Refreshed

Spent a week at the Perry Stone conference in Chattanooga, TN for our Anniversary. What a wonderful time in the Lord. We were encouraged and edified by the word this week, and feel charged to spread the love of Christ. What a wake up call and reminder that many are perishing and yet we don't share our secret...Jesus Christ saves!!!

Abba's House

On top of Lookout Mtn

Love

Riding in the van

Harol and Marla, Ron and Carol

Ocoee River

Where the Olympics were held

Riding to service in the back seat

Huge pedestrian bridge in Chattanooga

Picture of the mountains before leaving

Hello!!!

Getting things straight

Fun along the River Walk

Didn't make it far on the walk cause

we got side tracked by ICE CREAM

WHAT!?!

Giddy up!

Enjoying Chattanooga

Posin for the camera

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Yesterday 10-18-09 was our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! We have celebrated all weekend and will continue to celebrate all week (all year for that matter (:). Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".

Hubby and I

Snow up at Clingman's Dome

Beautiful Fall Colors!

Riding Roller Coasters at Six Flags

Great Friends!!!

Beautiful Flowers

But the most amazing time came on Sunday evening. Zac and I were hungry (not for physical food, but spiritual food) and I suggested to Zac that we go to the Hispanic Church right by First Assembly. We called up our friend Ernie, who picked us up and we headed to church. We had met Pastor Francisco and his wife Wendy at our church and loved his heart. When we walked into the little building where they met you could instantly feel the Spirit of God. We knew we might not be able to understand everything that was going on because we do not speak Spanish, but we serve the same God and could worship together. There was such freedom in the place, and we found something there that was so very real. These people were only after God, nothing more. There could not have been more than 15-20 people in the building including children and even still Pastor Francisco brought the Word of God with such passion and fire. Incredibly for us his wife, Wendy, translated so that we could understand the word. Zac and I both went to the alter to pray and Pastor Francisco and his wife spoke a blessing over our lives, and spoke some prophetic words over us that were so encouraging. What a blessing to be around people who are hungry for more of God. After the service we went out to eat with Ernie, and Pastor Francisco called and invited us to come to his house, we were very excited to go. Everyone from the church was there and they were just fellowshipping and having a great time. One couple who had attended the chuch that night for the very first time was present and a few mintues after we had been there Ernie started speaking directly to the man about his life, things Ernie would not have know if the Lord had not shown him. The man started sharing about his life how he had been in gangs, had been shot and stabbed and that he should have died but he knows that the Lord saved him for a purpose. The man wanted freedom in his life for him and his family, we all gathered around him and prayed for his deliverance and he was delivered that night from the oppression of the devil. His wife and son testified later, that they had hated him for what he had done, but the Lord washed them in His love last night and they forgave the man. You could see the love and joy in his eyes when he felt free. His whole family was crying and thankful to be restored. We serve a faithful God!

Part 2:1 from Zac's Perspective

It is amazing how much we begin to see as we look back through what we have gone through, and how much our Lord has truly guided us by His Holy Spirit when we serve Him. (John 16:13) As I remember back to that October day actually it was October 15, 2007 the Monday after returing to Shelby, I recall being at work and the presence of the Holy Spirit was still very heavy upon me. I was in my office and was asked to go out into the field and help survey. I can remember it almost exactly. Me and another guy from work got into the vehicle and rode to wherever we were going to survey, I had no idea at that time. As we got closer I noticed that we were heading to Gastonia, NC. We finally pulled up to where we were heading and we stopped at a church that needed their property surveyed. As I got out and looked around and put the signs out I noticed something, the church property that we were surveying was located on Franklin Street there in Gastonia. I immediately had the thought to myself “a church on Franklin Street”. And I also thought “isnt that where they said Bekah was from, Franklin.” Well I thought about it but immediately became busy with work and didnt know how or what to do about it and thought that the Lord would just do it or work it out, so the thought began to fade overtime.

What I realize is that the bible says in John 16:13 that the “Holy Spirit will show you things to come” we all need the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to discern and hear what the Spirit of God is speaking to our spirit. “He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit of God says to the Churches” (Rev 2:7). And I can tell you that as sure as God says that “He is no respector of persons”, He doesn’t look at one and say I love you more that another, so is how the devil works, he doesn’t steal, kill, and destroy from one and not another. There is an all out war going on to keep the will and word of God from coming to pass in ones life!!

