Joining My Husband’s Adventurous Spirit
Adventurous.
The word described me in my younger days. Even though I’ve never really enjoyed roller coasters or spur of the moment adventures. Because friends often stirred up my adventurous side by coaxing me into trying new things or spontaneous things.
And my past history proves the word fit me at least for a time. Like the way I spent every summer in college on a mission project with CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ. Travels including Virginia Beach, Virginia; Zimbabwe, Africa; and Redlands, California.
Also, when my husband and I were dating and first married, adventure still lived in my heart.
I was on an adventure with Mike in life and glad of it.
Marriage is doing life together, on an adventure with each other. #adventure #blog Share on XAdventurous Heart for Jesus
Back then, I considered mission work as adventures with Jesus and for Him.
Mission work and ministry is not only going on #adventures for Jesus, but adventures with Him. #blog Share on XAnd the adventurous ministry life continues. Mike is a lead pastor and I write and speak. So God’s calling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ is an adventure.
We’ve lived in eight cities and three states. Mike’s also ministered overseas to Hungary and Germany.
Since adventurous portrays Mike’s spirit, I want it to characterize who I am, too. Especially during this season of life as never before. Mike’s favorite adventures are trips to the mountains and camping. So I’m doing a two-week blog series about joining his adventurous spirit.
Even if you are single, I hope you join the adventure. We could all use a little more adventurous spirit not only in marriage, but also in life and with Jesus.
Adventurous Souls as a Couple
This week I highlight a day trip we took to a place called Beauty Spot. Beauty Spot lies on top of Unaka mountain and includes part of the Appalachian Trail.
It’s not far from our home in Northeast Tennessee and borders both North Carolina and Tennessee. And it certainly lives up to its name. A spot of beauty with a view of cascading mountains as far as the eye can see.
We drove on a rough, dusty, and narrow road for miles to reach the top. Keep in mind this is not a spot filled with picnic tables or tourist type stuff. Instead, people pack food and spread blankets on the ground.
But we popped the back hatch to eat. Not fine-dining, but truck-dining. A lunch of Uncrustable-brand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (great for campers, hikers, and trips), chips, and dessert.
Then we walked to view more of the overlook where our feet landed on a small portion of the Appalachian trail. As we took in a bit of nature; our conversation included our married life, ministry, our family, and progress on the book I’m writing.
Mike enjoys these kinds of adventures. It was one well work taking, refreshing our souls and our marriage.
Adventurous Spirit for My Husband
I’m concluding with a few thoughts about how to join our husband’s spirit for adventure.
- Make room in my heart for my husband’s heart. Ask these questions: What makes his heart beat? What passions drive him? And what’s his sweet spot? How can I help support the dreams of my husband?
- Make room in my spirit for my husband’s spirit. The saying, “I’m with you in spirit” means when we can’t be with a person, we will be thinking about them, wishing them the best. It’s the same with our husband. We desire to be with him and we think about him. Everything about our husband in non-physical way is his spirit for life. And we make this part of our spirit for life.
- Make room in my life for my husband’s adventures. I show my husband that I want his adventures to be my adventures. The things he enjoys like outdoor activities or day trips or going to the mountains…I’m all in.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” (Proverbs 17:22, NLT)
Make sure to catch part 2 next week as I share our camping adventure with a new camper, “No Boundaries.” You don’t want to miss it!
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Jaime Wiebel/#SittingAmongFriends, Crystal Twadell/Fresh Market Friday, Kelly Balarie/Purposeful Faith, Patricia Holbrook/Soaring With Him, Meghan Weyerbacher/TeaandtheWord, Lyli Dunbar/#FaithOnFire & Crystal Storms/Heart Encouragement.
© 2018 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
I love this Karen…wives see that you respect your husband’s…. my prayer has been, “Lord show me how to love Bob the way you want me to love him.” His answers come like this post… thanks Karen for writing.♥️💋🤴🦋🙏🌹🌞💐
What a wonderful prayer, Marla. We should all ask the Lord to show us how to love our husbands. Marriage really is doing life with each other and being on an adventure together. The key word “together.” Thank you, Marla for your input. Hugs!
I love going on adventure with my husband. It sounds like y’all had a great day. Thanks for sharing your tips at the end.
We did have a fun time, Heather. The togetherness these types of adventures bring into our marriage, are worth the effort. Thanks for commenting.
I love your three points at the end. Sometimes my husband wants to have adventures that I don’t consider exactly safe, so we’re still working on how to encourage and support each other when we disagree on the adventure! But we just went skydiving, so I think it’s safe to say we’re doing a decent job so far! 😉
That’s a great point, Emily. My husband loves to ride his motorcycle, but that ship (bike) has sailed with me. I road a little with him when we first married, but I have no desire to ride now. There’s just too much at stake after you have kids and a family to consider. And I prayed about it. 😉 Yes, I’d say skydiving qualifies as a decent job! Lol. Still, I think we decide together what adventures we are comfortable sharing with each other and which ones are meant to be done alone or with a friend. Thanks for joining the conversation.
“Since adventurous portrays Mike’s spirit, I want it to characterize who I am, too.” I admire you for this, Karen. It’s something I have to consciously work on. I’m not as adventurous as my husband by nature, but I don’t want to hold him back. And I do want to have more adventures myself too! 🙂
Thank you, Lisa. I have to work on it as well. But all the times I decided to join in proved to be such a blessing. Not perfect or without issues that we must deal with sometimes, but still worth it. Thanks for commenting.
