We are officially in the "Holiday Season" of the year. You don't have to be around NewHeart long before figuring out that Christmas is my personal favorite! I can hardly wait!

But before we get there, Thanksgiving is approaching. I love the fact that BEFORE we get to Christmas, we go through Thanksgiving FIRST! BEFORE we get to Christmas, we are reminded to GIVE THANKS. There are countless things that we ALL can give thanks to God for, regardless of our status in life.

I am thankful for a God Who loves me more than I can ever imagine; that He would literally GIVE the life of His only Son in order to GIVE me a chance to live in relationship with Him forever.

I am thankful for the family that God placed me in, and the one He has given me as a husband and father. My wife and kids put up with a lot, and STILL, they love me!

I am thankful for a Church called NewHeart, who have also put up with a lot from me, and have shown me what love, grace, mercy, understanding and kindness are really all about. I look forward to our future together as we pursue more of whatever God has for us!

I could go on and on, and so can you! I encourage you, and challenge myself as well, to find something every day of this month to be thankful for, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, in our lives. Let's really celebrate and give thanks above and beyond this month!

I want to take a couple of moments here to update you on the progress of our "Building A Blessing" project. Since the long-planned Sanctuary expansion and entryway remodel were shelved over a year ago, I haven't said much about where we're going in this regard.

I wanted us to be able to breathe without the pressure of "what do we do now?" My answer was, "we wait on the Lord". Over this last year or so, that's what we've done.

Behind the scenes, the Church Council has been waiting, praying and working toward a solution to facility issues that were (1) supposed to be addressed by the project (non-handicap accessible and out-dated restrooms) and (2) issues that were waiting to be resolved while we would be in construction (electrical issues and enclosure of our breezeway "wind tunnel").

In October, we submitted to the City Planning Department a plan that would answer these issues. The plan effectively and efficiently relocates our bathrooms and encloses our "wind tunnel", both of which would greatly modify our entryway. The project will also upgrade our electrical service, as well as replace carpet in the Sanctuary, and provide new heating and A/C units and new roofing on the north buildings.

Because the scope of the project adds less than 1,000 square feet of new space, the project does NOT have to go before the Planning Commission, which will save a LOT of time and money. As a matter of fact, we realistically expect to have the Planning Department's "go ahead" in November. Once we have that, we draw up the actual construction and engineering plans that will be submitted to Building & Safety for our permit to build.

I will say more about this as we progress. For now, please pray that God continues to give us favor with the City and that financial provision would be released. We currently have about $100,000 that can go toward the project. Next month, we should have more accurate figures on what the cost will be to demolish and build.

Please also consider how God would have you and your family participate financially in seeing this long-awaited and necessary transition take place, and then give toward "Building A Blessing" accordingly! In the mean time, check out the drawings on the easels in the foyer.