Email to a Friend

Hey, dude.

It is great hearing from you. We miss you guys around here, but are glad that things are looking up. The Scripture quoted in your email signature seems very appropriate for you at this moment in your life: 'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.' (Hebrews. 11:1). I know that God has big plans for you and your wife, but until the "big" comes, keep making the most of every opportunity. We are still praying for you guys and for your wife's family; especially for her dad. We serve a good God who knows what is best. Sometimes we disagree with him about that. The things that are (or are not) happening are not for nothing. God uses all of it to accomplish his work both in us and through us. This is one of the most encouraging things I have learned from my masters program. In referring to all the past troubled times and bad job and ministry experiences, the older guys in class all agreed that God doesn't waste anything. He uses all of it to make us who he wants us to be and to equip us for the ministry to people that he has designed just for us. The second most encouraging thing was the common agreement that the first forty years of life are about character building and the next forty are about spiritual productivity. How we live and learn during the first forty help to determine our usefulness by God in the next forty. God loves you guys, he sees you, and he is always with you. When you rejoice, he rejoices. When you mourn, he mourns with you. You are his and you are precious to him. He will not let you go. He is a good God.

We love you guys and look forward to when we get to see you again.

A fool for Christ,

Darrell

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