Counting Down, Before Blasting Off!
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” ~John Quincy Adam ~
"Patience is the companion of wisdom.” ~ ST. Augustine ~
Have you ever intently, all joking aside prayed and asked the Lord for patience? Kit and I have said “Lord, please give us patience,” in a wave of angst or usually when we are driving on a two lane country road in back of someone who is driving 30 MPH in a 50 MPH zone...Whether we ask the Lord for it or not, it is most definitely a required course in Gods school of 'learning and growing'...It is as mandatory as Algebra is (for the real world) and as most of us can attest, about as much fun!
Kit and I truly were convinced that we were prepared and that all systems were a “go” for us to receive the promise of the Lord 'tout de suite' . We were ready to begin planning as well as putting into motion all that it would take to create The King's Tavern. All of the things the Lord had shared and showed us in the spirit seemed so surreal, like a wondrous dream except we were wide awake. In our elation and bliss, we wanted so vehemently to be able to smell, see, taste and feel all of the joys God had revealed to us regarding the home by the river . We believed we were READY to begin. Our sojourn thus far had brought us to a place where we longed to settle down, take a 'siesta,' (a long siesta) and then 'break ground' with the exciting task of creating a home that would please God as well as bless His kids. Little did we know that the Lord had other plans for us on our journey to Connecticut. The treasured virtue of patience was going to become a part of our character, not because we had asked the Lord for it but because it was part of His purpose for our lives.
A very special gift from God, (though at the time we did not know it), was an invitation from Clarissa (one of our dear friends and great blessings God gave us while we were at the News Company in Washington DC), to attend a prayer meeting in the quaint and lovely city of Fairfax, Virginia. She shared with us that two of her friends from Delaware were being honored as the guest speakers at this intimate gathering. There would be a special lunch and fellowship following. We were excited to see Clarissa again and looked forward to meeting her friends. It was a “go.”
This little church was held in an office building in beautiful downtown Fairfax. The people we met were precious, the worship extremely anointed and the homemade cuisine, (southern fried chicken, potatoes, rolls, accompanied by a variety of delicious salads and extraordinary homemade desserts), were certainly chef d' oeuvre's from many a kitchen! The guest speaker was Annie. An educated lady, very proper and dressed to a 'T'. Her message was right on and we enjoyed her bounce, fervor and encouragement to move forward in the Lord, (whatever any of us we were walking through at that time). She had a word for kit and I during the ministry phase of the the meeting...It was a bit challenging, (I did not understand it fully) but after the service, we actually sat with her and her friend Tina who was a wonderful woman, filled with grace and an abundance of God's love. Tina was assuredly the Yin to Annie's Yang... Annie spoke a word from God and in the natural, it could seem a bit harsh or hard, and right there beside her was Tina...filled with a nurturing love and kind spirit, a woman who exuded the love and compassion of Jesus . The two together were a blessing to each one of us that day. Who would have guessed that when the 3:00 hour arrived, we would still be sitting, sharing and praying with these ladies from Delaware? They inquired about our journey and in hearing, were exceedingly supportive as well as edifying. We exchanged e-mail addressees and phone numbers. Kit and I were comforted, felt uplifted and encouraged. The Lord had truly blessed us with three wonderful women of God in Clarissa, Tina and Annie. Thank you Jesus!
On our way home we stopped off at a renowned fresh seafood market to place our order for some mouthwatering homemade crab cakes. We were taking them on ice to California to surprise my dad with east coast crab, his favorite of all time. There is nothing quite like a gourmet fish market... We enjoyed our visit eying all of the sumptuous fresh salmon, jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, swordfish and tuna. The smell of savory seafood chowder filled the room and for a minute, we could close our eyes and pretend we were at our very favorite eatery in California, the famous Crab Cooker in Newport Beach...we would be there soon enough! We placed our order to be made fresh so we could pick it up right before out departure. It was a wonderful afternoon with the excitement of our trip to California, the delicious seafood and the boost we received from the Lord at church!
