Trying to be Authentic and Transparent

Source: National Honey Board

 "Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy to the body." Proverbs 16:24 NLT

Source: Center for Non-Verbal Studies

Good Bye 
Hortons!
Source: Ben H. 

Hello 
Hope House!
Source: Kiersten G. 

Dave:  "I'm not sure about wifi here but for now my phone works.  Wow!  Praise the Lord!  This has been a very long but incredible day. (They started the day after 4 hours sleep at 3:30 am and went to bed around 11:30 pm)...I miss you and can't wait to see you."

Beth: "Love you!  Do you have a full day tomorrow?"

Dave: "Not really as full so I hope to Skype or text in my morning."

Beth: "Ok!  :)  Sleep well."

The phrase "my morning" means a lot to me.  Dave's morning will be my night.  He stayed up late to talk with me in my morning and I'll stay up late to talk with him in his morning.  You see we talk, Dave and I, all the time.  This helps us to be authentic and transparent with each other. 

I'm going to share some of my transparency and authenticity here.  My friends have asked me how I am while Dave is gone.  It's always the same answer from me, but it's the truth.  I'm tired.  Not worn out tired, just tired.  I stay up late and get up early to hope to talk with my best friend.  We want to share life together, not just be on two different paths that cross paths once in a while. 

Here's what we did this time (We learned a few things from Dave's last adventure to Togo for 3 weeks..some worked some didn't...we're refining the process; and it does depend on technology)

1)  We wrote notes to each other for each day and sent the notes (or Dave left the notes).  That way, if technology didn't work we had the paper version.

2) We made a plan for a getaway when we could be together again. Now for Dave and I, right now is a busy season, so our getaway will have to wait for a month, but it is something to look forward to.

3) I should have put this first.  We pray together (through Skype) and for each other during our "days".

4) We work hard at what we need to do while we are away from each other so we can play and rest a little bit when we get back together. 

5) We each invest in people along the way.  If not we'd be so self-centered and mopey.  No one likes to be around a mopey person.

6) The one home (normally me, but I'm going on a little trip for work soon so it'll be Dave) needs to tend to the normal home schedule.  Dishes still need to be washed, trash taken out, etc.  

7) We try to get some rest (like I already said, I'm tired, but I still go to bed at a somewhat decent hour and I make plans (or have plans like my job) to get up at a decent time).

Women Living Well is a blog that I follow.  The are doing a series right now on "How to Maintain your Marriage when your Husband Travels".  I think it is a good read and has helpful thoughts on it. 

"You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail." Proverbs 19:21 NLT