I just finished my third year working at the Winter Housing Overflow, which is a shelter than runs from November through March. Working with the homeless population has taught me a lot, so I thought I would share some lessons I’ve learned:

There is a definite connection between drugs and homelessness. I wish that teenagers could see the ramifications of choices that they are making right now. After three years of interviewing hundreds of people, I can say that only a handful did not have a drug and alcohol issues in their past. Obviously not everyone who does drugs ends up homeless, but I guarantee that all of my clients with drug histories wish that they had not gone down that path.

Motivated people get farther in life. At this point, I can probably tell you during the first interview who is going to use the shelter to better their situation and give them a foundation to housing. It is the people who are out there pounding the pavement, filling out applications, willing to take any job to get started, and who are respectful, humble, and grateful to those people who are trying to assist them. They may have a rough season, but they will get back on their feet. They are using our system appropriately and not abusing the resources provided to them.

Full time social workers deserve an award. It’s a HARD job. It’s emotional, frustrating, sometimes depressing, and overwhelming to meet the needs of people with enormous challenges in front of them. It is very difficult to stay focused amidst the devastation that is just a reality in this field. Hats off to all of you who serve in that capacity!

Being in a homeless shelter doesn’t just happen to people. It’s almost never about bad luck, it’s about choices. The simple fact is that if you make good, godly choices consistently in your life, the chances of you ending up with so few options in your life is extremely improbable. Regardless of intelligence, education, and position, obedience to God’s principles from youth until the end does impact your life in drastic ways.

Volunteering makes a difference. Our shelter is very dependent on people giving up their time to get towels, play with kids, make lunches, and get the beds set up. I encourage you to find a place to serve…in a hospital, in a church, in a shelter. It doesn’t matter where, but it does matter.

There’s a lot more that I’ve gleaned in three years, but it’s hard to sum it all up. Moral of the story: Don’t do drugs, stay in school, don’t burn bridges to people in your life, do the responsible thing everytime, don’t commit felonies, work hard, and if you do end up in a shelter after all that…believe in your ability to get your life back. We still live in America and we’re blessed beyond measure!

There’s a lot to say this weekend!!!

First of all, we have officially put the Saturday night service on hold for a while. There are multiple reasons, but next weekend (April 2) will be our last one for a while. As we looked at the upcoming calendar with Spring Break, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, and August vacation month, it was a lot of challenges for that service. We also stepped back and evaluated how many of our people came out of necessity and who came out of just picking it as an option for that weekend. The large majority could just have easily come on a Sunday morning. Also, when we adjusted the Sunday morning service times, it opened up room in the 11:00 am service as some people went to the 9:30. So, for now, we’ll pour all of our energy and resources back into Sunday.

I love the people at our church! We are blessed with the best!

Yes, Mark also announced that we are looking at a building. I promise I’ll blog about that in detail from here on out. Let me start by saying…this is a move of faith on our part. We need God to help us with a miracle or two to make this happen. Miracles come from people being obedient to God! We don’t wait around for money to fall from the sky, rather we proactively give and get our community involved. Who do you know that wants to help us reach our goal?

Worship was great this week! Thanks to Matt, Alissa, Scott, Lee, and Chris for nailing it! It’s all about Jesus and you kept the focus where it needed to be.

I had a 7 year old come and say, “Stacy, where exactly do I put my tithe?” She had just gotten allowance and wanted to honor God. What a lesson!

I know that God is up to something good for North Creek Church.

Mark spoke a great message on healing. I highly recommend catching it online at www.coffeechurch.com if you missed it. God still does miracles!

We could use some prayer this week as we march ahead into some big dreams and plans for our church. It’s a little overwhelming, but something inside of me tells me that there’s a really cool story that God is writing for us right now. I can’t wait to see what it is and tell it to my grandkids someday!!!!

As always…have a wonderful week! And ask someone for a million dollars while you’re at it… 🙂

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!