Our alarm clock went off the morning of our adieu to L.A. International at the crack of dawn. Kit and I were so excited...Our emotions likened to those of little kids when the bell rings and the teacher an
ounces, “Everyone have a wonderful summer and we will see you in the fall.” Ah the bliss of knowing the summer is free...no more buses, homework, classes and schedules. There would be months ahead of swimming, catching fireflies and heart thumping stories with friends around the camp fire. Kit and I loved our trips to California. The only thing tugging at my perfect peace was our adoring Grantham. He knew we were on our way out. (He hates the sight of suitcases almost as much as hot tubs.) His little heart was just like mine...filled with separation anxiety. We had never been apart. Thank the Lord our neighbor Todd was going to keep Graham and we did not have to put him in a kennel. 10 days would be a life time but I knew we were to go and so I trusted our Grahammy to Jesus. Through an abundance of hugs, tears and several trips of saying, “OK Grahammy, we will be back soon, we love you, be good,” we finally boarded our taxi...its destination, Ronald Reagan airport.
Our flight was beyond prodigious. There are no words to express an early morning flight taking off over the august and eminent city of Washington DC. With the billowing clouds, pink and yellow sky, fresh coffee with lots of cream and sugar and the wow factor of knowing that the next 10 days would be days of pleasure, rejuvenation, marvelous cuisine and a walk down memory lane, we were in a state of reverie.
Greeting us as we landed at L.A. International was my brother James. It was like heaven seeing his smiling face and hearing his voice. Our first stop was an Italian eatery in the gorgeous and enchanting Newport Center, (other wise known as Fashion Island during the years of our childhood growing up in California). A feeling of utopia filled us as we sat on the outdoor patio, eating delicious toasted bread topped with basil, vine tomatoes and mozzarella cheese along with a delightful robust Merlot to compliment each savory bite. We caught up on one anothers lives and talked blithely about the plans of our stay.
Arriving back to James' home in Newport beach, (a spectacular view of Balboa Island), we settled into our room. As I sauntered through his home, it was so much fun to see all the homey additions throughout his house since our last visit. Admirable new furniture, pictures, inviting ceramic dishes and charming, vibrant green foliage. Right smack dab in the middle of his villa was an amazing atrium filled with gorgeous plants, a regal fountain and a garden of lovely potted floral arrangements. It was so wonderful being back in California. Our evening was another treat as we caught up with two of our favorite people in all the world, my younger brother Patrick and his partner Chris. It was all set...we were meeting at a delightful bistro by the ocean. The homemade soup, gourmet salads and savory breads were mouth watering. We stayed for hours, moving outside to dine AL fresco, sharing delectable desserts and vintage wine. Another evening I wished never had to come to an end.
Our entire trip was filled with days and evenings that we wanted to seize forever. The night of my fathers colossal 80th birthday gala was beyond our hopes. Everyone on the guest list arrived acquiescently. It was a wondrous potpourri of his friends from the Military, our old neighborhood and family . God blessed us all as the food was spectacular. There were many dishes of 
'high drama'...fresh shrimp, London broil, exotic deli meats, cheeses, gourmet veggie platters, wine, beer and coffee with a cake that was a definite show stopper. Whether inside by the inviting fire, chatting by the atrium, or enjoying the breeze and beautiful view of the ocean on James' front porch, the night was a success. I think the last guest left after midnight and yet it still seemed like the party had just began. My father was blessed, very touched and happy...Mission accomplished.
Kit and I were surprised, taken aback and blessed abundantly as this time as we shared our vision of Kings Tavern with family and friends, (our traveling to Connecticut, walking the land in faith and all that God accomplished in the spirit), there was no shock affect. It was OK this time that we did not have any answers...no one thought we were crazy, (well at least as far as we knew), there was no head shaking at us and no challenges to our faith in all that we believed God had spoken. Amongst our dear friends and family there were not any confirmations that they too had heard from God and KNEW we were doing the RIGHT THING but we had not expected that. Thank you Lord for your peace.
