ETHAN Project- Week 2- Share the VIEW

Last week’s ETHAN Project challenge was to find time to make some new friends or reconnect with old friends.

I enjoyed reading your stories, and I hope it inspired you to make time for your friends.

I’ve had the most fun with this project. Our summer is off to a fantastic start and only a couple of weeks in, we have made memories my children will carry with them through their own lives.

It’s time for the week 2 challenge from Grounded and Surrounded.

Paul spent a good bit of time at the Sibyl Temple when he was younger. It’s a local park that overlooks our beautiful city. He has always enjoyed quiet time to himself. He has told me stories of spending time there reading and writing poetry during his teen years.

I was only 16 when Paul took me up to that very place and told me he wanted me to be his wife.

He was 18 and my first, (and only) boyfriend.

I thought it was ridiculous that he would ask me a question that was so serious. He explained that he just knew I was supposed to be his wife.

(A couple of years before, I had started to faithfully pray for the young man that I would marry. I didn’t know who he was, but I prayed the Lord was drawing him ever closer to knowing *Him*, and that he would protect me and help me wait for that one man.)

I actually had a very bad view of marriage. I thought it to be rare for a marriage to be long-term. I never dreamed I could or would be married to someone for nearly 25 years and yet, here I am now. I love this man so much more now, than I did the day I said, “I do”.

Even today, that gives me butterflies. God is big. He can heal us in ways we can’t see.

This week, the ETHAN project assignment was to share something you find beautiful with your children.

I happened to have Ben and Matthew with me out in the car and I took them to the very spot, overlooking part of my beautiful city, where their papa asked me to be his bride 27 years ago.

It was is a beautiful view in many ways, for me, also one of new life and a love that has seemed like a dream.

I’ve never taken the time to share this special place with my children. It isn’t a long drive. I guess we are always so busy, it’s just not been a priority. Seeing the look on their faces when I told them what had happened in that place so many years before, made me realize I should have shared this spot sooner. I’m thankful for this challenge. It allowed me to share a piece of my history- now, their history.

I decided today, I was definitely going to make time to share more of these important places with them. I had the best day and when we pulled into the driveway it meant everything to hear them tell me “thank you”. The whole thing was meaningful and amazing.

So what about you? What important places have you shared with your children?

Maybe you should take the challenge and share some of these with your children.

I would love to hear how it works for you? What places are significant to you? Have you shared them with your children?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you want to share with your family.

Next week’s challenge is “Enjoy the Flavor”. I’m excited about this one! I’m already looking through my Pinterest boards for ideas.


3 thoughts on “ETHAN Project- Week 2- Share the VIEW

  1. I hope some day to be able to take our kids to see where we got engaged – it is about 6-7 hours away from us now though. It’s such a lovely idea though. A few months ago the church building we were married in was sold and the new owners have plans to renovate it completely and change it so much that it will no longer be recognizable as the church we were married in. It made me really sad that I’ll never be able to show this place to my kids.

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