I traveled to the Forge Conference with a heavy heart. There was apart of me that didn't want to make the trip, but I won the free registration and felt that maybe God knew that I was gonna need to find strength and comfort at this time. I've led worship at my church for twelve years, and last Wednesday was my low point. Any number of things combined had led me to that place, you know how that works. So I traveled in a state of discord... confused, tired and disappointed. Where was the harmony that I loved?
Vibe
We met in Ocean Grove, NJ which made for a warm retreat like setting. Right from the start my spirits were lifted by the community I found myself surrounded by. There's something in me that always draws me to water, so being two blocks form the ocean was awesome. It really brought the beauty of God's creation right to my doorstep. Every breath reminded me of God's undeniable love for me.
Tribe
The brothers and sisters at the conference were such a blessing. Thank you... Jack Osteen, for reminding me to be unshakable, and to march forward... Grant Norsworthy "Fair Dinkum"... Dan Wilt, "sometimes we have to lose our sight to see a vison"... Joel Auge "authenticity"... Debby Berry [the ice cream lady], "be inedible"... Mike Kim, "honor your gift"... Paul Baloche, "the big living room"... Fred, Shannon, McKendree, Brenton, Scotty "Bigsby", Jonathan, Rob, Susan, Josh, Chris, Joe, Dan, Joel and everyone else I've forgotten. Your fellowship and spiritual friendship was and is priceless.
I left for home refreshed, refocused and with a renewed spirit!
See you next year.
Pray on,
Eddy
Eddy,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you came, my friend. It was great seeing you. After reading this entry, the only thing I regret is not discerning where you'd just come from. Had I known, we could've grabbed a long beach walk!
Eddy,
ReplyDeleteFirst, thank you for the write up. I would've loved to attend the conference, but I'm on the wrong side of the country. I shall continue to live vicariously through the postings of my worship leader buddies.
Second, thank you for being authentic and for your willingness to share your faith and your struggles. Sometimes it's easy to delude ourselves into thinking that we are the only ones with difficulty and discouragement. Somehow, when you're in a setting with your brothers and sisters nearby, you can't help but feel your spirits lifted and your faith renewed.
I'm so happy to hear that you're refreshed and ready to get back to that important job of leading worship for His children.
Glad bless you, my brother,
Joe