"24 Hours" Valentine's Day at Valentine Studio

How much fun is this!  Telling your love story on Valentine's Day at Valentine Studios!  Thank you Karen for hosting this sweetheart partay!

THE CONDENSED VERSION:  24 Hours -

I met my hubby on a "blind" date on Wednesday, July 23, 1986,  He asked me to marry him on Thursday, July 24, 1986, we were married on December 27, 1986.  ( You might have guessed I said YES or.... maybe it was that I posted our wedding picture)


UNABRIDGED:  24 Hours -

 Oh my, if you have decided to keep reading I would recommend a strong cup of coffee OR this could be the post to read when you are in need of a sleep aid!

The love story begins -

 As you might have guessed from the "condensed version," a little history might be in order.  I was 25 years old, living in Colorado (my home state) and I had a "dirty job"...yep, I scraped, shined and polished...teeth!  I was part of a wonderful dental practice and enjoyed my job.  We worked hard nine months of the year but when summer time rolled around, we had many four and five day weekends, it seems my boss had a "tee time" addiction.  I had a wonderful, large group of Christian friends, a Bible Study and a fantastic church in which I helped with the youth.  Every weekend was spent with my friends or helping the kids in our church with activities, homework or just being an older friend...we all know how "old" 25 is but to a 17 year old, I was a listening ear.   But as much as I enjoyed my life...my hearts desire was to be a wife.  (With that last line, I may find myself writing poetry...HA)

I know you can just feel the romance flowing can't you...

Well, just in case you are not aware, for me to be a wife, I needed the other half of the equation...a man.  We all know, you have to date several fellas' before you "find" the right guy.  So, I dated and then I dated some more and then just to make sure I hadn't missed anyone, I dated a few more.  Needless to say, dating just didn't seem "work."  I was so tired of someone liking me and I didn't "like" them enough for our relationship to continue or vice versa.  Now, to be fair, there was not one of the guys that I dated that was not a great Christian guy!  Now just in case there are those of you that might assume I didn't pray about all these guys...just know I prayed, my pastor prayed and my friends prayed...hmmm, and dating still didn't work!

This next step is the shocker...after much time in prayer, pouring my heart out to the Lord...He revealed, you might want to sit down for this, I should stop dating!  Makes perfect sense doesn't it.  NOT!  Of course, many times when the Lord asks you to do something, it is completely contrary to what makes  sense in our earth bound minds.  But the Lord was jealous for my heart and He showed me it was wrong for me to "share" my heart with these other Christian men, who were not my husband.  He showed me my heart was to belong only to Him and if He provided, my future husband.   And of course, this is as clear as mud...the Lord "fashioned" in me a heart that was completely at peace!   It is a peace beyond words, an inner contentment that has no limits and joy that was unfathomable.  No, I was not looking or wanting a husband or even a boyfriend...so ends January 1986.

The next few months after my big revelation were busy as usual.  Work, Bible Studies, church,snow skiing, water skiing, cleaning (house), cooking, hiking, walks, lunches with friends, shopping and visiting my parents but no dating...and I was happy beyond words.

June of '86 brought a youth rally in the park.  Many churches were involved in the planning of this event.  My roommate and I volunteered to help as there were many activities throughout the day.   Many hands do make light work.  It was a beautiful day, sun shine, no clouds, no rain and just right temp and a lot of kids showed up...and one guest magician.   The guest magician from Arizona was a friend of our associate pastor and was traveling in Colorado to do another show but volunteered to stop and perform his show for the rally....well, guess what?  Remember I'm not dating but my roomie was!  Yes, the magic man happened to like my roommate!  After the rally, the magic man, my roomie and associate pastor went to dinner...magic man and my roomie liked each other.  Only problem is, she is in Colorado and he is a pastor in Arizona.  Well, magic man suggested she visit Arizona.  Magic mans parents would love to have her stay with them during this visit.  So why not visit Arizona in the scorching July heat AND bring your roomie, Donna (that's me) and we can all go water skiing with one of magic man's friends.  Of course, to my roommate this sounded just great, umm, as for me,... I am going on a vacay to meet and stay with people (in their defense, they are a pastor and his wife) I don't know and we are going water skiing with a guy I don't know....oh yea, sounds like fun.  I had to remind roomie I wasn't dating and I was reassured by both roomie and magic man this was in NO WAY a date or set up.    Finally, after much coaxing by roomie, magic man and our associate pastor,  I relented and we booked our flight.

A few days later, our phone rang.  My roomie answered and after a few confusing moments, handed the phone to me.  She thought it was her magic man calling  but it turned out to be "the friend of magic man."  Yep, he was calling to talk to me.  After the formalities, he realized we were in a awkward situation, as these two (roomie and magic man) were interested in each other...he thought it was just "two" girls coming to hang out at the lake.  Since tickets had been  bought, the pastor parents had a room for us and I had time off...we decided to make the best of it.  We would make the best of this situation and he was fully aware that I was not dating.  I think he was completely relieved...Ok, and we talked around three hours.  It was about three weeks until we left for this adventure and this friend proceeded to call me every night until we arrived.  As we talked, we realized we were in the same boat, neither of us were dating and for the same reason...revelation from the Lord.

Remember we have never seen each other, no pictures, nada, nothing.  Just visiting over the phone.  Well, a few days before our arrival, I was asked how he would know who I was when I got off the plane?  In a moment of my mouth running far faster than my brain, I said I would be dressed crazy.  Yea, well, my idea was my hair had a bit more mousse in it than normal....well, this guy decided he didn't want to be "out crazied" so he and magic man  were dressed in t shirts with animal from the Muppets that said "Want Woman", had red sprayed hair and neon flashing sunglasses.  Amazingly, through all the red spray paint and flashing lights from his sunglasses, he was able to pick me out, Miss Plain Jane with a little extra mousse,  exiting with a mass of humanity from the plane.  Of course, I could see which "one" he was...no doubt about that.  No one else was dressed as he and magic man (and I already knew which one magic man was.)  And yes, I knew when I saw him, he was gonna be the ONE...maybe, it was the red hair, sparkly sunglasses or the Shirt (we still have it)...but I knew at that moment why the Lord had me not dating...I wouldn't have been able to "see" who the Lord had planned for me if my heart had been shared with others.  This friend, Dan,  said he would have proposed to me right then and there, because he knew I was the one, but he didn't want to seem rushy!   So, he waited 24 hours and then asked...

Normally,  I guess, you write "The End" but in this case it would be our "The Beginning"

 24 hours has turned into 24 years with this upcoming anniversary in December, it will be 25!!!!   And yes,  he is the love of my life, oxygen for my blood, I know he is still the one and my heart is completely his....

Happy Valentine's Day to all,

Donna

P.S.  No, it did not work out for magic man and my roomie.  They both met and married others.  Magic Man has his own show in Branson...with his lovely wife.