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Pray for our Elected Officials
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves
and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then
will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7.14
In the teaching time on Sunday, July 3, 2011, Doug and Steve challenged us to pray for our elected officials and to respect their authority.
Please continue to lift up our leaders and pray they can be Godly people, asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit and always conducting themselves and executing the duties of their offices in ways that are God-honoring.
While clearly not an exhaustive list of all elected officials, here are some key leaders to hold up in prayer.
State Representatives for Georgia Districts
District - Representative
1 - Jack Kingston, R
2 - Sanford D Bishop, Jr, D
3 - Lynn Westmoreland, R
4 - Hank Johnson, D
5 - John Lewis, D
6 - Tom Price, R
7 - Rob Woodall, R
8 - Austin Scott, R
9 - Tom Graves, R
10 - Paul C. Broun, R
11 - Phil Gingrey, R
12 - John Barrow, D
13 - David Scott, D
Lynn Westmoreland, R
State Representative for Our District
Johnny Isakson & Saxby Chambliss
United States Senate
Nathan Deal
Governor of Georgia
John Boehner
Speaker of the House
Supreme Court Justices of the United States
The Justices are (front row from left) Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, John G. Roberts (Chief Justice), Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg; (back row from left) Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Sameul Alito and Elena Kagan, the newest member of the Court.
President Barak Obama & Vice President Joe Biden
The Creative Date RESULTS
Need some proof that the Song of Solomon is NOT just another silly love song? Check out these great stories, pictures and videos about creative husbands, the dates they planned, and the wives that appreciate them:
1st place: Ryan & Cecila Post. One night and two breakfasts donated by the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center – a great place to host your next event, out of town guests or a getaway for you http://www.wyndhampcc.com/
2nd place (tie): Steve & Marsha Desillas and Dick & Darlene Pearson. $50 gift certificate donated by Founders Restaurant in Senoia – a beautiful place to step back in time in downtown Senoia and enjoy their new summer menu www.foundersrestaurant.com
3rd Place: EVERY entrant!! $10 gift certificate by special arrangement with Yo Tops Yogurt.
Date Night from Heritage Christian Church on Vimeo.
Dick and Darlene Pearson
I don’t write stories very well, but do want to tell you that my Sweetheart did surprise me on June 14th, he rolled over in bed and said this is your day, pack a bag for a short trip. ( He also arranged a place for our dog) We started out at Chic Fil A,–which is not unusual, because we go there most every morning.–, then we headed out 285 to 1-20, we stopped at Stone Crest Mall for a little shopping, then back on the road and through the gates at Stone Mountain Park, He took me around the loop to the Marriott Evergreen Resort, after check in and looking around we went back out the west gate to the old town of Stone Mountain. We found an old German restaurant for dinner then back to the part to watch the lasershow. The show was wonderful, the weather was just warm enough and the big old moon came up behind the pine trees, a beautiful night to be out.The music and fireworks were spectacular. I have been wanting to see the lasershow for a long time, but it doesn’t start until 9:30 which makes it to late for us to drive home. My Sweet Romantic Husband, thought spending the night there was the answer. The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast before heading home.
Will & Susan Trinquero
My husband Will has always been a huge fan of creative dates, details unknown until the last minute. He enjoys planning dates and creating just the right mood to show his love and affection for me. We have each secretly planned dates for each other alternating months and taking care of all the details. Although this email is not about one particular date I wanted to tell how special he makes me feel all the time. We have been waiting until school finished so we could take a vacation -just the two of us -without kids. I did none of the planning -all I knew was to have my bags packed for a trip to the Far East. On the last day of school for me, June 1, we headed to the airport and flew to Japan, compliments of Delta Air Lines, We had a wonderful time renewing our relationship with new Sights, sounds, tastes, and adventures. I felt like a queen. In fact, on our last night in Hong Kong he surprised me with a photo op on a stage at a floating restaurant. We were dressed as Emperor and Empress of China. I feel truly blessed to have Will as my husband and am thankful that God is present in our relationship.
Mike & Cindy Disharoon
This past Saturday night, my husband, Mike, surprised me with a date night. He had called my parents earlier in the week and arranged for Faith to spend the evening at their house so we could go out to eat for dinner and a movie. Saturday morning I had defrosted some fish to grill out that evening, of course, not knowing that Mike had made other plans. Later in the day, he came to me and said we’d go out to eat at the Charlie’s buffet in Fayetteville since he wanted to eat vegetables. That struck me as strange since we usually go to Golden Corral in Newnan since it has more variety. But, I went along with him, although I did mention Golden Corral to him as we were headed to Fayetteville! I wondered what he was doing when he pulled into my parent’s neighborhood. He said he had to talk to my dad about something! I didn’t really figure things out until he got Faith out of the car with her bag!
We ate dinner at La Parilla in Fayetteville since he knows I enjoy eating Mexican. After dinner, I thought we were headed to get Faith & go home, and couldn’t figure out why he was driving through the Pavilion. He had pre-bought movie tickets. He has spent some time watching the online trailers and had bought tickets to Bridesmaids since he thought I’d enjoy watching it. I couldn’t believe he had bought movie tickets since he doesn’t like going out to the theater since it costs a lot and he always says he’s uncomfortable sitting in the theater seats and prefers watching movies at home although we don’t often take the time to rent them! He was disappointed since the movie wasn’t as good as he thought it would be! I told him that was fine-that it was nice to get out and enjoy a movie together!
He also surprised me with a family pack of tickets to UGA’s Countdown to Kickoff, a fan festival hosted by David Greene, Jon & Matt Stinchcomb, former UGA football players, in Athens in July. The event benefits the GA Transplant Foundation and Children’S Healthcare of Atlanta. (2 great charities-a friend of ours received a heart transplant about 6 years ago and I was a patient at Scottish Rite when I was 4 and again at 16 so the money goes to a great cause!). Former UGA players, coaches and some of the current team are on hand at the event to sign autographs and pose for photos. While it will be a hot and humid day July 16, which also happens to be Mike’s birthday, he bought the tickets since he knew I had been wanting to go to the event for a few years now.
While our date wasn’t fancy, the important part is that he took the time to plan a night out just for the 2 of us. Since Faith was born 4 years ago, we haven’t had as many date nights as we should. We have fallen into the “trap” of being consumed with work, home, and parenting, (and hunting season in the fall for Mike!) and not necessarily making enough quality time for just us! So, it was a pleasant surprise when he planned an evening out!
Robert & Jill Sprayberry
Just a little background As some of you know, I am pregnant and currently only 2 weeks away from my due date.
The morning of June 3rd started like any other. Rob kissed me goodbye early while I still snoozed in bed. I heard my son get up around 7 and went to pick him up out of his crib. I walk into the kitchen to find Rob in shorts and T-shirt packing a cooler (full of goodies that we never keep in the house). “Change of plans,” he says. He had taken the day off. “We’re going away for the weekend.” All I had to do is just get myself ready while he took care of the rest.
Rob had booked us all a 2 bedroom condo off of the beach in Hilton Head. He had been planning this for months knowing that I needed some time off before our daughter was born and that I have been talking about going to the beach for 5 years. Now I know some people would say, “This doesn’t count as a date; you took Harrison along,” but Rob understands me all too well. He knows that #1: I would regret if we went to such a great place and let Harrison miss his first trip to the beach. #2: I would be more anxious if we didn’t take Harrison and would not be able to relax nearly as well.
