We are continuing to do the detail work in the new building with high hopes of having our first service there on Nov. 16.  The men’s and women’s bathrooms were both completed today, which is an important necessity!  They went from looking grimey and dissheveled to quite nice and definitely very clean!  A few finishing touches and we will have conquered some of the worst of our jobs!

We also are mostly done with the Little Adventurer’s room.  It got fresh carpet, tables, chairs, storage, and even some new toys!  It was a joy to see my two Little Adventurers absolutely destroy that room today.  They tested the new toys, colored with new crayons, and watched a video cuddled up next to a portable heater, since we haven’t turned on the gas yet!  It is an unbelievable transformation from a pool room to a room where God will be glorified in our toddler’s lives. 

We began cleaning another room that will morph into our nursery in the next couple of days.  It got fresh paint and flooring will go in tomorrow.  We’ll put in a cabinet for storage, a changing table, crib, toys, and chairs to create a cute, peaceful place for our youngest guests.

And then from there we will deal with the Great Adventurer’s and the Youth room to round out the massive cleaning job that we’ve been working on for a month now.  The good news is that we are beginning to see daily progress.  For so long it was wading through so many projects that it seemed like we were never seeing anything actually finished.  But God always finishes what He starts and He also graciously gives us the strength to finish what we start!

Last Friday Mark and I attended a mini-conference with Kris and Joe for Small Group Leaders (since we were up in Seattle anyway!).  It was about helping people get to the next season in their walk with God.  It was nothing new, but nonetheless a challenge to me.  It was a very good reminder of how to love people and continue to create disciples for Christ. 

Without accountablility in our lives, it is easy to avoid being stretched and changed.  Who will help to make sure that you are reading the Bible and pursuing things like baptism and faithful church attendance?  The most determined people can easily fall short when it comes to pursuing growth!  It’s difficult to remain motivated and consistent without someone in your life helping you along.

That is why small groups are important to our church.  It’s an opportunity to walk through life with people.  I think about my small group every Sunday when I walk through the doors of the church.  Who’s out of town?  Who will I see today and what do I have to get updated on?  I think about them when I write notes of encouragement and when I pray.  What needs are in their lives that they need someone to care about?  I think about them when my kids are driving me nuts and I need a break!  Who do I trust to talk to about my day?  They are literally entwined throughout my life.  And I love it.  It gives me a measureable group of people to invest in and be invested in by them.

As a group we will grow each other and fail each other.  It’s the beautiful part of commitment and growth.  We will see life change in our strengths and in our weaknesses as we walk together.  I want to be a better leader, follower, and friend…and I’m glad that I have a foundation of people who will stick by me on that journey!

On Saturday about eight of us ended up in Seattle to pick up all of our new equipment that was donated to us!  What a blessing!  It was really unbelievable to watch dreams come true right before my eyes.  From the very large and expensive lighting trusses right down to the little things.  Angela lit up as she discovered a box of Bibles to use for Starting Point.  And of course, they were even the version that she wanted for her class.  I’m not surprised at how intentional God’s love is anymore! 

We are exhausted from the trip and this process, but I wouldn’t trade that for the world.  From the day we decided to plant a church until now, God has just been so faithful.  I see why He chose to let us go through the toughest seasons and I also see why He is blessing us now.  The growth and reliance that God has instilled in us is a security that I am so appreciative of.

I look forward to the journey.  Everyday with Jesus is better than the one before!  God is good.

By the way, you can stop praying for the lift!  We’ve decided that a platform floor is the best option, so you can continue to direct your prayer time towards a speedy process with the county.  We’d love to move in by Nov. 16, although Nov. 9 is still an option!

Well, we are currently in the midst of trying to solve the one problem we have to get our occupancy permit.  Basically we need a ramp or elevated floor to make The Great Adventurer room ADA compliant.  That sounds easy, but with the rules in place that we have to follow, it is turning into quite the challenge.

I know that God will give us the answer.  It feels like we are putting together a puzzle, but first we have to find all of the pieces.  One of those pieces could be a  45″ commercial grade platform or elevator lift, so if you are in the mood to pray specifically, that’s a good one!  They are very expensive, but that hasn’t really stopped God from finding a way so far, so I’m sure that a miracle is looking us straight in the face!

Hang on!  The story is going to be a good one.  It always is with God.

Mark got the privilege of announcing on Sunday a great blessing that North Creek Church received this week.  It came at the most hilarious of moments…

On one of our many work days, Kevin Perron and I spent the entire day duct taping and spray painting nasty old chairs to try and make them workable for our new church building.  Chairs are expensive, any way you slice it, so we took what we had and were determined to make it work as long as we needed to.  After about eight hours of work, we went home.  As I was driving in the dark I thought to myself, “God, we can’t use those chairs.  People won’t even want to sit down in our church!  There has to be another option!” 

Ten minutes later Mark and Jeff walked in the door with the news of a lifetime!  Our friends’ church was closing and we were going to be the recipient of some of his assets…including 80 beautiful black new chairs!  Along with those chairs would be the lighting system we need, the espresso machine we were praying for, and a long list of odds and ends that will make ministry so much easier and sharper.  It was incredible!  Tears welled up in my eyes as I heard the news.  How could God go down the checklist of my heart and literally nail everything we need?  How could God love us that much?  But He just does!

The irony of the situation is that our friend, Jon, didn’t even know we were getting in to our own building.  He just called to see if we could use some office equipment when Mark let him know that we were in the process of moving.  Jon said, “I’m about to change your life.”  And did he ever!  If we hadn’t been moving in just at this time we would not have a need for his equipment.  The timing was literally to the day!

Now, some of you may be feeling my pain for having had to spend a day spray painting chairs that we won’t use…Kevin’s probably feeling the most pain!  But don’t worry, the moment of understanding God’s love is worth eight hours of agony.  So, if you’re in the middle of a little agony – hold on!  God’s got a miracle just around the corner!