Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn....

"....There is a Season, Turn, Turn, Turn"..... Who would have thought King Solomon and Judy Collins could collaborate to bring us such a beautiful musical offering. An unlikely pair for sure. One a free loving hippie, and the other, one of the wisest men to ever live. Yet they both were used to convey via their words and music, the inevitableness of "change".

And what a pleasant weather change we have had here is SC the last few weeks. Humid, sticky long days evolving into cool, dry, shorter days. Definitely a welcomed, longed for, and beneficial change! If time had permitted, I could have lived outside all this week. Simply beautiful. I look forward to Autumn every year!

But wait....I think the song and the words of Solomon speak of continual change, but not always easy or happy change. Dang it.

We all are familiar with such seasons of change. Beth Moore calls them "sifting seasons"; times and events in our lives where God is sifting us, separating the chaff from the wheat....with the intent of knowing what is left after the sifting is good, usable, and honoring to His Kingdom work.

I hate being sifted. It stinks. It hurts. And sometimes it seems unending. During such times I find myself saying...(out loud and often)...."Okay, Lord, could you please hurry with this sifting thing. Let me learn what I need to learn, and let's move on!" I am sure I amuse and annoy Him. What an impatient child I am.

We have had such a season for the last, well...almost 5 years, as I have watched my sweet hubby struggle through Mono and two back surgeries, and ongoing back issues. Until 5 years ago, he was healthy as horse. So this has been a big change for him as well as our family. We have been super- sifted. We must have had lots of chaff.....evidently the really heavy duty, durable kind. I think we should be mostly wheat by now....hopefully!

One thing I have concluded through it all, is that God uses every season. Even the dark, cold ones. Out of all the struggle, we have been reminded over and over again, how much God loves us. How He continues to take care of us. Minuscule details that only He could arrange to keep us encouraged when it feels like the sifter is scraping our backsides extra hard. We have learned to let go of some things and hold tightly to others. We have, without a doubt, felt the blessings of friends and family as they have prayed for us and walked through the muck with us, sometimes pulling us through the sludge when we were emotionally worn out and felt paralyzed to take another step.

So, in many ways, this sifting season, although quite painful, has taught us many valuable lessons. The most important being that no matter what the climate or circumstance, we are not alone, we are loved and He has a purpose for it......under heaven. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Keep Turnin'!

~Scarlett

Sisters, Sweet Southern Pearls

I always wanted a sister. Don't get me wrong, I love my brothers.....but male siblings are just that....male. I have always longed for, and been at my happiest while among, those innately similar to me... willing to walk, shop, primp, giggle and grow together.

Now, let me start by apologizing to anyone, male or female, who may disagree with my humble estrogen charged post. No male bashing....I promise. 'Cause the Good Lord knows, I do love my man...and therefore I am also a great fan of the testosterone gender!

I have always been drawn to Women's Ministry....long before I ever heard it called that. My sweet Grandmomma had her "Circle", and my Momma, being a single parent, definitely had her own little trusted network of female friends that she shared and confided in over coffee weekly. If you will, let me pose this thought for you to ponder....Women's ministry does not always find it's roots in an organized church "group". And while it most certainly can and should work that way within the confines of our worship institutions, and it is a WONDERFUL blessing if it does, (and goodness knows, I adore the ladies of my church, and we have a very sweet deal goin' on!)....It is my charge to all my female friends, that as we network and invest in the lives of other females that we find frequently in our paths, that those female posies are also a VERY good thing and an uniquely rich resource!

Now, let me clarify....I am not talking about a gossip filled hen party. I am talking about folks you can go to, confide in, and TRUST. I will be very honest in admitting that I am beyond blessed to have countless incredible female friends in my life, BUT there are only a few that really know me inside out, and still love me, despite what they have found! Those are my true "Southern Pearls" and the closest thing to sisters I will ever have on this earth! However, even in ancillary friendships, those that I have not delicately and cautiously decided to string onto my necklace yet....they too, have enormous worth and kingdom significance in my life. One thing I know for sure, God can use the pearl or the ugly shell it comes in to teach me important life lessons. I have been cut deeply, thinking I was diggin' for and clutchin' that pearl...just to find out she was not really a pearl at all! And that is all I am gonna say about ugly shells...(But we all sure as shootin' have had those in our lives....so in keepin' it real... I thought it worth mentioning.)