While we were there Rub was a complete gentleman. He took care of Harrison and would pack his necessary items to go out, giving me plenty of time to relax and walk slow. Each morning we went to a local cafe, then the beach, and each evening to a local pub/family restaurant. After Harrison would go to bed, Rob and I would enjoy doing NOTHING.
On Saturday, Rob treated me to another surprise. He had arranged for me to have a prepaid pregnancy massage, manicure and pedicure at a spa down the road.
In summary, I had a “wonderful” time with my “wonderful” husband. I loved every minute of it and wouldn’t have changed one thing.
First of all I want to start off by saying this, that my husband has been praying over me and physically placing his hands on me every morning and night for the past 2 and half months. I had been struggling with fear in my life of all kinds, and recently realized that fear is not of God. Therefore, my husband and I have been fighting Satan with prayer and I’ve been taking all my fearful thoughts captive. It can be exhausting, but my husband has literally been a prayer warrior for me. He has been battling Satan right beside me by praying for me day and night. I know every time he is specifically praying for me because he puts his hands on my back or shoulders and focuses all his attention on his prayer and on me. Through these past couple of months I’ve fallen more in love with him because he has fought for me spiritually. He has made my struggles a priority. There have been nights that I know he was so tired, but he still took time to place his hands on me and pray for several minutes. I believe this is worth writing because he didn’t do this for a contest and he didn’t do this just once. He’s been doing this for a while and for me! I believe that is amazing love.
As for my fantastic date with him, He did awesome! He planned for his parents to come in town and watch our daughter and had everything arranged for him and me to have a day together. He told me nothing but to wear long shorts. Huh…long shorts? I was so confused! I noticed he had a bag packed too and wondered if the long shorts thing was a ploy, but I got dressed like he asked and we were on our way. We went to a nice lunch to a fun restaurant we’d never eaten at before but had wondered what it was like. That was fun because sometimes you can get in a rut of eating at all your familiar restaurants. Unaware to me, this was just the beginning of the adventure! After eating we took about a 45 minute right toward Carrolton. What? Carrolton? I totally thought we’d be going towards Atlanta. What could be in this direction? Well there it was… among beautiful trees I saw zip lines! ARE WE ZIP LINING????? Holy Cow! Right off it reminded me of the Bachelor reality show where they go on the most romantic dates ever and here I was about to have one of those amazing dates! Yes, we were about to zip line! We got strapped up in our harnesses (thank goodness for the long shorts!) and went on the adventure! Honestly, I’m not afraid of heights or exhilarating things … 1 enjoy chasing a thrill. I thought this was going to be easy… but the first platform we got to was higher than I anticipated and I felt my body get a hot flash. Whitt was going to let me go first, but he could see I was taking deep breathes and that I wasn’t as tough as I was acting. He asked, “Do you want me to go?” I was so relieved and answered, “Yes, you go!” That is something that I appreciate so much. He was such a man about it. He just went, jumped off the platform and sailed through the air. It looked like so much fun. Although my stomach was a little woozy, I stepped off the platform and sped down the wire … it was fabulous! I loved it! When I got to the other side my husband was there to say how awesome I’d done. He really thinks I did good too. The thing that is so great, is that he insisted I go first the rest of them time. He could see that I liked and didn’t need to follow after him, he let me be the brave one and feel strong and awesome. He was so proud of me. I was so proud of him! We enjoyed outside, the trees the river and the company of each other so much. It was freeing and exhilarating. It was perfect! We walked tight ropes together and had to communicate when we were transferring zip lines saying “Transfer 1″ and he’d repeat “transfer 1″ before I could transfer my safety hook to a different zip line and then we had to repeat the same cadence with #2. It was like we were a well oiled machine. “This is my marriage,” I thought, “I’m the luckiest girl in the world!”
After our tour through the forest on zip lines we rocked on some rocking chairs and looked out over the river, just to enjoy each other and take in the scenery. Then we left and headed to yet another undisclosed location. He had it all mapped out…directions and everything. I was just along for the ride.
That was awesome too because so much ofthe time I’m the one making all the arrangements and getting directions from place to place. This time, I just got to ride! We went to Serenbee which is a place I’d always wanted to see. Again, we were expanding our horizons! We went to a bakery and walked around the town, looked in cute shops and took pictures. We drove through and looked at the horses. Lastly before we headed back home we ate dinner at a new Italian restaurant. Italian is my FAVORITE and the restaurant choice was on purpose. We sat outside under a covered patio and ate a delicious meal. We talked about what our favorite part of the zip lining course was and how we felt flying through the air. Quality time is my love language and this day I got a bunch of quality time with my husband. This date was perfect for me. It was outside our comfort zone and it offered us a cool memory of something we did together. To me that is life, making memories together! I felt like I was on the Bachelor, and that was totally Whitt’s intention. He knew I loved that show and knew I’d like to be pampered that same way and he made it happen. He made it a reality for me. It was awesome. So much love went into the date. He is awesome! I love my husband more than anything.
Joe & Peggy Thomas
I can’t wait to tell you about my dream date with my husband!
We were on vacation with our children in the Canary Islands, which are Spanish Islands but are off the coast of Africa. The islands are volcanic and we stayed on the largest one, Tenerife. Our beautiful apartment was perched on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, but the center of the island rises to a peak called Mount Teide (rhymes with lady) which is the highest mountain in Spain at 12,198 feet above sea level. Early in our vacation we drove up the mountain as a family to tour the state park and see the amazing landscape and views of the island. It was fascinating seeing the different layers of molten lava still visible, as well as the collapsed peaks and the summit. Legend on the island says that Teide was a mythological mountain, like Mount Olympus was to the Ancient Greeks. According to legend, the devil kidnapped “Magec” (the god of light and sun) and imprisoned him inside the volcano which plunged the world into darkness. The aboriginal people asked their supreme god “Achaman” to free Magec and he agreed, plugging the crater of the volcano with the devil instead. It is said that since then, the devil has remained locked inside of Teide and the world is filled with light and sun, But back to the special date!
On Wednesday night, Joe planned a very different tour of Teide for the two of us. At dusk the tour bus picked us up at our hotel (he rented a movie and ordered in food for the kids.) Along with other couples from all over Europe, we traveled up the mountain again to a quaint little town called Arona. Our tour guide told us more about the history of the island, including the fact that most of the early towns were set up on the mountain instead of at the beach because of visiting pirates! We stopped for dinner at a little restaurant which served local foods and wine and we didn’t see a single pirate, but we did get to look at the local architecture and enjoy the peaceful street. After our relaxed dinner and great conversation, we returned to the bus to make our way up to the top of the mountain. It was now completely dark and quite chilly, but the clear sky, lack of pollution, and high elevation made it the perfect place to view the stars and night sky! For about an hour, our tour guide pointed out different constellations, taught us many facts we had forgotten about viewing God’s beautiful galaxy, and we even saw the Hubble telescope moving across the sky with the naked eye! At almost 11:00 PM we were quite chilled and we climbed back on the bus to snuggle and look at the lights of the island and the coast as we made our way back down the island. Arriving back long after midnight, we snuck into the apartment without waking the kids and stood outside on our balcony for one last look at the moon shining over the ocean.
