I like lists. Not LIKE like them, like how EM likes them, but I like them. They’re consise. To-the-point.

So. A list of things that are bringing me joy currently. In no particular order…

1. The countdown to Christmas is managable. We’re not in the double digits for the weeks til that glorious time. 5 weeks people! Wahoo!!!

2. Beyonce’s Single Ladies video

3. We’re driving Passie again! And boy is she GOOD-looking!!!

4. Prosthetic teeth/prosthetic nose.

5. Antwon, Luke, and Ben’s dance for Esmerelda.

6. Gavin and Liam

7. That people in Ames can and do burn leaves! Yum!!!!!!!!!

8. Amber Romance is back!!

9. This is hanging in our home. See a resemblance with anyone you know?

10. Vanilla Amber candles from Target

11. Liam and Gavin

12. Gingerbread Spice method pill plugs from Target

13. A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Van Auken

14. My grey suede “Robin Hood” knee high boots

15. The election is O-V-E-R

16. Hot Rod. The first time, the 20th time, every time. Bringin me joy.

17. Gingerbread Lattes from Java Lava

18. The fact that Sarah and I wrote a “complaint” letter to Java Lava, complimenting them on their delicious lattes (see #17), but also asking them to kindly clean the hair from their pastry display case. JUSTICE!!!!

19. Travis Waters & Kevin Lee

20. The Masters Hulling

21. Finding blogs written by people I don’t know…and coming to feel like we’re the best of friends

22. Lunch with Marcleen

23. That I am going to save a lot of money because I realized that every issue of InStyle is THE SAME     

24. Cockney accents

25. Cole shining shoes to the beat of “Benevolence”

26. The moon lately. Have you SEEN it?!? Loooow to the ground and BRIGHT orange. SUPER awesome.

27. Flannel sheets

28. G & L Hulling

29. Running shoe insoles that you HEAT IN THE OVEN

30. 2 weeks off at Christmas. That doesn’t count against my vacation time! Yay Drake!

Katie and I caught the last half hour or so of the wonderfuly crafted film masterpiece “13 Going On 30″ Saturday on the CW. I wanted to throw up.

Honestly, I can’t believe what these kinds of movies are teaching our kids. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, apparently Jennifer Garner wakes up and finds herself 17 years in the future and sees the consequences of her choices, namely Mark Ruffalo marrying some other chick. The climax of the movie is JG going to Ruffies’ house while he’s Bering ready for his wedding, and she begs him to pick her instead of Wendy.

Seriously? That is so far from being okay. And it’s not just this crappy movie, but other movies and tv shows telling us that:

1. Even if someone is committed to another, they’re not really committed until “I do”.
2. Infidelity is okay. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you love them, and if you don’t love them it’s okay to sleep with someone else.
3. Skinny white girls can do whatever they want.

Those are the words of the great Ben Stein in the classic 90s film, “The Mask”. And it’s true, isn’t it.

But I’m talking masks in the literal sense! Nothing insightful here!

Tonight Katie’s trying on her fake tooth and I my fake nose for the Christmas production. It’s gonna be nasty. I’m a little bummed on the fact that I have to shave my beard. Dang! It’s getting really gnarly and mountain many. This was going to be the year I grew a massive winter beard. The mustache is getting to the point that I can actually curl it.

Oh well, whatever it takes for the sake of the theatre!

It’s a historic day in America. The thing is, I don’t really care that our president elect is (kind of) black, or that he won states that democrats haven’t won in decades. In my opinion there’s a much larger story below the surface.

This year, 136.6 million Americans voted. That’s 14.3 million more than in 2004. Pretty amazing considering Obama beat McCain in the popular vote by a little over 7 million. What if those 14.3 million more voters hadn’t turned out?

I really believe the reason we had so many more voters this year than four years ago is not just that the issues are more pressing (sure, we’re losing our houses, 401k’s, jobs, etc.), but Barack Obama rallied a people that wanted to be moved by something. His intitial platform of “change” – though somewhat diluted; full of promise, yet not much substance – gave people who wanted to believe in something, something to believe in. It was bigger than themselves, and they caught the vision.

Just think, how many people called you, knocked on your door, emailed you, perhaps harassed you, on account of trying to gain your support for Obama?

A lot.

Now how many for McCain?

Not nearly as many.

It amazes me how many people gave so much time, money, and energy trying to get your attention and your support of something that will last, at worst not even past November 4, and at best 8 years. Wow.

Now what if we spent as much time, money, and energy on something that mattered so much more than a presidential election? What if we spent as much time researching and arguing the issues of eternal significance as we did researching and arguing the issues of this election?

Love him or hate him, Obama will be gone in 4 – 8 years. We’ll do this whole song and dance again every four years, but does it really matter? I’m telling you (I’m not sure who you are, but I’m telling you) right now, it doesn’t. There is something so much greater, so much more powerful, and One who will actually deliver 100% on His promise.

So who’s stumping for Jesus?