Fun with Friends in February

When Eric and I count our blessings, high on the list are the relationships that we have with friends and family near and far.   Although we wish we could live in close proximity to everyone that we love, God has currently placed us in Tucson, AZ and given us many couples to grow and build with, all of whom have become very dear to us.  On a weekly basis we meet with friends at care group to share our hearts and give counsel to each other but we also have made many memories with these friends through hiking, celebrating their children, attending conferences together and fellowshipping over meals and shared interests. 

Two of the highlights of the month of February include time spent with some of our beloved friends here in Tucson.  The weekend after Valentine’s Day we traveled to Phoenix with Geoffrey and Heather to hear Mark Driscoll preach on the subject of marriage.  Between Friday evening and Saturday morning we heard 4 teachings that gave us wisdom and insight on how to make our marriages even better and more honoring to God.  If you have a chance to attend one of his conferences in your area, it is well worth the time and money spent.  We also enjoyed our time hanging out with Geoffrey and Heather and sharing those two days of learning together.  

One particular highlight of the conference for me was Driscoll’s sensitivity to the Spirit which led him to preach the Gospel and invite anyone down on stage with him who was ready to give their lives to Christ.  A handful of men walked down the aisles and stood with him on the stage as we all clapped and welcomed them to the family of God!  Only God could do such a work of humbling anyone to the point of walking down an aisle in front of a thousand people they don’t know so they can stand on stage and admit they are a sinner who needs Jesus Christ.  Praise Jesus! 

This past weekend we enjoyed another outing with Justin and Kerrie and Kyle and Kelsey when Major League Soccer came to Tucson to play a tournament.  I got Eric tickets for Valentine’s Day and the tickets included seeing two games.  Eric, Kerrie and Kelsey are all soccer players so they were able to appreciate the skill demonstrated in front of us and I had a great time sitting outside watching a live sporting event with friends.  

 The first game was the L.A. Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake and if you are like me and are totally ignorant about soccer, Landon Donovan and David Beckham play for the Galaxy which is kind of a big deal.  We didn’t get to see Donovan play but Beckham played the second half of the game and everyone cheered when he went on the field.  The second game was the New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bull and of course Eric and I were somewhat vested in this game hoping for some revenge after the tragic outcome of the Super Bowl.  We were very pleased when the Revolution scored two goals and kept the Red Bulls from scoring at all!  It was a great night to enjoy our friendships and some great soccer!   

We praise God for His continued faithfulness to us and want to highlight these moments as ways that He demonstrates His love and goodness to us.  Although we daily fail to perfectly live out His commands, He pours out blessings on us anyway including the blessing of friendship.  We also praise Him for the friendship that He has given us in each other.  Through the encouragement of Mark Driscoll, we are seeking new ways to be thoughtful good friends to each other and have already enjoyed the fruit of that pursuit.

We also praise and thank God because on March 1st Eric passed his A+ certification exams and received a raise at work for being certified!    

We do ask for your continued prayers in the upcoming month of March as you think of us.  On March 7^th we will meet with the male fertility doctor to get more insight into our infertility.  Please pray for our hearts to rest in God’s love and faithfulness as we continue to wait for our family to grow.  We also still have a car with a check engine light that is always on and we hope by the end of March to be able to tell you that it is fixed and it was cheap! 

We would love to hear stories of how God has been faithful to you because that encourages our faith.  Drop us a note in the comments or send us an email!