Two things that made this date extraordinary: Joe doesn’t usually like taking tours although he knows I do. He usually says “let’s just drive up there ourselves and take a look” but he knew I’d really enjoy listening to the tour. Second, the reason he doesn’t do tours is the huge expense, because he’s very practical and much more of a DIY kind of guy. Although this was expensive, he didn’t have access to the knowledge of our tour guide, so he was willing to pay it for our date.
So, I think my husband Joe should win the prize for not only taking us away to the Canary islands, far from computers and cell phones and work, but also for doing something out of the ordinary for a special night.
Daniel & Julie Tonnis
So, where do I start? My husband is the most attentive, kind, and caring person I have ever known I It is not a secret that we have struggled building our family. We have endured years of infertility, miscarriages, and countless disappointments. We have the most amazing little 6 year old boy ever and we have tried and tried to have a brother or sister for him. Throughout it all, my husband’s patience has been endless. He has cried with me, held me, and encouraged me. He has never once complained or ignored my pain. Never once! He has been there continually and has held me up and been so strong for me. We made the decision to adopt a second child in October and he has been so amazing throughout this whole process. He has made phone calls, sent emails, done hours of research and training, and helped me gather mounds of paperwork. Now, 7 months after starting the adoption process, we finally are expecting our second child! A baby boy, from Tennessee, due September 27th! We are beyond excited! To express his love and appreciation for me, he planned a special day out for just the two of us! He took me to all the baby stores and we started our baby registries! He made suggestions and looked at baby clothes and helped me plan for the newest member of our family! What man likes to spend the day shopping and making plans for a baby nursery? But he did it all without a single complaint! Then to top it all off, he took me home and made me a bubble bath and I took a bath, read a book, and ate chocolate while he made dinner for me! Wow! He knows that I have been hoping, praying, and longing for this baby for a very long time. He knew that joining in with the planning and rejoicing with me would be an incredibly special thing so he has spent the last few weeks planning for this and making it happen. Yes, it would have been wonderful if having a family came easily for us. But to me, the perseverance, commitment, and work that he has put into making this amazing little family is the most romantic thing I have ever experienced! This special surprise day is just a very sweet and thoughtful way for him to convey his devotion to me, our son, and our soon to be new little baby boy. I know that he may not win a big prize for this special date, but he deserves to be recognized for the wonderful, amazing, kind, and thoughtful man that he is. I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be his wife!
PS-My story has a difficult beginning. I was a single mom living in a tiny one room apartment when I met Daniel. He accepted me and my son without even a second thought! He has been the husband that I dreamed about for years. He has also been an amazing father to my son. The kind of father that he deserves! Daniel is the most selfless man I have ever known! I am so thankful that he picked me to be his wife! I just want him to know how much I love, admire, appreciate, and respect him!
Andreas & Patricia Baumgart
Dear Church Family:
I have the greatest husband on the face of the earth and so grateful God brought us together. I am so thankful I waited on God’s timing and not mine on who to spend the rest of my life with. Long story short but I waited for 48 years before God answered my prayers and brought my husband into my life (God answers prayers in his perfect timing). God knew when we both would be ready anytime before that I know our marriage would of probably ended up in divorce because I did not even know how to love myself the way I looked, etc.
We met on a blind date first by phone because our schedules never got together. When we met it was a short romance because we knew it was right and got married in less than 6 moths. Our married life has been hard we both lost our jobs and last summer moved down here because thankfully God provided my husband with a job. I am still trying to find work after been without for over a year so my husband is working nights and 12-14 hours a day. He comes home in when I am getting up and he goes right to bed and I get him up to eat dinner and he gets dressed and out to work again. The few days he is off he sleeps most of the time because he is exhausted.
Su now the date, he came home today after working 14 hours and I wasn’t at home because I had a day taking tests at the doctor’s office but when I came home he told me I was not going to cook he was taking me out for dinner. Not having a lot of money we did not go to a fancy place just someplace local we love. How many women can say your husband took you to a place where you had the whole place to yourselves. It was so quiet and great (actually he did not plan it that way we just went early, ha,ha). We just spent the next couple of hours talking and looking at each other and he still gives me the little wink meaning I am the most beautiful women he has ever seen (and it melts me every time because I know he really means it and that makes me the happiest women alive). We came home and he just wanted us to relax and watch some movies so I pick one out and we are sitting on the couch and not even 5 minutes later I had to turn on the TV because he was snoring so loud. Hey, it may not be the most romantic time but you know I would not trade it in for anything else because knowing he loves me more than anything is priceless to me!!!!!!!!
Well my husband really surprised me Friday we both woke up early and he asked if! had plans for the day and I said no. He said well let’s go to the mountains for the day. It was fantastic, we drove up to the Highlands and spent the day walking, and looking at waterfalls. It was wonderful, because that is the first entire day we have had to spent together just the two of us in a long time. Plus he took me to one of our favorite spots that we go too every so often since we have been married. We spent the whole day and the topper was on the way home he took me by to see old friends I have not seen in a year.
That was one of the best two days in a long time and (not alot of money was spent), it was quality time spent together and enjoying each other’s company.
Larry & Jo Landgren
My husband is always falling short. I drop helpful hints and it’s as though he isn’t listening. I-Ie says, “Uh umm,” to indicate that he heard me and understands; But then nothing happens. So I was not expecting too much from him as we approached my big five-oh birthday.
I really had no idea he had something on the back burner simmering for my big birth date. I just wasn’t sure anything had been started.
I woke up early on my birthday and trundled off to World Gym to attend my favorite class. Larry encouraged me to accept a luncheon invitation from a very close friend, Germaine. He said, “No, you go ahead and enjoy yourself.” My husband was doing nothing while some close friends were treating me to a special lunch for this big birthday.
Larry had told me to keep my evening free as he was taking me out to dinner. I would be so disappointed if that was all he did for me … a dinner. Larry mentioned that we needed to be ready to leave at six. As we neared six, I was losing interest in going out. I was tired. I said, “No, I don’t want to go.” Larry replied, “That’s okay. We don’t have to go.” Then my phone rang and it was my son, Sean. I brought Sean up-to-date on the evening and he proceeded to prompt me to let dad take me out for this special dinner. Larry appeared comfortable with the idea of staying home, but with Sean’s prompting, Larry and I chose to proceed out for dinner.
And just as you’d have it, a storm began in Peachtree City. This was a severe storm with high winds and a driving rain. I once again suggested that we simply stay at home. This time, Larry simply said, “Nope, let’s get in the car. We’re going.”
While he drove, he handed me a menu to Carrabbas saying, “Why don’t you decide right now your dinner choice. I’ll explain the specials for the night. That way, you won’t be taking too much time reviewing the menu while at the restaurant.” I do love Carrabbas and this was a very thoughtful thing to do for me, but why the rush reviewing the menu in the car? But we did discuss menu choices and I was clear on what I wanted to order.
We arrived to Carrabbas barely. Power was out throughout the city and trees were down blocking several roads. We were able to navigate around the fallen trees and arrive at Carrabbas. Larry and I entered together and he brushed by the hostess and led me directly to a large gathering of people. I immediately recognized everyone, close friends from all of my different life interest were right there. “Surprise.” This group was eclectic as you could be. There was my closest friend from the World Gym. There was my closest friend from our Life Group. There was my friend from my tennis team and from my son’s soccer team and my daughter’s basketball team and my neighborhood and our camping crowd and our life before moving to Georgia. He had made it a point to bring together all the important people in my life that was part of my last twenty years.
