TGIF

You may be wondering why a post that's being written on a day other than Friday is entitled TGIF. One reason is that I love Fridays. I love Saturdays more, but I do love Fridays, the fact that the work week is over, and the anticipation of the weekend.

This past Friday Spencer and I went to see Mark Schultz in concert. Mark sings "He Will Carry Me," the namesake of this blog. He also sings "He's My Son," a song which has (and continues to) tug at my heart and brings me to tears. A talented singer and song writer, Mark's songs are poignant and have a way of relating to others in the deep and personal places of their hearts. There's literally not a single song of his that I don't like; and what you'll not know about him unless you see him in concert is that he's really, really funny.

It was good for Spencer and I to have gone on Friday... not just for the fact that we got to have a great date night, but also because so much of Mark's music reminds us of Isaac. He played "He's My Son" (which is on my playlist at the bottom) and I think the kids sitting in front of us thought something was seriously wrong with Spencer and I due to the number of tears I was shedding. I think it goes without saying that that song has really struck a chord with both of us through my pregnancy with Isaac and just crying out to God through it all.

Mark also played a few songs off his new album. One of the songs starts off about a woman who is pregnant and finds out that the baby (who in this song happens to be a little girl), may not live. Sound familiar? The refrain of the song says something about the woman just wanting the chance to be this little baby's mom. I, of course, and am tears listening to this and the words that were the cry of this mother's heart, knowing all too well that longing. The difference between the song and Isaac's story, though, was that the little girl in the song? She lived.

If you're not familiar with Mark Schultz's music, you need to be. Seriously. He has some songs that are so great and uplifting, and others that speak to the brokenness in people's lives and how God can be found in all of it. Click here to becoming more acquainted with Mark and his music.

After the show, we noticed an autograph line. We had nothing to be autographed, but I wanted the chance to tell Mark about Isaac, my blog (which is, after all, named after one of his songs!), and how much his music has meant to me. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do so... I even wrote down the url to this blog and gave it to him... not that he asked :) But maybe he'll find that little crumpled up piece of paper in his jeans pocket while on his tour bus and will get to "meet" Isaac. Anyhow... here are Spence and I with Mark himself...