The love of my life

Here's a meme I got from Pastor Leanne. Fun! (You can also see by the pictures just how much we have changed during the past 20 years, and...how "high" my hair was at one point. I think this not only qualifies for extreme 80's hair, but also incredibly Pentecostal. The only thing that would have been more so was if I had it up in a bun with a bunch of bobby pins...and ditched the make up...) Here we go...

1. Where did you meet this person? Valley Forge Christian College ~ Phoenixville, PA

2. What was the first thought that went through your head when you met ? He’s so funny…he makes me laugh so much. He would make funny quips and sing me songs he made up or popular songs that he changed the words to. Being that he's not exactly skilled at singing, this was something that I really found humorous.


3. Do you remember what you or they were wearing? Very casual clothing because we were both working in the kitchen at college.

4. Where was the first time you kissed this person? In the music building.

5. How did they ask you out ( or you ask them out )? I was at Valley Forge a year before Larry so I knew some people before he did. When he first saw me, he asked an upperclassman, Rick, (who worked alongside him in the kitchen), “who’s that girl?” Rick said, “that’s Deanna.” Larry said, “I’m going to ask her out.” Rick said, “she won’t go out with you, she isn't dating anyone for a while - it's some commitment she and her friend made...” (long story for another day) So Larry said, “I'm going to date her. Watch me.” He started singing these funny songs to me, coming around and making me laugh on the job. I did think he was hysterical - and that was about the extent of it. I didn’t have any money to speak of – was a poor college student washing dishes in the cafeteria. I had just bought a winter scarf which I loved and I really treasured it because quite honestly it was a big deal for me to buy it. It was probably only about a week old. After work one night I was putting my coat on to leave and put the scarf on and Larry came over, took it away and said, “if you want your scarf back, you’ll go out with me!” So, I did, thinking I would get the scarf back. (To this day I never got it back – he still has it in his top dresser drawer! He always kept it for sentimental reasons.)

6. Where did you go for your first date? The music building. I spent a lot of time there. I actually told him, "okay,if you want to see me, just come there, it’s where I always am..." Little did I know sitting in the music building the first time, folding ministry newsletters and talking about our different calls to the ministry that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and say, "this is going to be your husband..." YIKES! Sort of scared me to death, (even though I did think he was cute and funny) only because I didn't know him or feel "in love" with him yet. I think shortly after that we went to Valley Forge Park (which is a beautiful place) and holds a lot of memories as well.


7. How long did you know this person before you became a couple? Not long, probably a few months.


8. Has this person ever proposed to you? Yes, he proposed on June 25, 1986 and we married June 27, 1987. We’ve been married 20 years.

9. Do you and this person have kids together? Yes, three on earth and one in heaven.

10. Have you ever broken the law with this person? Have we broken any laws...let's see... college laws? Yes. Several times. We got written up, mostly for "lap sitting." (No, not lap dancing. ha ha!) Seriously when we went to Bible college, there was no "PDA" allowed - no sitting on laps, no kissing, no arms around each other, nothing...at least on campus. We went to bible school back when it was really strict. We couldn't wear shorts unless we were in gym class, boys had to wear ties, and we couldn't even sit next to each other in chapel the first semester - it was against the rules to sit by the opposite sex the first semester. I ended up having to paint the dorm one time because of breaking the rules. (My R.A. who wrote me up for sitting on Larry's lap talking one day is no longer in the ministry but I just want to point out, I am a 20 year ministry veteran, despite my lap sitting.) I guess the lap sitting should have been a prophetic indication to Larry -- he was getting a "wild woman"! (smile) As far as laws of the land, we haven't broken any that I can think of. If we have it’s something small and stupid that we don’t know about…I dunno, parking on the street in Pasco county is against the law and we’ve done that occasionally.

11. When was the first time you realized that you loved this person? I can’t remember the exact moment to be quite honest. Our love evolved. I knew before I ever loved or even really “liked” him a lot that he would be my husband. The Holy Spirit told me that just days after we met but I never told him until we were almost married because I thought it was inappropriate. I knew it would scare him and rightfully so. Although I was young at the time, I began to realize even then that too many people throw God’s name around and and say, "God told me this or that" and it really gets old and is overdone because so many times it’s not God, it’s just their own desires. In my case I did know it was God because despite very little feelings for him and just laughing a lot when he was around, I had a knowing in my heart that he was supposed to be mine. I said, “God, I feel nothing for him…he’s just a funny guy, and I actually know nothing about him…” but as I looked over at him as he was talking in the music building one night, I felt God speak to my heart that he was the one. From that time on, despite the lack of immediate romantic feelings, I just trusted God was leading me in the right direction and as time when on, the feelings developed.

12. Do you get along with any of the ex's of your boyfriend/girlfriend? I don’t see any of them so it’s really not an issue.


14. Do you trust this person? Yes but more than that, I trust in God – I realize Larry is not infallible so I don’t expect perfection out of him . I don't expect Him to be God -- but as much as I could possibly trust any man on earth, I trust him. With the rest…I trust God.

15. What is the best thing this person ever gave you? Great sex. Repeatedly. And my Mustang Convertible. But aside from that… his whole heart, his commitment, faithfulness.

16. What is the most expensive thing this person bought for you? The Mustang

17. What is the one thing this person does that gets on your nerves? Doesn’t notice the mess around him and housework that needs to be done, like I do – he’s totally oblivious to it.

18. What is the thing you do that gets on their nerves? Got a few hours?!! Wow. It’s not just one and hard to choose but probably the things I do when I get angry and he pushes me to deal with things right then that I don’t want to deal with at the moment.


19. Where do you see each other in 15 years from now? We will be 55 and 56…old enough to get a seniors discount. That is incredibly scary to me. I don’t like it and I’m treasuring every moment right now. But where do I see us at 55 and 56? We'll be pastoring. ’ll be writing more than I ever have. Larry will be playing golf more when he’s not driving the kids everywhere. On our day off it will really totally be a day off and we will not be dropping kids off at meetings and events or picking them up and getting stuck on church things because we were on the premises. On Fridays we will probably be at home, completely naked the entire day/night. I guess actually 55 and 56 doesn't sound so bad after all...