My Story- Come Together

Ok so we last left off at me realizing that at some point in life I would be marrying someone famous. PLEASE, don't think cocky of me, I am sharing all of this to say that it has taken me approx. 30 years to realize that this "vision" or whatever you want to describe it as, had a point. I am NOT by any means stating that Mark is uber famous. I will state that he is quasi famous. When you go to your local Steak n Shake and there is a line of folks at your booth with CD's to sign and I'm digging for anything besides the kids crayons well.....

The Lord knew me. He knows that I have to process to a degree. As much as I like to jump in with 2 feet sometimes the water is WAY too cold and I get right back out. I can assure you, life with a rockstar is NOT all the peaches and roses that some folks dream of. Could I give a laundry list of CONS, sure. I don't want to do that. What I want to do is try and encourage all of you to take what the Lord lays on you and realize He does have a greater plan for us. So I didn't marry Jimmy Conners or Andre Agassi, but I did get a humble man who happened to take the talent that in high school might have made him a "geek" and has been quite successful at it. I mean, my years of saying rah, yay, go team, BLAH BLAH got me NADA- well, except I am very fun to go to a ball game with!!! :)

How did this trip all begin. Let's go back to the dark ages when the earth was cooling (stole that line from the hubby)....

It was the summer after my first year in college. To say that first year was rough is an understatement. It HATED the school I chose. I went b/c there was a guy I like my last 2 years of high school. That as you can imagine is the STUPIDEST reason to pick your college. SIDENOTE: young ladies reading this. Fall on your face before our Lord to begin protecting your heart and give you a passion for HIM and not for anything else. This will save you so much heartbreak in the end.

My parents knew this was a poor choice but they allowed me to be the adult- oh yeah, cause at 18 I had already made such GREAT decisions!!! Anyway, off I go to school. Several things including a horrid Math class led me to near insanity. Then came the kicker. You know that one thing that just sets you over the edge. My sweet, amazing, loving, role model of a grandmother passed away. This was expected, it was in no way a sudden thing, but honestly I really felt like I was losing it emotionally. I REALLY loved my Ma-Mah and REALLY HATED that Math class.

Parents weekend comes and I break down and beg my parents to let me come back home b/c I was so miserable. I would work, go to the local school and then do what I should have done in the beginning and seek the Lord's will for my life and choose the correct place for me to go to school. Again, this is more preparation for the coming years. As usual I thought I knew what the Lord wanted me to do but oh how wrong I would be. At least this time I chose to follow.

Being the ever level headed man he is my precious daddy allowed me to come home. There would be rules, there would be consequences. Just as the Lord had me suffer the consequences of my actions I knew my ever Godly earthly daddy would make me understand the error of my way. It was done in love, there was no malice, ill will, etc. He just wanted me to think about my decisions and begin to really show some adult behaviors. (Now, let me also mention that I am a BIG OLE daddies girl and as much as he wanted me to learn from my mistakes as I wanted to go home I think I had him at the first tear!!!)

So I come home, enroll in the local community college (later UNIVERSITY!!! WOOP WOOP BIG TIME NOW!!!) and begin to get my life together, as best I can. I decided to take a job at our church in our preschool afterschool program. That is where I met Mac Powell. The guy that would change my life forever. The man that would introduce me to my future husband and best friend!!!

He would change my life b/c we worked together and as we became good buddies, he began introducing me to his friends. One of those friends became the love of my life Mr. Mark Lee. So here 14 years later I shall give the man who started the whole thing the credit he is due.


Mac Powell, I owe you a mighty big thank you. Had we not decided to join our "forces" and color some awesome pictures and chat whilst our young afterschool children napped I might not have had the roller coaster ride I have been on the last decade or so! For that I thank you.

Ok, back to my story. Why does the lead singer ALWAYS get all the attention. GEESH!!! :)

So the months pass and you begin the summer hang. As our jobs transitioned from afterschool caregivers to Day Camp counselors (oh yeah, the lap of luxury I tell ya) there was a solid group of us that would just chill at Mac's house after work and watch movies and hang. This was before cool coffee shops or maybe we just weren't cool. That is up for question!!!!

One night this dude came by Mac's house....
(to be continued)- I know the suspense is KILLING YOU!!!