While on this dream visit to Southern California, Kit and I had to come to a major decision. The Lord had not told us when or exactly where He was moving us next, yet He did tell us not to pursue jobs in the DC area. Our Alexandria town home was an expensive place to live which was fine when we had the great jobs in DC that we did. At this time, we were feeling a leading to give our 30 day notice to our landlord but I have to tell you, it was a little bit scary. Thus far, everything the Lord was doing was in the spirit...this was the first event that we had to place our trust completely upon Him as we would be making a decision that would affect us in the natural realm, (big time) . Kit and I prayed, talked to James about it and prayed some more. We all asked the Lord for His wondrous confirmation.
We drove up to Bakersfield to spend the night with my father and his wife. The decision had been made. The Lord confirmed so before arriving at my dads home we dropped by the Post Office. As I let go of our rent check along with the 30 day notice, I felt set free. (OK, there were a few fluttering butterflies but there was a peace and assurance as well.) Thank you Lord for your peace and presence. Upon seeing my fathers home for the first time, I was amazed by its 'Town and Country' beauty amidst a quaint neighborhood that blessed my heart immensely as it was filled with many wonderful friends...good friends in whom my dad had a bounty of warm and joyous gatherings . Their home looked like something out of Southern Living Magazine decorated with traditional and cozy furniture, with a medley of their entire lives adorning their hallways with glorious frames filled with friends and family. The kitchen and dining room was captivating, evoking the very invitation to, “Come, sit, relax and dine,”accompanied with a view of their tranquil and gloriously colorful backyard. It was perfect. They treated us to a delightful dinner at the country club that evening. I was so impressed with their life and so very thankful to be able to take the vision of their home with me back to the east coast where I could picture them whenever I wanted in their amiable surroundings. Upon awakening, they blessed us with a delectable brunch. It was at this time that we shared with them our story of Connecticut. We were both a bit surprised when we told them we had given our notice on our home without a place to go as they didn't faint, discourage us or do the head shaking thing, instead they seemed very supportive and encouraging.
One of Kits and my dear friends Margo, had given us passes to Disneyland while staying in Orange County. (I had secretly whispered to God to open up a way for us to go as it was my dream.) Kit is not much of a ' people and crowds' kind of person but he knew Disneyland was my very favorite place in all the world so we geared up, drove to Anaheim and gave ourselves to this wondrous amusement park for the entire day and night.( Or as long as we could both hold up.) To our surprise and absolute delight, the park was empty. It was unbelievable...we could get on all of our favorite attractions over and over with no lines. (Thank you Lord you answered both of our hearts desires.) We had the time of our lives...our favorite rides being the thrilling Pirates of the Caribbean, spooky Haunted Mansion, the infamous Matterhorn, hilarious Space Tours, (a leisurely trip to Endor Moon in intergalactic travel) , and the suspenseful Indiana Jones. Walking as many hours that we did, we splurged on our mint juleps and fritters in New Orleans Square sitting on the bench, a cool breeze blowing as we enjoyed watching all the people pass by bundled up in their cozy jackets as the twilight hour was approaching. 
Disneyland in autumn was a special treat with the park transformed into a bewitching family fun event. My favorite of all being the the Haunted Mansion...Its debut of Tim Burton's ' The Nightmare before Christmas' whimsical Jack-O-Lantern's replaced all of the hitch hiking ghosts. Jack Skellington and all of his cohorts came to give a scare to all of the mansions guests as well. It was magical and even more enthralling than normal. We had more fun getting off one of our very favorite rides and then getting right back on without a single wait...This was definitely a gift from the Lord. We visited the shops on Main street and made sure we stopped in the candy shop, buying some of our favorite Disneyland candy coated treats. (We just had to get the intensely sour cherry balls an
d sweet raspberry licorice.) A Disneyland tradition since childhood! Before we knew it, we had seen and done all that our hearts desired... We called James and told him we would actually be home in time for dinner. He was thrilled. We all went to one of his favorite eateries in Corona Del Mar for a late dinner...delicious prime rib and Caesar salads so scrumptious, you think you are in a dream. This trip was one magical and wonderful experience after the next. The following morning was my “girlfriend day” as my best friend Kim from childhood drove down from West lake Village and we spent the day together taking in another delicious lunch at Fashion Island, promenading and breathing in the beauty at Rodgers Gardens, elated with our two vanilla nut lattes, (extra hot with whip cream of course) at Starbucks. Before I knew it, we were hugging goodbye promising to write and call one another more often.
