Things That Make You Go, Hmm...

Happy Friday!  If you live in Minnesota, you just woke up to what we did...SNOW!!  I can't believe it.  I heard rumors of it happening this weekend, but somewhere in my heart of hearts, I wasn't ready to handle it.  Now I have no choice.  I know, I know, it's November 6th and in Minnesota it's a miracle that we haven't had a snowstorm already, but on Monday it was 76 outside!!  That's right, almost 80 degrees in November.  It was GORGEOUS.  But, I will say, it's also gorgeous in a different way now.  The first snow is always a little bit magical and this one is no exception.  It's a wet snow, meaning it won't last very long, but right now everything has a perfectly white layer of fluff on it.  Travis took Ryley out to play in it this morning, and of course he LOVED it!  He always runs around like a maniac in the snow.  We get a big kick out of it :)  

I thought I would give you my list of "things" I'm pondering today.... 

1.  Last night we went to see David Crowder in concert and he did not disappoint.  He was at our church, so we knew we had to buy tickets, it was just too convenient not to!  Plus, they offered the staff discounted tickets, so how could we not do it?  As always, he was great.  I love Crowder for many reasons, none more so that the power of his lyrics.  They are so simple, but incredibly profound.  I love that.  Plus, he is non-stop energy and before you know it, a whole concert has gone by!  We were on our feet the whole time (well, I took a break) and singing every word of every song.  He has the unique ability to lead you right into worship without even knowing it.  It was worth every penny.  AND, we might have a little David Crowder fan on our hands because the baby was moving again during the concert!  I can imagine that we woke he/she up with the sheer volume of noise being produced :)  Regardless, I loved it.  If you have the opportunity to see David Crowder in concert, I HIGHLY recommend it.  You will not be disappointed.  

2.  Ok, post election, who is thrilled to be done with the political ads??  I AM!!  It's amazing how quickly the transition happens from candidate to President-elect.  I do think that is good for our country though, it helps us accept reality and move on.  I thought Beth Moore had an excellent word of wisdom yesterday regarding the outcome.  I am not surprised at how it all "went down" but I can say that I have had a real peace about it.  It's not what I wanted, but I am very confident that the Lord is Sovereign and He is on his throne.  I was encouraged in Ezra this week, reading about how the Lord used King Cyrus to do mighty things for Him and His people.  Cyrus was not a believer, but the Lord ordained his days to be a real service to Israel.  The verse that I love and have prayed through is this:

"In the first year of Cyrus the King of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus the King of Persia..."

Ezra 1:1

I'm reminded that no matter what, the Lord's plans will be fulfilled.  He is constantly at work, using whomever He chooses, to accomplish HIS will, not ours.  I have thought of this verse for America, re-wording it something like this:

"In order to fulfill the word of the Lord, not the will of the Republicans and Democrats, the Lord moved the heart of President Obama..."

I am convicted to pray for our new President, to ask the Lord to soften His heart and give Him wisdom.  Anything is possible when our hope is in the Lord and not in man.  I'm sure President Obama will disappoint people on both sides, he's only human.  But I hope that we won't disappoint him and stop laboring in prayer for our leaders and our country.  There is much room for the hope of Jesus in these difficult days.  Watching the news does nothing but confirm our need for Him.  It is possible to live without fear when we put our trust in the right place.  Money, power, and fame are fleeting.  God, His word, and the souls of men are the only things that are eternal.  I hope you can find peace from the Prince of Peace today...and no, contrary to Oprah's belief, his name is not Obama :)  

So there you have it, my political soapbox :)  

3.  The big news of today is that in exactly 2 weeks from today, we will hopefully know if we are bringing home a little boy or a little girl!!  My ultrasound appointment is scheduled for the 21st and yes, we will be finding out and sharing our news!!  I can't wait.  It's seemed so far off until now.  Somehow I have to find a way to sleep between now and then.  We are very ready to discover who God is creating in me!  So, what do you think?? Boy or Girl??  Thank you for your feedback on cribs, I think I know which one I liked the best out of those 4.  I can't wait to start planning the nursery, but this little bit of information has to come first!  I will try to take some pictures this weekend of my growing stomach and my new haircut.  I couldn't take it anymore and I chopped it off.  It's much, much better :)  

So, those are the highlights of my morning.  I don't know if I should tell you this or not, but we currently have Christmas music playing and I'm trying to talk Travis into buying our Christmas tree today!  Yikes!  I said it.  I blame the snow, it's pushed me over the edge!!  We're going artificial this year (for our tree) and I want to get one before the styles I like are gone.   I'm not sure if he's going to go for it, but we'll see!  I have the Christmas bug early and I'm not apologizing for it.  I LOVE Christmas!  But I also love Thanksgiving and that's even closer.  Really these next two months are my favorite time of year.  For all my "southern friends" I know you can't imagine this in your 70 degree weather, but if you were me and looking out your window at snow, you'd be feeling this way too! 

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!  Thanks for sharing our joy about the baby moving, you are all making this pregnancy so much fun for us!!