My mom & I, her friend & her daughter, and her friend's friend then (now not friends) went to a church Conference in beautiful Anaheim, CA. The hotel we stayed in out there you could look outside your window and see Disneyland. From what I remember the people from California were very bold & outgoing. So many thousands of people from everywhere came to church conference's to get their praise on and like us don't have a church home. I will never forget how this black woman called me at 16 out while I was praising the Lord. The woman said to me, "Stop doing that, you know that the Lord is not pleased with you being loud like that!" Mind you now we are at a conference and a lot of adults are inspired to see teenagers like me come out to these church conferences because it will inspire parents who have teenagers to come out. This white brunette hair woman noticed how I was praising the Lord and she felt that the woman who said that to me didn't have the right spirit. The woman said to me, "How can anyone discourage anyone from praising the Lord?" I responded, "I don't understand it." That white woman said something to me that not only encouraged me but I have that positive attitude when anyone try to say anything negative to me. The woman's words I will never forget it to me were, "You just smile and take the discipline because that woman needs deliverance!" I remember telling my mom this and she said "Now that's alright!" That woman encouraged me more than she ever thought she would when I was out there in Cali back in 1994.

If there were ever a moment in my life that I can talk about how much the Lord had blessed me, then I will never forget the experience I had in Anaheim, CA back in 1994. The people were very bold and outgoing like I've mentioned before in my writing. At youth group, I made all kinds of friends. I remember meeting a woman & her daughter and they were really friendly (The same white brunette hair woman that encouraged me when a black woman went off on me at the Conference). People were bold & and I would talk to them as if I had known them for years. The best experiences were when people would bless me with $10 or $20 and they would tell me, "Buy you breakfast!" People were getting so used to me coming in and out of church conferences that they felt led to either bless me or say encouraging words to me! Most importantly the adults were inspired to see teenagers like me come out to church conferences. I even remember a white blonde hair woman by the name of Sunny who prophesied to me when I told her my full name (She might have been in her mid- 60's- mid 70's but looked like she was in her late 40's). Sunny said to me (I was 16 at the time) "Paul Brightly you are anointed to be an Evangelist and I want you to invite me to your church!" (People who travel all over to spread the Gospel) It was something about when people are prophesying to me I am always encouraged especially when it's a good word. I enjoyed the whole week that I stayed in Cali back in 1994!