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a ladies conference that was planned and implemented by the women's ministry of our church, Cornerstone Church http://www.exit137.org it was such a blessing. We invited Dawn Smith Jordan as our keynote speaker. Now she...is a pearl. No ugly shell showing here....A former Miss SC, second runner up in Miss America, author, recording artist, song writer, musical guest for Billy Graham, and Jesus loving Momma....and that is just a few of her accolades. But unfortunately she is most well known because of a tragic and unfortunate event that took her earthly sister's life. (Check out her ministry http://dawnsmithjordan.com ...better yet, book her for your event!)

But there is so much more to her ministry that blooms outside the confines of the unimaginable, tragic, senseless loss of her sister's life. Dawn has strategically woven many very beautiful and vibrant, spiritually enriching threads of God's grace and forgiveness among the dark strands! She stitches it all together with songs that help tell her story, and that encourages the listener to look deep within....to dare to take an honest look at this life we have been given....(even when we realize and have the courage to admit that it may not be the life we wanted or planned!)...We all have the good and the not so good threads woven in our personal tapestry. Dawn, through her emotionally transparent testimony, challenged us to take an honest inventory of what it is God is doing in our lives....or more importantly...what we are doing for God with our lives.

One truth resonated solidly and loudly. God loves us so. And if we have a relationship with Him and we love Him....then we must FORGIVE like Him. Yep...Ouch, right? We cannot let the hurt of the past cripple our steps into the future He has planned for us! So, I am letting go of a few of those stinkin' stubborn hurts. You know the ones, we all have them....we say we give them to the Lord....but then almost like second nature, we reclaim them daily...cramming them into the painful cracks of our lives, where they wait patiently for us to emotionally snatch them out, to be the guests at our own little personal "pity party".

I don't know about you, but I am not a huge fan of that kind of party... it is not the kind I want to throw....So, bye, bye secret hurt, hasta la vista unresolved pain., adios bitterness....I am gonna consciously pick out every last shard of ugly shell that sits deeply embedded into the palm of my hand...realizing that they are only there because I have held onto my hurt so tightly, for so long, and refused to let them go! God did not put them there, and He does not keep them there...I do.

So...how, you may ask, do I plan to REALLY leave it all in God's hand this time? Here is my plan. I am putting on my "pearls"...that's right.... I am choosing to have my sisters hold me responsible to leave the past behind. I do not want to repeatedly stumble over emotional obstacles day after day...I want to dance into my future....gracefully. (OK....maybe not gracefully....as most of my sisters, especially those in the theatre know... my dancing isn't exactly graceful.) But I can still dance GraceFULL-ly...as in...full of His grace.

So if you see somebody waltzing, tapping or salsa dancing your direction....don't be surprised if it is me! But, if you happen to be unsure of who it is....just take a closer look ...I will be the one wearing the most beautiful strand of pearls a girl could every hope for :)

Diamonds are NOT a girl's best friend, pearls are!
~ Scarlett

Miss Scarlett and Her Beans for Breakfast Belizean Adventure

Hey Y'all!

One of my fondest childhood memories is of my Grandmother (I called her MaMa) hand mixing home made biscuits. I could not have been more than 4 or 5 years old, and I remember her lifting me onto a tall stool so I could watch her as she magically mixed and kneaded the flour, Crisco, and milk combination. She would then roll out the dough onto a well floured counter top and cut out perfectly round biscuits with the open end of a Pet Milk can. Three times a day. Everyday. Breakfast, Dinner (lunch for non southerners), and Supper (dinner for non southerners), there would be hot biscuits for all. As she arranged the dough onto the biscuit pan, she would tell me the story of how she grew up on the farm and that her job was to make the biscuits each meal, in order to feed the family and the farm hands.