The restaurant was without power due to the storm. We remained optimistic that the power would be restored and enjoyed some appetizers waiting. The power never did come back all evening, but the staff did a wonderful job serving us under the circumstances. Some of the menu choices were not available due to the power outage, but most choices were. As a group, we all enjoyed this unique dining experience under the emergency lights creating the “candle light” atmosphere. People used small penlights or cell phones to visit the restroom facilities. The crowd was even thinned out from normal levels allowing us more opportunity to speak with one another and not disturb other patrons. The food and the friends were perfect.
It turns out that the luncheon was a ruse to throw me off. Germaine had discussed with Larry the concern that I would be suspicious if she didn’t do anything for me special. So, the luncheon idea was formed. Of course, it would be just the girls. So, Germaine held up the ruse by taking me out to my favorite restaurant, Thai Spice, with a handful of close friends. Larry prompted Sean’s phone call when it became clear that I needed some persuading to go out to dinner that evening. Having my entire extended family or all of my friends from these groups would have topped it off as perfect. I imagined that heaven is a lot like this where I can share all my friends with everyone else important to me … and to do this for eternity.
Larry had planned every detail from the eclectic group of friends to anticipating my desire to “just stay home” to choosing my two favorite restaurants to the statewide storm for the “candle light” atmosphere. He really did listen. Oh, and did I mention my new IPAD. Thank you, honey. I love you!
Paul & Kris Smith
My date night surprise began with me asking what to wear with the hope that I would be able to figure out where we were going. Paul told me to wear the dress that he had bought for me the week before. He is a wonderful husband who loves to give me gifts and doesn’t mind shopping for women’s clothing. According to him, women have more options and color than men. As we were driving to our destination, I asked for a hint as to where we were going so I got a riddle. In all his marvelous creativity, I got…” If you can tell time naturally, you will know where we are going.” Usually I am the last person to figure out a riddle or joke, but this time to my amazement, I guessed correctly. We were having dinner at the Sundial. I was excited about that. After riding the elevator up 72 floors, we were shown to our revolving table by the window. The view of downtown was amazing, and Paul knows where everything is so I got a 360° guided tour of the Atlanta area from 720 feet. One of the places we could see from the window was the Polaris, the restaurant at which we ate when we became engaged. From there our conversation centered around our engagement. It is funny because I never really thought about how nervous he was when he asked me to marry him. I always kid him about his method of asking because it wasn’t exactly storybook, but I thought that was just Paul being Paul. He told me that we have “risen” a long way since the Polaris (It was probably about 300 feet below us), and then presented me with the biggest surprise of the evening. To celebrate our 20 years of marriage in October, he wants us to plan a “wedding reception,” one where we will be relaxed enough to enjoy it, remember it, and actually eat the food. (I have heard for years how wonderful the food was at our reception, but I didn’t get to eat one bite.) He had even visited the Dolce already to get information on their options. Needless to say, I was completely shocked.
Well, the food came and we enjoyed a marvelous, relaxed meal of surf and turf topped off with my favorite dessert, crème brûlée. I couldn’t have asked for a better date.
Bobby & Erin Lohr
I want to start off by saying how lucky I feel to be part of a church that would do something as wonderful and creative as this. I know there are many wives out there, myself included, that don’t think their husbands would have ever done this on their own had this not been a “competition”.
So my surprise started Friday evening when Bobby called me from work and left me a message to pack an overnight bag with a bathing suit and a couple of changes of clothes. My first thought immediately went to the dinner plans I had already made with my neighbor and really wished for a more advanced notice. But a surprise is exactly that right? A surprise!! So I kept my big mouth shut. Lucky for me, my husband doesn’t have the best communication skills and our date was to start Saturday morning and I didn’t have to cancel my dinner plans. So we dropped the kids off at my in-laws house around 10:00 Saturday morning and got on the road to head to……… CHATTANOOGA!I Our first stop when we arrived was at the Ruby Falls ZipStream Adventure. I am slightly afraid of heights but this is something we have always wanted to do so we were really excited. My only mistake was going before Bobby because he kept shaking and jumping on the obstacles, making it very hard for me to even move. And to make matters worse, halfway through the second part of the obstacle a thunder/lightening storm started so we had to rush through because we didn’t want to be high up in the trees attached to metal wires….. for obvious reasons!! It was a fun time and we got some great and much needed exercise. Next we were going to try to see Rock City but due to the coming storm everything was closing down so we decided to go back to the hotel and swim for a bit. After swimming for about ten minutes (the pool was really cold) we went back up to our room to get ready for dinner in downtown Chattanooga. We found a really cool restaurant right near the Tennessee River and were able to eat outside and do some fun people watching. As we were eating Bobby asked me if I missed the kids yet and of course I did but we both agreed that it was great to get some alone time and a little bit of peace and quiet. We noticed that alot of the roads were being closed and more and more people were walking down the street carrying blankets and chairs so Bobby asked our waitress what was going on. She explained that every year in Chattanooga they hold a six day festival with a bunch of different bands called RiverBend. Tonight the main band was the Beach Boys featuring John Stamos. I thought that sounded like alot of fun and as I turn to talk to Bobby he tossed these pins onto the table which happened to be our “tickets” to get into the RiverBend festival. I was really excited! Who doesn’t love the Beach Boys?!? So we finish our meal and walk on down to the festival. There had to be thousands of people there so we make our way through the crowd to find a small piece of grass to lay our blanket on for the concert later that night. We walked around for a while, did alot more people watching, and finally decided to sit down. It was so darn hot. So as we are relaxing on our blanket, I see a kid run by that looks like my son. I did a double take and then I hear “Surprise, hey mom!”. My mother and father in-law had come with the kids to enjoy the festival with us! That was the best, it even brought tears to my eyes, it was so unexpected. I loved watching the kids run around and just be free spirits along with all these other people. They even got to hit the beach ball with the crowd, which is a must for a Beach Boys concert! It was so much fun. At the end of the night the kids went back to their hotel with their grandparents and we headed back to ours exhausted from such a fun filled day. We got up the next morning, ate a nice breakfast together and went to get the kids for the trip back home. I knew the drive would be a couple of hours so I went ahead and went back to sleep and both the kids fell asleep also. When I woke up we were pulling off onto an exit that I knew wasn’t ours so I asked where we were and Bobby said he just realized we had been driving in the wrong direction for the last couple of hours. I knew for a fact he was up to something then because he has a GPS in his head and doesn’t ever go the wrong direction. So we decided to stop for lunch at a Chili’s. As we are sitting there waiting for our food, I hear someone say, “You think you can make room for us?” I turn to look and it’s my cousin and her family who I haven’t seen since Christmas. What an awesome end to the day. My family is so important to me and Bobby knows how much I miss them so this was just the perfect ending to our fabulous weekend.
Now, I don’t know when or if something like this will ever happen again but for now I feel like the luckiest wife in the world. With, of course, the most wonderful husband!!! Thank you Heritage Christian Church!! And an even bigger thank you to my wonderful husband!
