Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. – Ephesians 6:11-13

Sometimes, especially after a huge vacation or in the middle of major news events that seem to dominate national attention, it is good to simply spend a quiet day together, walk around the community, hold hands and dream like we did back in college.

Many of our early dates (and we started Feb 4th, 48-years ago!) involved walking the neighborhoods east of Stetson University, holding hands and imagining ourselves moving into one of the cozy 1950’s homes. Just the two of us, living quietly as if the world was ours and ours alone….

Sometimes we would find a convenience store and scrape together whatever change was in our pockets to share a honeybun and a pint of milk, then perch on the steps of a church or the fire-escape of a dorm.

It was a simple, unencumbered, stress-free approach where we just walked and talked and got to know one-another. Lots of questions, lots of listening, lots of dreaming – just being “in the moment.”

Today a great date is often much the same. Our conversations still involve questions and listening and understanding, and the content sometimes shifts to weightier issues such as our children, our grandchildren, home renovations and our role as people with a little bit of a voice in this world.

And here we are, walking the neighborhood, strolling past the river, looking at the amazing potential held in some of the old buildings around this town – still just loving each other and thankful to still be on the same path Rebekah and I first turned into, together, in the early spring of 1977.

What a world this is! What a curious concoction of hopes and dreams we continue to carry around with us, year by year! What a testimony we still seek to share and with increasing vigor – that regardless, rulers authorities and powers notwithstanding – we are still able to stand our ground, and after we have done everything, to stand.

Always believing in the promise – that in the coming ages God might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7).

One day at a time – DEREK