I consider Tami to be a personal mentor of mine, so it’s no wonder I wanted to feature her #truelovestory on our blog! She and her husband Paul have led the young parenting class at our church for years! And there is always something I glean from their love for God and their life experience.
Something that immediately stands out to me is how quick they are to recognize the hand of God in their life and specifically the way He works through ordinary people… whether its helping take care of your family or watching your friends show up in big ways on your big day!
I think this raw acknowledgement that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things has made them especially mission minded as a family! No matter who you are, God can use you! And he may even bring someone special into your life to live on mission together!
Describe your husband in three words.
Brave. Strong. Compassionate
How did you and your husband meet?
We met as classmates and became friends in Junior High School
Who was interested first?
He thought I was cute in Junior High 🙂 but I was the one who reached out to him first in High School when we officially started dating.
What qualities about your husband made you realize he was marriage material?
Well, I was 14 when we started dating so that thought never crossed my mind! We truly grew up together. As we grew I saw that he was a compassionate and strong leader of his family already. Paul’s Dad passed away when he was only 13 and his older brother was gone in the Navy. He helped his mom in so many situations most kids would never be in. A 15 year old helping your mom figure out how to finance a furnace? He did it. He did it with calm, kindness and wisdom. As I watched him care for her while also passionately pursuing his talents in academics and football I knew there was nothing we couldn’t do or figure out together.
What was your favorite detail of your wedding day?
Our wedding was a story of God’s provision through friends and family in so many fun and unexpected ways. I picked out my wedding dress in a magazine and then found out a family friend had the exact dress! She let me take it out of its preservation box and have it altered then I returned it to her back in its original state with no charge. A friend made our beautiful church like wedding cake in exchange for my mom taking her son’s senior pictures. Another friend was going to school for photography and shot our wedding at the cost of film and development for practice. Our limo driver pulled up and out stepped one of our good friend’s mom! Not planned just another way friends and family were everywhere and part of our celebration.
What’s your best advice to young women in dating relationships?
Seek God. He will give you His peace or that catch in your spirit something isn’t right. Also do not ignore the thoughts of your family and close friends. They know you well and can sometimes see things you don’t. Trust them.
What’s your best advice for those pursuing sexual purity?
Don’t trust yourself. That may seem like an odd thing to say but we were “good kids” given way too much freedom and that led to not making the best choices. As I now raise kids of my own, I know no matter how “good” they are, we are all human and are easily tempted. Put boundaries in place and ask your parents or friends to help you stay true to those decisions.
What has been your biggest lesson in marriage?
Time brings trials, hurts, illness and hardships. We have learned that navigating those things together, seeking God and with a determination to not walk away from each other has resulted in a love, joy and friendship I couldn’t have imagined. Marriage is worth the work.
How do you keep God the focus of your relationship?
We share what we are learning, reading or being convicted of often not only with each other but with our children as well. We also love to share what God has done/is doing in our lives with others and find the more we serve together the more aware we become of His provision, love and kindness.
