An Overdue Get Away

{Joining in with Five Minute Friday today and the word is VISIT}

I don’t do this very often…or have I ever here in this space of mine? 

But I just feel like it this time.  Maybe it’s because I’m wishing we were back there in that quaint, get-away space.

There’s many “reviews” floating around out there.  Book reviews. Toy reviews. Product reviews. Travel reviews.

Well, I feel like reviewing…or remembering a Bed and Breakfast trip.

This past week, my husband and I were able to get away for a couple of days just the two of us. (Thanks mom and dad!) 

It had been way too long since we’ve done that. 

It was much needed and much enjoyed.

My husband is usually the one who plans our vacations and makes all the arrangements…it’s something he enjoys doing.  But this was a special birthday and I wanted to plan something special for him.  Thanks to Pintrest, I found a place that looked just. right. 

So, I took a risk and made reservations, hoping he’ll like it.  Hey!  I’m getting better with this risk-taking thing!

We’re so glad I did.

Rich with character and history, we drove into New Bern, NC on a sunny, brisk January afternoon, in search for a house that was built in 1882.

The Aeire Bed and Breakfast

What a lovely place to visit.  This house was filled with over 130 years of stories. 

Our “Hidden Room” really did make us feel we could hide away from the world just the two of us.

We were given a personal tour of the town in an old Model A Ford, we ate mouth-watering, gourmet breakfasts (delish!), fresh seafood and unique sandwiches from a local deli.  We went to the movies!  Don’t know the last time just the two of us has done that (Saving Mr. Banks). We learned history about Fort Macon, took a walk on the beach (Barefoot in January even though I nearly froze.  Hey - when I’m on the beach, I’m barefoot!)  We met some other people also staying at the inn and got to tell them our nightmare honeymoon story that we can laugh at now.

 

The activities gave enjoyment, the atmosphere brought relaxation. But the part of the get away that was the best were the conversations we had.  Conversations where we weren’t interrupted by every typical day demands or you’re just too wiped out after the kids crawl in bed to have a good conversation.

We talked about each others words and dreams.  Our love expanded.  Strength grew. Bonding tightened.

 

I highly recommend visiting New Bern, NC and staying at the Aeire Bed and Breakfast.  The owners cater to your needs, make you feel welcome…and even spoiled!  There’s so much to do yet not too much so it’ll make you relax.

What an uncommon and blessed treat for us.

Am thankful.

So thankful.

 

 

Today is Five Minute Friday where writers can join in and write for five minutes including the word that Lisa Jo Baker gives.  Today’s words is VISIT.  (I know mine went a little over 5 minutes but words and memories weren’t quite ready to stop…and how perfect for today’s word to be visit when we just got back from visiting a new to us town.)

Just Scratching the Surface: For my Husband

He loves movie popcorn.

He picks up the piles I allow to grow high in the laundry room.

He tells me I’m beautiful when I don’t feel like I am.

He plays basketball with our son when it’s 35* outside.

He’s our family’s financial planner…and good at it.

He’s a visionary.

He works hard no matter the circumstances.

His big, blue eyes.  Enough said.

He still holds me even when my feet and hands are ice cold.

He still loves me when I’m grumpy.

He really is a good cook and can make some mean mashed potatoes with his air-brushed flamed Kitchen Aid mixer.  He even creates new recipes and they’re good.

His corny lines make me laugh.

He’ll listen to the music our kids like to hear even though they’re not his favorite.

He can fix almost anything which includes toilets and he’ll go under the house with who-knows-what is under there. 

He sacrifices for his kids and wife.

He can make others laugh.

He’s not sloppy. He likes a clean and clutter-free home yet still loves us when we don’t keep it that way.

He knows the title and singer of almost every 80s song that comes on the radio in 10 seconds or less when the song starts playing.

He’ll get in the cold water at the pool to give our daughter a ride on his back.

He encourages me to write.

He’s a great editor. (for example when he read this before I posted it and found some corrections. <3 )

He tells our kids to respect their mama.

He supports my dreams.

He listens when I finally speak.

He knows what I’m trying to say when it comes out wrong.

He can finish my sentence for me because he knows me so well.

He love to open our home to others.

His heart loves to give to others in Jesus’ Name.

He’s so good at explaining Scripture to our kids at their best understanding.

He’s my knight in shining armor.

He’s my best friend.

That just scratches the surface of the list of gifts he is to the people in his life, our family and to me.  These words only scratch the surface trying to describe how thankful I am for him and they only scratch the surface trying to tell or show him how much I love him. 

In the scratches on that surface his compassion, dedication and wisdom fill in the cracks which daily deepen.  And as they widen, so does love.

Love fills in the gaps and draws us closer together as our age grows.

That makes me happy.

 

Happy BIG birthday to the love of my life! 

 

New Nature

A big order?

 

I’m still wondering how and why define is a defining word for me these days.

I’m still asking questions.

Just now, the Book literally fell open to these summons.  You know when you’re holding a book open to a page but when you set it down, it doesn’t stay on that page but gracefully falls open to another page of grace?

It fell open to Romans 12:8-13.  Here’s the instructions:

Encourage others often.

Love well and authentically.

Don’t hide behind a mask.

Pursue what’s good as if your life depended on it.

Love in true devotion to friends and family.

Honor others.

Don’t slack in your faith and hard work.

Let your spirit be on fire serving God.

Rejoice because hope is always around the corner.

Devote yourself to prayer.

Share what you have.

Take every opportunity to open your life and home to others.

 

Let me live by the Word…be defined by Your Word.

Encourage, love well, don’t hide, pursue good, honor others, be on fire for God, don’t slack, rejoice, devote to prayer, share, open your life.

