Advent day 17

The snow laden branches just outside of our kitchen window.

Today we got our first real snow fall. I woke up to a snowy morning and it just kept on snowing all day long. Now it is a beautiful winter wonderful all over town and I cannot wait to walk around and enjoy it. While I still contend that I am mainly a warm weather gal, while living in a northern climate, I love a good, hearty snow fall. The first blizzard is always great because by the time the snow arrives we are often sick of rain and sleet and the snow is so lovely and as it begins to stick on everything the city quiets down and a hush falls over everything. People's moods change, the landscape becomes much more beautiful and here in Stockholm, everything brightens up. With less than a week to go before the winter solstice, we are happy for anything that lends light to our very dim existence.
We hosted our young adults Bible study group tonight. They are a fine group of young men and women in Stockholm for a variety of reasons. Some are here quite short term...6 months or less. Others are seeking to build a life here for one reason or another. They come from all corners of the world and one of the highlights of our evening was singing Silent Night in our own language, all at the same time. I could hear English, Swedish and German for sure. What a cool thing to share in the deep and abiding lyrics of a Christmas favorite, world wide.
Tonight is a silent night in Stockholm. The snowy, unplowed roads have slowed traffic, the thick snow muffles all other street sounds. It is beautiful outside of our windows as the bare branches now sport a blanket of white. I am at peace after a busy day. I am so thankful for our home where we can host others...so grateful for the quiet that follows a full day when I can pause and give thanks for the way in which God whispers His blessings through the silence that encompasses us.

The quiet, beautiful scene outside of our kitchen window