And while many of you reading this blog, especially my sweet southern friends, can totally relate to the whole biscuit scenario/story, what would you think about having beans with each meal? Yep, I said beans. Beans for breakfast. It happens. It happened to me last week! I had the amazing opportunity to spend a week in Belize as part of a medical mission trip, and beans for breakfast was only one of many things that God used to teach me during the week.

The trip was a joint missions project between our church, Cornerstone Baptist http://www.exit137.org/ and Coastal Christian Ministries, http://www.kidzkonnect4jesus.org/ and http://www.belizechristian.com/ . Our team was stationed in Dangriga, Belize, also known as the Stann Creek District. Such beautiful terrain! I woke up to a gorgeous coconut tree lined beach each morning. As we traveled just a few miles inland, the view quickly changed, and can best be described as the perfect mix of the Great Smokey Mountains and the citrus farms of sunny Florida! An incredible landscape indeed, one that here in the states would scream "Tropical Resorts" and mega money....but nothing could be further from the truth for the people of this area. And while there are many fine homes, there are many more substandard in construction and form. As you venture into the valley, outside of the city, it is not unusual to find homes with dirt floors, no electricity or running water.....that is the norm, not the exception.

It was honestly, very difficult for me to wrap my mind around the degree of poverty. Most of the folks we had the opportunity to treat, walked to the clinic. There are very few cars, a modest number of bicycles, and an occasional horse to count on as transportation. There is a bus system, and that seemed to be the most common and usable transit means.....if you have money. However, most of the folks have very little, if any. I would venture to say that most of the clients we saw did not even have enough food to eat, much less money in their pockets! Poor living conditions (many clients bathed, washed, and drank out of the same stream of water), poverty, and malnutrition was the most common senario.

Their diets consisted mainly of fruits (oranges, pineapple, mangoes, papaya, coconut, and melons depending on what is in season), rice and beans. Beans are the main protein source...thus their dependence on beans for each meal. There are chickens (they run freely EVERYWHERE), and they are used mainly for eggs, providing a secondary protein source. Because the city of Dangriga is coastal, there is an opportunity for occasional fish in the diet. The folks of the valley must hunt and fish the creeks for additional food sources.

We treated a wide variety of things on this inaugural medical mission trip. In the valley we mainly saw stomach worms, vitamin deficiencies, head lice, gastric reflux, urinary tract infections, skin disorders, and upper respiratory issues. In the city we saw more hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dirty blood (HIV/aids), wounds, backaches, and skin issues....some worms, but less lice. We saw approximately 700 patients in four clinical days! That is a bunch of pumps of the ole' blood pressure cuff bulb y'all! I thought my hand was surely gonna fall off.....but it didn't. It would hurt like heck in the evenings, but once we were on site the next morning....the pain went away! God is good like that! :)

Despite all the less than ideal situations and conditions, the thing that still stands out most to me is the attitude of the people. Without fail....every person we saw was pleasant.....with sweet smiles so warm and inviting that the beauty of the mountains and tropical beaches paled in comparison. Such sweet, thankful people. And while I know the medical care we were able to offer was a tremendous blessing to them, they have no idea how blessed we were that God would allow us to be his hands and feet during our week in Dangriga.

It was truly an incredible experience. God showed up in obvious, amazing ways every single day! I cannot wait to go back! Not for the breathtaking tropical view....but for the beautiful, loving people.

Until then, I will honor them and their customs by occasionally having beans for breakfast...they should go nicely with a batch of my MaMa's biscuits.

Frankly (and humbly),
Miss Scarlett

Miss Scarlett's Rocky Raft Ride Down The Mississippi

Well Fiddle Dee Dee, Y'all!

