Our Story
Two Perspectives, One Love
From Nick Banaszak, 6/14/10
It's funny how one minute you're just going through the day-to-day routines of life, and the next minute your life takes a turn for the unforgettable. I just wanted to buy a sandwich. Seriously, that's all I was doing. The nice big club sandwich with a pickle on the side at Atlanta Bread. And that's when I saw the prettiest pair of eyes in the whole world.
My buddy I was eating with knew her, and was talking with her when I sat down. I was intrigued, but I couldn't even pronounce her name right the first time. Leilani. I cracked some jokes and tried to play it cool, but I knew she had me sweating inside. Her smile, her style, her humor, everything else, all off the charts.
I was wondering why it took me so long to meet this girl. We had a lot of the same friends, my sister had known her for awhile, but I never even knew she existed. Did she have a boyfriend? It was only 5-10 minutes, then she left, something about other stuff she had to do.
So the next week I'm back at ATL Bread. Same time, meeting the same buddy, just going to hang out and chill. I'm walking in the door, and there she is again, talking to my friend again. You got to be kidding me, is this for real? I knew right then and there I was not going to leave a second time without her phone number. And I got it. And she didn't have a boyfriend. And 14 months, three vacations, one breakup, and too many breathtaking moments to mention later we decided that the only way forward was together.
I thank God every single day for introducing me to a woman named Leilani Mclemore. She truly is the joy of my life. I do not pretend to know all of the extreme challenges and difficulties of marriage, but I do know I've found the one who will seek the Lord with me as we lean on Him through the good times and bad.
Thank you for your prayers and blessings as we embark on this new life together. Whether you can attend or not, we are so grateful for your support. To all my friends who stuck with me through the years, thank you, I'm proud to say I know you. To my brother and sister, every laugh, adventure and moment of unwavering friendship has been unforgettable. It's only the beginning. And to my parents, who taught me to chase adventure, be fearless, follow my heart, be a man of integrity, and love the Lord...I can only say thank you. And I love you.
-Nick Banaszak
6/14/10
Rescued...
I'm marrying my best friend...
They all always say that things unfold the way you least expect them and the timing...man, does God have a way of things.....
It was one Wednesday morning where I had just got through asking the Lord to send someone to help me fight.. I have always been in love with Jesus and usually strong but so many dissappointments in life had hit me at one time..After a long day that Wednesday I knew to get hope was to give some..I took my computer to Atlanta Bread to encourage people online...I had a big Headache, hair pulled back and hardly no makeup on and that was the day where I took someone's breath away...Nick walked in with a friend of ours...Now let me take two steps back as Im telling this story.. Nick Banaszak had always been in the back of my heart because I would always hear about him ecspecially after meeting his sister.. (Who had already thought about setting us up..LOL )We all hung out with the same friends. I would hope to always meet him and we for some reason kept missing each other...It was just two falls ago thaet I went to Milwauke with my mom on a business trip,,little did I know that we were staying only 20 mins in a hotel away from his parents before I knew he even existed..I was also at a friend's house that weekend who lived right around the corner from his aunt.
One more cool thing happened before I met him, The Lord sent me to this church that A friend had invited me to for a Friday night prayer service...I was heading down 565 frwy to another obligation when I got the phone call, The Lord spoke to my heart to turn my car around and head to this church,..That evening I recieved a word from the speaker that God is about to send me what Ive been asking for and that the person I marry wasn't going to be normal but ordered of the Lord...
After meeting Nick two weeks in a row.. something was beginning to brew...The more I got to know Nick..The more that He kept reminding me of the promises that he spoke to me of where my life was going..All I ever cried out was to be a voice in this Nation..
We at times had some storms with the uncertainty of the direction of both of our lives...After much seeking the Lord, even apart, It was clear to me that he ordered my steps. I am so in Love with the Man that he has given me..He is where he is today because he would not let people tell him NO..Including me Ha ha...I Knew that after seeing the perseverance in his life of some of the greatest challenges and even in our relationship, This Man is definitley a Man of VALOR! It's not really about his career, or who he is on Tv that drew my attention.. But It was his Character, his humility,Integrity and Persistance that captured my heart,,and I have to admit his beautiful eyes and strong arms.... "You raise me up so I can stand on mountains"
I have met the man who will be Hope with me to this hurting world as we say yes to the call..
I have met the man who will be an amazing and Godly father to my children.
I have the met the man who I want to serve, honor and be the woman that stands by his side through all that life bring..Because together we will conquer much!
I never understood Life and all the storms and tears, But I Can say that through it all...This Mighty and Beautiful God that Ive always served..Has truly been who he says he is.