Ryan & Cecila Post
The Most Amazing Husband Ever: Ryan Post
Ryan and I have been married for 17 years and we have had our share ofrocky times as well as great times. We have 3 beautiful children and are blessed to have a home to call our own, two cars that run and jobs to pay the bills! We may not be rich and money is certainly tight, but we are happy and make the most of things whenever we can. Unfortunately we usually forego “date night” because there is usually something more pressing to spend our money on.
I am not telling you this so that you will feel bad for us, because we don’t feel bad for ourselves! However, I preempt this because, to some, our date night may not have been the ritziest affair or the most extravagant night, but it was lovely just the same. I felt loved and cherished and that is what made it the most amazing night ever.
But, before I tell you about our very special evening, let me backtrack a little and tell you that we have had a stressful and exciting beginning to our summer! Last Friday, our youngest child Harrison fell in the house and cut his head open on the coffee table. I have never been more terrified in my life. Most people know how much head wounds bleed, but nothing can prepare you to see your 4 year old bleeding copiously on the living room floor. Long story short, the paramedics were called and we rushed to the hospital. In the end it took 14 stitches to close up his wound and my nerves are still recovering today!
On Thursday, I had just gotten home from taking my sweet little Harrison back to the hospital to remove the stitches and I was completely drained from the ordeal. Harrison and I curled up on the couch and took a very long and needed nap! It was so peaceful! My husband kept the other two busy (I didn’t know with what at the time) and quiet and I was able to sleep for a very long time! All throughout my nap, however, I heard things and smelled things, but my husband was doing everything possible to keep me asleep on the couch!!!! At one point I asked what he was cooking and he vaguely said “just dinner”.
Around 5: 30 I woke up from my nap and saw my 12 year old, Jackson, coming in from the backyard and I asked him what he was up to. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, “nothin’ ” (he seemed a little perturbed). I don’t know why I didn’t notice anything, but all of a sudden ALL of my children came to me with these sullen looks on their faces and little bags with clothes in them. I was very confused and asked them what was going on and my very dramatic daughter Samantha said that Daddy told them they were sleeping at Grandma’s house tonight! The agony of it all! That’s when I started to put things together! He was planning something! The kids gave me kisses and told me how much they were going to miss me and were shipped off to grandma’s house (which is only 3 houses down) for the night! That is when my “date” began.
Ryan had created a date for us with dinner, a “drive-in” movie and a hotel, all in our own backyard!!! He set up a little seating area on our back porch and we had THE BEST steak fajitas ever! He made all my favorite roasted veggies and marinated steak, guacamole and homemade (by him) salsa. It was sooooo much better than restaurant food!!!! After that delicious dinner, he brought me my 1st desert of the evening: chocolate covered strawberries!!!! MMMMmmmmmmm! Yummm!!!!!
After dinner, he had borrowed a golf cart from our neighbor and took me for a drive to the lake so that we could watch the sun set over it. It was a beautiful evening, except the lightning and the thunder started to put a little damper on the plans. We came back before sunset because he had not anticipated rain and needed to “adjust” the last part of the date!
His intention had been for us to watch a movie like we were at a drive-in. He had set-up the computer outside and hooked it up to a projector. We were going to watch a movie on the back of the house and sit on the golf Cali like a drive-in, but the thunder and lightning and threat of min put a stop to that! Poor guy had to make adjustments quick! That’s when he took the projector and computer and set it up inside our tent! It was really cool! I-Ie had set up a “hotel room” for us and it was soooo romantic!!!!!
Finally, we went inside our “hotel room” to watch, what else? The movie, Date Night! He then gave me my 2nd desert, my FAVORITE Hagan Daz ice cream (Vanilla Swiss Almond) and we settled in for an evening under the stars in our make-shift hotel room without kids. It was awesome, inexpensive and just the kind of date that he knew would make me happy! By the way, it never did min …
Ryan is a wonderful man and father, but above all he is great husband and I truly, truly love him. I must say that he is a kind man and thoughtful with things that others might not find to be particularly great, but in my eyes they are huge. Little things like preparing my coffee before I come downstairs, preparing dinner when he beats me home. These are all things that might not seem like much, but to me they say, “I care, I love you”. In my eyes there is no other man that can compare to Ryan and I thank God that he chose me. Our date may not seem like much to you, but it was the world to me and I know he tried hard to surprise me and give me something nice that I would remember. Thank you for the opportunity you gave him to shine!
Lee & Cheryl Whetstone
My sweet husband Lee arranged to take me away for the night. He arranged for someone to stay with the kids and dogs and all the details that go along with that… Which are many! He took me to a wonderful lunch then off to our secret destination! He surprised me with a night at Chateau Elan! Complete with vineyards! Just like the messages we are studying! Very romantic! He arranged for EVERYTHING! Wine tasting, a massage for me then dinner and a VERY nice room! Pretty impressive! This was all wonderful until we realized the room they took us too was right in front of the main elevator so we requested a less noisy spot. They gladly took us to another room only to find out that it was located in front of the ice machine! Soooooooo they take us to another room which we agree is great! UNTIL we close the door and hear loud music coming from somewhere!
They had put us right by the pool with live music! 1m feeling kinda bad for Lee at this point because he put so much into this and I hated to say anything else. He then tells me of the massage he planned for me which I would normally LOVE but I have been having back trouble and I really can’t lay flat without a good bit of pain. We call the spa only to find out that they will NOT refund the reservation! I decide to take a nap and Lee walks around the place only to decide that the other plans were not as described to him he went and talked to the Gen. Mgr and explained what was going on and he gave him a full refund and we left.
HERES the best part!
As we were driving down the expressway I told him that it would be kinda fun to find a place at the last minute which was now our new plan! He’s feeling really down after the whole thing. I told him that in 23 years of marriage I HAVE NEVER FELT UNLOVED! This was huge for a girl who grew up feeling unloved most the time!
I ALSO TOLD I-IIM THAT SOME MEN DO THIS STUFF FOR THEIR WIFES EVERY NOW AND THEN TO SHOW THEM THAT THEY ARE SPECIAL BUT BY HIS EVERYDAY ACTIONS HE SHOWS ME DAILY!
Not only did Lee show me Christ 25 years ago but has modeled love to our family and has shown me true love.
I told him that that is what it is about and that seriously that is what I need! A man to count on and support and love us! To be my partner in marriage and raising the children. Not a guy that every now and then shows me I am special to him with “things” but through his actions! We had the best date driving down the highway and back home which was the place we realized we both wanted to be!
When we got home he told me that it seems like yesterday that we were married. I told him truthfully it seems like last week and sometimes its like 100 years but ld do it all over again! Lee Whetstone is the best Id like to nominate him for the best husband!!!
Erik & Jill
When I first heard Doug share about this contest, I was hoping Erik would participate but didn’t want to bug him about it. Little did I know what he was planning. 
Last weekend Erik and I spent the weekend in Savannah and he planned the entire thing!!! Here’s the story …
I have been talking off and on for the past year or so about us taking a trip down to Savannah but not much has ever come of it. Being from Georgia, I have been a few times but Erik had never been and I thought it’d be a fun place to go together some time. About in the middle of May, Erik and I had a conversation about the date contest and I asked him what he was thinking. He mentioned he had a few ideas but hadn’t made any decisions yet. We had some money set aside for “fun” stuff that he knew he could use to plan the date but normally we decide together what to do with it. Erik knew a trip to Savannah would cost more than just dinner and a movie so he decided it would be better to check with me before making any definite plans. About 2 weeks ago he said, “Honey, I was thinking maybe we could go to Savannah for the weekend. What do you think?” I was soooo excited!!! And very impressed at his choice! He didn’t tell me anything else about what we would do …it was a surprise!
