It's been awhile....

Hello again.
I feel like I need to re-introduce myself, it's been so long.

I've been in a state of "mourning" for the past couple of weeks. Not due entirely to election stuff-- more so because the of the sin in the world. Some unfortunate family circumstances, along with the election, have put a great big spotlight on the sin that exists all around us.

We've been studying The Beatitudes in church for the past few weeks, and I have been particularly moved by verse 4, which says,"

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

I've always read that to mean people who are mourning the loss of a person, but our pastor said he believes it can also be extended to mean mourning the sin in the world. Kind of a "loss of innocence" as you realize how utterly corrupted all of human kind are. And when you think about it, most of the horrible things that we "mourn" in life all have to do with the fallen world we live in. Were it not for sin, there would be no wars, no famines, no diseases, no disasters ...etc. So it really all does boil down to SIN.

Anyway, all of this has been on the forefront of my mind for the past few weeks. I've been particularly stung by professing Christians who have made choices that go against God's word. The bible is not a book of "gray issues."

As for my feelings on the presidential election, my friend Veronica summed up my sentiments quite nicely here. (Thanks, Veronica for putting words to my thoughts EXACTLY!)

All is not lost, though.
Bill and I both feel as though recent developments in our world point even more urgently toward Jesus' triumphant return being near(er). And we know that regardless of what is happening in our world, however desperate times become, Jesus wins! THAT is our comfort!

Despite my mourning, life has actually been wonderful at The Hughes Zoo. God's provisions for our family have been amazing and humbling. I know we've all heard this before, but it has been particularly relevant to me recently:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

Phrased another way, "The Lord is my caregiver, He will take care of all of my needs."
All our needs, down to the littlest details, have been more than met. We are rejoicing in His blessings.

And on a much lighter note....
We had our friend Orna (who also happens to be our dentist!!) over for dinner last night. She arrived with a yummy pumpkin pie in hand, and no one was happier than Tori.

Yes, our little scavenger pulled the entire pie off of the counter and was sitting in the corner eating it with the pie server. "Little Tori Hughes sat in the corner, eating her pumpkin pie."
Thank goodness Orna had a camera to capture the moment.