Anna is my most precious asset. She is a blessing from the Father. Over the past 35 years God, through his grace, has turned her into someone beautiful inside and out. It hasn't always been this way. I'll tell you part of our story.

We met at the Whopper Burger Drive-In in Benton, Arkansas. I pulled into my regular hangout one day and saw they had hired the cutest little carhop I'd ever seen. (No, I don't believe in love at first sight.) She brought me a coke, and I kept coming in day after day to buy Cokes I didn't want, order fries I didn't eat and listen to the jukebox just to be around her. After a couple of weeks she grew tired of my shyness and took matters into her own hands. She asked me for a date. She was already a liberated woman. And, yes, I was really shy in some social settings. Of course I accepted the date. And within a year we were married.

Anna and I (especially Anna) married much too young and for all the wrong reasons. I don't recommend this. People looked at us, shook their heads and thought we wouldn't stay together six months. But Anna—for no apparent reason—stayed with me and cared for me those first few years. At times we even thought we loved each other.

We didn't have the faintest idea of what love is. We began our journey to real love when I came to my senses, turned to God and was baptized into Christ. Not long after that, Anna became a Christian. At that point real love began to grow.

In short, she's my soul mate who prays for me without ceasing. At times she is my conscience, my encourager, my confidant, critic and wise counselor.

Through the years our love has done the Energizer bunny thing. It just keeps growing, and growing, and growing . . .

Looking back we see God's fingerprints all over our lives and our marriage. We praise his Name for the love, mercy and grace he has given us through the years.

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