A couple of the small groups spent the last few weeks cleaning out their homes and loading tons of stuff up to take to the Regifting Store (as well as many others in our church)! When our group went, we spent some time just talking to the owner and hearing his heart to help our community. It is so awesome to be able to partner with people who want to make a difference.

Each small group also took a check from our church to bless them monetarily to sustain their business and give back to the community! I’m proud to be a part of a church that gives! We can never outgive God! Way to go, North Creek!

This was a great reminder! Hope that you enjoy it!

Seven Things I Cannot Expect! From Perry Noble – www.perrynoble.com
#1 – I cannot expect to win arguments with those who don’t want to settle the argument, they just want to fight for the sake of fighting. (II Timothy 2:23)

#2 – I cannot expect people to read my mind. (I Corinthians 14:8)

#3 – I cannot possibly expect to have a complete and detailed plan from God that tells me exactly what His plans are for the next 20 years. (Psalm 119:105) – He doesn’t promise to let us see years in advance, but He does promise to show us our next step!

#4 – I cannot expect to be a follower of Jesus and keep everyone around me happy at the same time. (Proverbs 29:25)

#5 – I cannot expect to stay the same and see progress (Isaiah 43:18-19)

#6 – I cannot expect to please God without taking steps of faith (Hebrews 11:6)

#7 – I cannot expect to hear God’s voice if I am always running at an unsustainable pace! (Psalm 46:10)

Here’s the highlights from the weekend:

Happy Birthday to my mom! She’s one amazing lady and I love her very much!

We kicked off a new series titled “Unrivaled”. It’s an indepth look at Jesus and the legacy that he left. He changed everything about our lives and history, so it is ironic that we don’t study Him more in our culture. I’m sure teachers give much more lessons on everyone from Hitler to Martin Luther King, than we ever dare to talk about Jesus.

Chris Harold kicked off the series. I make fun of him for moving so much when he preaches. It’s fun to watch and to listen to! He did a great job and I am looking forward to the coming weeks.

Cloey Featherston, our newest North Creek baby, graced us with her presence on Saturday night.

The kid’s class was so loud on Saturday night we had to ask them to be quiet! Here’s to kids having fun at church!!!!

It’s an amazing gift to have a team like ours. The week off of preaching allowed Mark and I to pray, fast, discuss, dream, and plan for the future. We dug deep and really sought God with a vengence. We feel like we have some new direction, clarity, and determination. More on that to come…

One of our small groups got together for lunch today! I love that.

Kennedy wrapped Scott M. around her finger… He held her nearly every minute from the time he came in until he left the door. She’s almost five, so that’s not an easy job! Her love language is definitely touch.

Our staff meeting was full of big decisions to make. It’s a daunting process to decide which direction to go and the best way to go about it. The reality is that every decision benefits some and creates problems for others. We weigh all of that out with great turmoil.

On that note, I hope that you have a good week…but remember that Jesus is worthy of our praise either way!

Since I’m Irish, I borrowed Mark Batterson’s blog (evotional.com) today about the backstory on Saint Patrick himself. Patrick is a good reminder that just doing our part can change the world.

At the age of 16, Saint Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland where he became a slave to the chieftain of Ulster. One night, after six years of slavery, Saint Patrick heard a voice, “Behold, thy ship is ready.” He traveled two hundred miles on foot to a place where he knew no one and had never been. He wrote in his autobiographical account, “After this I took flight, and left the man with whom I had been six years; and I came in the strength of the Lord, who directed my way for good; and I feared nothing till I arrived at the ship. And on that same day on which I arrived, the ship moved out of its place.”

Patrick made his way back to Britain, found his family, and could have lived out the rest of his life in relative comfort in the land of freedom. But in 432 AD, he had another vision. He saw a man coming to him from Ireland carrying innumerable letters. “And I read the beginning of the letter containing ‘The voice of the Irish.” And while I was reading aloud the beginning of the letters, I myself thought indeed in my mind that I heard the voice of those who were near the wood of Foclut, which is close by the Western Sea. And they cried out thus as if with one voice, “We entreat thee, holy youth, that thou come, and henceforth walk among us.” And I was deeply moved in my heart, and could read no further; and so I woke.”

Saint Patrick went back to Ireland as a missionary. No outside religion had penetrated Ireland in a thousand years. Saint Patrick founded more than 300 churches and baptized more than 120,000 people. His ministry was so influential that he came to be known as the one who “found Ireland all heathen and left it all Christian.”

Mark and I are on a journey. We’ve been here before, so I have a good idea of the ups and downs, as well as the destination. It’s this agonizing, yet motivating, look at our realities vs. our potential. It’s coming face to face with what we plan on doing with our limitations when we know that we serve a God without limits. It’s this phase in leadership where we sense the Holy Spirit pushing us to rethink our boundaries.

Basically, it’s that same question you’ve been asked since you were a kid…what would you do if you knew you could not fail? Here’s the dilemma…we serve a God whose agenda will not fail. Therefore, if we are in tune with that agenda, it is logical to reason that anything we attempt within that agenda is not only possible, but plausible.

It’s looking in the mirror and saying, “Am I dreaming big enough to measure up to a limitless God?” Obviously, that answer will always be no, but the question itself makes you dream far beyond where you currenly are. Although our dreams were once challenging beyond belief, the fact of the matter is, we’ve accomplished many of them. Now, once again, it’s the feeling deep inside that it’s time to dream farther, reach deeper, and believe more.

I can’t tell you, yet, the specifics of what God has for us, but I do know this, if we will submit to the process and allow God to mold and shape our hearts and minds, our limits diminish. And that goes for you as well.