still...

"When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with You above the storm.

Father, You are King over the flood. I will be still and know You are God." -

"Still" Reuben Morgan, Hillsong Publishing

I only have a second. Much required of me today. But this blog has become a place for me to write down with a bit more regularity the account of God's activity in my life, often times looking more like humor than all things spiritual, but His activity none the less. This last weekend was in the all things spiritual category and without giving it the time I'd like to, here's enough to remind me when I look back at it and remember when...

I attended a worship conference at church Friday night and all day Saturday. The guest band leading the worship and workshop (Foundation Red) did a great job, both musically and spiritually. Most of all it was just amazing to sit and spend time with my still new but ever-increasingly familiar ministry community. And truthfully, I find myself further inland all the time and the borders of the "new" territory have grown distant of late. It's a different kind of familiarity, with little or no shared history but I'm learning their stories and having a great time settling in. I love them all. Already. And feel a little guilty saying so as if I'm betraying my friendships of past which is not my intent to do. It's just that the layers of relationships God keeps adding to my life are seriously such a blessing. And an encouragement that He provides and He participates in the making of me.

My timer is already beeping. I fast forward through the moments of discussion we shared over the course of the weekend, getting to know some people better, and the monumental discovery that I didn't experience one nervous bone in my body while their genius keyboard player coached me on the new arrangement of "Still" we were learning for the weekend's worship in front of the conference attendees. That aside, I experienced some of the most powerful worship ever. Ever. All three services were just through the roof. All the songs had moments, and the message was solid but the new song, "Still" was just, well someone called it anointed and I would have to agree, while at the same time confessing that I don't completely understand what that means and feel a prompting to do some study of my own, especially since someone else, who I was introduced to for the first time, used that word in describing me.

I'm in no hurry to be 80 years old looking back on this time in my life with a clearer picture of what God was up to...but I am curious. And excited. And nervous in a good way. Why here? Why now? Why me? I know enough to believe He has a plan and I know more than enough to realize there will be some major changes in my life within the next couple months that will stretch me and ignite me. I have had my share of rising oceans and roaring thunder in the last couple years and I can proclaim with conviction that He is King over the flood. I have matured enough to be still in the midst of it all and know my God is God. I just didn't expect there to be "more". Is it even possible to "peak too soon" with this Creator of ours? Oh, the sleeves of my Maker. He just never ceases to amaze me. May my life and heart applaud His performance...