 “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25 ESV).
My childhood was less than ideal. I experienced multiple forms of abuse, my father was never present, and my mother left us. Later, after reconciling with my mother, she died from cancer. That is an extremely quick insight into what life looked like for a very young Jordon Arnold. Because of the trauma I experienced as a kid, I had decided I was never going to get married, and I would certainly never have kids. It wasn’t because I didn’t desire to be a wife and a mom. But I was afraid.  The United States is currently experiencing a labor shortage. Most of us have experienced the results. Dedicated employees are scrambling to compensate for absent co-workers. Businesses are closing earlier when shifts aren't covered. And no matter how you might view it politically, I think we can all agree that when laborers are few, frustrations are many.
 Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the crisp breeze, the sound of crunching leaves, and the smell of woodsmoke. But it won’t be long before this season passes, and winter’s cold, dreary days appear again.
 As Christians, this world is not our home. We are sojourners and exiles in this world (see 1 Pt. 2:11). We are citizens of heaven (see Phil. 3:20). Like Abraham, we look “… forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10 ESV). How, then, should we live as exiles?
 I admire the apostle Paul for several reasons. One of them being his persistent prayer for the churches to whom he ministers. He makes it clear in his letters how thankful he is for the churches and how he prays for them often.
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