Mark and I just returned from a weekend in beautiful Coeur D’Alene, Idaho at a conference for Pastors in our Assemblies of God Network.  We had a great time, so I thought I’d share some insights I learned with you.  Enjoy!

1.  Way too many people spend way too much time being frustrated with where they are at.  I know this is true for pastors (I’m on top of every list!), but it’s probably true for a lot of other people as well.  We always want to be at the NEXT season faster than we are.  The further we get into pastoring, the more I realize that those seasons I wanted out of so badly were so precious to my spiritual growth. I’m desperately trying to find the balance between contentment and a relentless passion for the mission of God.  It’s out there somewhere.
2. When a great leader compliments you, say “Thank you.”  It may only happen a few times in your life, so don’t downplay the importance of it with meaningless words.
3. Everyone has a story.  My most favorite thing about the conference is hearing everyone’s stories of church, pastoring, parenting, and growing.  Some make us feel better about our own challenges and some inspire us to another level.
4. Longevity has sweet rewards.  I was laying in the hotel room last night desperately tired of talking.  Then I realized what a blessing it is because we have so many relationships that we value in our state that we wanted to catch up with.  We’ve been pastors in our network for 20 years and it is so amazing to see people we went to Northwest University with who now have incredible churches.  We are thankful for lifelong friends who understand the lives of pastors.
5. I cry every year when they honor pastors who have died.  They flash pictures of grey haired, wrinkle-faced, eyes-hid-behind-bifocals, elderly men and women of God.  What I see is people who gave their life to the greatest cause on the planet and stayed true to their calling.  That is really my ultimate goal.  Forget the church stats, the trendy websites, and the show of it all…If I just do WHATEVER God wants until my last breath…I have succeeded.
6. We have a top-notch team.  The strength of North Creek’s backbone is found running through our team.
7. Everything comes full circle.  Never close a door, because you just never know when you might want to walk back through it.

Thank you to the leaders above us who worked hard to provide us an opportunity to be better together!  Mark and I appreciate the investment into our lives and our church.  We are so excited for the future, but we are beautifully happy with what God is doing RIGHT NOW!  Be blessed!