The Past

After laying in bed last night, praying, I did some major soul searching....what factors helped mold me to the person I am today, what are changes I can make?

This will be one of 3 posts...the past, the present and the future. I'm sure they will be long, detailed, yet they will be honest and open hearted. So here's to the past....

My life began with a mother desperatly wanting a baby girl. She prayed for me and loved me before she even saw me. When mother was 8 months pregnant, her best friend Gail was killed in a car accident, which is where I get my middle name. Jennifer came with the "J's" after 2 brothers Jim and Joe.

I grew up in a small town, Shelbyville, Texas were at the time I graduated, we had the largest graduating class...42...yep 42 graduates. I lived a very sheltered, niave life. I loved playing dolls, barbies and school. Hmmm, I wonder why I'm a teacher??? Mother played the piano for our church and we were at EVERY service Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, revivals, prayer meetings, ect. I am thankful for my foundation in God.

I wasn't a typical child, I never rebelled. My goal in my little life was to "please" my family, my teachers, my friends, and especially my mom. We were the best of buds. We did everything together. We talked, and talked, and talked...

I had (have) 2 older, smelly, gross brothers. They loved bothering me, calling me nerd, chasing me, tickling me. Although they were very annoying at times, I still loved them and always enjoyed going to their games or when they came home from college. I was always so proud to say they were MY brothers!

High school was great, cheerleading, band, UIL, FCA, and ANY activity I could participate in, which is one of the major benefits of being from a small school. With high school came a very special person in my life, JJ. She met my brother when I was 13, so I practically grew up with her, my "sister".

This is the part of my life in which I don't like to talk about AT ALL. It was a nightmare in which I would like to put away forever. I was married at 19. Not even a year later, we were divorced for reasons I am unable to share.

Then in May of 1999, I was swept off my feet in an instant. I started working at Chili's in Mesquite and met the most ADORABLE bartender. He was so charming, he made me laugh, he made me cry, and I knew I found the love of my life. I can still close my eyes and see his smile standing behind that bar, and I can still feel the butterflies I felt the first time we kissed. We dated for over 5 years, and then were married in May of 2005.

We worked very hard, graduated from college, and started our careers together. We have been to countless concerts, watched hours of television/movies, went on many wonderful trips (Las Vegas, Disney World, Mexico). From the very beginning we were best friends!

A couple of years ago, we had a yearning to find God again in our lives. We searched and found the perfect church for us, Firewheel Bible Fellowship. Little did we know the transformation our lives would have and the impact it would have on our marriage. For the first time, we put God first where he will always be!

Over 2 years ago, Charley and I decided to start our family. Later did we find out that our dream would come to a sudden halt when I was diagnosed with infertlity. We have dealt with situations, NO ONE can even begin to imagine! It has brought a whole new level of love to our marriage.

So, as I break down my past, I find interesting things. I see that I am still a pleaser, I still have so much love in my heart for my husband, I still don't rebell, I still want to make everyone happy, I still have a wonderful family. All in all this has helped me become the Jennifer I am today.

I challenge each of you to evaluate your past, you will be amazed!

Look forward to a glimpse into the present soon......