Roanoke Top Ten

If Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC had a baby, they would name him Roanoke. I can't call it "our town" too much longer but humor me... "Our town" has the smaller metropolitan flair like Greenville but the mountainous and hippy/granola feel of Asheville. It's a perfect combination, really.

I already mentioned that our friends are pretty amazing here and they are definitely our favorite thing but there are a few honorable mentions worth writing home about. Chris and I have had a very hard time narrowing this list of Roanoke favorites but here's what we came up with:

Roanoke Top 10 Favorites

1. Christ Our Redeemer church - A modest, truth-filled, and personable place to worship with some of the most genuine people we've ever met.

2. Mountain views - Everywhere you drive in Roanoke, you feel encapsulated by mountains (one of which has an awesome erector set-like star on top; hence the nickname, "Star City.") The fall is especially gorgeous here and, well, fall's my favorite.

3. Grandin Village - Within walking distance from our house, this tiny downtown houses great restaurants (see #9), ice cream/coffee shops, retail stores, a Co-op, local market on Saturday mornings, and a movie theater, "The Grandin" built in 1932. If you go about a mile down the road from Grandin Village, you will be at Black Dog Salvage featured on DIY Network's Salvage Dawgs.

4. Mount Vernon Rd. (Raleigh Court) - Our street, simply put, is the best. Everyone is always outside in the warm months on front porches ready for good conversation. We were taught early on about "Flamingo Parties" where you just stick a pink flamingo in your yard and everyone on the block shows up with a chair and a few drinks to enjoy - instant party! And in one word I have to add: location, location, location.

5. Kroger - This sounds ridiculous but we LOVE Kroger. This isn't just any grocery store. There are a few in the area that have an extra special reputation. One of them has been deemed "Beer Kroger" and the other, "Wine Kroger" for exceptional selections of fine beverages. 

6. Hiking - Roanoke is the perfect spot to become one with the great outdoors. We have hiked McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, Cascade Falls, and Bottom Creek Gorge (some even multiple times). It helps that two of the hikes are right near great restaurants so you have even more to look forward to when you're done. Cascade Falls is near Blacksburg/ VA Tech - Cabo Fish Taco is great! McAfee Knob is near The Homeplace: an old farmhouse-turned-restaurant situated on gorgeous pastures -- family-style country cooking at its finest! All of this has been an awesome way to entertain visitors and explore new views of the valley.

7. Local Brews - This area has awesome breweries and wineries. I have learned so much more about beer living here. My favorites are Devil's Backbone, Vienna Lager and Wild Wolf, Blonde Honey. I'd highly recommend taking a tour.

8. Downtown Roanoke - There are awesome places to eat, shop (La De Da, Chocolate Paper, the market, etc.) and stay (Hotel Roanoke!). Don't let the quaint, small-town feel fool you...it's packed with greatness.

9. Restaurants - Blue Apron (in Salem): This is our favorite fine dining experience in the area. Reservations are necessary in this beautifully intimate restaurant with exposed brick walls and a Charlestonian personality. In Grandin Village go to Jimmy Sardines pizza (especially on Buy 1 Get 1 Thursdays) and 1906 Ale House for scallops and burgers . Downtown we frequented Jack Browns, Alejandro's, Billy's, and Wasabi. We must also mention El Rodeo for Friday night margaritas with friends!

10. Our House - Built in 1929, our four square home has a ton of character. Everything from glass door knobs, original gum wood molding and doors, radiators, space where an old telephone booth used to be, original tub and knobs, and a kitchen nook all tell a story. The outside is even better. The welcoming brick archway leads into a massive front porch with a swing. We spend so much time on the porch. I can never get enough of the view of our mature weeping cherry and maples, colorful flowers in the planters, and frequent "hellos" from neighbors. The backyard has a small screened porch and an amazing array of perennials. In the first year, the flowers gave us a seasonal surprise party. We also have a "secret garden" behind the detached garage that we have lovingly deemed "the barn." To the people who lived in the house before us: thank you for working so hard in this yard; we've thoroughly enjoyed it!

So, that's it! A Roanoke Top 10 list. If you haven't visited before, I hope this is inspiration enough for you to come visit. I just have to get used to the idea of being a visitor myself...


Until Next Time,

Lauren

Common Lives of Grace

We have eleven days until our time in Roanoke officially expires. I have only very recently let my mind drift to that inevitability. I have discovered that leaving is going to be really hard and in the words of a good friend, "I don't like it. I don't like it one bit."

As we converse with people about the move (especially people on the other side of the move in Greenville), I think there's this assumption that we just got settled here. Typically remarks go something like... "Oh, you're probably just getting settled after two years and now you have to move!" But, honestly, that's just not the case.

The decision to move here 2 years ago was made within 48 hours as there was a threat looming of a hiring freeze at GE. We came up to Roanoke on a rapid weekend trip for the very first time and had to make a decision by Sunday. After a lot of ups, downs, backs and forths and plenty of uncertainty, we decided to make the move. We decided to just do it: pick up and move 4+ hours from everything we've known. Looking back, I know we were led.

Everything has been like that here: decisions and paths that have led us to plant fast-growing roots.Our jobs, our house/neighborhood, our church membership, and our friendships.

In all of these decisions, God has been growing us. He has shown us amazing things here. As we joined the church (one of the many decisions we made that led to those fast, deep roots), this was the verse I chose to share with the congregation. It has been representative of our recent struggles and I have a feeling it will always be a great compass in Truth.

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all ways, submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

We have struggled in trust but in that struggle, we have learned more of what it really is. God put all of these decisions before us so that we could lean on Him. Trust Him. I have no doubt that He has led and directed our path here so that we could discover these people and grasp more of what His Church looks like. One of the greatest things is that I have been given a definition of what Church is and I have witnessed it. The Church isn't just a place or a building you personally attend on a Sunday but it is the full body of believers working for the glory of the Lord. In my experience, Roanoke has a mighty Church.

We have gained an incredible community of friends here who happen to be part of that Church. People who sit down with you and want to know your whole story. People who want to know about your walk with Christ and hold you accountable. People who love you unconditionally. People who will meet you on a week night for a game of tennis or ride bikes to a local pizza shop. People who plan road trips with you and want to continue to do that for years to come. People who will provide you meals during difficult times and show up at your door to hug you on hard days. People who will cry with you. People who will encourage you in your career. People who will have coffee (or wine) with you on the porch. People who offer to watch your dogs and house while you are away. People who have moved away themselves and still call to ask how you're doing. People who know your struggles, your passions, and your joys. People who have promised their friendship doesn't end on August 22nd.

Intentionality is a word I have heard that describes this type of friendship and I love it. It is so real and so full of love. It is inspired and driven. It is the way God intends for us to be with one another. To be clear, I am writing this as a tribute to the last two years but have also recognized that other rare and golden friendships in my life have had this same quality. They have been highlighted and appreciated through my growth here. I confess that I have learned to be more intentional with friendship and I hope I don't stop. And, please, hold me to that!

In the benediction each week at church, the last part of the prayer spoken by the people goes something like this:

"Sustain us in this labor of love, inspire us with works of faith, and knit us together in our common lives of grace. Do perfectly good things through our imperfect lives in the coming week through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

Common lives of grace: Common people. Sinful people. People who have been given a gift they don't deserve. I just adore the simply-stated complexity, depth, and nature of that phrase. It is the epitome of my experience here; I feel woven, knit together. Everyday, common people that are knit together by grace with so much to share with one another and the world. We do, in fact, lead common lives but have been given such a miraculous Gift. Maybe God brought us here for us to know more about how to pass it on.