I begin this post with a short, to the point confession: I am a "Blog-Neglector". Yesssss......I know, I promised to do better, but dang, y'all....Until I learn to duplicate time or clone myself, I can only promise to post as often as I can. Not a particularly exciting or intriguing promise, but one that I can likely keep :)

Where do I start? Let's play catch up:

The highlight of my summer was writing and directing our Kizblast Arts Camp again. Nearly 100 little cutie pies acting, singing, moving (can't say dancin', I'm Baptist)....as well as doing art pieces for the show and (my new favorite)....shooting commercials that we ran during the hour long Kidzblast event! Gosh, I love seeing bright, creative little minds at work! LOVE IT!

Went straight from the camp show to BIG RIVER auditions at FLT. I really was hoping for a chorus role....but Robin Thompson, our Director (and my musical director when I directed THE FANTASTICKS in January)...cast me as Tom Sawyer's ditsy Aunt Sally....and I must confess, she has been a fun character to develop. A quite minor role, really.....the real stars being our Huck and Jim....oh, my word those fellas can SANG! The whole cast is amazing and we are playing to sold out crowds...which is always exciting! A special thanks to Ashley Costas for making my stick straight hair, super curly every night....and just making sure I keep all my "acting ducks in a row"....she keeps me on task, she is the equivalent to taking an ADD drug....directing my focus, reminding me to put on my mic and loads of other stuff that a true Southern Belle must refrain from revealing.....Civil War era costuming is complicated...let's just leave it at that.

I am also back at the university, taking Directing II, under the masterful teaching skills of Professor Glen Gourley....(who also steals every scene he is in, in BIG RIVER). Our major objective being to select, audition, cast, rehearse and direct a one act which will be performed for judication the first weekend in December. I have selected a lovely one act, GRACELAND. Set in the 70's, and yes, it is about two die hard Elvis fans who have parked their hunka hunka burnin' love carcasses outside the prestigious front gates of his Graceland estate, in hopes of meeting him. Well written...really fun show.....let's pray I do not screw it up.

I have also been cast in SPOON RIVER, the FMU fall show. Another Civil War era show....I get to be the singing narrator-like character...Oh, and I am a ghost.....FUN!!! I do thank God for allowing me to be in two consecutive shows costumed with hoop skirts.... as I am a stress eater....and just a TAD stressed about now.

As BIG RIVER wraps this weekend, it is also my 30th high school reunion...so I get to go, straight from curtain call to the country club....with my sweaty stage self, big ole' crispy curly hair, stage make up....complete with fake lashes... and reunite with a bunch of folks who have dieted, selected the right outfit, and got their hair and nails just right in preparation for the event. Oh, well....I am who I am....just like I was in high school....just a louder, more confident version :)

Monday brings yet another audition for our big Christmas Event at The Stone. (Yes, that means I do not get even ONE day as a break from a show.) I am looking forward to the first truly dramatic event we have done since I became the Creative worship coordinator there. I cannot pinpoint one emotion to describe my feelings about this task.....it is more like one part excitement, one part mortification! Trusting God to send me the talent I need to do justice to the script....AND to live up to the tremendous reputation of our past Christmas events! It will be different....but I greatly anticipate seeing what God will do....trusting that He will do an amazing thing, as always!

SO...there.....five shows....in four months. I know,.... have brought it all on my self..... and I am freaking out, a bit....but I am loving every minute of it! And hoping this knowledge buys me a little sympathy from my precious blog followers who lovingly (and frequently) ask me why I have not posted lately...

Come the middle of December, when the above list is all said and done, I am going to Disney World! Woo Hoo! Let's just hope I get my stress under control.....not sure hoop skirts are the best resort wear, and likely would not fit into the seat for Space Mountain.....

Land sakes! I hear the Mississippi callin' my name again! Time to morph into Ditsy Aunt Sally Phelps....complete with crunchy, curly hair....

