Newlywed!

11 years......I can not believe it has been that long? Where has time gone? I still feel like a newlywed!...

July 13, 1995 I was at a hotel in Melborne, Florida waiting to fly out the next morning on a mission trip to the Bahamas. I was playing the game Spoons with some others I had met when I was introduced to a guy, AJ, about my age. "He seems nice" were my first thoughts and then I returned back to my game. Next morning while flying over the crystal blue Atlantic ocean I spoke to AJ trying to get to know the group of people from Louisiana I will be spending the next week with. He was stand offish so I quickly went to the next person....

My love for the Bahamians were especially for the kids. I loved to spend time with them. No time for beach, boat, snorkeling trips, no time to rest. I wanted to share about Christ. I wanted to play with them. I wanted to know their concerns. As I would spend my days with them AJ began to join me in ministering to these precious children. My days were now filled with a partner to share our joy with Christ.

As the week ended we had become friends who decided to keep in contact....long story short...we began courting ( dating with the intentions of marriage) long distance. I knew AJ was a man of God desiring to live his life for the Lord. This was and is the most important requirement for a husband of mine.

July 13, 1996 AJ asked for my hand in marriage with the permission of my father.
July 5, 1997 I walked down the aisle, with AJ singing to me a song he wrote just for me, in my white lacy dress, hair pulled up the way he requested, and a big grin on my face.

This was the first day of being Mrs. Christina ERWIN. :) The beginning of a new life.

Throughout our 11 years of marriage we have had our good times and our times of trials. Though these were hard I count it as good trials as these are times that made our marriage stronger in Christ and less in our own fleshy desires.

AJ, the person I can go to when I need prayer, a question if I don't understand something in the Bible, he is my best friend, my protector, my confidant, the one who makes me laugh, my encourager, the wonderful father of my 4 children, my snuggler, my goof ball, he is the one that points me to Christ, and most importantly...he is a man of God. He is "MY MAN".

It has been 11 wonderful years of marriage to AJ. I still have frequent "Love Bursts" ( a burst of excited love that makes me want to hug him as tight as I can and giggle with a big smile) for AJ. I still look forward to the time he comes home each day as I can't wait to see him or to hear his voice on the other side when I answer the phone......

In my heart I will always be a newlywed...always proud to be the "Mrs. Christina Erwin".

I love you, My Man. Happy 11th Anniversary!!!