Thursday, May 24, 1990 is when our "official" journey began (thankfully we passed the WV mandated blood test before we could get a license to wed). We had dated for a year and a half in Huntington, Hurricane, Dunbar, Cross Lanes and Charleston, West Virginia during your last semester at Marshall University. I was there to watch you graduate with your teaching degree. Then you left for a summer mission trip to Kenya, Africa with Campus Crusade for Christ while I counted the long, hot days at the Wave Pool on a paper bag taped to the wall in the Raft Room. I’m quite certain Cindy Whaley must have gotten tired of hearing me tell stories of you and your bravery. You went from village to village showing the Jesus film. But, I know she wasn’t as happy as I was to have you back! When you returned you already had your first teaching job lined up and ready to go. You were going to be teaching the third and fourth grades at McCorkle Elementary in Lincoln County, WV with Connie Runyon as your first principal for the next several years.
You moved out of your childhood home into your first apartment in Dunbar. Those were hard days that tested our faith as the teachers went on strike and we felt the growing pains of transitioning into adulthood. Many days you would work from 7 AM - 7 PM at the school and then come home to finish grading papers and lesson plans. And that was a short day. But, there were fun days, too. I would win free tickets to Christian skate night on Mondays through Joy 101 radio as I worked at the first ever Fellowship of Christian Athletes WV State Office. We would take our friends with us and we would "couple skate" to Steven Curtis Chapman’s I Will Be Here as I dreamed of days and years to come full of laughter... together.
It was October 18, 1989 when you got down on your knee at the WV State Capitol steps and asked me to be your wife and make a home together. You were wearing a jean jacket and the sun was beginning to set. We had been grading piles of papers all afternoon and you finally convinced me to “go for a walk” which I always thought was a perfectly romantic afternoon event. But, we had piles of papers to grade and report cards were needing to be completed! So, you literally had to drag me there.
After the candles were lit, the birds were singing in the beautiful old wooden rafters, Mike Collins played his 12 string and flawlessly sang, I’ll Be Here, Gregg Terry led us through our wedding vows based on Ephesians 5 and we walked (I believe I was skipping) arm in arm down the aisle, we began to learn what it meant to make a home… together.
We honeymooned in an a-framed cabin in the woods of Sutton, WV owned by Calvin and Carolyn Stover. After the long Memorial Day Weekend, we returned to our humble one bedroom, over-the-garage apartment with hand me down, mis-matched furniture, and we couldn't be more happy. First thing, we ventured out on our own to find a church family to call ours. We landed at Rebecca Littlepage Presbyterian Church with pews full of people who longed to follow Christ “In His Steps”. There was only one other young couple there - John & Rebecca. After church on Sunday nights Cal & Carolyn would have us over and feed us the best egg sandwiches you've ever had along with any wonderful leftovers they had. We watched their marriage and wondered what it would be like when we were their age, but couldn't even come close.
It was eight months into our marriage that we became pregnant, but didn't even know it until we lost her. We named her Eren and I cried a lot. (We didn't know the sex of the baby.) It took some time for me to make grief my friend instead of my enemy. And I finally agreed that heaven would hold her for now and I let go.
We spent too many nights per week at my parents house longing for connection. They fed us and we played cards. My mom finally told me she had been praying for us to have friends our own age. Not that she didn't want to hang out with us literally every other night, but that she wanted us to have healthy relationships with people going through the same seasons of life together.
It was about this time that we started frequenting the local Christian Book store (Bible Book Store downtown and at the Charleston Town Centre) and met Terry & Debbie Hodge. Terry was the manager and we would ask him for advice on good books. He read a lot, talked a lot and pointed us to several life changing books. One of our very favorites is No Compromise by Keith Green. This began to be the theme of our marriage and ministry together. It is when we began to "risk the ocean" but we just didn't call it that... yet. We started spending time with Terry & Debbie sharing meals and memories. We loved watching their lives of total surrender. They inspired us more than they'll ever know. They didn't have heaps of earthly possessions and they never complained. They had mountains of joy of rivers of wisdom and they shared with us. They had two beautiful daughters and strived to serve Him with all they were. They were another beautiful example for us to see.