We took last Friday off work and drove to Tybee Island. THE BEACH!!! YAY! We arrived late in the afternoon and spent some time visiting a light house on the island and climbed to the top to see the view. Then we took a walk on the beach for a few minutes before going to dinner. He knows I love seafood so he found a place called the Crab Shack. He says he chose it because the pictures on the website showed that you can eat outside and all the trees have twinkle lights in them. And he knows how much I LOVE twinkle lights. (It’s all about details …and he did good!) It was funny because when we arrived at Tybee Island, I saw a billboard for the Crab Shack and it talked about how there are live birds and alligators there and I made the comment, “Oh cool! That place sounds fun!” Obviously I didn’t know Erik already planned to take me there.
Saturday we drove into Savannah and spent most of the morning exploring the town. We walked along the riverwalk, rode a trolley/bus and visited a cathedral. He planned for us to have a picnic lunch in one of Savannah’s parks (I love picnics!) and also got ice cream. It was so hot we ended up resting for a few hours at our hotel in the afternoon and then returned to town for dinner that night and had yummy pizza. Sunday we slept late (which I love to do) and then drove home.
So that’s the date my wonderful husband planned. He’s amazing and he’s the best!!
I attached a picture of us in Savannah just for fun!
Rob & Linda Matthews
Last Friday night my husband came home early (that never happens) and said pack an overnight bag we are going out.
We drove to Dunwoody to eat at LaGrota (where he had made reservations). If you’ve never been there it is incredible. You walk through a simulated rain forest to get to the restaurant. After dinner we drove downtown to Peachtree Street and checked in at Ritz-Carolton. We walked down Peachtree and stopped in Hard Rock Cafe for dessert and a drink. After that, back to the Ritz to enjoy a comfy evening.
This might not sound that exciting, however, we’ve been married 41 years and any surprise is exciting. In January he planned and took me to Paradise Island for my birthday and in February to South Africa.
Let me say one of the best things about the Date was my husband memorized the mapquest maps he had printed out. He usually depends of me to read them and get us there… not always fun … but he took the time each place we left and looked over the maps and memorized the directions. He probably doesn’t think I noticed, BUT I DID!!!
He said he didn’t do this with the church contest in mind … whatever the motivate it is always nice to be appreciated.
Michael & Ilona Canada
My surprise date made me SCREAM! It was a real nice day in Branson when we headed out into the country. I love the outdoors and Mike knew I would enjoy seeing nature more than the typical tourist attractions. As I was looking out the window soaking in the green scenery, I noticed a sign that said “Zipline”. When we turned into the entrance of the zipline adventure park, I didn’t think anything of it because I assumed that the scenery on the hill would be spectacular. Oh, oh, when we were greeted by two guides I realized that I would be seeing nature from above the ground. There wasn’t just one zipline, there were seven. Each one higher off the ground and longer in length. Completing each challenge and facing my fears was not as important as the words of encouragement and praise I received from Michael as I moved from one zipline to another. It increased my trust in Mike knowing he would never set up a date that would harm me. When I finished the tour, the hug I received was completely comforting. We ended the date at a quaint diner sharing a desert after dinner and smiling the whole time. This date is one I’ll be thinking about for a real long time.
Part 2
I just had a wonderful time when my husband Michael surprisingly took me to the new movie theater in Sharpsburg. What made it more of a surprise was that the show was at 4pm, a time I never would have considered “movie time”. I felt like a kid while watching my first show in 3D. We shared the popcorn and drink the way we did on our first date 33 years ago, and moved the armrest between us aside.
Lawrence & Gail Turner
My husband, Lawrence, will tell you that he is not very creative when it comes to planning dates. He’s right. In spite of his lack of natural creativity in this department, I have to submit his recent attempt to take me to dinner @ one of our former favorite restaurants. The fact that it is in Laguna Beach, CA, would obviously put a real barricade to this date, but he was there on business and brought me along. I think his bringing me along would qualify for at least an ‘honorable mention’ in the Winner’s Circle, but he also tried to take me to Las Brisas. The food there is good, but the atmosphere is great and the view is fabulous! We just couldn’t work it out given his business schedule and our ‘visiting with friends’ schedule ….. would cooking for me, more than occasionally, count? How about bringing me perfect coffee nearly every morning? He is a wonderful man and I love being married to him ….. now for almost 36 years! Thanks for memories, Lawrence!
Dan & Theda Kirby
My wonderful husband did not have to be told to surprise me with a special date. He has been doing that for the past 40 years! He loves to make special plans, but not give me the details until we are about to leave. He also gave me an unforgettable “surprise 40th birthday” party which he planned for a year in advance. Knowing how much I enjoy dancing, the theme of the party was a 1950’s soda shop, complete with jukebox, soda shop equipment, soda jerks, and of course a DJ. and caricature artist Also, there have been many times when I have walked out the door expecting to get into the car for a special date, but there waiting on us is a limo. There have been so many occasions when he has surprised me, but allow me to tell you more recently how he surprised me. He told me to pack dressy clothes, and we ended up in Asheville, NC, at the Twentieth Annual Swing Dance at the Grove Park Inn. Before he presented me with this surprise, I did not know this event existed. But he knew how much I would enjoy dancing to vintage tunes. We stayed in two different Bed and Breakfast Inns during our visit, and we made more wonderful memories.
My wonderful husband is very thoughtful, and he loves to surprise me. I am very thankful for many wonderful surprise memories he has given me over the past 40 years!
David & Lyla Miller
How about a romantic dinner for two at home: -) My David did this for our 20th wedding anniversary. He had the dining-room table set with nice china and candles and linens. He grilled steaks and our teenage daughters fixed the rest and served it to us. They then allowed us to enjoy a quiet evening at home over a wonderful mealjust the two of us !
Skip & Tammy Pattison
Where do I begin ….. suspense, selflessness, thoughtfulness, tenderness are all appropriate adjectives to describe the time and attention my husband put into our date night. Our special date/s took place in honor of our 25th wedding anniversary. We have decided anniversaries are the most under-celebrated occasion around and we highly recommend jumping on our petition to change that:) First of all, it may not surprise anyone who knows me that I tend to be the “planner” in our family. I try to insist it is out of necessity (my husband’s gone a lot, he “wants” me to make the plans) HA! Jokes on me. He pulled a 5 day, 4 night stay in the beautiful island ofSt. Lucia off without me having a clue where or even the when of the entire plan. He arranged us to have positive space seats (for us “non revers” this is a real treat), booked us at an all inclusive resort, and some how managed for me to not intercept as much as a confirmation phone call. He arranged for his Mother to come take care of the kids and literally all I had to do was pack a suit case for myself. I felt incredibly pampered and the thought and time put into the entire date made it clear I was a priority to him.
