My Love Story

My husband submitted our story of how we met and fell in love to a KLOVE Christian radio Valentine's Day contest. It was a great honor to find out that our story was chosen by Mark Shultz for him to write and perform "The Next Great Love Song"! Here is the link:

http://www.klove.com/promodetails.aspx?i=2464

Or click on the song here:

I Will Always Love You, written and recorded by Mark Schultz

We have been listening to it all day on the radio. I still can't believe it! I decided before I knew we won to write down my "version" of our story to give to my husband for a Valentine's gift today. So here it is...

I remember the summer I met Toby. He was good at sports and had a big smile, but what I loved most about him was the way he loved the campers. He was so focused on his campers each week. Whether leading his own campers or the entire camp, he was always pointing others to God. He was someone who was confident in who God made him to be and didn't need the approval of others. I was dating another guy that summer who was also a counselor, which gave me the opportunity to watch Toby and get to know him without the emotional ties of "boyfriend and girlfriend".

I was finished with junior college at NCJC in Villanova, PA and had already made plans to transfer to Harding University in Searcy, AR, where Toby was attending, that fall. My boyfriend at the time had plans to stay up north, so I headed down south alone. Since Toby and I had become friends at camp and I didn't know many people we became good friends that fall semester. Having a long distance tie to my boyfriend back north I believe gave me the freedom to get to know Toby better as a friend. I will always be thankful for that friendship first. I believe it gave us a solid foundation later on.

That fall semester, Toby was a friend I sought out above all others. I was so excited to see him in Hebrew poetry and then having him for a partner was.... very nice! He ran with me to get my PE 101 requirement that I needed as a transfer and kept me company in the Laundromat as we memorized verses together.

At Christmas break I went home and did two important things. I broke up with my boyfriend and told my parents that I had met the guy I was going to marry! Without a kiss or a promise I felt that God had placed Toby in my life for a very special reason. Going back to school, I couldn't wait for him to ask me how things went over break. I finally had to blurt out, "Aren't you going to ask me?" I wanted Toby to know I was available! A day or so later, he held my hand for prayer during church and didn't let go. I was on cloud nine! After a beautiful day spent together, I will never forget walking under the street lamp and hugging goodnight and that first kiss which I seemed to have waited my whole life for!

God gave me someone to walk through life with. It hasn't always been easy. We've had ups and downs. We've made mistakes together and done great things together. But more often than not, we have our moments of weakness when the other one is strong. We love to say "you complete me" because the God who made us has given us each other for that very reason. To be His arms of comfort to each other and to help point each other back to Him.

I love you Toby. You are my Valentine forever!