A blanket over 25 years old!

I discovered this weekend that Mrs. Maiers (Sheny) lived with my family when I was a little girl of only 4 or 5 years old. Here we've been side by side for months as her two awesome children have been volunteering with Creator's Call Broadcasting Network! But neither she or I had any idea that we'd met before...that is, until this weekend! Here she is with her husband and kids holding up a fuzzy blanket that my mom gave her over 25 years ago!!!! She actually had it with her this weekend!!!! (What a small world we live in!!!)

The Maiers family

Moses 12, and Michelle 16, are such a blessing to our team! And we were blessed to have them as well as their parents along for our leadership retreat and weekend. And it became even more special after we discovered our connection! I could hardly wait to come back to where there was phone reception so that I could tell my mom that I had met "Sheny!"

Part of our leadership team for CCBN

This was only part of our amazing team of leaders and volunteers! But despite the fact that not as many could come on the retreat as planned, God blessed our time together in amazing ways! (As He always does! God is good all the time...all the time, God is good!)

Going to Crystal Cove Beach - to make True Love History!!

Well this will give an over-view of one of the most fun days I've ever had! In fact, it will probably go down in the record books of Creator's Call Broadcasting Network as being one of the most memorable of all filming excursions!!! It was the live proposal of Curtis asking Janine to marry him under the "staged guise" of "let's just share some of our courtship testimony!" Janine had no idea what was coming...but ALL the rest of us did...and as you will see (per Curtis request) we were READY.....with our air-horns and silly string and streamers!!!! ;-) And when Janine said "YES" we let the world know!!!

It was sooooo beautiful.....how God orchestrated and worked everything out! When He is in charge, truly...it is better than our wildest dreams! As the program title goes, "True Love is Worth Waiting For."

*Note - the actual proposal occurred a week ago last Friday, March 30th. I have delayed in posting my pictures and version of the story as I wanted to give Curtis and Janine time to share it themselves. Also....I didn't have internet yet!!! Now I do....Praise the Lord!!!

To hear more of their side of things, and to see the words of the poem that Curtis wrote to Janine, go to: www.curtisandjanine.blogspot.com/

Janine shares her story!

And Curtis shares his!

Michelle and Susy enjoying the sunshine!

Our little thief!! Kept running off with food!

Strategizing

Filming a "true love story" in action!!!

The special couple

Close up!

They had some awesome insights and things to share about how God works in Courtship...but what was especially exciting was knowing what was about to happen...and Janine had not a clue!

Curtis asks Janine, "Will you marry me?"

Just when Janine thought the program was over, Curtis said he had something more to share! He then proceeded to get down on his knee and read the most beautiful poem of their relationship and special names, and how they had grown together. (Even made me get tears in my eyes!) It ended with the question..."Will you be my wife!" And Janine forgetting all audience just fell into his arms!

I think she said "YES!"

It was such a sacred sweet moment, that some of us had to turn away! I almost felt like I was walking on "holy ground." Truly God's presence was there!!!

Blowing the horns!!

Silly String Heaven!

A web of love!

Curtis ASKED for silly string and lots of noise!!! And so, THEY GOT IT!!!!! :-)

The reality starts to sink in and Janine is ecstatic!!!

The tender thoughts

Side by side Forever

My favorite shot from the afternoon....besides the "Will you marry me?" ones! A quote that my best friend Gabe and her husband Ziemek used in thier wedding often comes back to my mind... it went something like this, "True love is not just standing and looking at each other, but it is looking together in the same direction!" How true that is....especially when you are looking together in love at God and His path of surrender! And Janine and Curtis are one of those rare couples that are...a united faith, vision, and now LOVE!!!