“I will be here when you feel like being quiet. When you need to speak your mind, I will listen. And I will be here when the laughter turns to crying. Through the winning, losing and trying, we’ll be together. ‘Cause I will be here.” I Will be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman
It was in the middle of the night that I woke up and realized that my water had broken and we called Terry & Debbie. They loaned us their video camera so that we could take it to the hospital to capture Rachael's first cry. They were those kind of friends. We stopped over at their house around 3 AM and they prayed for us and the delivery and health of the baby that would be born the very next day. That was August 1992. And we welcomed our first child into the world. We were blessed beyond measure. We were young and dumb and knew not what we were doing, but the Lord gave us much grace and wisdom all along the way.
It wasn't a few months before we started hanging out with David & Cathy. It was like we had known each other our entire lives. We clicked from the get go. We started sharing meals at least twice a week if not more and then on the weekend we'd be at one house on Friday and the other house on Saturday. This is where Chris first developed his love for coffee. Cathy taught him how to grind coffee. They had a daughter, Danielle who was 3 or 4 years old and were able to answer many of our practical questions about raising children. (They had Mason near the same time we had Rachael and then they had Jacob when we welcomed Josiah into our lives.) But, first, we watched and cried as Clinton was voted in as President. It was true bonding time. We literally had Rachael and Masons in the swing while we cried as he was voted and then sworn in. Cathy & I loved to make no-bakes and taste the chocolate before it got the oats and peanut butter...Mmmm :P
When Rachael was 9 months old we took our first huge "risking of the ocean". At least the first huge one that people could see. We joined staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. Chris gave up his teaching position and we set out for summer long staff training in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was good. So good in fact we called home on a pay phone paying in quarters to talk for 15 minutes at a time. Just enough time to break the news to our parents that we were expecting again. We moved in with my parents for a few months until baby boy was born and then rented a little two bedroom townhouse. Josiah was born when Rachael was 18 months old. Yes, they were close in age. His pregnancy and first year were picture perfect. He was a joy. Before his first birthday, we found out we were expecting again. Happy Valentine's Day 1995!
Rachael was 3 years, 1 month and 2 days old when Brynna was born. Josiah was just over 18 months. We had a 3 year old, an 18 month old and a newborn... all in one little 2 bedroom townhouse. THOSE were the days! My pregnancy with Brynna was complicated and high risk for many reasons. Mostly because of five pregnancies in under 5 years. We also had a miscarriage between Rachael and Josiah. We named that baby Ryan. That loss hurt, too.
My pregnancy with Brynna was not typical or easy. It was very hard. At 15 weeks I had a threatened miscarriage and was put on bed rest. At 27 weeks I went into labor and literally contracted for the next 10 weeks. At 34 weeks I spent a solid week in the hospital with salmonella poisoning! It was at this point that my eyes were opened as I watched you work incredibly hard and show me more of what it meant to serve one another. I still remember nights where you sat and played Spades with me even though you were exhausted from the day's work followed by feeding, bathing, playing and night time routine with the kids. You showed me a walking, talking, breathing, very practical example of what it means to be a servant. Now as I look back knowing that my love language is quality time, I feel bad for all the time that I stole from you. But, just as bad as I may feel I feel honored that you loved me so very much. But, I know you don't see it that way. It sure would have been easier during that time if my love language was acts of serve. Lol. Cause you had that one covered!
It was in the middle of the night that I woke up and realized that my water had broken and we called Terry & Debbie. They loaned us their video camera so that we could take it to the hospital to capture Rachael's first cry. They were those kind of friends. We stopped over at their house around 3 AM and they prayed for us and the delivery and health of the baby that would be born the very next day. That was August 1992. And we welcomed our first child into the world. We were blessed beyond measure. We were young and dumb and knew not what we were doing, but the Lord gave us much grace and wisdom all along the way.It wasn't a few months before we started hanging out with David & Cathy. It was like we had known each other our entire lives. We clicked from the get go. We started sharing meals at least twice a week if not more and then on the weekend we'd be at one house on Friday and the other house on Saturday. This is where Chris first developed his love for coffee. Cathy taught him how to grind coffee. They had a daughter, Danielle who was 3 or 4 years old and were able to answer many of our practical questions about raising children. (They had Mason near the same time we had Rachael and then they had Jacob when we welcomed Josiah into our lives.) But, first, we watched and cried as Clinton was voted in as President. It was true bonding time. We literally had Rachael and Masons in the swing while we cried as he was voted and then sworn in. Cathy & I loved to make no-bakes and taste the chocolate before it got the oats and peanut butter...Mmmm :P
Rachael was 3 years, 1 month and 2 days old when Brynna was born. Josiah was just over 18 months. We had a 3 year old, an 18 month old and a newborn... all in one little 2 bedroom townhouse. THOSE were the days! My pregnancy with Brynna was complicated and high risk for many reasons. Mostly because of five pregnancies in under 5 years. We also had a miscarriage between Rachael and Josiah. We named that baby Ryan. That loss hurt, too.
