Anticipation

As we await the celebration of His coming, there are so many exciting things happening in our home. I've begun multiple posts and have abandoned them to cookie-baking, gift-making and now candle-light Advent readings. What a joyous time... and I will get back to the posts.

But in the meantime, I wanted to thank you all for your love and prayers this past fall as Joel was studying for his Professional Engineering exam. He received these sweet and long-anticipated words today:

Congratulations! The Board is pleased to inform you that you have passed the Principles and Practice of Engineering examination and will be granted a PE license in Idaho

We praise the Lord for His faithfulness to our family, for the mind He has given Joel and the grace He poured out on our family this fall.

But wait, there is more anticipation. We are eagerly anticipating the birth of our third little one in June. I'm days away from being done with my first trimester and rejoice thinking about another blessed one. Because what could be better than two Stobie children...but three?

Most importantly, we continue to anticipate the celebration of the the most sacred, profound birth of all eternity and I'll leave you with an excerpt from yesterday's advent reading:

It is as the songwriter wrote: "O little town of Bethlehem...our hopes and fears of all these years are held in thee tonight." All of humanity, hinged on that one night in Bethlehem. We leave our burden of fears in a stable on a Bethlehem back street and return home light and full of hope--anchored, unwavering, iron-clad hope. We now "live securely" (Micah 5:4), because of He Who was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. O little town of Bethlehem is the birth town of He who came and changed everything--especially us.

The hopes and fears of all my years are held in Thee...