5 year anniversary

Thinking back over our 5 years together is an interesting thing to do. i'd like to take you back to the beginning.

the very first time i saw Michael was in a young adult Bible Study at church. I was home for Thanksgiving break and was newly aware of my pregnancy with Hannah. I noticed Michael more for his bad looks than anything else. He was unkept, meaning he needed a shave and haircut. HE was in a plaid shirt and jeans and yellow/gold work boots, you know the style, thick and bulky. i dont remember the topic of study, or anyone else in the study. what i do remember is that Pr Ben was doing the lesson. i do remember noticing the scruffy guy with blue eyes. i always thought blue eyes guys were not interested in girls like me, you know when you get a random thought like that at an early age and it sticks forever? that is where that one came from. the next thing i remember what a thought dropped into my spirit "Maybe this is the man i will marry" WHAT??? first of all, i was pregnant, second of all i wasnt living in Iowa, third of all Michael was white and i had had a string of non-white men as boyfriends, fourth of all, he was scrubby and 'country', and i was urban and hip and modern. we could never work together.

back to college for me to finish the year of school. I had been growing a lot spiritually and was getting ready to birth my child when i graduated and moved in back home. i remember going to church one sunday and was greeted by a nicely dressed-khaki's, white shirt and tie, mind-you, young man. he introduced himself as Michael and he was part of the College and Career ministry. I was desperatly looking for a spiritual in, so to speak. In college i was part of LEV-living eternally victorious. a group of about 8 of us sold-out, on fire, Jesus freaks who were outspoken in our love for Jesus and unswerving in our devotion. His invitation was timely and perfect. Then i noticed something, the blue eyes. Could it be? is it he? the scruf from the Bible Study, the "Maybe this is the man i will marry" guy? wow, not too bad with a shave and a haircut and nice clothes. hmmm.

I started attending the prayer group and bible study at church. Michael was almost always there too. one night at prayer i heard him pray and was comforted in his similarities to my prayers and concerns.

during VBS that year i was to be one of 4 leads in the opening skits. Mom was the youthful city girl made to work on her aunt's farm, Andy was a young boy, I was the ever-loving, gentle, kind, wonderful wife Aunt something, and guess who played my husband? you got it! Michael. at one point we were going to practice our next day's skit and i was siting downstairs with Andy waiting for mom and Michael, when Michael ran down the steps, he then realized he left something upstairs so he slow-motion reversed back up the stairs, complete with sound effects-similar to something i would do.

the last scene of one of the skits had me limping off stage being helped off by my 'husband' i was so crushed on him at this point, i couldn't limp fast enough to have him let go of me. i was sure he was going to hear my pounding heart and think i was a crazy person. wait, he did already think i was a crazy person..prolly still does :)

any who. in the fall we started a college and career bible study and i was attending. Michael would give me rides since it was 'on his way'. we would talk about random things and enjoy each other's presence. oh yeah, by the way all these months Michael had been bringing different 'girlfriends' to church with him. i was always a bit jealous, but knew i could win out if i just persisted...

the college and career group also went bowling, which was fun and guess who picked me up? i was 'on his way'? right, Michael. one night going to bowl, we drove through a car lot to kill time. i asked him what his dream car was and he said a station wagon! HA! i was assuming a Mustang, or a truck, or a ferarri. but no, a station wagon. his reasoning? for the family he was planning to have, oh yea, and because the loud beats from his sub-woofers would reverberate off the hatch back and make the music louder in the car.

i went to winter warm-up with some gals from church. mom was in the van, and Linda Elliott was driving. on the way there, near Williamsburg, she asked me what i thought about Michael. im sure i tee-hee-hee'd and giggled quite a bit, while sharing with her that i was waiting for God to bring Hannah's biological father back into my life, i cant say i believed that was what would happen, but that is what i was praying for, my husband, the pastor. She said she would be praying about it. little did i know the matchmaker was working on Michael too!

The Passion came out that year and we headed to see that as a college and career group. we were planning to go in the afternoon after church. i invited Michael over so he wouldn't have to go back and forth to his cabin before the movie. We sat in the living room and Mom and Dad's and looked at the sunday paper. at the movie that night, which i thought was our first date, i remember being so giddy and nervous sitting next to him, i was really liking this guy.

sometime after that, i had shared my feelings for Michael with him. I dont think he knew what hit him. he got all defensive and pretty much told me that he wasn't my type and that he hurt everything that he came into contact with. that i shouldn't think of him too highly because he was all bad news, and not boyfriend material.

well, i persisted and eventually he asked me if i would like to go out for a date. for our first date he showed up with a bouquet of daisies :) we went to the Tic Toc and after dinner went to park! ha ha, no hanky panky there, we sat on the roof of his black Chevy Blazer and watched the stars. it was at that little bridge on Rosedale road. at one point he reached over and held my hand! be still my beating heart!

We continued to go to Bible Study and stare at each other from across the room. We would occasionally hold hands too. it was the sweetest time of both our lives. on one long drive, which is what you do when you are dating, he stopped along the road, close to the 1 room school house on Lincoln Highway, and got out of the car. what was he doing? i didnt know. well, he picked a flower for me and then reached into the glove box and handed me a card.
it read: our relationship is like a daisy, when a daisy starts to grow, its petals and colors are certain...yet, the bud does not bloom until the shoot is mature.
a card he had custom written and made just for me! He got a hug for that one, that is for sure.

in early April he asked me if i wanted to be his girlfriend! it was sweet and precious. it was nice knowing that through all our lives of doing things our way, which meant moving fast in relationships and giving of ourselves before even knowing or caring about the person, it was nice to know that we could set the pace that was comfortable for us.

three months into our relationship we were watching a tv preacher at mom and dads house when he was sharing on scripture "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" we shared our first kiss, sweet and gentle and perfect. when we pulled away, breathless, Michael exclaimed. "out of the abundance of my heart my mouth just spoke to you" is that sappy romance stuff or what!!??

i remember thinking that i didnt want just another relationship, neither did he. we wanted the real deal, all or nothing! i decided we should take a week and fast from each other, to seek God's direction and wisdom if we should remain together. After that week, that horrible, difficult week of separation, and missing one another. God revealed to me that we were to be together. it isnt about the person you can live with, it is the person you can't live without. i knew that to be Michael for me.


some of our close friends were getting married at a simple ceremony at her family home. we attended and Michael was the best man. it was a joyous day full of hope for the future and love for our friends. that night we were going to go to a movie. little did i know Michael had been plotting with my dad for my hand in marriage. i guess Michael had asked for my hand in marriage and before we went to the movie, my dad gave him the thumbs up from his recliner :) just like dad, i can still see him in that chair, reclined back giving the thumbs up ;)

after the movie, The Notebook, we went to drive through Palisades park. we got out of the car (the dream car station wagon, by the way) and went for a walk down by the river. i was chabbering about all kinds of nonsense and Michael was patiently waiting for me to zip it so he could pop the question. I dont remember exactly what he said, but im sure it was poetic and wonderful. I remember him asking me if i wanted to be his wife, and when i said yes we hugged, then he handed me the ring box! HA! bless his heart.

we were married 7 months later and there hasn't been a dull moment since, yeah right! some days i want to shoot him in the foot and i'm sure he feels the same. but we made a vow before God and our families that we would remain faithful to Him and to each other. It has been a great 5 years and i look forward to a lifetime more.

Thanks for listening!