Frankly (and frantically),
Miss Scarlett

Cardboard Confessions

Mark and I had so much fun watching our kids open gifts when they were little. We would laugh at how they, quite often, loved playing with the box that their toy came in, as much as the toy itself! Especially if it was a big box that they could crawl into or hide in! Countless hours of the "Where's Joshua and Melody? Do you see them Daddy? I can't find them!" game were played at the Knight house. Of course we knew where the kids were all along....but some how in the playful, make-believe world of our kids, they thought they were really hidden away, and out of our sight. And yes, we would have so much fun reacting to the "surprise" when we found them....lots of giggles, laughs and love! And how they hated it, when the cardboard boxes finally made their way to the trash. They loved those boxes, and to them, they were NOT trash!

Well, today at Church, about 30 folks got to play around with card board boxes, and all for the glory of God! They took part in a Cardboard Testimony event. The testimonies came from young, old, broken, freed, sinful, blessed, and most importantly, "willing to be vulnerable" members of our church family. To say it was truly moving and amazing would be an understatement. Who knew God could do so much with our trash?

Each person (some were couples) had something written on the first side of their cardboard that they either struggled with or were encompassed by in their own personal life.....and on the flip side was how God has blessed them and healed them, changed them, and worked through these challenges. Some testimonies were mild and uplifting (such as moving to a new town and finding a church home) and others were raw, heart wrenching (such as medical issues/addictions). Both kinds of testimonies were used greatly and touched so many lives! (I hope you will all go to http://www.exit137.org/ and look up the video feed from today's service.)

It never ceases to amaze me how God shines the brightest through the dark places in our lives, where we are "cracked" or "broken". In our weakness He is truly strong. He can take the ugliest garbage we have and use it. If we let Him. There is the clincher...IF WE LET HIM.

Most often, we are so worried about what others think about the flaws in us, that we fail to let them see the beauty of who God really is amid the ugliness .....think about that for a minute.

We would much rather hide, like a little child, beneath the boxes...under the trash....believing that no one can see us, than to take that piece of cardboard, rip it into pieces, and write our "junk" on it for all the world to see. Most definitely that is the safe, non offensive, less risky way to handle our "garbage", right?

Here's the real deal...we all have "garbage", we all know that everyone else has "garbage"...its just a lot prettier to pretend.

I am so thankful today for people who trust God enough to be real. He uses them greatly. That was made so evident today. Thanks to each of you who shared. You are my new heroes :)

So, what if you were asked to write your cardboard testimony? Could you do it? Would you do it? What would it say? Who could be blessed by your willingness to be used by Him?

Here is mine:
Side 1: Worship (Noun) Somewhere you were expected to go every Sunday at 11am
Side 2: Worship (Verb) Something I offer to God 24/7 because of His vast love for me

Yep, mine is all about "playing church"....I did it....Did not really know I did it...did not mean to do it...but, none the less, I did it. God hates that. He does not want us one hour out of every week. He wants us 100% of every minute of every day...warts and all. It took me 40 years to recognize that. Maybe through my cardboard confession...somebody else will "get it" a little earlier on :)

Feel free to share your cardboard confession with us here....I promise that we will all rejoice, giggle with holy laughter, and mostly love you, when we discover who you are under that box! Oh yes, and most importantly, we will rejoice in who God is as he blesses us through your willingness to share! Get outta that box!


Having said all of that, I also understand that sometimes we have issues that are just so personal that they still resides in total darkness in our mind, and we cannot bring ourselves to the point to share them.....yet :) And that is OK too. No pressure here. Maybe God simply brought you here to see how God is working in the lives of folks ....just like you...and that you will be encouraged that God CAN and WILL bring you that freedom one day. Maybe not on an Internet forum for the world to see....BUT....maybe over a cup of coffee with someone who is hurting and searching that needs to hear what God has done for you in a more intimate setting. He will let you know when it is time :)

Happy Easter! He Lives! He loves you!
~Scarlett

March.....To the Beat of Your Own Drum!

"That one marches to the beat of her own drum.".....I was a kid the first time I heard that expression, and I certainly did not have a clue what my Momma was talking about! Many thoughts passed through my grammar school aged brain....Such as: "I did not know she played the drums"...And...."I did not know they let grade school teachers march with the Southside Falcon Marching band". Like I said, I did not have a clue....It took me years to realize that phrase was NOT such a good thing to have said about you.