Our trip was coming to an end. My younger brother Patrick took us out to a wonderful Chinese dinner at my favorite place on Balboa Island. It felt so natural to hang out with all my brothers...I wondered how we had managed to live so far apart, clear across the country...it was the Lords grace of course and I was just so thankful for visits, e-mails and Alexander Bell. Walking around the Island was delightful. So many memories were made amidst this little fairy tale community over the decades of my life. 
I loved the homes on the Island. They are absolute dream homes of life on the water. A few handful's of the homes were adorned with boats tied up on their rustic docks at the edge of the beachy sand, other chateaus, (curtains wide open), were animated and brimming with life as we could see families and friends watching TV in front of roaring fires, sharing popcorn and table games, not a care in the world that their life was on display to all of us, sauntering passerby' s enjoying the magic of the Island.
Our last day in California was tough. We new good byes were in order, which meant tears and an abundance of emotion. My brother James surprised me with a pair of diamond earrings ...My birthday present he said. I felt like a princess, no a queen, never having owned diamond earrings in my life, they were a treasure. We had a wonderful lunch in Laguna Beach and James bought Kit and I a yummy smörgåsbord of snacks for our plane trip home. He was so good to us, blessing us nonstop with an abundance of support (of every kind) as we continued to walk out our journey of faith.
Our goal and plan? We would return home to Alexandria, (celebrate my birthday), purchase boxes, packing tape, marking pens and begin our preparation to move. It was a beautiful time of year in Virgina, the fall season and the temps would be chilly and quite brisk... the perfect time to pack up a home and wait upon the Lord to see what was next!
Our homecoming was filled with elation as the taxi dropped us off in our front yard. Even though it was after 9:00 PM and pitch-black dark, we saw our Grantham running to us in the yard, wagging his tail a mile a minute. He barked and jumped boisterously until we opened the gate. Then his kisses were non stop. This spectacular greeting did not stop for an hour. (We felt a huge hug from the Lord and so loved by his cheerful greeting.) How we all got to sleep in our excitement of being together again, (the three musketeers), I do not know. I told Kit that night that I never wanted to be away from our precious Grantham again...He agreed as we both saw how much Graham had missed us, (and us him). As we unpacked and got ready for bed, Graham would not leave our sight...following us to every room, snuggling in bed with us, giving us little kisses now and then to make sure we were still there.
To celebrate my special day, Kit and I went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants on 
King Street in Old Town. Dining at this charming eatery, ( resembling a quaint Bistro in France), we had an upstairs view of a very foggy and mysterious Potomac River. As we sipped our wine, shared our French bread and delighted in our fresh seafood entrees, all we could say was that it was a perfect night. I got an abundance of phone calls on my birthday wishing me a wonderful celebration and many encouraging words of, “We are praying for you and Kit...we know the Lord has something big for you up ahead,” and “It was so good to see you and Kit and we can't wait to see what the Lord does.” We both felt very uplifted and full of hope. Our packing spree began...one box at a time. In a short few weeks we had most of our home done, leaving to the very end our kitchen. Our evenings were our down time after busy days of wrapping breakable items, taping up box ends and labeling in detail with our extra thick markers. It was so nice to have our evenings free. We had set up our couch bed in the living room. We enjoyed all of our dinners as we cozied up atop our soothing eiderdown comforters where we delighted in our favorite shows, DVD's and some home cooking as I knew that soon our dishes would be packed away and we would be eating more causal. (Meaning fast food , Chinese take out, Boston Market Chicken or Lean Cuisine, Marie Calendars or Stouffers.)
