I realize that I have not written anything on this page yet; but at the close of our 11 year anniversary I am feeling a little sentimental so I thought I would start this page.
I met Phillip for the first time when I was 11 years old.
He was sitting on a table in the dining room of the Airline church.
I remember thinking that he was very cute and that I might like to marry him.
Through the next few years we would write letters and get together
and break up over and over and over again.
I really liked him; but he was a boy and we were young.
I had already decided that he was the one for me; but he needed a little . . . convincing!!
The years went on and we became teenagers. I joined the marching band in school and was rarely at church so for about 2 years our lives took separate paths.
I always thought about him; but for a little while the way I thought about him had changed.
During those teenage years my mother passed away.
At the time I had a boyfriend from school and his statement of comfort to me was
"I hope that this doesn't affect our relationship."
That was not exactly what I needed to hear at that moment; but God had a different plan.
He knew that he was not the man that He had chosen for me.
After breaking up with him I was sitting in my room
and my thoughts once again turned to Phillip.
I knew that he was in Kansas City visiting his Grandparents and so I decided to write him a letter. He was the one person I wanted to talk to about my mother's death.
He later told me that when he got that letter he felt so bad. He wanted to be there for me; but he couldn't be. After we got married he told me that he was sorry he hadn't been here.
I thought that was so sweet because I didn't even think at that time that he even cared about me. I would later find out he cared a lot more than he let on.
Needless to say that I did have a couple boyfriends later on; but they
never seemed to compare to Phillip. He was always the "ONE".
I even remember one time he told one of my friends that if this boy I was talking to ever laid one finger on me he would kill him!! I thought that was so "ROMANTIC". ;o)
Needless to say I never knew any of this until years later.
I remember the day that we finally decided to "talk".
We were eating at Mr. Gatti's (I think) in Tomball and he won me a couple of teddy bears.
One of them said I love you on it, and so I made a joke and said "I guess this means we're a couple". He just said "yep" and that was it. No fireworks or bells and whistles.
One thing I think that was different this time was that we both began talking about marriage very early. We were 16 when we began "talking"; but I think that we both knew that we wanted to spend our lives together. I never looked at anyone else because I knew that there was nobody; but him. I think that saying that "you just know" is true.
There was never any doubt about it.
I remember one thing that my Aunt Sandra said when I was younger. I don't remember what we were even talking about when she said it; but her statement was "If you can't touch the Lord and worship the Lord when he's around then you better ask yourself why". I don't remember giving it much thought at the time; but I thought about it later.
Some of the boys that I had liked, when they were around I really couldn't touch the Lord.
With Phillip I have never had that trouble. One time I was praying with TJ Budd to get the Holy Ghost and he even put his hand on my shoulder and prayed right along with me.
The significance of her statement didn't really hit me until we were married.
There are times in a marriage when you need to get ahold of God and if you are timid or backwards infront of your man then you may not be able to touch Heaven when needed.
You are running a spiritual race together and it's important that you feel free to call on the Lord for him, or your children; or yourself whenever necessary.
When Phillip asked me to marry him it was almost like a movie. We were going out with his parents and he said that he had to stop at the mall first. I didn't think anything of it until we started walking towards the jewelry store. I thought that was a little odd;
but still didn't have a clue.
We walked into the store and he told me to pick whichever ring I wanted.
I was shocked and very very excited.
I remember being so happy that night.
My dream had finally come true.
We got married in Oak Forest church on Mangum.
Bro. Gary Wright married us.
I look back at pictures and think that we look like kids; but really we were.
I was 19 and he was 18 and skinny as rails to boot.
We never dated (which I am so so thankful for today) so our first date
was driving through McDonald's on our way to our honeymoon. :o)
If I was to write down every detail of our 11 year marriage so far I would crash my computer I think; but this is a small summary of our beginning.
Today we have two beautiful daughters who were truly gifts from God, a small but happy little home; and blessings that rain down upon us everyday.
God has been so very good to us.
Words could never tell;
but if we can give our lives and our home
to the one that has given it to us
maybe our lives can be a testimony
to the Lord's unending love and mercy.
"...let our light's so shine before all men..."
