This past fall as I was travelling in Chicago when I got a text message from my dear friend, Heather Asimos, that simply read, "I met the future Mrs. Spell tonight!"   Woah.  

"Well, I'll be eager for you to introduce me to her," was my reply.

That's how it started.

A few weeks later, on October 25, we went on our first date.  It was actually kind of a date-a-thon becasue it lasted nearly twelve hours!  By the end of the night, we both knew deep down that something very special was taking place.  

Five months later, on March 25, I proposed and Jennifer said, "Yes".  So, we will be getting married on Friday, April 25 - exactly six months from our first date!

Early in her twenties, Jen made the committment to not chase after a relationship.  As she observed girls around her obsessing over relationships - either ones they had or ones they didn't have - she determined to not make her life about waiting for the right guy.  Her conviction was so strong that she bought a wedding band that she wore as a symbol to the Lord that He was enough for her.  She had it enscribed with the words, "The Lord's". If God wanted her to be married, He would need to bring the guy to her and reveal it to her.  Until then she would be as content as she could simply serving Him.  The result was a long series of first dates, no second dates, and no relationships. By the fall of 2014 she had determined that she would never be married and had come to a place of peace and joy with that realization.  Then she received a Facebook message that began...

"Hi Jen!  My name is Gary and I'm Heather Asimos's friend..."

I will never forget the day a few weeks later when we were sitting in Ruby Tuesdays and I asked her about the significance of the ring she wore. She told me the story about the ring and added,  "I told the Lord that I would wear this ring until He brought someone into my life who was a serious candidate for a life partner."  And with that she gently slipped the ring off of her finger and put it in her purse.  On Firday, April 25, I will replace that ring with a wedding band.

As for me, it had been 10 years since the failure of my first marriage.  Through that time I had experienced a lot of healing.  I wanted a relationship and, if it was the Lord's will, to even marry again.  But that just seemed unlikely.  First, I felt like damaged goods.  I couldn't imagine what I had to bring to the table or who would want me.  Secondly, and more importantly, something in me had died.  I had a handful of relationship attempts but none of them produced a "spark" for me.  I had concluded that whatever it is in a man that makes his heart race, that makes him want to perform acts of valour, that makes him stay awake at night thinking about someone - that part was forever gone.  That night - that first date - as I talked to Jennifer, something sprang back to life in my heart.  I remember weeping as I drove home at the remarkable notion that my heart wasn't dead.

Revelation 21:5  He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making all things new!"

I thought it would be fun to show you the first email I sent Jen.  It was witty, charming, and ineffective.  She shot me down.  Here it is...

Hi Jen!

My name is Gary and I'm Heather Asimos's friend.

Heather was telling me about you. Actually, Heather won't stop talking about you. I'm actually contacting to you warn you that Heather may be developing something of a crush on you. I just thought you should know.

In addition to the warning, I thought I'd also introduce myself and tell you a few things about me. Here we go in no particular order...

1) I have an unhealthy relationship with pizza. I'm not proud of it but I'm tired of living life in the shadows. (Particularly when those shadows are cast by the lunch buffet at Pizza Hut)

2) I have a horrible memory. Actually it's only horrible for certain things. Unfortunately, they tend to be the most important things like names and whether or not you've told me about this thing you're talking about before. I have a great memory for things that don't matter like commercial jingles and the chord progressions on a particular song. I've wondered if item number 1 might be related to item number 2 and I keep thinking I should conduct an experiment whereby I lay off pizza for a season and see if it improves my memory. But I keep forgetting to do it. Anyway, I will try very hard to remember our conversations.

3) I am a Pastor

4) As it turns out "I am a Pastor" is the un-sexiest sentence in the English language. So I quit that. So now...

5) I am a writer.

6) I have a horrible memory. Actually it's only horrible for certain things. Unfortunately, they tend to be the most important things like names and whether or not you've told me about this thing you're talking about before. I have a great memory for things that don't matter like commercial jingles and the chord progressions on a particular song. I've wondered if item number 1 might be related to item number 2 and I keep thinking I should conduct an experiment whereby I lay off pizza for a season and see if it improves my memory. But I keep forgetting to do it. Anyway, I will try very hard to remember our conversations.

7) I don't have pets. I like animals - dogs especially - but there was a season in my life when I had lots of pets and so I am now counter-balancing that season with a season of having none. So far I like it.

8) I have a daughter named Grace and she is VERY upset with me that I am going to be out of town for her birthday next week. She works it into every conversation and every text exchange. Earlier today I told her that I was up late so I slept in this morning and she said, "Oh nice. You go out of own to sleep in rather than be home for your daughter's birthday." She is sassy and, I'm thinking, wasn't spanked quite enough when she was younger.

9) I have a poor memory. If you doubt just ask out mutual friend, Heather, and her lovely husband, Larry!

10) I love Halloween. I've been told that I might go to hell for that but, if its any consolation, I can think of about a dozen better reasons why I should go to hell before the Halloween thing. But that's another list.

So, if you accept my friend request (and why wouldn't you!?), I will look forward to stalking your page!

Nice to meet you, Jan!

Gary

We're going to Disney World!!!!

More precisely...

The week after our wedding, thanks to the generosity of my dear friend Ed Augustine, we will be staying at the Nags Head Beach House for a time of connecting with family and friends and trying to inegrate some of our relationships.

Then, becasue love is not only blind but also mentally challenged, we will be running the Flying Pirate Half Marathon on May 4th.

On May 5th we depart from Port Canaveral on a five day Disney Cruise!  We will be stopping in Nassau and Cataway Cay (Disney's own private island) and returning on Friday. 

From there we will head to Disney World for a few days where we will be staying in the Animal Kingdom lodge.  (It seemed the best way to camaflauge the sounds emanating from the Honeymoon Suite.)

From there we will fly to Minnesota for a reception with her family and freinds there.  Then we're back in Virginia Beach to merge lives!

Jen and I have been blessed with so many dear people in our lives - from our careers, our families, our church families, and more.  We quickly realized that to try to do a full-scale wedding in Virginia Beach would have been monstrous - and crazy expensive.  So, we've decided to have a very small wedding in the Outer Banks.  But please know that we love you all and are so grateful for each of you.

This is a huge event in our lives - but you each play part.  Thank you so much for you friendship, your love, and your fellowship in the gospel.  We love you all very much...

Jennifer and Gary