Have I told you recently that my wife, Tara, is an incredible woman?
Well, she is. I thank God for her presence in my life every single day. Being Tara’s husband is an honor that I do not take lightly.
Tara turns 40 this very month. (I share that information with her permission, by the way, since Tara is not at all bothered by the revelation of such matters—one of the many things that I love about her.)
As part of our celebration of this very special birthday, we are doing something that we have never done before: We are taking an extended September vacation. And what a vacation it will be!
On Monday, we leave for Venice, Italy, where we will spend a few days enjoying that great city. During that time, we will also take a day trip to Bologna (where Tara spent her junior year of college). On September 15, we embark from Venice on a Mediterranean cruise. The cruise will include stops in Turkey, Greece, southern Italy, southern France, and Spain. In fact, if all goes as planned, the cruise will conclude in Barcelona and will come into port there on the morning of September 26th (Tara’s birthday). We will spend a few days in Barcelona before flying home on the 29th.
I am grateful to God for this opportunity to spend restful and rejuvenating time with my precious soul mate on the occasion of her birthday. I am also grateful for a nurturing congregation that has blessed its pastoral family by making it possible for us to be away during one of the church’s busiest seasons.
May I ask you to pray for us as we travel? Those prayers would mean the world to us.
I will miss our blog conversations over the next several weeks. I will rejoin you as October rolls around, hopefully with some new stories to tell.
Thank you all for being part of my life.
Grace and peace, until we chat again.
Our prayers and thoughts are surrounding you during this entire trip~
We love you both, and pray this trip renews and puts a bonfire into your hearts for one another.
Stay safe~
Barb and Dan
Robyn and I will be in prayer for you both as you travel. Be safe in all you do and rest well.
Consider yourself prayed for. And may Tara have a blessed celebration of the day when God purposed her into the world.
Now Seuss, he’s gone. Shall we?
Dearest Eric and Tara,
Knowing you both as I do, I can attest to what a very special love and union you share. Your ongoing and seemingly everlasting romance is an example of just how good a marriage can be.
I believe that when there is mutual respect and trust, an abiding love with strong faith and obedience to God,there is no limit to the heights and depths attainable in His most wondrous covenant called marriage. You and Tara are proof of this statement.
I am sure that God will be with you both as you discover more of what an awesome world of diversity and magnificience He has made.
Blessings to you both as you embark on this wonderful journey together.
Jerry
Bon Voyage, say hello to Captain Merrill Stubing!
Know that you will be prayed for continually over the next couple of weeks as you travel. You and Tara so deserve this time away. May the love you have for each other further deepen into something so amazing that you know God’s hand is all over it. Happy Birthday to Tara, too, of course as you crosses that threshold of being 40. Take care, my friends and have a WONDERFUL trip!
Tara happy birthday. I hope and pray you both have a blessed trip! Eric pick up a gondola boat tie while in Venice and we’ll have a gondola boat tie day at AC next year. (I’ll hit the 40 mark in a couple years at that point remind Michele of the trip I’ll need). Grace and Peace, John
Wow, Eric - Barbados for your 40th, and Venice (and then some) for hers! You guys should turn 40 more often! Seriously, have a great time, and I pray your trip goes well for both of you. God bless, Jeff
awesome…I hope you and Tara have a great time.
God bless you as you travel. You have our prayers!
Happy Birthday Girlfriend! God was definitely smiling on the day you were born!
Have a great trip!
Wow,
You two… have the greatest time together! What an awesome opportunity and such great memories will be made there. Tara, Happy Birthday!
Praying for safe travel throughout your time away. God’s Grace,
Jeff