A week had passed now and I remember having to leave home for a week because a job came up at work that was in Mount Airy, NC, nearly Virginia. I do remember having to go with several other ungodly men and spend the entire week with these guys, sleeping, eating, work, etc.. Needless to say an entire week out there was very oppressive and an immediate attack from the enemy that I could not see then, but now looking back it is very obvious. I returned from the week of work very discouraged, and the very close presence I had felt from the campmeeting was gone, and so was any thought of Franklin or the fact that Bekah was the woman I was to marry. To be honest with you the attack was so heavy upon me that I just moved on, never thinking that I would ever see Bekah again or the families from Franklin. It just wasnt a thought in my mind anymore. I moved on and began to seek and trust God for a wife for the next seven months. Looking back I can see how God has supernaturally protected me and watched over me until the next time that I was to meet Bekah and let me emphasis, it was never a thought that I would ever meet her again. It just did not exist in my mind, and honestly God had not done the things that I thought He was going to do when I met Bekah, like shine the light or speak to me and say this is the one. For that reason, I didnt even think that she was the one I was to marry, but the fact that God had so moved in Dalton could not be erased from my heart in a hundered years.


The next seven months I spent working and seeking the Lord, and over that time God softened my heart and strengthened it so that I would trust Him. Over this time He began to put such a desire in my heart for a wife that it saturated my prayers. Everytime I went to church on Sundays and Wednesdays I would tell the Pator of the church that I am saving the seat next to me because my wife is sitting in it by faith!! Hallelujah!! I remember looking out the window of the church everytime a car pulled up and thinking, this is my wife, she is here because I now thought that God was going to send her right to me through the church doors.
May 2008 came and I was bubbling with excitement because I had decided to go back to the Perry Stone campmeeting, now in Pigeon Forge, TN. This was the first time I was going to get to see the Chisholms and Judahs (The families I had met from FL) since Dalton, GA and I was very excited. This time I just knew in my Spirit man that I was going to meet my wife, I was ready and I felt that it was time. I’ll let you know that the campmeeting was to begin on Tuesday May 13th and last to Saturday May 17th. On the Sunday prior May 11th Kevin Chisholm called me from Florida and told me that He, his family, the Judahs and His grandparents were going to go to church on sunday at First Assembly of God in Franklin, NC after the campmeeting. They would also be going to the prison ministry on Sunday night and stay a few nights in Franklin and wanted to know if I would like to come to the prison to minister with them. I gladly agreed but didnt think of Bekah much, I was expecting my wife to be at the campmeeting.


I went to the campmeeting and had a wonderful time with everyone and enjoyed the fellowship and worship and was greatly refreshed in my Spirit, but my desire was to meet my wife. I remember Kevin and I getting to talk to Perry the speaker, and on the last day (Saturday) and we told him that I was single and that he should get all the singles to stand at the last service for those looking for a husband or wife, we all laughed!!! The last night meeting came and I do remember Perry Stone at the end of the meeting asking the singles to come forward, I was at the altar and felt the refreshing of the Holy Spirit but God did not speak or show me anyone that was to be my wife, and like that the campmeeting was finished. I remember leaving the building and was somewhat discouraged but I still believed God could perform a miracle. I ran into another older gentlemen there at the campmeeting that I had met at the Dalton meeting on my exit out of the building. As we stood outside of the building we talked and somehow got onto the conversation of me believing for a wife and that was the desire of my heart. I remember he looked at me and said “I dont see a wife in the next year”. I remember leaving the conversation and I was crushed, I must have cried for 30 minutes and actually began to prepare my heart to be single for sometime longer until it was Gods time.