As Kit and I busily packed in faith, we enjoyed checking in often with the lord and having times of intimacy with Him. He continued to speak to us as well as bless us with a few very vivid and comforting visions. I want to share a few of the things the Lord revealed to us that were very special. First of all, He showed me a vision of a home, again like in the original vision it was very inviting , two story and charming. This time the home was amidst a a beautiful fresh snowfall. 
It seemed as if it was Christmas time as there were an abundance of twinkling white lights glistening upon the snow. He spoke the word, “Irresistible.” Then He said, “Your home is going to be irresistible.” HMM...that was a word I never thought the Lord would say. Its meaning being alluring, compelling, inescapable and over powering. It blessed me just hearing His heart as He spoke the words. He told me that He had been preparing this home by the water with us in mind all along. Can you imagine? He shared with me that this home would have fellowship galore and many a person would be gathered around our dining room table. Wow! Something I still do not fully understand that He shared , “Susan, this house has been 15 years in the making.” and “ All of this will be fulfilled by my hand alone.” You have to imagine when the God of the universe is speaking these words to your heart and spirit, you are revved up not only in your soul with excitement and joy but your spirit with FAITH and ASSURANCE. He told us that the land He was taking us to was called Beulah. It was the land where He was going to root, plant and establish us, never to move again. Do you know how much that blessed our hearts as we longed deep within our souls to stop sojourning, our addresses shifting like the wind...to be settled and have a real home. We thanked God for His words for it was within our meetings with Him as we packed each box in faith, not knowing where He was taking us, that gave us so much comfort, peace and enabled us to stay in serenity.
Another vision that was inspiring was that of a beautiful and Technicolor scene of a rustic dock...right below the wood, atop the water were two white life preservers. They both were covered with freshly fallen autumn leaves. (A first for me) the Lord gave me a vision in black and white. It began with a large 3 dimensional number “1.” Then as if viewing a slide show, next came a country home with a alluring deer in the front yard , the third and last part of the vision was that of an adorable baby. Not sure exactly the meanings but with each vision there came an abundance of peace, hope and assurance that God was with us. WE KNEW we were in the center of His will. Have you ever received words and visions from God and though He has not revealed their meaning yet, just the fact He was showing you something in the spiritual realm, you felt absolutely invigorated and filled with an awe and peace that was from the fathers heart to yours? That was us. He reminded us that everything He was doing was a GIFT and asked us, “Why are you striving?” He said that all of the things He had promised us would be accomplished BY HIS HAND ALONE...it was not according to our 'works' and that indeed, we would SEE miracles. We had requested that if the Lord didn't mind, could He please give us movers this time and provide for a moving company as Kit had engineered and implemented all of our many moves himself and was beyond tired...The Lord said “Granted.”
We spent time every day seeking the Lord...many a page written in our journals, many a question asked, plenty of praise and worship and always, always, God showed up. He did not give us any definite answers. (Those were the times that we were tempted to have bouts of anxiety and fear thus loosing our perfect peace.) We would repent, submit to God again and get back to His peace, operating in the spirit and not trying to go ahead of God when we could not see past the next day. The battle is fierce when your natural man wants answers and to feel secure, make a plan and the spirit of God is asking, “ Will you trust me even if I choose to answer you in the 11th hour and 59th minute?” Patience ...yes...He was surely making it part of our nature at this point. Over and over we learned...repent of your doubts and fears, submit to the Lord fully, take authority over every thought in the name of Jesus Christ and stay focused on HIM alone.