Although this well prepared plan is impressive, it is the thoughtful things my husband has done from year 1 that really sets him apart and simply put the finishing touches on our special night(s). Beginning with anniversary #1, Skip has picked a song that “represents” each year as a married couple. Starting with the the song played as our wedding party walked down the aisle (Amy Grant’s “Doubly Good To You”), to a song representing the year my young soldier husband was deployed for six months and had to leave me in a city where I knew no one, to the year he chose a song declaring his resolved commitment to the unbroken vows (Kenny Rogers,”The Vows Go Unbroken”) he made as my husband, he meticulously picked the perfect song. Skip consistently amazed me with the time and thought he put into each and every choice. He assembled this year to year ……. yes, the first few years it was even a “cassette tape” (UGH, we sound old) and as of late the special selection can be found on my ipod. It wasn’t until year 20 that I was “allowed” to listen to the songs at my free will. Up until year 20, the songs came out only on June 14 and I must say I looked forward yearly to the night when the year’s song was revealed.
The second amazing thing Skip has done on a yearly basis is, for lack of a better description, Build a Necklace. Each anniversary, Skip would scrimp and save to purchase a diamond (the “0″) and a gold “X”. He assembled a gold bracelet in an X,O,X,O pattern which symbolically grew year to year. He told me early on in our relationship ….. “divorce is NOT an option” and this was symbolized by his slow but sure emerging bracelet. Over time, the bracelet had to be traded for a necklace. Now anyone who knows Skip is always surprised with this beautiful creation of his as there is NOTHING practical about it and Skip screams practicality in all he does, wears, uses, etc. I guess this piece of jewelry is symbolic on so many levels as it represents something he has done that is out of his comfort zone but sacrificial in the name of love. For our 25th, he presented me with the most beautiful pair of matching diamond earrings.
I can say, contest or not, we walked away from this special date with a renewed belief that we truly still enjoy each other’s company. Although there are many days, we cannot imagine that our house will ever be quiet or our refrigerator full, we can get through these hectic times knowing God has blessed us with a life long partner and as we continue to work (and YES, it is work) and pray (requires a great deal of prayer) through the challenges, frustrations, and setbacks that real life pose it becomes ever more obvious that God will bless all honored commitment.
Although I am confident we would have celebrated our 25th anniversary whether or not this “contest” was taking place, I am just as confident that we approached this milestone with a renewed respect for each other and a reminder of God’s plan for our lives because of the elevated awareness brought through this Song of Solomon series. Thank you to all of you for your creativity!
So lean back, close your eyes, smell the ocean breezes blow, listen to the romantic music and try to imagine my “St. Lucia Surprise”.
Steve & Marsha Desillas
Hi! My name is Marsha Desillas. My husband, Steve, did a GREAT job on planning, surprising, and using my interests to create a date to remember! Our son, Stefan, has to have surgery soon, so Steve planned a date for the two of us to go out so that we could connect as a couple before we banned together for Stefan. Sooooooo, first, he took off half a day to take me and Stefan to Six Flags. Now, this does not sound romantic yet ….. that part is coming. This was so special because he wanted to give Stefan something special before surgery, too, so off to ride the Scream Machine (four times) we went!!! It was amazing. THEN, my parents came down from Jasper to keep Stefan while we went to “play”. Our date began at 4:30 in the afternoon. Steve and I love to go into the city, so guess where dinner was? In Midtown–at an awesome sushi/american flair restaurant that reminded us of all the places we went in Los Angeles when we first got married. We used to go to Santa Monica and Venice and this place brought us back to our first years as a married couple. Our restaurant was the whole package: great atmosphere, great food, and great service. Fun! Then, we went to the Fox theatre. This has been something I have wanted to do since we moved here. I squealed when he told me we were going. I looooooove shows, and because he knew that, he had looked up a restaurant close to the Fox and then booked our show. We had a blast–took pictures of each other, acted silly, talked about everything EXCEPT surgery, and just felt like we were dating again. I felt so special.. ……. but WAIT. That is not the end. Steve got up with Stefan Saturday morning and took him to Chick-fil-A while I slept like a queen until 9:30 am. When I woke, they were playing on the computer together and my breakfast was awaiting me. It was the most perfect date I could ask for EVER. He is MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND!!!!!
Lon & Staci Hamilton
I hope it’s not too late to turn this in, because this was a very special date!! I have to preface this by saying that I had reservations at a Brazilian Steakhouse to take Lon out for his birthday tonight. He hijacked HIS birthday night and made it all about ME!! First, he made childcare arrangements all by himself. Then, he took me to see a chick flick at the Plaza Theater in Atlanta. After the movie, he told me I am a princess and took me to see a castle that a man built for his wife. He said that I am a princess and I deserve a castle like that just for me! Then, he took me to a tucked away Italian restaurant called La Pietra Cucina that had the same ambience of a very special restaurant that has special meaning to us. There was a piano player playing Billy Joel music which I absolutely LOVE!! He even let me dominate the conversation with my favorite subjects and did not glaze over once! :) He told me he loved me and that I am beautiful all night, and I just felt like the only woman in the world. It was amazing!!! To top it all off, he brought me home, put me in my jammies, and HE went and picked the kids up! It was the best night and I am so thanful for him!!
Billy & Maria Moore
My name is Maria Moore, and my husband’s name is Billy. For those who may not know us, we are expecting our first child in just a few short weeks! The day my husband took me on our date, things started off as they normally do. It was the day after his 24 hour shift at work, so he was getting off of work at 8:00 am, while I was going to work at 8:00 am. I expected to see him after I got off that afternoon, around 5:30 or so. However, he decided to surprise me at my office! I looked up and there he was with a vase of roses and a sweet card that read, “My favorite place in all the world is next to you.” (aww…) Throughout the day I was really excited, just thinking about how much he loves me (sorry if that’s cheesy, but perhaps it’s just the pregnancy hormones)! When I left work that afternoon, I couldn’t wait to get home. When I arrived, he told me not to look at the living room because it held a surprise for later, but for now we needed to get ready to go out to dinner. It did not take long to get where we were headed. When I looked up we were at my favorite restaurant! Now, he doesn’t care too much for this restaurant because it is Thai food, so I only ever ask to eat there for my birthday. But he decided that since the date was all about me, that is where we would eat. We enjoyed our food and conversation, and when we left he asked if I wanted any dessert before we headed home. I said no because we still had Snicker’s ice cream bars in the freezer at home (maybe it was a craving…). So we headed home. When we got there, I still was not allowed to look at the living room. We changed into comfortable clothes and when I came out of the bedroom, the living room was decorated with candles. There was a stack of board games and 90’s music was playing from the other room (I have really been enjoying the 90’s weekends on Star 94)! Our special date was an evening in, pretending the power was out — except for the A/C — playing board games by candlelight! This was a very big deal to me for a couple of reasons. First, it is devastatingly hot to me and at the end of the day the last thing I want to do is be out of the house completely uncomfortable. This way I could stay inside, cool and comfortable in my pajamas! Second, the Braves were playing, AND it was the middle of the NHL playoffs. He had voluntarily given up watching these two events that are important to him. We had no media (television, cell/smart phones) whatsoever except for the blast from the past music playing! We enjoyed hours of talking, laughing, competing, teasing, and just being in each other’s uninterupted company! At the end of the night I especially appreciated that he kept all of my needs in mind, as well as the things I like which he may not particularly care for. It was a date planned out of kindness and careful consideration, and it suited us perfectly!
