Honeymooning....It's Not Just for Newlyweds Anymore

Greetings from Litchfield Beach.....quiet, calm, and peaceful....a much welcomed retreat after a crazy, emotional, roller coaster week! I am still basking in the unexplainable peace that comes after a tumultuous storm (see last post)....still praising and thanking God for the way things turned out...we all know it could have easily been a different scenario.

A few years back, for my 40th birthday, my incredible hubby gave me the coolest gift....part ownership in a condo here at Litchfield beach...just a few families...we rotate weeks...and our family usually comes 4-5 weeks out of the year. It used to be that we all came every time....but as the kids started college, and as some of the newness has worn off...everybody doesn't make it every time. This week, it is just me and Mark for the first part of the week...so we are "honeymooning"....that's right.... All goo-goo eyed, lovey-dovey, touchy-feely, so glad to be your partner in life kind of time!

Now, let me say, Mark and I have always been the type couple that never really "lost the spark"....not that everyday is Valentine's day....don't get me wrong...romance ebbs and flows with us too, which is completely normal for every couple....But honestly, we have never felt totally out of sync. Not because we are great communicators or perfect spouses. Not because we deserve it. Not because we were without bumps in the road that could have potentially thrown us in a ditch or totalled the car! We have had bumps.

What has allowed us the ability to stay connected through it all? Well...I would have to say...it would be priorities. Yep....keeping the important things in order. God first, spouse second, kids third, and everything else falling somewhere lower on the list. Sounds simple...but any of us who have been married for more than 15 minutes can attest to the fact that it is not. We are all selfish, me centered, flesh driven humans....and without God first thing, everyday....we will most likely take the "what do I want, what is best for me" option every time....and that option can destroy great relationships quickly.

Mark and I married young...not quite 20...still teenagers....it is only by the grace of God and because (for the most part) we have kept our individual relationships with Him first, that we have made it almost 27 years as man and wife. Looking back, the times that were the toughest, were the times where God was not consulted or in the very least fell below the number one spot on our priorities list.

Last week, was an opportunity for me to make sure things were A-OK between me and God....to come clean, get honest, ask for forgiveness, to welcome His grace kind of week! This week, I am working on the number two spot...my hubby....to spend some time just being. Being silly, being close, being laid back, just being together....and it has been wonderful. As this week draws to an end, we will invest in the number three spot...we will share some beach time with our kiddos...and will savor each and every minute shared of their young adult lives.

But....they are not coming down until tomorrow evening...so in the mean time...Mark and I have some "Re-Honeymooning" to do....so I think I will sign off and go straighten my hair for dinner....Mark likes it when I wear it straight and down :).

Hip, Hip, Hooray for Honeymooning!
~Scarlett