A Little R & R & R

Rest. Relaxation. Romance.

That's what my husband had planned for our anniversary.  He surprised me with the news that he had reserved us a room at a bed & breakfast and he was taking me away for the night.  After 13 years of marriage, he still surprises me.  I had no idea he had such plans in the works.

Ready to go on our date for our 13th anniversary.

After our nice quiet dinner.

I love this man!

He's not perfect (gasp!)

and neither am I.

But with the perfect love of God in our hearts

our marriage not only survives, but it thrives.

I am always awed that this man chose me,

that he loves me.

I know that it is of God, that God causes all things to grow.

The beautiful Bed and Breakfast my sweetheart secretly reserved a room for us at.

A room with a jacuzzi and a sleep number bed!

Beautiful woodwork and moulding.

Stained glass windows.

5 course gourmet breakfast.

The nicest hosts you could ask for.

A perfect evening away.

We had only once previously stayed at a B&B, about 5 years ago.  It was large and had a dining area where they served breakfast at individual tables.  So, today we weren't sure what to expect sitting down at a table to eat breakfast with a bunch of strangers.  What we discovered was that the people we were to eat breakfast with this morning weren't strangers at all.  They were family....brothers and sisters in Christ.  The owners of the B&B are as well.  We sat around that table for over 2 hours, talking with such ease with each other, and sharing alot of laughs, and choking back tears.  With us were 2 other couples and another woman.  The 2 couples used to sing in the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  One of the men used to be a soloist in the choir.  He agreed to sing a song at the request of the hosts, and so while we were sitting around the table, he sang a beautiful song for us, and it was so fitting following the conversation we had just had.  These people had just shared some truly amazing testimonies about their lives.  His voice so beautifully communicated the words:

Only Jesus, Only He

Brings redemption, full and free

There's a yearning, in all our lives

That only Jesus satisfies

Calvary's love will sail forever

Bright and shining, strong and free

Like an ark of peace and safety

On the sea of human need

Through the hours of all the ages

Those tired of sailing on their own

Finally rest inside the shadow

Cast by Calvary's love across their souls

Calvary's love, Calvary's love

Priceless gift Christ makes us worthy of

The deepest sin can't rise above

Calvary's love

Calvary's love can heal the spirit

Life has crushed and cast aside

And redeem til Heaven's promise

Fills with joy once empty eyes

So desire to tell His story

Of a love that loved enough to die

Burns away all other passions

And fed by Calvary's love becomes a fire

Calvary's love has never faltered

All its wonders still remain

Souls still take eternal passage

Sins atoned and heaven gained

Sins forgiven and heaven gained

And before we left the table, Dave offered to sing one more.  He has one of those voices that though beautiful to listen to, it also makes you hear the words of the song like you're hearing it for the first time, instead of just bringing attention to himself.  What a gift God has given him.  The second song was as beautiful as the first:

Sweet are the branches growing the fruit that comes from the vine

But these are just branches blown by the wind holding on to life

I want to be like them holding on to the One whose life is mine

And I know as I follow him His life will sure show in me

He said you will

Show yourselves to be the ones who follow Me

By the evidence you leave along the way

They'll know that you are mine like the branches on the vine

If you show yourselves to be following me

Faith joins our heats to Him, it's not a result of anything we do

But if we are part of Him, there will be reasons to believe it's true

The fruit cannot help but grow if the branch is joined into the tree

And love cannot help but show in the one who goes where Jesus leads

Planted in the fertile soil of quiet times

Watered by the rains of trouble, growing toward the sun that shines

They'll know that you are Mine like the branches on the vine

If you show yourselves to be following Me

And as we all got up from the table, they stopped a moment to pray with us. 

Ben and I were deeply blessed by the time we had around the table with these brothers and sisters in Christ, that we likely will never see again until we all are at the Father's feet.  What a way to start our day!   God orchestrated our paths so that they would all cross this morning at that breakfast table.  In a unique, unexpected, but God-planned moment.  We had just planned a romantic, relaxing, and restful overnight getaway.  God gave us an extra blessing.

If you ever have occasion to be in the Adirondacks of NY, check out the Cornerstone Victorian B & B.  You won't be disappointed!