Rusty & Esther Poer
My husband was given a challenge at church, DATE NIGHT (DAY). He took the bull by the horns and worked really hard on what was going to be a great day after a SUPER stressful week.
My husband and I (and Lily) are house parents at Christian City. We work extremely hard, deal with harsh words and high emotions. Yes we take care of teenage girls. These girls are fun and have great personality. This week we had to deal with extreme conditions and super stressful situations. Through this hard week my husband even though stressed planned The Great Escape.
Finally OFF!! Our time for just us three, couldn’t come at any better time. We got done on Sunday at 4pm and at 6pm we were on the road to Snellville. Rusty’s family lives in Snellville and provides a home away from home. They give us a chance to pull away from Christian City when needed. Exhaustion setting in from our week and getting to family’s open arms couldn’t come soon enough. We enjoyed relaxing and going to bed early Sunday.
Monday came and for once I was the one pouncing on my husband and saying “GET UP!” Showered and ready to play on the town with Rusty’s mom, Rusty’s mom says “do you mind getting us some snacks for our planned evening at Stone Mountain while I finish getting ready”. Lily was sleeping away, taking her first nap and was safe with family. Rusty and I hop in the car. Rusty turned to me and says “SURPRISE DATE TIME!!” He pulls out a blind fold. If you know my husband he likes surprises. I could go off on a tangent on some of the SUPRISES he has done but I won’t. I put on the blind fold and we are off.
About 5 minutes down the road he says “mmm…. We have a ways to go… and I know you like to look out the window and dream so take it off for now”. We moved to Georgia from Wyoming last year, so he knew I wouldn’t figure out where we are going. When we got about 10 minutes away he asked me to put on the blind fold. He gave me one clue: “Shetland”. We are a funny couple. I must admit I yelled “Pony”, and pretended to ride a horse (with my blind fold on and slapping my husband’s arm to make the clippty-clop sound). I can tell we are in a parking lot as we hit speed bumps. We park.
He came around and helped me out of the car and guided me through the parking lot. I could hear people around. He had me sit on a cement block and hug a hard pole. He told me to take off my blind fold and to reveal….drum rolls please…. My favorite place to eat PF Changs (or we call it Changies). Shetland was the clue: the thing I was hugging was the large leg of a statue of a horse that you see at PF Chang chains. We sat and enjoyed a wonderful meal for 2. Then because this meal was located at the Mall of Georgia we then walked the mall.
Part of this date was letting his wife the dreamer, dream. I love to think and wish big things and tell my husband how I would love to travel the world, decorate our house with the best of the best, and go on great adventures. He isn’t a dreamer. He is the here and now type guy. It was so hard for him to let me dream in the beginning. It made him feel like a bad provider. How can anyone afford a woman like me with those dreams? Rusty can. He learned that they were just dreams and I know what reality is. He is my dream; he matches all what a dreamer could want. This date wasn’t over yet though.
Back in the car we got with a blindfold and off we went to our next location. We arrived and he walked me to the front of….drum roll please… Archivers Scrapbook Store! He brought along my Cricket scrapbooking machine. He had a goal of scrapbooking with me at the stores scrapbook work room. What a real guy! He can be this girl’s best friend when she left all her friends behind in Wyoming. He becomes what I don’t have: a gal pal. He sets aside his male pride and shows me love by hanging out with me where my friends use to. He was so sweet with this idea. He is so clueless though when it comes to this area. He left behind what we needed, no glue or scissors or well, everything. We bought stuff and planned a future day together in my scrapbooking world. We then walked next door to TJ Max. We found our self mostly sitting on a love seat dreaming about life. Holding hands and smiling not caring who saw us.
I called this the Great Escape because we needed to escape from our stress. This date unleashed our love for each other and allowed us to breathe and remember why we married each other. It doesn’t take going to faraway lands and spending a lot of money, but time and focus. The Sunday they announce the best of the date nights we won’t be there because we will be working but I love my husband and I think this date should take first prize because he showed his love for his wife by showing he knew her, listening and setting aside pride. He made his wife feel loved beyond measure.
Thanks for this wonderful contest, it brought Rusty and I so much closer together!
Greg & Erin Price
So let me just start by saying that when Pastor Doug announced this date thing, I looked at my husband in church and said we better win. In our household almost everything is a competition and sometimes that is good and sometimes it is bad. In this case…not so good. My husband and I try to take a date at least once a month and have great friends and family that are always willing to help with the kids. I know the intentions of this date competition were not only to be creative and win, but also to show us or teach us that the date nights are what make our relationship stronger!
As far as creativeness goes this date will probably not win the most creative, but it is a true testament of how God knows our every thoughts before we know them ourselves and I wanted to share how awesome he is and works in us. So here is the story…My husband and I had a huge arguement the Saturday before our big date and how appropriate was Doug’s serman the next Sunday morning titled “Nothing like a little fight in the heat of Romance”. The only thing missing was a little romance! You see our argument was over a lot of what Doug referred to in his serman and what is even funnier is that during the serman my husband reached over and asked me if I helped Doug write it. HA! HA! I said nope…just God talking!
So as we are leaving church we kind of half smiled at each other and were trying to poke a little fun at each other, as we both were still a little bitter over the night before and were not the best company for each other. Little did I know he had already had an afternoon planned with some friends and then an evening with just he and I. The date could not have been at a better time being we had just had an argument the night before and neither one of us really wanted to be around the other. (GOD HAD A DIFFERENT PLAN)
After leaving church he had planned a couple of hours at my moms pool with the kids, had all of my stuff packed and most of the kids stuff packed and told me after the pool he and I had a date. Our date began by dropping the kids off at his Dad’s house and then he took me to the resturant where we not only had our very first date, but where we also got engaged. Little did I know that he had made plans to do anything for me at all, so in all of this I totally lost sight of the competition and just thanked God for allowing us to have the time to talk things out with no kids around, have some adult interaction without being interupted and sharing times just being friends. After the dinner we headed to Gwinnett where he surprised me with Country fest tickets front row to see Willie Nelson. I know you are probably laughing, but there is a story behind this. When I was a little girl I used to love Willie Nelson and used to love to sing Willie songs with my Dad and I told my husband that it would be cool to one day see him in person. I had no idea he was in town, nor that Willie even still did shows because he so old, but we had a wonderful time listening to some of our favorite singers up close and personal and most of all enjoying each other’s company in spite of our disagreements.
God shows us everyday that life is not perfect, but with him anything is possible. He brought us together and we pray everyday for him to always be in control of our lives!!!
Thanks for having this competition to allow us to spend good times together, but most of all to teach us a lessen that life is not always about winning but being good stewards of God and living and loving like God does. This date was super important for us, and although we have a wonderful marriage the sermon on the 12th and this competition brought my husband and I closer and we say thanks!
Connection Point
Whether you are new to Heritage or have been here a while we want to invite you to Connection Point, a casual, informational get-together, hosted by Pastor Doug Fultz and Pastor Mike Conaway, where you will hear what your next steps might be at HCC.
In this setting you will learn what it means to follow Jesus and be a part of Heritage Christian Church.
To find your connection point, we ask that you RSVP by filling out the form below.
Questions? Contact Mike Conaway at mikeconaway@heritagechristian.org
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