1147 Days...

I was looking back through the calendar on this last day of August... it's only human nature to reminisce, so permit me to do so for a few. I was researching some of the important events from the past few years and that prompted me to do some date calculating. And the answer is... 1147!! 1147 days since my first ever solo CD project, "Spheres of Influence" was released and performed live for the first time. The actual CD itself took over a year to complete, as we were jumping into Bates Brothers Recording in Hueytown whenever there was some studio time available. Some of the songs on SOI were birthed literally years previously. So, as you can tell, I don't tend to rush anything... lol.

Lots and lots of events in these 1000+ days... 2 trips to Ireland, a Japanese tour, a trip to the Middle East, and numerous camps, concerts, and sessions for a multitude of artists. Oh yeah... we moved too! On August 14, 2005 we completed 7 years of ministry at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL and moved the family up to the beautiful hills of Thompson's Station, TN.

The 2 years we've been here have been incredible... and that's true... but let me elaborate. There have been moments of incredible joy and spiritual breakthrough... and an equal amount of moments both fearful and tearful. To be completely candid, if I had the choice to do it all again... I'm not sure I would! I know with all the certainty in my heart that God moved us... and I'm learning that sometimes it's better NOT to know what's coming. If I had any inkling that these would be the toughest 2 years of my life, I would've run screaming! lol

But had I run from this call (like I had been doing without even knowing it), so many things would be different. While I imagine that we'd still be enjoying the comfort of our family and friends back in Birmingham, we would be missing all our new friends here in Tennessee. God has been doing an incredible work in my life and our family through our church home group, and I would not trade this for the world. We've seen people come into relationships with Christ, believers I've gotten to baptize, and God has allowed our music to be used in ways and in vehicles and venues I never dreamed possible.

So... what's next? The Year of Jubilee is drawing to a close, but we are poised on the edge of something wonderful. That sure sounds like 'Sunday school cheerleading', but I believe it with all my heart. The call that God placed is still there... and the influence that call creates is still rippling outward, like the lines of hope represented in the P150 logo.

Ok, enough big words! We're learning that this Project Onefifty thing is much harder than we thought... but when has anything really worthwhile EVER been easy? But through all of it, God has and will be faithful. I've used this verse before, but it really encapsulates what I'm trying to convey:

"But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones." Isaiah 30:18 (the Message)

1147 days... and counting!!

By the way... God IS great (more on that next time)!

GV