It's good I keep a journal. When I asked my pastor what I could do, he asked me to write about my Conference experience. Frankly, the week was a glorious blur---both inspiring and challenging. Arriving Kenosha with my husband and mom, a peaceful exhilaration settled in on me as the wide blue expanse of Lake Michigan came into sight. What a joy it became to wake up each morning and lie down each evening with the lake close by. God's voice is like the sound of many waters, so I think it no wonder that I'm drawn to such places. Looking at my journal entries for that week, I've decided to present this in four parts.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord...(2 Corinthians 3:18a). This was the scripture with which Pastor George Calhoun opened his sermon on Sunday night. Using King David as an example, Pastor George gave the exhortation, "Don't limit God's choice of a servant" (God was looking for a man after his own heart, one who seeks after God-- see 2 Samuel 13:4). Although David was called to be King at age 17, it took twenty years for David become King (he went through five seasons of learning lessons meanwhile):

A wonderful highlight of General Conference is waking up each day to breakfast with fellow Seventh Day Baptists followed by spiritual breakfast at the all-Conference Bible Study. Monday morning we were spurred on by Pastor Shirley Morgan, who, filled with the zeal of the Holy Spirit, inspired us to hunger for more. She told us that God's presence will be limited only by the measure in which we limit Him and by the measure of our hunger for Him. God's presence will go with us wherever He is invited. He is a limitless God whose dwelling is in the heart of His people, so He'll go where we take Him. Where His Presence is there is power; there is joy. At His right hand are pleasures forevermore (See Psalm 16:11). The Tuesday night sermon by Pastor Gabe Bejjani was titled "Don't Limit God's Methods." Pastor Gabe verbally led us on a journey to Jericho with Joshua. He pointed out that the separation of the waters through which the Israelites would pass, served to build their faith before their confrontation with Jericho. The lesson for us is to acknowledge who our leader is---worship and obey God--- and to give our "Jericho" to God (See Joshua 3 and Hebrews 11:30).

Toward the end of Conference week, Pastor Juan Amaya asked a good question: "Why should anyone be afraid of dead people?" This was in reference to Martha's reaction to Jesus when He was ready to call her brother Lazarus from the grave. She would have interfered with His plans, afraid that "the body stinketh." Pastor Juan compared her behavior to those who would thwart our attempts to share the Gospel with lost, spiritually starved – dead – people. When the pastor asked his question, it inspired me to want to be more faithful in sharing the Good News and not let my own fears get in the way of it. Indeed, why should I be afraid of dead people?

Part 4 of 4 Hunger for Righteousness in Christian Social Action I haven't added it up, but my guess is that I've attended General Conference as many as 40 years out of my 60. Admittedly, I always looked forward to it more for the fun of meeting old friends and making new ones than for taking care of business. The inspiration of Bible Study, sermons, classes and choir practice was the glad glue that made these relationships so worthwhile. The Holy Spirit bound us together in these experiences as we worshipped God and loved one another. The Holy Spirit calls us out, however, into the world where not all is well. A responsibility given to me this year was to chair the Christian Social Action Interest Committee. Brought before this committee was a statement on the subject of torture. After much prayer and discussion, our committee recommended that the subject be studied by the churches in sermons, Bible Studies, or forums. Since the Bradenton Seventh Day Baptist Church is one of several churches that have a website with an avenue for forum, I shall post these questions on our forum: As you seek God and His Word for His will concerning the use of torture, what questions do you have? What answers are you receiving? As I close my reflection of General Conference 2008, I rejoice in the Presence of the Holy Spirit that was so evident in our midst, thankful for His guidance for President Andy Samuels and for the many brothers and sisters from all around the world who joined together in songs and messages -- even in other languages. Surely our next president, Ed Cruzan, heard the Lord well as he sought the theme for 2009: "PRAY."