[A guest post by my husband, Glenn]

This morning, I was awakened at 5:49am by my wife with the mandate to go address the exuberant, vivacious chattering that was occurring in the boys’ room. Apparently, Jordan had climbed into Samuel’s bed, and they were in active discussion regarding a new adventure that they planned to implement upon the break of day. The fact that Elijah’s crib is located beside to their bed and the likelihood that their mini-fiesta would wake him never seemed to occur to them.

So I gently and cordially, in love, (ahem) had them leave their room and relocate to the living room, where they have busily been engaged in the task that they had been anticipating. Now all I have to do is keep them quiet (which is quite a challenge).

Interestingly, I also have my own point of anticipation that I have mused upon over the last 12 hours. This evening, Ruth and I will enjoy a very special outing that we have been planning for some time. We will be leaving our four boys with my parents, going out to dinner with friends, and then attending a performance by the Charlotte Symphony. I find that thinking about how much fun this evening will be adjusts the way that I perceive the world around me at this moment. Everything just seems better! And when the evening comes to fruition, the anticipation will have made it that much more special.

Now, as the pessimists (or “realists”, as they like to call themselves) would say, this anticipation can just set me up for disappointment if things don’t go well (i.e. sick baby, bad sushi, brass section out of tune), or even if they do, what am I going to look forward to tomorrow? Is there not risk associated with allowing yourself to hope for what can be? I guess that the answer would be “yes”, but the more important question deals with one’s source of anticipation. Mine is well stated in Jeremiah 29:11 – “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.” In other words, there is no risk when your hope is placed on the Lord and what he will do for you.

If you have kept up with us for any time at all, you are probably aware of our family goals. While we know that they are ambitious and demanding, we are passionately pursuing them, confident that God is revealing his plan to us a little bit each day. His direction has filled us with the hopeful anticipation of the future that he has laid out for us. And just like the excitement that comes when approaching something special that we know about, we are living in joyous hope of what is coming next… because God knows about it.