9 years

Last week Mark and I celebrated our nine year anniversary! I can't believe that Mark and I have known each other almost 15 years. Wow! We have grown so much in these past years together. The Lord has changed him and me in so many different ways. I look back on our time together and I am blown away when I think about where the Lord has brought us...

We met at Messiah College. I was a young freshman, just turned 19 years old. He was 22 years old and in his senior year. He was living with my sister's boyfriend at the time, now husband. I saw Mark and immediately was interested in him. He was super attractive...spikey hair, JNCO jeans, polo shirts and a visor. He was deep into his raving stage. :) I would come over to his apartment just to talk to Dana (yeah right) and we ended up meeting. A few days later Mark asked me out and that was the beginning.

We dated a LONG time....about 5 years. We both do not recommend dating this long....just get engaged and get married already. We broke up a few times. I went to England for a semester and pined away for him. Then came home and he broke up with me. I was slightly distraught to the say the least. :)

We got married and the Lord really began working on our lives. I never thought in a million years that I would marry a pastor. I was not one of those girls who always dreamed of that. Mark's transition into ministry has been gradual and I am thankful for that. When Riverside church was going to bring him on full time he came home and told me about this opportunity. I was like "Sure, go for it." Not at all knowing what ministry involves...

Anyway...the Lord led us to seminary and now back to Philly to church plant. What a journey we have been on! I am so thankful that the Lord has called us to this place and this task. It has been a time to depend on the Lord like I have never experienced. We were sharing with a mentor about the stresses in our life right now...ministry and family. We shared that both of us have lost that sense of being carefree. He, who also does ministry full time, resonated with us. He spoke truth into our lives, "Losing that sense of carefree is a price you pay when you do full time ministry. But the blessings that you receive by seeing the Lord work in other people's lives is well worth the exchange." So thankful for Mark and the opportunity to journey through life with him. Can't wait to see what the next year hold for us as we approach our ten year anniversary.