Our Story - Part I

Our story is completely one of God's faithfulness and promise that He is in full control. Who knows why we have to wait for things, except that God has a plan he is working and parts of it just take time. Someone once told me to just keep walking in faith in Christ, serving, giving, and living the abundant life he died for me to live and one day, I would look beside me and there would be someone walking beside me headed in the same direction. At that time you just join hands and keep walking together to Glorify God by loving Him and loving people.

So it's Februrary 2007 and Jeff is teaching and researching at MSU, leading a small group Bible Study and playing guitar in the church praise band. Cathy had been back in Birmingham working at UAB Hospital for a little over a year and was house hunting. (Got tired of the audio of large feet overhead every morning at 5am!). Jeff had been a member of ChristianCafe.com for a few months and Cathy had tried it about a year prior and got off. Mid-February Cathy got an email that she could log back on for 5 days for Free. What a deal! It was Valentine's and what do you have to lose anyway!? So the first night she's on she sees Jeff's profile thinking "we have some things in common" and she fires off an email thinking he was a MSU Bulldog. Oh no! The record is clear he is an LSU Tiger working for MSU! So after a few "get to know you" emails, request to call and then we'd meet after his trip to Germany in Starkville. (Cathy's dad lives there and has 3 guns in a room just in case :).

The first date was a dinner in Columbus and drive around MSU Campus and seeing where Jeff lived. We went to his church and to a basketball game and had lots of laughs. Cathy returns to Birmingham to a house full of boxes that she'd just closed on 2 days prior. Jeff calls his closest friends and says, "She's the one!" Cathy tells her friends, "We'll see if he's the real deal."

Jeff is in pursuit and we volley weekends getting to know one another. About 6 weeks later, Cathy's heart is drawing in to this man of character and integrity who is getting cuter by the weekend. Cathy meets the family over Easter and we make a few road trips. Jeff is showing the kind of love that Cathy needs and has desired her whole life.

So on the front porch of Cathy's dad's house one evening in May, sitting in the swing we say, "I love you" and a couple of weeks later are ring shopping. July 6, 2007 we are engaged in front of the shrine of St. Valentine in Dublin, Ireland! Way to go Jeff!!!

We spend the fall traveling all over the southeast for LSU and MSU football games spending time with each other and the family units and having our first holidays with the future in-laws on both sides. We are learning that Jeff needs his Dr. Pepper and Cathy likes Sprite Zero; Cathy is the neat one and Jeff is a travel agent. Cathy likes all color and Jeff is colorblind. We both aren't big on shopping, but know the value of a dollar, and have hearts for small group ministry. Both enjoy exercise and fresh air and travel of most any kind. (Can't wait to find out where we are going on the honeymoon! Jeff knows Cathy likes surprises.)

January started our "Marriage Prep" class at Hunter Street where we were greatly encouraged in the foundations of marriage and enjoyed the homework questions and conversations that were very valuable. (Sure, wedding planning is going on all through here and staying simple, fun and not too stressful. We are convinced it does not have to be that complicated!)

So all this time the million dollar question has been, "So, where are you guys going to live?" The process for Jeff to move is much greater than it would be for Cathy. So, we prayed and talked and looked at our gifts and talents and decided it best for Jeff to put out applications for positions at universities and see where God would lead. (Not much in "Vegas" for Cathy.) So after 20 applications and 4 interviews, wouldn't you know it?! Jeff got a great offer from U. of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and we will be living in Birmingham. No small feat and certainly no coincidence. Yet again, we see the timing of the Lord in our lives to lead us here and we are excited!

So, here we stand in awe of God, who has been working in our lives before the foundation of the world, has given us incredibly full single lives and has now given us the gift of each other. How humbling! We are a few weeks away from launching into marriage knowing we are going to do our best to communicate, be patient with each other, trust the Lord and try to have a little fun too! "You balance each other out", says Bill Decker (our pastor for the wedding and friend!).

So we trust God with the sale of our 2 houses and provision of another as we approach June 7. He's been faithful so far we have no reason to doubt now. So, we are a little older than some getting this chapter started. Would we change it? NOPE! It was worth the wait and it gives us encouragement when God has us in a waiting season in the future.

Truly His timing is perfect, His heart is Good, and He knows what He's doing!