An Unexpected Vacation, and the House!

I'd like to start by begging your indulgence for just a little more time.  I realize that I've posted a lot about what is going on specific to our family during our move to Everett.  I will openly state that the intent of this blog is simply to shed light on what God is doing in and through our lives.  That's it.  This site is not dedicated to us or to making us look a certain way.  That being said, I've been told by numerous church planters that before your ministry starts, God does His work on you.  We have certainly experienced that since August of 2013 and God has had many hard lessons for us.  But He knew we needed these lessons now.  It is my prayer that in our running account His name would be made great.

Last weekend Amanda and I got an unexpected vacation as our boys were all whisked away to the mountains east of us to go to Blizzard Camp, an event that Everett Family Church participates in along with some other churches in the area.  The camp is hosted at a ranch in the Cascade range and is typically known for lots of time playing in the very-deep snow.  This year was different because that region has had very little snow, but the boys went over the weekend to play games, learn about Jesus, and sing silly songs with a bunch of other kids.

The final moments of Blizzard Camp.  Many silly songs were sung by over 100 kids who attended.
 
Amanda and I spent the day last Saturday walking around downtown Everett and the surrounding communities for the purpose of prayer walking and seeing the area.  We enjoyed a quiet breakfast and a picnic lunch in the park finished by dessert at a downtown bakery.  God provided an absolutely magnificent day and we thoroughly enjoyed His presence as we walked, talked, and prayed.

The view from a park looking due south.  This is the sun at high noon!  Notice how low it is on the horizon.  Days during the winter are only 8 hours long, and the sun never gets directly overhead since we are so far north.

 A view looking west at Puget Sound from Grand Avenue in Everett.  The Olympic Mountain Range is in the distance.

Since the weather was nice on Saturday, EVERYONE decided to get their car washed.  The line backed up into the street.
 
We had made an agreement with each other a couple of weeks ago that we weren't going to actively look for a house until our Huffman house closes.   We didn't want to endure the heartache of seeing house after house sell as we continued to live in our apartment.  However, each weekend since then we have seen open houses around town that we decided to look at on a whim.  That happened again on Saturday, and we went to see an unbelievable house just blocks from downtown.  When we went into it, we were in awe.  Great kitchen, great views of everything (it is on a hill), plenty of rooms and bedrooms for our family and ministry needs.  We were united in our attraction to the place, and that is the first time that has happened here.

I decided to ask our real estate agent about whether we could put in an offer since we have a contract and closing date set on our house in Huffman.  To my surprise (I am clueless when it comes to real estate), he said we could and that many sellers are comfortable with such contracts.  Something told us to pursue it, so we did at the beginning of the week.

During the waiting period this week, I really began questioning myself.  Was I just in awe of another man-made thing?  Was I in love with something of this world?  Did God want us to have a place that nice?  I really wrestled with this for days and was a bit sad about it.  I just don't trust myself in this area.  The Lord had us wait for the entire week to hear back from the homeowner, which again seemed to be His purpose as He wanted us to speak to Him about it.

Fortunately the Lord sometimes chooses to speak through friends.  I talked to Chip, one of my closest friends in this life, about the situation.  He didn't hesitate and said something that really hit me.  "Paul, don't just assume that God is going to give you something less than what you had."  I was floored.  When I began thinking about it, I realized that I was assuming that God would give us less than we had before.  I was okay with it and had just attributed it to being part of this mission we have been asked to go on.

I also spoke to Mike, our home inspector and pastor of Everett Family Church.  I shared my concerns with him as well, particularly focusing on my concern that our family be planted exactly where we are supposed to be in this city.  Mike's comment was pretty simple but equally powerful.  He told me that many times the Lord isn't concerned as much about exactly where you wind up as long as your heart is following after Him first.  That aligned with what Pastor Barry back at home told us about moving here.  He reminded me that the need is everywhere...it really doesn't matter where we wind up since clearly the Lord was leading us to this city.

Is it possible that the Lord would have us give up our "dream house" in Huffman only to give us something better?  Well...yes.  Now I need to state off the bat that I don't believe in the so-called "prosperity gospel" that some churches teach.  I do not believe that the Lord wants everyone to be rich or successful.  Too many verses in the Bible are taken out of context and used to support this false notion.  If God wanted these things for everyone, you need to explain away some of the lives of many people from scripture.

The Apostle Paul whom the Lord said would find out "how much he must suffer for my name." He was eventually imprisoned and executed.

Peter, who led the life of an evangelist only to be crucified upside down on a cross.

James, who was beheaded at the end of his ministry.

John, who was exiled to an island by himself at the end of his life.  In fact, he's the only one of Jesus's original disciples who died of natural causes.

Or perhaps we should look at John the Baptist, who lived and preached in the desert and ate wild locusts and honey, only to later be beheaded by an evil ruler.

Or we could talk about the prophet Elijah, Job, and Moses.

And yet when we look closely, we also see examples of people who were richly blessed simply because God decided to do that.  You can easily start with Solomon, who prayed above all things for wisdom.  Because the Lord was so pleased with what he asked for, he gave Solomon riches as well.  There is Abraham, who was given great wealth and power in his land over a long period of time. We also see Job, who had literally everything taken from him only to have the Lord give it all back and more in the end.  I even read about Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4:10 this morning who prayed:

 “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. 

While many would seek to get prosperity for their own gain, I'd like to point out that the only reason these things were provided is because the Lord decided that He would allow it.  Yes they all prayed, and some of them were even people who followed the Lord, but the Lord decided.  We can't forget his sovereignty in this, and all situations.

So in the scheme of things, this house will provide for many, many needs.  For our family, it provides space for all of us so we are no longer on top of each other!  Some of the kids will share rooms that are large and carpeted and have 2 windows with a view!  There is a great kitchen for Amanda the chef.  Better yet, there is a large completed basement with several rooms that will be used for future ministry needs.  We can see having meetings with people there, hosting future church planting interns for free, or even providing a space for someone in need to live with us.  All this, and it is about 3 blocks out of downtown Everett, right where we are supposed to be.

But above all things, I need to point out the goodness of God.  We haven't done anything to deserve His favor or kindness, yet He chose to give it anyway.  He would be no less great if He decided not to give us this place.  Frankly, we are excited at His specific movement in our lives at this moment.  What a leader!  What a Savior!

We are praying for the Spirit's leading in how to best use His place.  Please join us in prayer for this house, ministry, and that the Lord would make His name great in the city of Everett.

Psalm 34
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
⁹ Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
¹⁰ Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Seahawk Update

It would be wrong for me to not address the electricity present in this city as a result of the Seahawks going to the Super Bowl!  This week at the Everett Boeing factory, the Seahawk 747 rolled off of the production line!  All 747's are built in Everett, and 2 are finished each month.  The Everett factory also produces the 767, 777, and the brand new 787.  Airplanes are a major facet of this community.

Our kids reported seeing the plane fly over their school this week.  It is built as a freight jet that Boeing is currently using for flight testing purposes.  It has been sighted over the city everywhere this week.

The flight path of the jet was even designed to be a number 12, symbolic of The 12th Man at Centurylink Stadium.  

While it is fun to watch the excitement surrounding the Seahawks, I have come to realize they are largely symbolic of the community pride that is present within Everett and Seattle.  People in Everett love the city and what it stands for.  I have detected a great deal of pride among residents simply because they live in this unique place.  Boeing has done a good job of capturing the excitement in the form of an airplane.