Mommy Rocks...

I don't know how Heidi does it every day...I've been on daddy duty for the past two days. Heidi's working at Roswell to stockpile as much mulla as possible for the most. So I took a vacation day and a holiday to be at home with the kids.

We've had a great time. Each day, we've had the chance to get out and run some errands...even just driving around.

Today, I set up our new phone account in IL. Our phone number will be 847.548.7791. Pretty cool, huh? We'll work on more utilities after the New Year.

I've also set up the movers. Unless something falls apart, Bekins wins. Stevens has a clergy moving department but they cost about a grand more...go figure. It's sort of a sad commentary that there are so many pastors that move so much that Stevens can have a whole department just for us. When I first called, and the lady was "selling" me on her company, she said, "I'm working with one pastor for the forth time...he really likes our service."

Pastors tend to move alot. I think there are many reason for that...

1) They become "professional" clergy...so they are more about jobs than community and relationships. They get fired for not measuring up and they leave when the church doesn't need their specific expertise any more.

2) They give up. When the church doesn't grow, they either get fired or they leave because the lack of growth is someone else's problem. Instead of growing as a leader and then trusting the results to God and His design for a church, they compare themselves to Bill Hybels (Willow Creek Church in IL) or other big church pastors.

3) They didn't interview the church well. Because they were under the gun to leave their last place, they just needed a job so took the church that invited them. So the community isn't a good "fit."

4) Some men and women are called to begin or transition churches in preparation for the future. God really does gift some people for short-term ministry in a church.

I worked hard through the interview process to hear God and to do whatever I could do to make sure that Northwest is the right fit. Just like marriage, you never really know until you share a bathroom and get the flu. But my commitment is not to Northwest's growth, it's to the community being built there...the people. We will grow together. We will have confict, but work through it. We will become more like Jesus together...because of each other.

I can't guarentee that the other elders at Northwest won't fire my butt...but I can promise to work hard, grow as a leader and person, and love well.

I hope it will be decades before I need to call a moving company again.

I'm off to spend some time with the best mother ever (no offense, Mom)! She's worked hard today and probably needs her feet rubbed.

Peace,
M@