It's likely that right this very moment, students all over the country are frantically ringing round family, mates (and random Facebook friends who's 'camping 2011' albums they've stumbled across) .... in an attempt to pull together tents, camping stoves, blow up mattresses and plastic cutlery. Festival season is upon us as thousands of Christians flock towards Soul Survivor, New Wine, Momentum and Infuse camps for a week of talks, worship and community (note that I didn't mention sleep)

The cramped car is full of numb derrieres and excitement.

Popular conversations include weather (of course, there are likely to be Brits in the car) and reminiscent memories of festivals gone by, all laced with discussions on hopes and expectations - what is God going to do with us and in us?

(If you haven't yet been, read on regardless! It's worth keeping this in mind as you spend time away. If you aren't going off to a festival this summer - why not read this article anyway! You can relate it to any time in which your faith is raised and your passion is red hot. It might be after a fab talk on Sunday or a good God chat with a mate)

So..let's fast forward to the journey home. You can be located between bags of dirty washing, crumpled seminar schedules and pot noodle containers. With you, you take hearts that have been refreshed, envisioned, re-broken, healed, freed.... you take new answers as well as new questions. 

You are on fire

You are passionate

Harness it, share it, nurture it, build on it and act on it. Nothing amazing is ever accomplished or sustained in life without passion. Passion energises life, it mobillises armies and soaks us in courage. It turns good things into great world changing things, finding us with the guts to go beyond the comfortable. 

In Mark 12:28-33 (NIV) Jesus tells us what he is truly passionate about. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself'. 

It is when we are fired up and passionate about God that we truly connect with this verse. We catch a glimpse God's heart for us and for his people. We worship unashamedly and find ourselves praying that God breaks our heart for what breaks his (the lost!). So...Don't loose the flame. Don't let the mundaneness and uncertainty of life put it out. Committing to the following will help: 

• Share testimony with one another
• Have a share time at church/in your home group  in which you can give some of your testimony from your time away
• Find an accountability partner if you don't have one already. Ask them to challenge you on how you are getting on with the things you feel God has spoken to you about. Share your life and struggles with them
• If you took notes, go through them 
• Listen to recorded talks (iTunes has thousands of free ones)
• Write spiritual goals for yourself and share them with God and a friend
• Download some of your new fave songs to worship to on your iPod
• Set apart time to read your bible. I love an app called 'Word Live' which provides me with verses, a little commentary and a song to listen to each day
• Do something! If you have touched on God's heart for something - MOVE now! Don't wait until the monotony of life snuffs your fire a bit and you are not so driven by passion. Sign up to a local community project or talk to a leader about any ideas

Romans 12:11 (NLT) says 'Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor'.

God delights in your passion. He desires for you to live, serve and love passionately. Fire doesn't keep burning unless it's fed. You might have just been given a big boost and lit by amazing worship and teaching, but keeping the flame alight requires discipline.

So - fan the fire and see where God takes you. Refuse to let this just be another 'spiritual high'. Let it spark changes that's effects ripple far beyond your world

Anna Mathur