“I will be here and you can cry on my shoulder. When the mirror tells us we’re older I will hold you. And I will be here to watch you grow in beauty and tell you all the things you are to me.” I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman
As we were having children the amount of support we were required to raise adjusted accordingly. After 3 years, we knew the Lord was pushing or pulling us in a different direction. We still desired to be in full-time ministry. So, with broken hearts, we left what was behind and started looking for what it was that He was calling us to. He led us to move away for a brief time to Parkersburg to start in the 84 Lumber manager trainee program where we kept our money in the freezer and when we had enough at the end of the week - we walked down and got "yum yums" from the local donut shop. We enjoyed time with Brian and Susan immensely, but it was just after 6 months that we moved home and you worked 6 months selling Orkin pest control.
It was about this time that my parents introduced us to a young couple from their church, Preston and Lisa. We had so much fun sharing memories and meals with them... but, I didn't really cook much. Not many (literally maybe a handful, but no more) on this planet can cook better than Lisa Huggins! Plus, I had three little ones! They had Amber and we began spending lots of time with them. Two of our favorite dishes were corn pudding and mexican cornbread. EVERY dessert she made was off the charts. At this point, you found a full time job with benefits at CASCI (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and we found a FOUR bedroom apartment to rent!
Once we moved back to town, though, our former church had a new pastor and we needed a change. We began to search for a church for our young family. We were set to go check out a church from friends from college, but their town literally flooded that weekend. We had the kids all ready to go before we realized how bad the flood was and we were determined to find a new place to call home. So, my mom mentioned that their was a new, young pastor that she'd heard of in North Charleston. We went. And we fell in love with his family and the church at first sight. It wasn't long until Chris was hired part time to be the Youth Pastor. We were still longing for that full-time opportunity. After a couple years of completely meshing with Rick and Linda and their son, Seth who was the same age as Josiah, they received a position back in their hometown and left. Us. Brokenhearted. We went without them for 9 months until we were called for a full-time ministry position in July of 1999 at their new church!
We raised our kids in Louisville, Kentucky. It became home. We planted ourselves deep. The roots grew strong. We loved the people of Ormsby Heights and served alongside them for 14 years. The kids played YMCA soccer, church softball, basketball and your position at the church was flexible enough to allow you to be a chaperone on most school field trips. When we rolled up in the minivan to pick the kids up from school days, the guard would radio to the gym, "Ward Babies". My parents came to visit about once a month and stayed very close to the kids. It broke my parents hearts to see us go, but they didn't dare want to hold us back.
In September of 2001 I began to realize my struggle with depression and at the urging of a great friend sought out a doctor's help. During these years we spent lots of hours making memories and meals with Kenny & Roy Ann and their kids. Those were precious times and times we'll never forget. The kids would all play together for hours as we planned youth events. You held my hand as my body could not handle depression and you guided me through a jungle of emotions. It was what I thought was the darkest days of my life, but it was really a time of preparation for what was to come.
It was January of 2003 that my mom's heart stopped beating on this earth abruptly and simultaneously was present with Jesus. I had begun working at the UL Dental School as a receptionist just a few months prior. The kids were all in school and I had a strong desire to get out and about so I didn't dwell in depression. It was a warm Thursday and I didn't wear a coat to work. It was sunny and I had just returned from my lunch break when Rick drove you downtown to pick me up. You came and called me out into the hallway and said you had some bad new for me. Some really bad news. Then the world literally started to spin. You leaned back against the wall to hold yourself up and I just started talking crazy. You were getting my purse and lunch bag and telling my co-workers you were taking me home. I was saying to patients in the waiting room, "I'm dreaming. This is not happening. This cannot be real." I'll never forget some lady grabbing my hand and telling me that I would get through it. I kept asking you, "how do you know? Who told you?" My logic and reason were going into over drive. I needed concrete facts.
