Marriage Encounter 2011

During this season of transition, Mike and I felt it would be so great to get away for the weekend. We are hugely blessed to be living with my parents right now, but that doesn't leave a lot of alone time. We decided to take a short trip to Ohio's Amish Country this past weekend. What an awesome way to change the pace and scenery of life. I wanted to highlight some things that stand out in my mind and encourage you to have your own marriage encounter weekend. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money, just setting aside a whole 24 hours devoted to strengthening your bond will bless your life!!

• We stayed at this cute B&B in Wilmot, OH. The innkeeper and his wife were so sweet, and even bake gluten free so we got to enjoy some awesome brownies and bread! We also got a room with a jacuzzi tub for two (enough said), but really it felt so good on my achy ligaments from this growing baby!
• We spent Saturday exploring the Amish way, eating cheeses and taking in the incredible views. Not to mention how cute all the buggy's are!
• It was so peaceful being "unplugged" from the world, even for just 24 hours. No phone or internet to distract us from focusing on each other. You almost forget what to do without all those things, but we found ways to occupy our time ;)
• Sunday's breakfast was served at 9am, we ended up talking to the other house guests for about an hour and then headed back to our room.
• We wrote a list of goals and questions to discuss and spent the next hour or so dreaming about 2011. It was so refreshing to talk about our God-size goals, things that by faith we believe will happen this year but we can't do on our own. A few of the categories included Spiritual growth, family, sexual intimacy and romance, health and wellness, finances and house projects. You could put together your own list and I encourage you to think big! Jesus's power is alive in you and I, but so often we limit his strength because of our lack of faith. It is so powerful to write down your goals that can only be achieved through God.
• We wrapped up the weekend praying over our marriage, family, baby and community.
• The whole weekend incorporated intimacy through time, touch and God. If your marriage needs a little pick me up, or just a refresher I encourage you to plan your marriage encounter 2011!

Happy Valentine's Day!