My Mom was talking (gossiping, actually) with some other mothers about a teacher at our school....a teacher that I was going to have for the new school year. I heard them say "Not only does she teach that "New Fangled Math", but she is so lazy that she makes the students do her classroom bulletin boards". I cannot remember the entire list on the gossip roster that day....but those two things stood out in my mind.

The first one...."New Fangled Math"...caught my attention in a negative way. I had always abhorred Math....(I realize now, I was perfectly average in my skills)... I just did not like it! But the Bulletin Boards.....I really kinda thought I liked the idea of that! I always loved arts and crafty type things! I would stare in awe at some of the bulletin boards in the hallways and the class rooms.....thinking how much fun it must have been for the teacher to do them! So the thought of actually getting to do one really peaked my interest in the new school year.....I thought I just might like my new teacher and her drum.

Sure enough....It was only a few weeks into the school year that she announced that students would be doing the next class room bulletin board. She had done the 'Welcome Back to School" one so that the class room would be properly decorated for our return to the new school year. She asked for volunteers....and my hand shot up in record breaking time! "Oh, Oh, pleeessseeee pick me"....I thought to myself as I bounced up and down in the seat. She looked at the hands that were up, and then asked us to put them back down, stating that she would talk with us later. Kinda weird, I thought. Ump...I definitely was not feeling "the beat" of that one.

Soon after lunch, it was Weekly Reader time! (I am really showing my age...do any of you remember the Weekly Reader Newspaper????) We were allowed time to work quietly on our own as we read the paper magazine and did the puzzles. Midway my word scramble....she came to my desk. "So, would you like to help me with this month's bulletin board?" OH, MY GOODNESS...you would have thought I had just won Miss America! My little heart skipped a beat...I was grinning from ear to ear. After all...it was the October bulletin board...and there would be pumpkins!!!! I had already dreamed of and concocted a "fall theme" in my head, in hopes of the possibility of this event! (Those of you who know me, are grinning right now, knowing this kind of behavior is still TOTALLY true to who I am today! LOL!)

Unfortunately, the rejoicing was short lived. She sweetly informed me....."I am so excited that you want to help.... BUT (the truth is always behind the BUT)...in order to help me, you must do all of your Math sheets at home, and a day early." I am positive I did not say "Oh, Crap"....but I am sure I thought the equivalent. She obviously saw the rapid switch from elation to dejection in my pudgy pre-pubescent face. "Whats wrong?" she asked.

Now this was a big dilemma for a fifth grader. Should I tell her the truth...which was that I stunk at Math....or should I go along with the plan....begin work on the bulletin board and hope she would let me stay on the project? Alas....I stayed true to my Lily White Sunday School Persona...and told her the truth. "That's OK, if you want some extra help and do no mind coming a bit early or staying a bit late, then I will be glad to help you with your work sheets". Now honestly, I did not realize then, what a big and generous offer that was....after all, she had a husband and two kids...so I am sure extra minutes here and there were a real sacrifice for her.

Long story short....Because of her willingness and dedication, I became a pretty good math student that year. One B and the rest A's if I remember correctly. However, the most useful lesson I learned was how to feel free to be creative. She let me pick the colors....she let me decide how to organize the leaves with all the kids names on them. She delighted in my idea to use colored yarn for the branches. I am sure she suggested ideas and influenced my decisions...but she did it in a way that I could still be "me". She urged me to be different...to be bold...to "color outside of the lines", so to speak! And I listened, I learned, and I began to march to the beat of MY own drum!

I often wondered if she had ANY IDEA, at the time, of the glorious, monster of creativity she was germinating inside me? And you know what...I think she did. I think she recognized it...early on....and seized the moment....and tapped out a cadence on her drum that was music to my little ears. She continued to take interest in my life...she came to our wedding (she taught Mark too)...she would show up at concerts or weddings where Mark and I would be singing. Mark and I sent her a copy of every CD we ever recorded. It was always such a treat to run into her.

