Stop for a minute and remember, if you are married, how you spent your last anniversary. If you are single, think about the last "important" date you celebrated.
Now you get to hear about our 35th wedding anniversary. As it was when our marriage began on May 22, 1987, we spent time at a Calvary Chapel. Thirty-five years ago is was a Friday evening, and our wedding. Today is was a Sunday morning spent worshipping our LORD--who has been the 3rd strand of our marriage these many years. Pastor Mike taught from Galatians 3 and Genesis 12 about blessings. God loves us. When you love someone you want them to know of that love. God demonstrated and continues to demonstrate His love by blessings us. Do we have faith to believe that and walk in that assurance. Calvary Chapel Tampa was very friendly and kind to us.
After church, while splitting a chicken parmesan sub sandwich, we decided to drive to the waterfront in Tampa and go to a museum and learn some history of the area. It was 17 miles, 45 minutes to get there (and that was on the interstate on a Sunday afternoon - not a workday commute time) . When we arrived we were greeted by a myriad of police cars, blocked off streets and 96 degree heat (real feel 102). Well, good news, it wasn't a crime spree that caused the commotion but a hockey game. There was no parking within a mile of where we wanted to go, and far too hot for us to walk. So we drove back to our hotel. Interesting note: Amalie Arena, where the Tampa Lightning play their games, has a 3-story parking garages restricted to the EMPLOYEES of the arena. Had never heard of an employee exclusive parking garage for an event arena.
We strategized and came up with tentative plans for the next week. If all goes well, we will be in Bristow, Virginia with the Ritters next Sunday, May 29.
Our anniversary dinner was a Subway sandwich that we split. Looking back at pictures for the day we've had similar dinners: last year it was take-out Chinese, the year before food truck entrees, and ten years ago it was BBQ in styrofoam boxes served Hawaiian style on Kuai.
There are no pictures as we didn't do anything, other than drive, and eat, after church. We are just thankful for being able to be here.