Servant of God: Celebrating 40 Years of Life…!

To be honest it is hard to believe that I am 40 years old already… I definitely don’t feel 40… time just seems to fly by. Matthew and I decided to escape for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. After my appointment on Friday, we headed down to Cannon Beach for their annual marriage conference. I have been having appointments to try to figure out why I am having so many migraines. So far all we know is that it is not due to sinus issues so we are going back to the drawing board.

Driving to Cannon Beach...

Matthew stopped to let me take pictures...!

A weekend in Cannon Beach was a much needed escape for us both. It gave us time to work on our marriage and reflect on life in general. We have been through a lot as a couple since we got married… we have been hurt in ways that are unthinkable… some which came up over the weekend. I am constantly reminded of the need to forgive others… even those who don’t think they have done anything wrong… to forgive the ones who have hurt me deeply… and try as I might to not let it affect me at times the pain creeps back up. It is hard to be judged by others… people who have no idea what we went through… who don’t even care to ask… but sit back and judge us. Matthew and I have lost a lot of friends because we chose to walk away instead of defending ourselves. This weekend we ran into a couple with connections to our past… and it brought back up the pain as they did everything in their power to avoid us. The one good thing though is it gave Matthew and I an opportunity to talk about things… the pain that we have both been experiencing separately… and once again pray for God to take away the bitterness. I want to lay it back down at the feet of Jesus… knowing that He can heal the broken hearted. We have come along ways in the last five years… and I know God will continue to lead us down a path of healing… I look forward to where He guides us and how He will use our story.

The view from our room...

Enjoying the view...

Late night snack...

Snack and "Homework" - Discussing the questions

During the conference...

Chocolate & Fruit - Best Combo ever...

View from the Women's Meeting Room...

Talking about the hurts in life...

Moving forward in grace...

We were able to meet some really neat couples at the marriage retreat. On our first night, we sat at a table with a couple and the wife recognized me. Come to find out she went to the church I grew up at (Grace Brethren) from when I was 3 to 11ish. We talked about the various people we knew in common and where life had taken us. Another couple we met were from Canada. We ate a couple meals with them and enjoyed getting to know them better. One couple we met was a former employee at Lake Retreat, the camp I grew up going to and working at. It is crazy how small the world is. Finally, we met a couple that currently lives near Moses Lake who took the time to pray for us. The fellowship with these couples is what made the weekend so special. It was a reminder that we don’t have to live in the hurt of the past. We can move forward and enjoy the blessing of those God places in our life today.

Since my birthday was on Monday we decided to stay an extra night in Cannon Beach to enjoy the beauty and digest everything we learned at the conference. After lunch we took a walk through town and all the way to our favorite location, the rock, for some pictures. Thankfully, the rain held up for the entire walk there and back. We enjoyed dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Seaside and then headed back to our ocean view room for the night.

Walking around Cannon Beach...

View of the lighthouse...

Walking to the Rock...

I love this view...

On my actual birthday we headed to Vancouver, Washington to spend the day with one of my former classmates, Katherine and her husband Robert. We don’t get down to see them often enough so it was a lot of fun to be able to spend the day catching up. They spoiled us with an amazing dinner (Steak with homemade chimichurri sauce, asparagus, and potatoes, and rice crispy treats for desert). I was blessed with lots of Facebook messages, WhatsApp messages, and text messages wishing me a happy birthday.

Birthday Dinner...

My 40th Birthday...!

Of course, Matthew made my birthday special… not only did he take me away to the ocean to celebrate for the weekend but he surprised me with a gift from a very talented friend. He had Cami paint a picture of one of our favorite moments… sitting on the beach at sunset with a campfire. Not only did we do this on our Honeymoon but we have recreated this moment many other times throughout the years. It is a beautiful picture that I will cherish forever.

Gift from Matthew...

On Wednesday, we celebrated with my friends from work. We had an Argentine style barbeque with various types of meat, salad, and of course desert. I work with an amazing group… who not only enjoy working together but have fun spending time together outside the classroom. It was extra special since Sean was finally back from bootcamp and he stopped by for a while. I love my crew and Room 5 would not be the same without them.