mexico

K8 and I returned last week from our 10 year anniversary trip to Mexico. Montana spent the week w/ grandparents in CO, and we spent the week by ourselves... that's right, just us. It was awesome! It was a beautiful week of great connection w/ each other. We actually had opportunities to have uninterrupted conversations, occasions to laugh, and rich times of dreaming together. K8 and I had a week full of shared recreation, where we snorkeled daily, seeing God's creation in a totally foreign environment to us. It was a week of taking a brain break, where we each sat on the beach and read our own books, talking about them as we went. It was truly an awesome, awesome week.

Overall, I would say the week was restful and refreshing. To me, it was a great picture of Sabbath. John Calvin speaks of the command for Sabbath in his "Institutes" saying, “The whole may be thus summed up... first, that during our whole lives we may aim at a constant rest from our own works, in order that the Lord may work in us by his Spirit" (II.8.34). We rest from our work, so He may work in us... beautiful. For me, getting away w/ K8 allowed God to open me eyes again to His glory, and His blessing - to be in a place where He opens my eyes anew to the gift of K8, the gift of missing Montana, to gift of creation, and the gift of His pursuit of my heart. Sabbath is a chance to enjoy the fruits of life and relationship, to be reminded that all of life is sacred, to remember His work in our lives.

I am thankful for our time away together, especially before junior comes and life changes again. But I am most thankful for the great reminder of God's blessing in my life. He has blessed me w/ a wife I am still captivated by, a daughter I miss when she's not around, and a community I love serving. I pray for my Sabbaths in Bellingham to continue to point me to Him and His hand of blessing.