2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hope goes on. If we what we are hoping on is Christ our Lord. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians the encouraging element of endurance is found and inspired by Christ. As we start out this day on the adventure- our endurance is fueled and inspired by our Lord Jesus Christ. On the last day of January of 2013, we have come to the 31 verses that describe hope! My friend Brett Bixler and his family are opening up a cafe and a roaster business in February. I have worked with Brett on many projects and my family prayed that he would open up his coffee business here in the Springs. Our hope for Brett and his family was fueled by our hope in Jesus Christ. Located on Voyager Boulevard and Ridgeline, the seed for hope was praying for Brett and his wife Jen that God would open doors for the family to get into a local school. The Bixlers were part of a community in Baltimore, and as their young children were getting to reach school age, they wanted to find more education options for them. Brett had been an early sponsor for The Envoy Film Festival and during the nine years our friendship has blossomed.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Reminders like this became a prayer for our mornings. So between Brett, God and friendship, long distance became more an enduring factor in a relationship that eventually came to a decision filled with obstacles to open up Mission Coffee Roasters in Colorado Springs. My life has been enriched, not only from Brett moving his business and family here, but the invitation to be part of his work, and the constant conversation between God that Brett has constantly reminded me to take part in!
The Advent of Hope
As we have been writing this study called The Advent of Hope and being the son of an architect, I have had a front seat view of seeing patience and waiting for God. At the same time I have had others in my path who have confirmed that cornerstone verse of hope:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11
The hope and the future, the fellowship and the relationships that will be planted at the corner of Voyager and Ridgeline in Colorado Springs are yet to come. The hymns that may be written, the prayers that will be uttered and the studies that will be shared give all of us a hope for the future of getting ready for the promise of the day.
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