"God takes pleasure when His children participate in His purposes"
What an incredible journey I've been on lately. Tucker is growing like a weed, and it is so much fun to see him learn new things, and develop into or "little man." He is such a blessing, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store in our future with him! And between him and our jobs, Julie and I have had quite a time trying to juggle what time we do have around. This past weekend, a huge burden was lifted off me, as we traded in my truck for a new SUV. As some of you know, mechanical problems with the truck had just about drove me to the nuthouse, and constantly worrying about travel safety for Julie and Tucker on the road was always bogging me down. We were so blessed to find a good deal on the Explorer, and after much prayer and guidance, we feel we made a wise decision in purchasing it... On another note, we are so glad that winter is almost over, and already signs of spring are starting to show here in Tennessee. And even though I am not looking forward to cutting grass all the time, having warmer weather is definitely a plus to take Tucker out in, and spend more time outdoors. It will be awesome taking him to the park, and walking him down to the pond, and to see him starting to explore! God has definitely been good to us, and we look forward to seeing what he has in store for us this spring.
On a more personal note, the subjects of faith and hope are definitely being revealed to me in great ways. The majority has been shown to me in Steven Furticks book, "Sun Stand Still." I have loved reading it, and much of what he speaks about is exactly what God has been stirring in my heart lately. I loved the verses he pointed out in he most recent chapter I read..."Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" -James 2:17; and "Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1. Such well known, Bible 101 type verses, yet so many times, not fully comprehended. My life has been so full of hope, yet so lacking faith. Alot of times, we pray for guidance, miracles, and mountains to move, yet we want to sit on the sidelines and expect Him to play the game for us. We cannot expect great things in our lives if we are not willing to first be obedient and put some effort in the equation. The great thing is, not that God needs our help, but that He desires it. He has big plans for me, and in this I have hope. He has empowered me by His spirit to accomplish great things, and in this I have faith. And I choose to not stand around, but to walk by it...
