Home Sweet Home

We're home from vacation! San Diego was wonderful and we had a great time with Travis' family on vacation. There is one thing we have to say to you San Diego weather snobs... I think we have you beat right now. This post is also for all of you suffering in the heat back East. Guess what our temperature is here? Right now outside in my backyard without the sun it is a cool 80 degrees. Almost cool enough to put a longsleeve shirt on. At least that's what we feel in comparison to the one-fifteens. And NO humidity. Did you get that? No humidity, folks. That's right-- you know what they say about the dry heat here? It's true. And I've never been more grateful for August in my life. The heat here breaks with the "monsoon season"; we get cloud cover as storms roll into the valley. They don't always provide rain, but the cool air rushes in over the mountain ranges and gives us some relief from the truely endless summer.
We are also rejoicing at all the "homes" that have been blessed with answered prayer. Rich Richardson gave a message a few Sunday's ago from Luke on "Seek, Ask, Knock", reminding us not to give up hope in a God who answers prayer. While on vacation, we found out that the Richardson's prayers were answered with the completed adoption of their new son, Luke. How apropos. Also-- our friends, Jon and Lory are expecting their first, which is an answer to prayer that she conceived. We also had news that our friend, Amy Wilhoite, has been cleared of cancer cells after several chemo treatments and bone marrow transplants. We are still in prayer for the healing of Alivia Haughery as she undergoes more treatment for what they now think is ALL. Other random answered prayers are my parents receiving a Steinway grand piano on loan from my great-uncle Teddy who moved away from Vermont to the Philippines-- just weeks after my Dad started praying for a new piano. And our other friends the (other) Richardson's just finally got a contract on their home, so that they can move into the single family one waiting for them. Yeah! A new neighbor near me!
Now we are encouraged by the answered prayers, but there are still many on our hearts here at the Ranch. We need prayer for our car troubles; God answered our prayers for a big month last month in order to clear away the honeymoon debt. But the money keeps rolling out the door as fast as it makes its way in. If you remember, we were sideswiped in San Diego in July, but now we are facing a speeding ticket on the way to San Diego this time; to top it all off, Travis was hit in the rental car two nights ago right before the body work was done on the Hyundai. Travis' computer is also dying, so once again, we are making major purchases. We are experiencing small trials in light of our friends, but they are inconveniences and make us cry out to the Lord to answer our prayers.We must be able to say, "O God we trust in you" despite our circumstances. In light of the gospel, we not only have access to a great and holy God, but we are living in light of His commitment to fulfill promises: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you" and from Habakkuk 2:3

"For still the vision awaits its appointed
time; it hastens to the end—it will
not lie. If it seems slow, wait for
it; it will surely come; it will not
delay.