Somehow I ended up in the living room in the recliner looking out the window as piles of clothes were around me trying to be sorted to pack to take the kids to Gramps'. I remember as plain as day looking out the window staring at the green pine trees and the beautiful blue sky in complete disbelief. You went to get the kids from school. We packed and left. Anything that you needed to do was left behind. Dropped. And I was your first priority. We packed up the green Silloutte van and headed to Nana and Gramps'.
Rick and Linda, Matt and Stephanie and Kenny and Roy Ann and families came and stayed at the Best Western in Teays Valley. They helped us with every single need we had. We walked through those days together. Matt and Stephanie took the kids back and lived at our house while we stayed in WV for a week helping Gramps get things together. You waited on us hand and foot. You cooked, cleaned, cried with us, pushed us, made phone calls, changed the sheets on the beds, took van loads of Nana's stuff to donate. The days were a blur. We were walking in total shock. You came up with the most awesome funeral message ever "She Held Nothing Back" and I know she would have been so very proud of you, but I'm also certain that at that moment she didn't care. She was lost in worship that we can only imagine.
In 2011, we took the College Age Singles on a mission trip to Haiti which changed the course of our lives. Beginning with your initial scouting trip with Rachael, Meredith, Nabeel and yourself in 2010 and over the next couple years you had lead Ormsby Heights to Haiti five different weeks with BGM/a door to hope. In 2012 our Ward Party of Five was able to serve together in Haiti. You had become a "frequent flyer" and familiar with the leadership. They told you of an open position and I said, "no way". And no again. But, the Lord began to show us that this was exactly where He wanted us to "risk the ocean" next. So, we shared with Rick and Linda and then our kids and they all agreed, "yes, you need to pray about this." So, we did. And it was a resounding YES! As we've said before, it was definitely not because we loved Haiti more than Ormsby. That's not true at all. The truth is we did not want to step one hair outside of His calling on our lives. So, we jumped... together!
There are literally too many people from Ormsby to list that we were close to and I won't list them because I don't want ANYone to feel left out. Many of our closest friends were youth workers. We served tirelessly together through years of Go-Tell Camp, Fall Retreats, J-Creek summer camp, Gatlinburg Retreats, lockins, outreaches and inreaches. They along with the youth were family. We did ministry together. We were on a journey together to impact the world. And quite honestly, it still hurts quite a bit to think of the reality of the grief of leaving them as we followed Him. It was in July of 2013 that we learned that being in the center of God's will isn't always the easiest place to be. It can hurt even when you are walking in complete obedience.
We sold the house, purged, packed up the UHaul and left Rachael and Josiah in Louisville taking Brynna with us to begin the next chapter of our lives in Nashville. For one year we lived in an awesome two bedroom condo with three bathrooms and a pool! We got a new car, a puppy and tried lots of cool places to eat, but we were really missing our faith family. And we were missing our time with our Ward party of five.
In August of 2013, Rachael married Quinton and made it a Ward party of six. It was a year of transitions for sure and great loss of all we knew and were comfortable with. You spent more weeks away from us leading teams to Haiti than I care to recall. In March of 2014 you went to Haiti for 2 solid weeks of intense language training where you got an idea that we could actually move our family to and live in Haiti. You called with the idea and I told you to please come home and we'd talk about it. It was another of those God moments where it was plain as day what we were to do. So, once again, together with Brynna we jumped... and in August of 2014 we decided to give it a try... 90 days at a time. (I won't go into all the details since it can be read about in our blog.)
On May 10, Mother's Day, we returned to Haiti to our third place of residence - Mission Baptiste. We are living high on the hog here. We have way more than we've ever had in any other place we've lived in Haiti. We are beyond blessed. It's a temporary agreement and a true blessing for us. The Dearing family lives a yell away and we enjoy making memories and meals together. Of course, they usually do all the making of meals since they have a vehicle and we don't. You should definitely read more about them in our blog. They are the dearest of friends!
