If your year was anything like mine, there were some unexpected moments on the journey.

The birth of my first son, Houston.

Building a house.

A broken arm.

Moving internationally back to Australia.

Losing my car keys countless times (despite last years ‘resolution’!)

Some great times, some hard times.

God’s faithfulness.

What did this year bring you?

2009 is sure to be another great year. Only God knows what it will hold for us. I do know this: a new year always brings new horizons. A sense of hope, the feeling of change.

As we enter the New Year, I pray that 2009 will be a year of God’s faithfulness over your life, as you journey through the mountains and valleys of life.

Happy New Year!

From Cindi and myself, we want to wish all our friends a merry Christmas.

Enjoy the time with family and friends, and make sure you eat plenty of food!

This year has been a great year, and we know 2009 will be even better.

Blessings

Ben and Cindi (and Houston!)

My life has been most changed by people that have invested time and relationship into my world.

For example, at PDX airport we bumped into our friend, Pastor Dean Sweetman. He runs a great church called C3 Atlanta. We spent some time with him a few years ago and he was instrumental in us first ever coming to the US. He is an Aussie who planted a church that hit 2,000 within the first 10 years. It is just incredible that we connected with him at the end of our journey here – interesting how things come full circle. Thanks for the encouragement Dean.

Another example is the Little family. They adopted us into their home during our years in Portland. What an amazing model of a true Christian family. Recently I had lunch with my Pastor, Frank Damazio, and thanked him for the deposit into my life (the pancakes where good too!). Once again, he is an example of a great investment in life.

The list of people that have made a difference in my life is very long. It is for this reason that I believe it is people that are the greatest investment in life.

During this Christmas season, be sure to take time to thank the people in your life. And forget the calories for a while and enjoy all the Christmas food!

Take a moment and add a comment to the blog. Give a shout out to someone that has invested in your life.

A crying baby. Cramped seats. What else is there to do on a plane to pass the time but blog! Our plane has just taken off from Portland, amidst one of the biggest snowstorms in Portland for a decade. We woke to a snow covered city. Streets shutdown. Fireplaces burning overtime! It was a fitting send off to our time here.

What is amazing is that on the ground it is snowing, windy, grey… not the kind of weather us Aussies are used to! But the moment the plane ascends, the sky turns perfect blue. Think of this: above even the worst storms is blue sky, the only difference is what level you are on.

I think the same is true in life. Sometimes just seeing a situation or a relationship from a different perspective can totally change the view. What storms are you facing now? Climb higher and see the blue sky. Today make a commitment to go to a higher level. And enjoy the sun!

A recent survey by Mission Australia surveyed 45,000 young people. It found the number one concern for people up to 24 years of age is body image. More than their future, health, finances, or friends, their own image was their biggest dilemma.

Many people think that this is simply because of media, TV, magazines, and the influence it has on people today. However, the true cause of insecurity goes way back to Adam and Eve.

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they experienced an image problem. They tried to hide themselves with fig leaves. The reason for this is simple. Our image is tied to our identity.

Ever since then, people have been trying to replace their true identity (who I am) with surface image (how I look). But fig leaves didn’t help then, and they don’t help now.

The true solution for people today is not just more positive thinking or body improvements, though this may help. The answer is people need to discover their God given identity.

What’s your identity in? As you go about your day today, remember it is God that holds your true identity! At least in my case, I am glad it is that and not my looks

Brisbane is a city filled with young people. 98% of them don’t have a church. Can’t wait to be a part of something new that causes that percentage to change.

It always amazes me how good God is! When I look back over my life, I can see how God has orchestrated my every move and led me to where I am today.

My mind is in awe of just how clever God is to have put every piece together, preparing me for such a time as this.

In just 6 short days we return to Brisbane to embark on the next chapter of our lives, planting a church. My spirit is buzzing and just so excited for this new church.

To think about all the lives that are going to be changed, people saved, families restored, friendships formed, businesses blessed.

There is no limit to what God wants to do in and through us!

The future is exciting! Thinking of your own life…where are you at right now? What is God doing in your life? What is He getting you ready for?

There is a constant need for innovation within the church to meet the changing culture of a postmodern world.

Church innovation has 3 essential ingredients:

1. Respecting the past

Many of the freedoms we have in church today are no more than one generation old. For example, modern worship is a staple in churches these days, but even a basic study of modern church history will show this new dynamic has only really been developed in the last 50 years. Someone, somewhere, at sometime, took a step to pioneer.

2. Following the Bible

We shouldn’t ‘innovate’ the Bible to suit our needs or desires. When we forget that the Word is our foundation, then we have innovated the wrong thing, not remembering that it is God that is the source of creativity.

3. Finding new methods for timeless principles

As the world changes at a rapid rate and the needs of humanity deepen, it is essential that we find new ways of doing things. I believe we should utilize whatever tools we can to further the cause of building the local church and spreading the message of Jesus. The internet, mobile phones, new strategies, ideas, and solutions can help us reach more people.

Innovation is one of our core values at Lifeplace. Together we can use these 3 ingredients to reach Brisbane and Australia. Give me a shout out if you like it!

“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him, and then choose that way with all his heart” – Hasidic saying

There’s something to be said for people that live with a sense of resolution. They are not double minded, second guessing themselves, or wavering on their call. They are stable. I am inspired by people like that.

This week Cindi and I (and little Houston) went away to pray, strategize, and futurecast for Lifeplace. We found a small log cabin on Mt Hood, the 11, 000 foot mountain just outside of Portland. As I sat on the deck, over-looking the rapids beneath and the soaring mountain above, I was reminded of God’s call on my life.

It was 7 years ago that God spoke to my heart about starting a new church in Brisbane. I never knew His season of preparation would be so thorough (apparently I needed it!), but what has never changed has been the desire of my heart.

My hope is simple. I am stepping out of the boat to believe that God stirs the hearts of many people to be a part of this new House. Together we can do something new in Brisbane. What about you? When’s the last time you allowed your heart to really be captured by something? What is stirring in your heart about Brisbane, and about church, and about the call on your life?