Friday, Nov. 6

Ezra 7:27-28, 8:21-36

It’s a special day of celebration for John and I. On this day, seventeen years ago, John and I met each other face-to-face for the very first time. Our mutual friend, Carol, provided us with email addresses in August of that year and that set our relationship in motion. Over the course of several months, John and I corresponded by email, snail mail, and phone. Before I met John face-to-face, I was very sure that I would marry him. He had not asked me at that time and did not “pop the question” for another year, but it was already clear to me that he was my soulmate.

Seventeen years ago on this date, I was concluding my first week of Interim Ministry Training in St. Louis, MO. Carol suggested that John meet me in St. Louis and she would do a “ceremony of…