At the end of the summer in 1996, I was living in a small town in Alabama, and Jason was living in Stockton, California. Odds were we never would have met were it not for two special friends. So before the days of cell phones, email and Facebook, with a little arm twisting, John and Brenna Board persuaded Jason and me to become acquainted through good old fashioned snail mail. Before we ever met face to face, I told my parents I was going to marry him. A little over a year later, we married. How’s that for a crazy love story?
I moved to California and a new chapter began. Like all newlyweds, I believed we’d always live in pure happiness. Like they say, ignorance is bliss. In reality, our life together has probably been much like yours. We’ve had good times and challenging times. We’ve learned about ourselves and each other through the journey of married life. We’ve been blessed with three daughters and have shared in the joys and trials that accompany parenting.
Fast forward to present day. You’ll see two people still happy to hold the other’s hand and heart. You’ll see two people who’ve deepened their love for one another through their love for the Lord. You’ll see two people who want to go to heaven and develop that desire in the hearts of their children. You’ll see two people who know that time passes quickly, can’t be rewound, and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
I’m reminded of how fast time passes when I look at our oldest daughter, Natalie. She fills our house with the sound of piano keys, which I know I will miss hearing—soon. Sigh. Kara is my walking-talking encyclopedia. From the time she was barely toddling around, her books of choice were science related . . . full of facts she would devour and retain with amazing ability. Allie is my little sidekick. She talks with her hands moving one hundred miles an hour. I once told Jason I have no idea where she gets that from. He laughed and repeated my comment by mimicking the way my own hands were all over the place.
In my spare time, I like to paint and draw. I like to sew, but my opportunities are so infrequent that I spend more time reteaching myself (translation: I spend more time undoing and redoing than actual sewing), which usually results in giving myself a good headache!
I’ve been blessed with opportunities to encourage others through my articles in Christian Woman and Think magazines. I’ve been blessed to speak at ladies’ and teen girls’ days, conventions, and have been able to teach children of all ages at our local congregation. I’m thankful to be surrounded by good people walking the road to heaven with me. This blog is designed for you, with a spiritual focus on issues that pertain to your life, to strengthen and encourage you.