We celebrated 25 years of marriage and ministry by sleeping in a bit and going to La Florville for lunch. The Dearings made us a loaf of HOMEMADE (from scratch) bread!! Mmmmm!!! Delicious breakfast and dinner! We were walking in the front door and a moto beeped at us. It was Nelson and Robison. He asked if you could change a string on his guitar. Right there. Right then. We accepted their special greetings of "happy birthday" after we told them that we were celebrating our anniversary. You enjoyed a steak with mushrooms and I got the grilled pork. It was yummy and we talked for a long time. We even got dessert! Then we called our moto man, Merilus and blessed him with a little extra for the ride back home. Now, I'm trying to finish this up for you and you are eating a bowl of cereal with your nasty powdered milk. I'm looking forward to the things that the Lord will teach us in the next 25 years (if He so blesses us with them). And I'm thrilled to be risking the ocean with you! You are way more than I ever deserve! You are my treasure, my love, my life. I love you honeyman!! Happy silver anniversary!! You are my favorite everything!
As we were having children the amount of support we were required to raise adjusted accordingly. After 3 years, we knew the Lord was pushing or pulling us in a different direction. We still desired to be in full-time ministry. So, with broken hearts, we left what was behind and started looking for what it was that He was calling us to. He led us to move away for a brief time to Parkersburg to start in the 84 Lumber manager trainee program where we kept our money in the freezer and when we had enough at the end of the week - we walked down and got "yum yums" from the local donut shop. We enjoyed time with Brian and Susan immensely, but it was just after 6 months that we moved home and you worked 6 months selling Orkin pest control.
It was about this time that my parents introduced us to a young couple from their church, Preston and Lisa. We had so much fun sharing memories and meals with them... but, I didn't really cook much. Not many (literally maybe a handful, but no more) on this planet can cook better than Lisa Huggins! Plus, I had three little ones! They had Amber and we began spending lots of time with them. Two of our favorite dishes were corn pudding and mexican cornbread. EVERY dessert she made was off the charts. At this point, you found a full time job with benefits at CASCI (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and we found a FOUR bedroom apartment to rent!
Once we moved back to town, though, our former church had a new pastor and we needed a change. We began to search for a church for our young family. We were set to go check out a church from friends from college, but their town literally flooded that weekend. We had the kids all ready to go before we realized how bad the flood was and we were determined to find a new place to call home. So, my mom mentioned that their was a new, young pastor that she'd heard of in North Charleston. We went. And we fell in love with his family and the church at first sight. It wasn't long until Chris was hired part time to be the Youth Pastor. We were still longing for that full-time opportunity. After a couple years of completely meshing with Rick and Linda and their son, Seth who was the same age as Josiah, they received a position back in their hometown and left. Us. Brokenhearted. We went without them for 9 months until we were called for a full-time ministry position in July of 1999 at their new church!
In September of 2001 I began to realize my struggle with depression and at the urging of a great friend sought out a doctor's help. During these years we spent lots of hours making memories and meals with Kenny & Roy Ann and their kids. Those were precious times and times we'll never forget. The kids would all play together for hours as we planned youth events. You held my hand as my body could not handle depression and you guided me through a jungle of emotions. It was what I thought was the darkest days of my life, but it was really a time of preparation for what was to come.
It was January of 2003 that my mom's heart stopped beating on this earth abruptly and simultaneously was present with Jesus. I had begun working at the UL Dental School as a receptionist just a few months prior. The kids were all in school and I had a strong desire to get out and about so I didn't dwell in depression. It was a warm Thursday and I didn't wear a coat to work. It was sunny and I had just returned from my lunch break when Rick drove you downtown to pick me up. You came and called me out into the hallway and said you had some bad new for me. Some really bad news. Then the world literally started to spin. You leaned back against the wall to hold yourself up and I just started talking crazy. You were getting my purse and lunch bag and telling my co-workers you were taking me home. I was saying to patients in the waiting room, "I'm dreaming. This is not happening. This cannot be real." I'll never forget some lady grabbing my hand and telling me that I would get through it. I kept asking you, "how do you know? Who told you?" My logic and reason were going into over drive. I needed concrete facts.
Somehow I ended up in the living room in the recliner looking out the window as piles of clothes were around me trying to be sorted to pack to take the kids to Gramps'. I remember as plain as day looking out the window staring at the green pine trees and the beautiful blue sky in complete disbelief. You went to get the kids from school. We packed and left. Anything that you needed to do was left behind. Dropped. And I was your first priority. We packed up the green Silloutte van and headed to Nana and Gramps'.