A good many years later....Mark and I were not only married but now had two kids... I got a phone call from one of her neighbors that was a mutual friend, letting me know that my sweet teacher, had gone on to be with the Lord. She also wanted me to know, that among her belongings and boxes of memories and keepsakes from her teaching years, she had a scrapbook of just me. I had to sit down, I was at a loss for words.

Dozens of local newspaper clippings, various magazine articles, playbills...among other tid bits like my graduation and wedding invitations were in there....even church and wedding bulletins where she had gone to hear me and Mark sing... all were in the book. I was beyond flattered, and I felt incredibly loved. And for a moment...I could have sworn I heard a drum beating, ever so faintly.... And I still hear it from time to time...especially during times when I am "Stuck" creatively.

Weird, you say? That's OK...see, I "March to the beat of my own drum". And you know what, I also realize that IS a good thing.

Keep Marchin' Y'all!
~Scarlett





L

Our Valentine Story

It will come as NO surprise, to anyone who reads my blog from time to time, that I am MADLY in love with my husband. I am sure my romantic rants are almost sickening at times....quite sappy...verging on the edge of unbelievable for some! But I swear on my collection of Paula Deen cookbooks, every word is true!

We actually met at the community ballpark, when we were 12 years old. My brother played pony league....Mark also played ball there. But it was not until Mark started "liking" a girl in my church youth group, and began visiting our church, (Thank you Gaye!), that I really started to get to know him. Almost instantly, Mark and I were great friends....we both loved music...we both loved the Lord...and we could sit and talk for hours at the time, and it would seem like only ten minutes had passed! Before we knew it, we started singing together at church...and as soon as Mark got his drivers license, we started singing at local churches together.....it was just a matter of time before we began writing songs together...and yes, started making beautiful music together.... both musically and romantically :)

Believe it or not....it took us FOREVER to start "dating"...and it did not last very long. I could not handle it. It was too intense...too raw...too real....so I did what any inexperienced teenager would do...I broke up with him. What an IDIOT I was. I did not realize that I was simply afraid of the amazing, new, unique feelings I was having! Feelings of being loved and being known like Mark almost instantly...instinctually...loved and knew me blew my mind and overloaded my heart. He could read me like a book...still can. He loved me despite my flaws...still does. All my friends continued to tell me I was gonna marry him. I told them they were crazy. I was NOT gonna marry Mark Knight. I am so glad that I was wrong, and they were right.

The time between when we broke up and when we got back together brought confusing, difficult, dark waters to navigate. We both dealt with them like typical teenagers did...by consulting our emotionally immature peers :)....and dating other folks. Thankfully we survived the storm, but sadly, we both also came out of that time battered and scarred....BUT, also VERY confident that while we may not have found what we wanted in a relationship...we definitely found out what we did NOT want in a relationship! (If you can relate, can I hear an AMEN, SISTA!!)

Long story short...we did not "date" again until the summer before our second year in college....August 12, 1981, to be exact. I got my diamond on November 2, 1981. We married May 29, 1982. We did not waste time. We knew we were meant to be together! I did not intend on being an idiot twice :).... And although the statistics were stacked highly against our marriage making it. It did. And I know why.

It is not because we are super spouses....it is not because we are lucky....it is not, simply, a fluke. Nope...we have made it almost to our 28th wedding anniversary because we have trusted God with our marriage. We have worked hard to keep our relationship with HIM first. It ain't easy....keeping God first. And Mark and I both suck at it at times. But it works.

So, that is the synopsis of "Our Valentine Story" ...thus far...and Sugar, it ain't nowhere close to being over. No way! Our story gets better every year! And I refuse to imagine one page of the rest of my life without his name written all over it! :)


I love you Mark!...... My Sweet, Incredible, Life-Long, Jesus Loving Valentine <3

~Scarlett