13 years ago...

13 years ago my world was forever changed. I met an incredible girl that a few years later would become my wife. The picture above is from when we met and is our very first (of many) pictures together. Friday brought a bunch of memories of the time we met and the crazy things that happened to bring us to where we are today. For those of you who haven't heard the story, here you go...

It was mid-May 1998 and I was spending time with God one morning. I had a lot on my mind. There was a youth group in TX talking to me and some buddies about leading worship for their camp. But I had a job and knew I wouldn't be able to get off work. That morning I opened up my Bible resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be able to go to the camp. The passage I read was Matthew 6:31-33 and said,

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?

What will we drink? What will we wear?’

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father

already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else,

and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

I was also reading from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest", and after being convicted about how we complain to God that we can't do HIS plans because of OUR needs, I immediately knew I needed to go to the camp. I also knew it would cost me my job. But I gave in to God and we decided to do the camp. I went in to work the next day and told them I needed the days off. My boss said either I worked those days or I had to quit. Right then and there, I made the difficult decision to quit my job, knowing that's what God wanted me to do.

We showed up at the camp on June 8, 1998 and God immediately began to work. At several points that week I felt like God audibly spoke to me and I was drawn into His presence in some incredible ways. God also used us that week to minister to teenagers and lead people in worship. And God also provided for us financially in more ways that week than what I would've made at my job.

But something else also happened that week. About 2 days into the camp, my friend and I were watching as the students played some games. I noticed one really hot girl immediately and said to my friend, "Check her out! She's hot!" What I didn't know was that her youth pastor was standing right there and overheard me say that. He laughed and said, "She's been talking about you all week!" He told me her name was Angie and she had just graduated high school. He asked if I went to Liberty University in VA and I said yes. He told me she was looking into that school as well. He then asked me to join them for dinner that night.

At dinner, I met Angie for the first time and ate with her and her youth group. We had a good time and talked several other times throughout the week. I could tell there was something special about her. When camp was over, we exchanged mailing addresses (yes that was how people communicated in the old days).

We talked the rest of that summer and she ended up coming to Liberty, where we dated for 3 years before getting married in August 2001. After arriving at Liberty, she told me she had been praying for months that God would give her a sign about where to go to school that Fall. When she arrived at camp, she felt God strongly say that Liberty was the place. She then found out that's where I went. She still tells me I was her sign from God.

I can't help but think, "What if I didn't walk in obedience to God? What if I refused to quit my job?" I probably would have never met my incredible wife. Let me be clear. We don't follow God so that he'll bless us. We follow God because He asks us to. But when we walk in obedience to God, we have no idea what He's doing behind the scenes. Sometimes God doesn't give us the why when it comes to obedience. He just asks us to obey and trust Him. I'm so glad I did on this occasion!

13 years later, I'm still in love with that beautiful woman named Angie. She has meant the world to me and I'm so thankful that God has brought us together! And that I was brave enough to call her hot in front of her youth pastor.