Glorious Thanksgiving day arrived. This year there would be no frolicsome contest for the wishbone... With our kitchen packed by now, we prayed and with the offer of one of our 'Christian supporters on our journey' we decided to have our dinner at the Chart House nestled snug upon the Potomac river. Before we sat down to our regal and piquant meal, we walked Graham along the river at the park. Have you ever smelt a festive day? It is strange to say that but truly, as we traipsed along the grassy knoll, it actually smelled like the holidays. The air was brisk...the smell of the Potomac amazing and the feeling in the air was one of pure felicity. We had peace...we were hungry and our grand feast awaited us. We took Graham to his fluffy bed in the jeep, assured him all was well and arrived to a lovely table filled with grandiose entrees, accompanied by an ambiance that was convivial and so alluring, we did not want to leave. But we did and Graham got a few tidbits from our delightful evening upon the renowned river. Thank you Jesus for the blessing of our final Thanksgiving in the land you called us to in 2000. It will forever be in our memories and hearts.
Our landlord Bartholomew tried to get us to stay. (It made us feel good in a time where we needed a few 'warm fuzzies.') He said we were such wonderful tenants and he hated to loose us. He showed the home a few times as we were packing up...we tried to stay away when prospective renters arrived. I felt badly they could not see the home in its full array of beauty. It is hard to know if a home is right for you with a potpourri of boxes plied up in every room. We were getting to a place where it looked as if the Lord was indeed going to instruct us in the midnight hour... We were only days away from having to move out and we had no answers. Well, we did have answers, His answers, just not the ones we had hoped for. We still battled times of fear , anxiety, doubt and angst. “Lord, where are you in all of this? Where are we going on November 30th? How are we going to move all of our things? Do we get a storage unit again?” (That was our last choice as we longed for a permanent home with all of our things....but we asked the Lord for His will and not that of our own.)
We would ask God where we were going come Nov. 31st and He would answer in the spirit, “My salvation is here, look no further.” Or “ It is finished”, and “I have made a way...my timing is perfect.” The only peace we got was to stop asking questions about the natural side of things and just submit to His father heart to take care of us and TRUST HIM FULLY! This lesson was extremely difficult. We learned that yes, there are many times the Lord wants us to use our common sense with prayer in matters that are not going to interfere with His taking us to another, deeper faith level. In this case, He was not allowing us to do things that came naturally...there was no peace to step out and DO something...this season was one of trusting , listening, 
waiting and only moving in His peace, the spirit and obedience. (Perhaps one of our hardest times.) The Lord had told us earlier that He was choosing to lead us this way to TEACH US to Learn how to abide in Him. Believe me, that is all we could do! .
God had given us a wonderful support team of a few family members and a handful of extremely allegiant Christian friends. We still stayed in contact with Clarissa, Tina and Annie who E-mailed , prayed for us and even had words from the Lord...Many of our friends had words as well but still, there was no clarity of what and where we were to go November 3oth. (We had a lot of opinions but that is just what they were, alternatives in the natural.) So, there we were...November 3oth arrived...we had just enough money to get a storage unit but not enough to make the move ourselves and we had no where to go in Virginia, all of our friends and family in different states. Lord what do we do?
Tempted to feel abandoned , that we had not been hearing from God and were way off base, (as we could see nothing in the natural realm), the only thing we knew to do was to call our landlord and tell him about our situation.
On December 1st, the Lord came through for us in a way we never imagined. In hind sight, we asked ourselves why did we sweat it out as we had? Why did we not just hold on to every word of God an BELIEVE HIM and NOT LOOK at our CIRCUMSTANCES? Obviously we were growing in our faith and trust in Jesus. Kit and I promised we would never be in such angst again and sighed our sighs of relief, reassured once again that God will always cause us to triumph in Jesus and not that of ourselves. He brought us back to our promised peace in Jesus. We slept like babies.
Thank you Lord for growing us up in Jesus, even when it hurts! Letting go of everything familiar, trusting you will catch us as we obey and step off the ground we have so comfortably known.
