I was 19 he was 21.

His sister and I attended a youth group together on Wednesday nights.

I was single and she had a brother

He sat at the restaurant/bar table as we entered. He was sitting with a very pregnant woman.

Why would I be meeting someone who was soon to be a daddy?

He stood up in his white pants and red striped button down shirt.

Dang he was tall

Most of my previous boyfriends were……. well slackers is the only word I can come up with.

No job

No car

Little ambition

I was looking for something else, that’s for dang sure. I was currently in Dental assisting school at the vocational school. I had zero college aspirations but knew I needed to further my education somehow.

He was in EMT school and getting ready to graduate and move on to the Fire Academy.

Coincidence that my Dad was a Lieutenant for the BFD (Bradenton Fire Department) and my brother was also on the Department?

This just seemed too easy but then there was that pregnant girl……..

His sister. The other sister.

He had brought his sister, the pregnant one to listen to the house band. Her husband was a firefighter too.

What in the world?

It felt right

We went out on our first date that Friday night, March 30, 1984

He took me to dinner and a movie in HIS CAR!

He was a gentleman

He had ambition

He loved his family

He was a keeper and today……February 9, 2020, we celebrate 35 years of marriage

We probably still shouldn’t be together but God had other plans for us

He had plans of love and a family

He had plans of abundance and security

He had plans of friends and a future.

I’m so grateful His plans are greater than mine

This weekend, we spend together. It doesn’t matter what we do or where we go.

Time together

Laughs and food

Some extra sweet times with friends who have been around forever is how we will spend this weekend

How blessed we truly are