When I was 12 years old, Bro. Mark Gedeon became the new pastor of our church, Springdale Free Will Baptist in Oxford, MS. He had six children, and because I was not used to having many kids at my small church, I attended church out of curiosity. I immediately became attached to the whole family, especially the oldest three: Luke (12), Ruth (10), and Rachel (8). After the Gedeons had been at our church for six months, I was led to Christ by Luke’s mom and sister, Ruth.

Luke and I both liked each other at the time, but neither of us was brave enough to tell the other person (although we both had a common spy (Rachel), who was willing to give away a little bit to each of us). After about a year, Luke and I actually got brave enough to reveal our feelings for each other and began writing letters to each other.

When Luke and I were 15, my parents got divorced, and I had to move away to Abbeville, MS while he, at the same time, had to move on since his dad was no longer pastor. He eventually ended up in Southaven, MS.

For several years, we kept up with each other through letters and my occasional visits to see his family. Eventually we lost track of each other and actually saw other people, but neither of us was ever in a relationship anything close to serious.

While I was attending Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, MS, I pulled out my 300 page journal that I had written about Luke between the ages of 12 and 15, curious about what ever became of him. Oddly enough, he was wondering about me at about the same time.

In September of 1999 while I was attending Ole Miss (in my home town) and he was attending Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN, Luke called and arranged to meet me at Shoney’s in Oxford, MS. We had an interview-type meal and learned a little about the life goals of one another.

We began courting in October. Since we had a long distance relationship, our main source of communication was through email, but we managed to talk on the phone and visit from time to time, also. We were married six months later in April of 1999.

Some would say we had a short courting/engagement period, but we had actually known each other for eight years! No one else could have been a better match for me than Luke Gedeon. I’m glad God brought us together!