May 1, 2004. I walked into The Canterbury House as I had done many times before, but this time the new person standing in the kitchen immediately caught my eye. I could not help but notice Michelle in her hot pink "This is what a feminist looks like" t-shirt. But more than the outstanding t-shirt, I noticed her beauty. I think she noticed me too. As the group of us sat for the meal, she came over and sat beside me. Surrounded by a host of silly women, making faces and comments of encouragement, Michelle and I talked most of that afternoon. We discovered we worked in the same profession and had many similar interests. I invited her to lunch, but she seemed nervous. We did have lunch, but then I got nervous.

We ran into each other at several other group events over the course of the next month. We immediately gravitated toward each other each time, but I wanted to play it safe. We spoke on the phone a few times. One night as we talked, I decided to tell Michelle about my Christianity. I figured she was not a Christian, but much to my surprise, she began to share about her faith. Suddenly it dawned on me that since we were spiritually compatible, there was absolutely no reason we could not become involved. That night I agreed to visit her house to provide consultation for a landscaping problem she had. Uh huh.

On June 1, 2004, after my brief inspection of the landscaping situation, Michelle and I spent the afternoon together talking very openly and personally about many things. We discovered areas of compatiblity and areas of incompatiblity, but we seemed drawn more and more to each other. Our afternoon extended into the night when we joined a group of friends for drumming. We began down by the river in Dillsboro and then moved up to Michelle's deck. The party went on into the night, but I was tired and needed to get back to Franklin, where I was living at the time. Michelle walked me to my car and it naturally, irresistibly happened that we kissed good night. Yes, it was electric. It was the perfect culmination of our perfect day. Well that was all it took for me. I guess that's all it took for her too.

Michelle and I continued to see each other, but I still had not met the kids. By the time I met them two weeks later, Michelle and I were completely smitten with each other. I hoped the kids would like me and I felt a bit nervous about that. Colden was eleven and Marah was nearly eight when we met. Soon my fears were put to rest. The kids and I fell in love with each other too.

So here we are now, four years later, ready to make our love and commitment to each other a formal, public, blessed affair. I could say our relationship is already a blessed affair, since God has truly given us this commitment to work through rather than avoid our conflicts, the great blessing of sharing personal and relational growth, and this abiding love for each other. These are the very things both of us had prayed for for years.

Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise

I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you're really there

Chorus
Well i wanna thank you know
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess i'll have to trust
And just believe what you say
Oh you're coming again
Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so i might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free

I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That i've made up inside my head
You're god the son and you've risen from the dead

Chorus

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so i might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free