Do you recognize these 2 kids?

Yes, that's Jason and me 13 years ago............or should I say, 5 pregnancies, 4 children (+1 on the way!), 4 churches, dozens of mortgage payments, some lost hair and some "found" pounds, and a whirlwind 13 years ago, today.

Looking back, I can see how far the Lord has brought us together. Jason and I met in June 1994 (I was 19; he was 22), got engaged in August, and married the next March. And the only reason we waited that long, was to satisfy everyone around us who, no doubt, thought we were "rushing it". I forfeited 3 remaining years on my college scholarship (known to others as "throwing away a golden opportunity") and followed the Lord to be with Jason. It was the easiest and most right decision, other than my salvation, that I have ever made. I've never questioned my choice, and I'll always remember that Jason never pressured me to do this. He was fully prepared to wait on me to graduate college before we married, but it just wasn't in God's plan. By the time I would have graduated, we already were married, had built a house, pastoring a church, and expecting our first child. I'm so glad I didn't delay Jason's ministry or our family, just to pursue the world's accolades.

When we met, we knew almost instantly that we would marry. Jason is the only man I have ever loved. I had faithfully prayed to the Lord since a young teenager, that I would never get sidetracked from following Him, by loving the wrong person. I gave the Lord the keys to my heart, and I felt Him unlock that door when Jason looked into my eyes. That was enough for me, but the Lord graciously sent so many confirmations to Jason and myself along the way. Most memorably, the night we went looking at engagement rings, we sat in his truck and prayed for the Lord's will to be done. We lifted our heads, sitting in the parking lot, and there in the sky, was the biggest, most beautiful rainbow I'd ever seen.

We were forced to grow up and mature almost instantly, and sometimes it's hard to even remember that first, carefree, absolutely fun year we had before Jason became a pastor and we became parents. As other wives can testify, it is very stressful being married to a real, God-called preacher, but I wouldn't trade our life for anything!