Rick and Linda, Matt and Stephanie and Kenny and Roy Ann and families came and stayed at the Best Western in Teays Valley. They helped us with every single need we had. We walked through those days together. Matt and Stephanie took the kids back and lived at our house while we stayed in WV for a week helping Gramps get things together. You waited on us hand and foot. You cooked, cleaned, cried with us, pushed us, made phone calls, changed the sheets on the beds, took van loads of Nana's stuff to donate. The days were a blur. We were walking in total shock. You came up with the most awesome funeral message ever "She Held Nothing Back" and I know she would have been so very proud of you, but I'm also certain that at that moment she didn't care. She was lost in worship that we can only imagine.
There are literally too many people from Ormsby to list that we were close to and I won't list them because I don't want ANYone to feel left out. Many of our closest friends were youth workers. We served tirelessly together through years of Go-Tell Camp, Fall Retreats, J-Creek summer camp, Gatlinburg Retreats, lockins, outreaches and inreaches. They along with the youth were family. We did ministry together. We were on a journey together to impact the world. And quite honestly, it still hurts quite a bit to think of the reality of the grief of leaving them as we followed Him. It was in July of 2013 that we learned that being in the center of God's will isn't always the easiest place to be. It can hurt even when you are walking in complete obedience.
We sold the house, purged, packed up the UHaul and left Rachael and Josiah in Louisville taking Brynna with us to begin the next chapter of our lives in Nashville. For one year we lived in an awesome two bedroom condo with three bathrooms and a pool! We got a new car, a puppy and tried lots of cool places to eat, but we were really missing our faith family. And we were missing our time with our Ward party of five.
We went home for a break in December and enjoyed Christmas gaining a few extra pounds and enjoying luxuries we had gone without. And we returned to Haiti January 8 for another round without Brynna. She stayed behind to pursue her college education. We moved into the "gingerbread house" in Kenscoff and froze our buns off. We had hours and hours of conversations about what the Lord was showing us. We realized more and more the difference between a need and a want. We asked the Lord for more wisdom as we desire to go and make disciples. We returned to the states for another break and spent more than 8 days concentrated on your health as your digestion had major issues. On a positive note, we were able to enjoy a break at the beach with Brynna (an awesome gift from a Haiti team member). And the funnest news of our break was that Josiah had totally surprised Katie and asked her to become part of our future Ward Party of Seven. Wedding set for August 8!!
On May 10, Mother's Day, we returned to Haiti to our third place of residence - Mission Baptiste. We are living high on the hog here. We have way more than we've ever had in any other place we've lived in Haiti. We are beyond blessed. It's a temporary agreement and a true blessing for us. The Dearing family lives a yell away and we enjoy making memories and meals together. Of course, they usually do all the making of meals since they have a vehicle and we don't. You should definitely read more about them in our blog. They are the dearest of friends!
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Here's the "in-between" details of the missing years (2015-2019): "How Long Must I Sing This Song?"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beautiful Margo ReyIt's now 2019 and we're celebrating 29 years in our new life in Texas. Biggest difference is we now need cheaters to read... hence the larger print! We've been here serving with Living Hope Ministries since August 2015. Our fourth grandchild was just born a week ago! So, this blog needs updated!! But, who has the time?! I'll make it real quick. Grandchildren are a double blessing from the Lord! Margo Rey came into this world on May 16 just three months separate her and Canaan Jack. Piper Quinn just turned 17 months old and Zion Elliott will be 3 years old next month! So, that's four babies in just under 3 years. Our quiver is full for sure! So, the adventure continues... and at some point I'll have to give you ALL the details. But, for now, know that we are still in it to win it. We have experienced grief upon grief this last year and have come to appreciate each other and the time we've been given even more.
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| Canaan |
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| Zion |
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| Piper |
Judah, 2022!! Read his MIRACULOUS story HERE
When God Seems Silent
It's now 2023 and I have a very special birthday gift expected early July from Josiah & Katie and Brynna & Garrett are giving me a very special Christmas gift! So, that'll be SEVEN grandchildren by the end of 2023. We are beyond blessed.
"And if it wasn’t for God’s mercy and His grace, there’s no way we would be standing in this place. But, because He has been faithful every step along the way, here we are together. We’ve climbed up mountains higher than were ever in our hopes and plans. We’ve held onto each other’s hands, watched miracles unfold together. And we’ve crawled on our hands and knees through valleys cold and dark and deep.” Together by Steven Curtis Chapman
