I have been travelling and vacationing this week, so my weekly highlights of church are a bit late, but I still wanted to tell you them because it was a GREAT Sunday!

First of all, we had Hip Hop dancers from Expressive Dance Studio, an 11 year old singer who will stop you in your tracks, and testimonies of our own people and how their lives are unexpected. Needless to say, we had the gammet of emotions going on this weekend!

Marc and Amy Roy brought their dance crew, Kryptic, to showcase for us. Normal churches don’t have hip hop on Christmas, but I’m pretty sure God didn’t call the church to be normal. I believe in Marc and Amy and look forward with great anticipation to their future. If you want to get a hold of Marc regarding lessons, check out www.expressivedance.com for more info. He not only cares about dance, but he cares about growing people with the love of Jesus.

Hannah Wilson can sing. She’s 11 years old and she’ll blow your socks off. My daughter, Kennedy, has told me all week that when she grows up, she’s going to sing on stage just like Hannah. That’s why we need to use people NOW and not worry about their age or their expertise (although she’s got the expertise!). Hannah inspired kids (and adults) to pursue a dream. What a gift to us all!

Carl (Hannah’s dad) shared a moving testimony about his fight with colon cancer. He’s a walking miracle and has the attitude to prove it! Unshakable joy in that man. You should get to know him if you haven’t. He’s contagious.

Pete Torres shared his testimony. Many people don’t know this families’ story, but Pete and his wife, Rachel, attend our church along with Pete’s daughter and her mother, Liana. What a picture of God’s redemption! They all took different paths to get here and God has allowed these three adults and their kids to live in harmony and make the best of the past. It’s such an amazing look at true forgiveness and love. Yes, we all have a story of mistakes in the past, but the real question is, “What are you going to do NOW that looks alot like Jesus?”

The other beautiful thing was being with my church family to celebrate Jesus! I love the people at North Creek and I can think of nothing better than drinking a cup of coffee, eating copious amounts of Christmas cookies, and basking in awe of a Savior…that’s the key word…Savior. He didn’t come to make us rich or even make us happy. He didn’t come to take away the difficulties or make us better than anyone else. He came to save us from our own sin. And for that, I rejoice this season in His miraculous birth!

If you’d like to watch our Christmas service, it’s online at www.coffeechurch.com under the Media Library link. Enjoy!

recently read Mark Batterson’s third book, Primal. I highly recommend two things: Make it your first read of the New Year and follow through on the keys it takes to get back to the lost soul of Christianity.

Mark has the ability to make you want to live out the adventure of following Jesus. Many times we focus on the difficulty of obedience rather than it’s benefit. Primal tells the story of multiple disciplines that reignite your faith and unlock your excitement for serving Christ. The result of discipline is a correct view of God…and He’s infinitely bigger than we often give him credit for!

My favorite quote in the book is, “None of us can imagine what God is capable of. Which means none of us can imagine what we’re capable of if we give God control of our lives.” (pg. 153) It is a statement that will resonate with so many, but will be given action to by so few.

That’s because somewhere in the last two thousand years, Chrisitianity has become anything but adventurous or dangerous. We have removed the risk from American Christianity and made it a Sunday morning event, rather than a lifestyle pursuit of a God that we will never completely comprehend.

I appreciated the imagery on page 156 when Mark was highlighting that even sound, when commanded by God, is more powerful than we perceive it. Sound for you and I is communication, but when “God speaks…the first sound waves don’t just travel through space, they create it.”

This is an inspiring read and one that you should consider picking up. But, I warn you, it’s not a feel good read. It’s one that requires you to face the reality of pursuit….the pursuit of who God really is and your response to that.

Enjoy!

A friend of mine once told me a story of a time when she decided to be a “Secret Santa” at her office. She secretly placed gifts on her coworkers desk. A few days later she overheard another coworker take credit for the little presents…can you believe it? My mouth dropped open when I heard the story. Who would do that? And how can they think they won’t get caught? What if the rightful gift deliverer said she did it?

That is a story that I’ll remember for the rest of my life! And I think it’s what we do to God all of the time. We look at our successes or accomplishments and think we actually can take credit for it. The reality is that it’s all God. And I imagine that when we stand in heaven someday we’ll look pretty silly for taking credit for an almighty God.

So, this holiday season, maybe your gift to our Savior is to simply give Him the credit for the blessings in your life. He’s the ulitmate Secret Santa.

For the last 10 years or so I’ve thought about trying out for Survivor. A couple of nights ago I saw an ad for open auditions in Portland. I thought to myself, “I’ve gotta do this regardless of the outcome. It’s time to live the adventure.”

As I’ve been evaluating my life lately I have looked back over the reality that I take pride in the fact that I succeed at most things that I attempt. The problem with that is that I don’t even try things that might fail. And on the occasion that something I’ve attempted seems like it might fail, I REALLY struggle. I go into a tailspin.

So, it’s been on my heart for 2010 to “Live the Adventure” and not focus on what might come of my attempts. I want to enjoy the journey and focus less on the outcome. And that’s what happened tonight.

I stood in the cold rain for three hours until they said that they were out of time and those of us still outside would have to go home. Failure…but not really.

That’s because most of the time the success is in the journey. My journey tonight was filled with a great time with my new friends, Rey and Jaimie, and a dozen other people that spent three long, freezing hours with me at New Seasons Market in Happy Valley, Oregon. We talked about our lives, they met my kids and husband (those wimps stayed where it was warm!), and we took a shot in the dark together.

It may not be the story of a lifetime, but it was an adventure nonetheless. And I’m glad I took it. Thank you to Rey and Jaimie for taking it with me.

Oh…and I’m still going to send in my application…journey on!

It’s no secret that I’m madly in love with North Creek and the people that God has brought our way. The stories of changed lives literally make me cry daily at this point in my life. It is a flood of one miracle and move of God after another. It’s almost too much to handle emotionally, but not in a negative way at all. I cry because I am moved… proud… impressed… humbled… excited… the words fall short to express my deep gratefulness that I feel in my heart.

I cry because I GET to be a part of God’s great plan. It is nothing short of humbling. The deeper we get into ministry and the life of this church plant that Mark and I get, the more grateful I feel. I see God working and I know that in all of my strength and wisdom, I can never compare to His majesty. Success should make you prideful, but in the irony of God’s system, it’s only been humbling to see Him take my inadequate attempts and make it miraculous. And in that humility, no other response seems to measure what my heart feels, and so, I cry.