thursday thoughts

So I've started a new post about 5 or 6 different times in my head this past week but never got around to writing them out. I decided instead of writing a long 'serious' post about one subject, I'd write little blurbs about all the things I almost started writing about..or things that are just taking up space in my brain. Here goes:

• Em is getting really old. She talks a lot and has her own sassy personality. She now realizes I'm not the only one that can entertain her during our days so she's constantly asking for: Elmo, Abby, Barney, or a cookie.
• I've always enjoyed names. Right now I keep pondering Emmanuel. It's probably my favorite name to describe God. Emmanuel=God with us. What a comfort! As a sidenote, I'm not thinking about it as a child's name; however, I am thinking of 100 others because I have baby fever. Don't tell Nolan (I already did).
• Peace. At first I was thinking on a large scale what a great blessing Peace will be when Christ comes again. Nations will no longer be fighting each other and the world will be at peace. Just imagine that.What a great relief. I also long for the days when life won't be so hard and everyone can be in perfect relationships with each other. I can see everyone taking a deep sigh of relief and a burden being lifted from us.
• My sister and I are going to start a women's Bible study beginning in February discussing The New Eve by Robert Lewis. I love listening to her vision for teaching and I am excited to be next to her in this endeavor. It's so great because that book came into my life by 'chance.' We were on vacation in TN with my fam and we visited a bookstore (of course). I was browsing and saw the title of the book and the author's name. My first thought was, "What business does a man have writing a book for women? If he's going to tell me how to be a woman or stay in the kitchen, I'm going to throw his book!" When I picked up the book and opened the front cover the flap said, "I know what you're thinking, how can a man be writing a book about women?". I thought, " I AM! I am thinking that!" Naturally, I had to read-on. Turns out, the book is awesome and helps define a Biblical description of womanhood and now Shan & I are going to be sharing his insights with the women in our church. I hope it resonates with them and changes their lives like it has mine.
• Speaking of 'chance' I'm also reading Silas Marner by George Eliot and she wrote a great quote: "Favourable Chance, I fancy, is a god of all men who follow their own devices instead of obeying a law they believe in...The evil principle deprecated in that religion is the orderly sequence by which the seed brings forth a crop after its kind." So good, right? I love finding different ways of saying, 'you reap what you sow' because it is Truth.
• Another quote I found recently and love: "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own" -Benjamin Disraeli. Add that to my parenting mantra!
• I would really appreciate some snow. I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Really, I am. We watched part of The Grinch tonight (cartoon style), I've wrapped presents, our tree has been up since Thanksgiving, we actually hung the garland this year, I've been drinking hot chocolate at least once a day, Shan is getting me some boots tomorrow, Em has all her snow gear, I'm thinking about peace...I mean, how much more do I need to do?! I need snow! Please. I plan to make paper snowflakes with Emery tomorrow in hopes that it encourages the real snowflakes to feel welcome at our home!

I hope you all have had a wonderful Thursday and will have an even better Friday!