Well, that’s a pretty long definition.  That’s a big order isn’t it? 

But somehow, I know it’s worth trying.

 

Joys to start 2014

#1855  we and joy Libby had at the Christmas Eve service

#1856  special, unexpected gifts

#1857  being unlike myself…in a good way…every now and then!

#1858  Frederick Buechner’s quote that dares me

#1859  Hearing Gary Chapman speak on Marriage and children love languages with hubby

#1860  First family ice skating experience

#1861  I didn’t fall down while skating!

#1862  snowing while we skated…

#1863  walking in the snow downtown Charlottesville, VA

#1864  Dancing in the middle of Cook Out restaurant to an 80s song

#1865  paw prints in the snow

#1866  kids bundling up to sled…even when it was 20 degrees outside

#1867  big hills to sled down

#1868  Seeing a snow owl…even if at a  long distance

#1869  shrimp for 3 Christmas dinners

#1870  new slippers

#1871  Word of year verse

#1872  joy of welcoming home navy friend who had been deployed

#1873  our son spending a couple of hours writing a script for a video he wanted to make with his friends to welcome friend back home.

#1874  smiles and joy on faces and the best…laughter!

#1875  piano music

#1876  IF:Gathering set on the calendar!

#1877  family getting rained on while we were on our walk…poured!  and just laughed

#1878  a beautiful sunset at the end of a day that was filled with rain

#1879  conversation with new friend about being real, the Holy Spirit and the desire to be a part of helping change the world!

For Christ’s Sake

Joining in with Five Minute Friday and a community who are writing for five minutes about the word SEE.

“So you sit at the feet of the wise and learn what they have to teach, and our debts to them are so great that, if your experience is like mine, even twenty-five years later you will draw on the depth and breadth of their insights, and their voices will speak in you still, and again and again you will find yourself speaking in their voices. 

You learn as much as you can from the wise until finally, if you do it right and things break your way, you are wise enough to be yourself, and brave enough to speak with your own voice, and foolish enough, for Christ’s sake, to live and serve out of the uniqueness of your own vision of Him and out of your own passion.”

I stumbled upon this quote from Frederick Buechner a couple of days ago that I had highlighted a few years ago in a devotion book.  Those words are are so me.

For the past 21 years of my life I’ve been soaking, resting, consuming the amazing teachings of others who I look up to and  think are wiser than me.  Have scribbled sentences or comments that jumped out at me and highlighted quotes that grabbed my attention causing me to hope I could live by them.

But Buechner’s dare reminded me of the passion other women have right now to make Jesus known.  I see how they want to proclaim His power and grace.  “IF God is real, then what?”  What will you do?  As their voices speak to me I’m ready to jump on the band wagon.

So, I’m joining in at the IF:Gathering and ready to see what will be unleashed in me and all the others who are restless and are ready to do something…anything…for Christ’s sake.

 

For today…

One Word in 2014

 

At the beginning of this new year, I’ve seen on many blogs how the writer has chosen One Word to live by this year.  One of our pastors at church also spoke about and challenged us to choose one word to strive to live by in 2014.

In years past, I’ve done some end of year reflections but last year was the first time I chose one word.  It was REACH.

And this year? 

I think it’s kind of a different, well unexpected, word.  I made a list of words that I thought I might choose like prayer, simple, selfless, risk, which are all words I Iike but  over the past 2 weeks, one word kept returning.  Several times a day.  So, I’d ask Him, “God is this the word?  It keeps coming to my mind.  Do you have something to do with this?”

I’m going to trust He does.

Why define?  What does that have to do with me?  What do I need to define? 

I started looking in THE WORD to confirm MY WORD to see if I could find the  word DEFINE and 2 Timothy 2:15  jumped out of the page at me.

Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth. (Voice)

Maybe I should put Beth instead of Timothy?

Be fully genuine.

Be a worker unashamed of my mission.

Lead others defined by the word of truth.

Define myself by THE WORD. 

ONE WORD in 2014…define.

Define my dreams.

Define my life mission.

Define my feelings.

Define my faith.

All of which can be a challenge for me.

Make my path…my journey in 2014 right…be defined by the word of truth. 

Be in the Word.

 

I asked myself, “How were others defined as in the Bible?”

Moses was defined as a leader.

Noah was defined by his obedience and total faith by building a big boat when God told him to.

Ruth was defined as having inseparable and respectful relationships with the people in her life.

Esther was defined as being courageous with careful planning.

Mary was defined by her humbleness to accept the role God gave her to give birth to the Son of God, Jesus.

Paul was defined as a preacher of Christ who was unashamed to face issues head-on and deal with them.

And Jesus.  Jesus was defined as LOVE.  Unmeasureable and ultimate love.

Just to name of few.  Because everyone in the Bible was defined as a person with character.

And each of us, whether you like it or not, are defined as a person with some kind of character.

God has given us the gift to define ourselves though.  He allows us to choose the definition we want to live by.

I’ve been guilty of personally defining myself at one point or another as incapable, weak, depressed, insignificant, selfish, stubborn, quiet and being a good hider.

But this year.  This year I want it to be different. This year in my 2014 verse, the Word is repeatedly calling me to be genuine, diligent, and to do my best for God.   It calls for me to be unashamed to live by my personal mission as a Christ follower. It instructs me to lead and teach my children (and possibly other people?) to be defined by the Word of truth.

And then DO.  Don’t just define.  Do what I’m defined to do.

Be defined by the Word. 

 

Do you have a word for the year?  What is it?    Do you have a personal mission?  It’s a goal of mine to discover it this year!

 

May 2014 be a year where you experience God in a new, refreshing way.

 

Thank you Melanie at Only a Breath for the use of the 1 Word template!