john stott said it all...

this post is dedicated to God and to his good and faithful servants. intrigued? then read on.

since our change in 'careers', mrs hope has kept a close eye on our household's finances. for my part, ignorance has been my shield. my usual practice on the occassions that i need pocket money is to approach my good wife, who provides me with whatever i need. this practice has carried on un-interrupted, but mrs hope has been fully aware of the state of our finances: in essence the need for slightly more of them.

thankfully, God has also kept himself fully appraised of our situation and for the last three months, we have been given, by three separate people (some known and some unknown to us) considerable sums of money. each month, it has been enough to meet those odd annual expenses like car insurance/house insurance/TV licence.

turning to stott:

"Towards the end of my time ... at Cambridge, the Rev. Paul Gibson retired as Principal [of Ridley Hall], and a portrait of him was unveiled. In expressing his thanks, he paid a well-deserved compliment to the artist. He said that in future he belived people looking at the picture would ask not 'Who is that man?' but rather 'Who painted that portrait?' Now in our case God has displayed more than skill. A patient after a major operation is a living testimony to his surgeon's skill, and a condemned man after a repreive to his sovereign's mercy. We are both - exhibits of God's skill and trophies of hs grace."

the latest gift was received this morning, in an appropriately non-descript brown envelope addressed (in an obviously disguised hand) to the 'Hope Family'. i'm putting it in our trophy cabinet.