Preparation for The Kingdom [part1]

Justin and I are sitting down for the first time on this journey that has taken us from the world into The Kingdom of God. We are anxious to share everything that HE has walked us OUT of and INTO. We have been through a season of 'wilderness,' and are entering into our season of ministry TOGETHER for the first time in our marriage. I will try and keep it all in order. As these events occurred by recalling most from memory and journal entries as well as notes I took during this incredible journey we've been led on with The Father.

Back story of our relationship and how it led into marriage. Justin and I were married on April 13, 2013. The entirety of our relationship was extremely prophetic. We originally met during the active stages of both of our drug addictions. He was dating a young lady named Kristal while I was dating a man named Chris. Both of us were involved in toxic relationships. Very abusive both verbally and physically. We both had pretty rough childhoods with a lot of traumas and dramas. Our parents were both divorced and we were estranged from our parents as we entered into adulthood because of the issues we experienced. BUT GOD. Through both of us going to jail in the SAME year we were able to break free from the narcissistic, drug fueled relationships we were jointly involved in with our partners at the time. God even brought us together through them. Justin wrote me a letter as he was in county jail at the same time I was before I was sentenced to prison in 2010. I still have that letter somewhere. Incredibly I was 'friends,' with Kristal and she actually put me on the phone with Justin several times after he was released from county jail and placed on probation for his charges. God works ALL things TOGETHER for GOOD. Romans 8:28.

During that time of my life I was so numbed out when I met Justin my memories of him were very vague and clouded at best. I had many times spent time at his house with his older sister and dad but Justin was rarely ever there because he was living with Kristal. So I didn't really have any idea what God was working on. Justin had moved to Milton, FL at the same time I was moved to Pace. His mom sent him to live with his dad, and my parents wanted to attend the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry. We both never wanted to live in Florida and had hated our parents for it at the time. Had we only KNEW WHO was in control, I doubt we ever would have complained. But that's how God works in the background of our lives, always turning the things meant for EVIL into the VERY testimony we are sharing with you today.

After I was sentenced to 13 months D.O.C and served my time I was released in March of 2011. I stayed with my dad in Pace for about 2 months. In May I decided to go on a trip with some of my mom's friends after her wedding to my step-dad, Tim. After my trip to D.C. with them, my dad assumed I wasn't going to be living with him anymore and rented the bedroom I was staying in to my brothers friend. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't really close with my mom at the time, because of the years of miscommunications and hurt feelings on both ends. During my time in prison I had worked on my relationship with God. I ultimately turned back to Him and He began a work in me. I had finally re-established the intimacy I had once had as a little girl with Him. But He was actually JUST getting started. I had a dream one night about the man I was going to marry. I saw myself in a beautiful white dress and the man in a tuxedo at the end of the aisle waiting for me to walk to him. I never saw the man's face and I didn't ever once think of Justin being that man.

May of 2011, being freshly released from prison I needed a job. After leaving my dads house and moving in with a friend. This friend was a man I had known since I was in high school. I was just looking for a place to live, and work towards getting employment and on my feet again. The guy, who ended up wanting to be my boyfriend, was looking for a relationship. I wasn't ready for another relationship after the 7 years of trauma I'd just experienced. Long story short, I gave in and agreed to date him. That lasted about 8 months. I finally ended it in January of 2012. During that time, Justin had reached out to me looking to take me out on a date. I didn't agree to it, as I was committed at that moment to someone else. However in early February he started reaching out again and even came looking for me at my job, Beef O'Brady's in Pace. He finally waited for me to come to him, and I did. I had forgotten about him messaging me on facebook while I was dating the post-prison boyfriend. I ended up hanging out with one of my other friends who was a guy after I was out of that relationship but we weren't ever serious. I hit Justin up one day and just asked him if he was still hanging around some of the old crowd whom I knew he had used with in the past. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be around anything of that nature because I'd worked so hard to get and STAY clean once I was home from prison. He said he wasn't hanging out with anyone like that, and that gave me a little assurance of his position.

February 18, 2012 Justin called me to meet him up at David's Bridal. His sister whom I'd hung out with and niece were finding a dress for the military ball she was attending. His sisters name is Christy and his niece is Karah. Once I finally decided to come up there, after being bribed with the two of the girls being there haha, I was SO glad I did. He had just gotten off of work. He was rugged, dirty, TALL and SO handsome. There's something about Justin in his work clothes that's always just lit my heart on fire! We ended up going on a date that same night at a Ruby Tuesdays. That night we talked about the importance of having a relationship with God. In that previous unwanted relationship that I had just ended, the man didn't believe in God. That was a deal-breaker in and of itself. God KNEW that I desired a man who was going to chase after The Father's heart. That night I was so full of JOY! God had spoken to me in prison- not only with the dream he had given me, but on my heart. He planted a promise in me that if I followed HIM, He would give me that desire I had. That desire was always to marry someone like my Papa. I wouldn't settle for anything less than a Bible-believing , passionate Jesus follower who'd lead his family and his wife well. On August 11, 2012 Justin surprised me in front of thousands of people and my family by getting on one knee on the pitchers mound at a Blue Wahoo's Baseball game.

And then our fairytale romance truly began. We decided we wanted to move in together and wanted to do it RIGHT in God's eyes. We held a small, private ceremony with my immediate family that was available and on December 1, 2012 we got married in the sight of our Heavenly Father and His Holy Magistrate in the Heavenly Realms surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. It was amazing and beautiful. We followed Jewish Customs and traditions where the bride walks around the groom 7 full times as a symbol of completion. God has made HIMSELF known all through our marriage and this testimony is just THAT! The next few days we will embark on the journey through these blog post. We are excited to finally share it all with our friends, family and those who are eager to hear our testimony about JESUS Christ alive in our lives.