Apart

It’s Sunday morning at 6:00 am. I am sitting at my parents doing my devotion. You are on my mind. At the moment I feel disconnected because we have been away from each other for about a week. We talked in the phone yesterday but we were both sharing updates about kids and logistics. As I sit here I got caught up looking at this picture from our wedding day, twenty years ago. Wild. You look magnificent, looking at your smile, your eyes, you are hopeful, excited, ready to build a life with me. We have built a pretty amazing life together. Yet, as I sit here I want more for us, not out of comparison to the world but because I know as we heal and know ourselves we will have greater peace and love for each other. Neither of us want a mediocre life, not for ourselves or our kiddos. I sense a shift of growth for us both…me more loving and understanding, more present in the beauty of life, and you more open more driven towards your wants and desires. I love you Sarah and want to know you more and more as each day passes.

Poiema

Lord, thank you for my wife Sarah, she is incredible. This morning I was doing my devotion and reading Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder. He was talking about how many of us look at ourselves as sinners, but God sees us as children, as loved, as accepted, as Saints. Morgan was making the point that we live and operate based on who we believe ourselves to be. Ephesians 2:10 says we are your masterpiece - Poiema in Greek. I have been away from Sarah for about 5 days, I miss her, I miss her touch and the beauty she brings to our home. Help me to do my part, help me to Love her like Christ loved the church, and own my responsibility for her seeing and knowing she is a masterpiece in your eyes, that is how you created her, I don't want to ever be a negative voice in her ear making her believe she is a sinner when she is a saint. She is your masterpiece, and when her identity lies there she is an ever-expanisive garden bringing beauty to the world. - Amen

20 Years Celebrated in Roma

Last night was incredible. We went out to dinner here in Florence to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

You got ready next to the window of our amazing hotel with wonderful violin music plying down in the pavilion, then we had drinks on the roof top of our hotel with Brooke and Siena, the views of the city with the sunset were gorgeous, then we wandered the streets of Florence until our dinner at 10:45…as we waited we sipped Prosecco in the street. Our dinner was so delicious, pear ravioli, florentine steak, and red wine. It was so good. After dinner we roamed the quite streets exploring the beauty of the city. We got back to the hotel around 2…then we fell asleep in each others arms watching Letters to Juliette and woke up a little after 3. It was wild, and wonderful…our bed smelled like blooming flowers, you are mysterious, exotic, and mine. I love you.