I love how you show interest in your husband’s interests. I may not participate in all the same activities my husband enjoys, but I encourage him to have fun and enjoy. We do have a lot of the same interests. I even go to model train shows with him. 🙂 39 years of marriage and more in love each day.
I don’t join in everything either, Melissa. But, like you, I try to support my husband’s dreams and passions as he does mine. That’s great you go to the model train shows with him. We’ve been married for 33 years. 🙂
Loved this blog. My husband and I have been married 34 years and it had been full of adventures around the world for our mission work. I loved the thoughts about caring for our husbands in this way. My husband cares for my spirit too. We love to drive places and he will spend lots of time researching to find the off the beaten track way to go because he knows how much I love getting off the freeway.
Thank you and I look forward to the next posting.
Yvonne, that is great. We have been married for 33 years. And my husband cares for my spirit and supports my passions and dreams also. I’m with you on that freeway thing. I absolutely detest it. I’d much rather take back roads and the scenic route any day! Thanks for commenting!
Great post, Karen! My husband retires in a year and a half, and as we prepare I’m trying to encourage and make room for his adventurous spirit. He’s a board member of an international ministry in India, founded and established by Indian believers (Reaching Indians Ministry International – RIMI). There’s a main campus for training and educating indigenous pastors, and a satellite campus in each state. My husband has gone many times, and he wants to go there yearly. So far, he hasn’t allowed me to go, because of my autoimmune disease and its many health challenges. He and others say that the trip would destroy my health gains and merely getting there would render me unable to do much but recover while there. I don’t want to slow him down or hold him back. He was made for India and this ministry. For us, it may mean the “adventure” of being apart for long periods of time. After 41 years of marriage, we grow closer and closer. This would be so difficult! I eagerly anticipate seeing what the Lord does here and what adventure lies ahead.
Hey, Melinda. The ministry in India sounds amazing and fruitful. And true, some adventures are not meant to be for us as couples. While my husband supports my speaking ministry and my writing dreams, he can’t go on all the adventures with me. But Jesus does because they are for Him and with Him. I’m my husband’s biggest cheerleader as he’s not only my husband but my pastor. Yet, I don’t go on every adventure with him whether it’s a trip or a particular ministry. I’m sure your heart longs to go with your husband to India. Still, the Lord created our husbands as protectors, so your husband is protecting you by not wanting the trip to cause any setbacks to your health. And you’re already on life’s adventure together for 41 years! That is so great! Trusting the Lord to give you direction for the future and retirement adventures. Thanks for commenting.
Amen-Amein!! Have a GREAT Day in Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua!!
May our ONE TRUE GOD THE FATHER who art in Heaven Above Bless all my Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus-Yeshua and my Messianic Jewish Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus-Yeshua and Your Families and Friends!!
I Love you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua Christ, because HE LOVED 💜💕 EVERYONE FIRST!!
Love 💕 Always and Shalom ( Peace ), YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
Thank you, Kristi Ann. Have a blessed weekend. Sending love and hugs. So grateful God loved us first!
I’ve done my fair share of truck-dining! I kind of miss my old jeep that had a tail-gate to sit on! Honouring each others adventure spirit is so important in all relationships, isn’t it? Recently my sister ‘n law asked if I’ve met a ‘mountain man’ as I guess she sees that type of guy a good fit for me! I’m not sure that will ever happen, but yet so thankful for all those God moments from my adventures in the awe-striking beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
“Truck-dining” is fun, Lynn. We used to have a jeep when we were first married. And mountain man? 🙂 That’s up to God I guess. I’m just glad at the Lord’s table, all items are free: mercy, grace, love, forgiveness, goodness, and kindness. Spiritual fine-dining at its best. Oh, and one day…it will be a great banquet and Jesus is saving us a seat!
Karen, I enjoyed this post sooo much! For many reasons really. I enjoyed getting to know more about you. I enjoyed your insights about the different ways we can be adventurous. And I enjoyed the story of your adventure with your husband. It sounds like it was beautiful!
I’m not an adventurous person at all. My son-in-law and now granddaughter, however, are adrenaline junkies, lol, and this Momma/Mimi is thankful for hair color. Haha. But seriously, my granddaughter is teaching me how to be adventurous, even at her sweet age of 3.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for your sweet words, Karen. And you’re hilarious too. Listen, I so relate to that…not an adrenaline junkie either. I’m a mom and Mimi to a grandson who is 2 and a little baby girl coming soon. I appreciate you commenting today. And happy adventures…only what you’re comfortable with. 😉
I loved this tip: “Make room in my heart for my husband’s heart”
I forget this. In the midst of everyday life I get wrapped up in all the other things. I meet needs, but I forget his heart. Thank you for reminding me.
Thanks, Rebecca. I understand about meeting needs but forgetting our husband’s heart. I’ve done the same thing. Praying the Lord reminds me often to make room for my husband’s heart.
[…] If you missed part 1 last week, “Joining My Husband’s Adventurous Spirit.” […]
Karen, I enjoyed reading this fun post!
It caught my attention because the book I am buried in lately (which I am writing) is about two people, one rooted, one more adventurous…and I thought — this is my feature! So I hope it’s okay but I am sharing your post for Tea and Word tomorrow.
We are in Kentucky but on the north-west end. This adventure sounds refreshing, and a blessing on a marriage. I think I want to plan something like this with my own hubs now! I hope you have a wonderful week, and thank you for faithfully sharing here at your blog.
Thanks, Meg. And sharing it on your blog tomorrow is wonderful. Thank you! And yes, you need to go on some of these adventures. 🙂
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