We left the campmeeting on Sunday morning and headed over the Smokey mountains towards Franklin. I will tell you that I have never felt such a loneliness in my soul or spirit than what I did that morning. I had just left the campmeeting from hearing awesome teaching and praise and worship but I was completely empty. I desired a help mate like the word says and was discouraged that it would be many more days until she would be a reality in my life. I had always prayed that God would do a quick work concerning me and my wife including meeting and getting married and the thought that it would be much longer was to much to bare. We got to First Assembly of God, Franklin right before the morning service began. We met Harold and Marla, and Ron and Carol. I will let you know that at this time neither Bekah or I thought that we were Gods chosen for each other. It was not a thought in either one of our minds, we had already seen each other at Dalton and had made our prejudged opinions, but I could not help but realize that I was in Franklin now and at her church, how did I get here!!! I sat down towards the right front of the sanctuary and remember seeing Bekah as I looked over my left shoulder towards the left side of the sanctuary. I noticed Bekah walking over towards the Chisholms and me and she began to talk to them and I intentionally turned my back on her and began talking to Paul, Harolds son, so that I would not have to talk to her, in fact I didnt know what to say to her anyway. After the service I was walking out of the sanctuary I walked out of the left door into the foyer area and as I did Bekah was walking out of the right door into to foyer area, and we literally walked right into each other face to face looking right at each other, there was no way around this one!!! I looked at her and said “hey Bekah” and then shook her hand and then turned and walked away out of the building. As I walked out of the building I remember walking around the corner of the building and I was by myself not realizing what God had done and was doing. As I continued to walk it was as if God pressed me and literally stopped me and I thought what if this is of God. I went and ate lunch with Harold and Marla and then headed to their house (where I was staying) and I remember crying out to God and saying "Father I know that you have brought me to Franklin for a purpose, Lord let your will be done". As I think back, we as the people of God have got to trust the Lord and believe that He will direct our paths. Fear of the unknown and being fearful to just step out in faith will stop God promises stone cold. I am a living testimony that faith in God brings forth blessing and desires that line up with the word of God. I could not imagine my life if I had never moved in faith even if I had completely missed God. God is able to protect His childern. Hallelujah!! I remember pulling up to Harlod and Marlas and Harlod showed me my place of rest and it was his prayer cabin that He had built beside his house. I remember Harold helping me with my bags to the prayer room and as he headed out the door, he turned on some soft worship music and left. It was as if the flood gates opened from heaven and I hit the floor with my knees under the anointing and God just washed me with his love and put a confidence in me to trust Him that though I may be in a new land and don't know which way to turn that I can trust Him and that the Holy Spirit will be my guide. We all headed to the prision that night for ministry and God strengthened my heart the entire ride there and back and through the night. It is amazing how God can literally set you up for the purposes and destiny for your life, there is just no words to explain it.


Monday morning came and I knew within my spirit what God was doing and I trusted him fully. I heard the Lord speak to my heart and say "Zac are you willing to trust me and put your heart out there even if she completely crushes your heart, that I am able to protect you and keep you from harm." I said "Yes Lord". That morning I called Bekah and even though I was really shy, we setup a dinner for that night. We went to dinner with another couple and actually not many words were spoken between Bekah and me. I knew in my heart what the Lord was doing and that Bekah was my wife, but God had to work on Bekahs heart. Bekah will tell you that we left that night after dinner and a softball game and that she thought it was a complete flop and that she would never see me again, but I serve a big God!!! Tuesday morning came and it was now time for me to go back to Shelby and here I stand, I had laid my heart out there and I was leaving and Bekah did not care to see me ever again and I knew in my heart that she was my wife. The families from Florida approached me and said that "God spoke to us and told us to give you this" and it was a fifty dollar bill. Since I was leaving for Shelby, I thought that I would buy her some flowers and I got her a dozen yellow roses and it was exactly fifty dollars!!! Faithful God!!! God opened the door for me to take the flowers to her mother, Melinda, at her work because Bekah was working. I had never met her mother before, so I walked the roses into the school office building and met Melinda for the first time ever and said "hello these are for you daughter"!!! She was a little shocked!! and like that I left and headed back to Shelby.

Part 2 of OUR STORY..from Bekah's perspective

Ok, it's getting close to our Anniversary so, on with the rest of the story (or the next part anyways). So as we have said, after that first day we met (only having spoken 10 words to each other) we pretty much went our own separate ways. I probably only thought about Zac 1 or 2 other times in the next 7 months and in my mind it was pretty much history. Well, around May 14th I got a message on my cell phone from Harold, making sure that I understood he was not pulling any funny business nor trying to set me up (cause he knew how I felt about that) but that the people from FL (who they had met at Perry Stone) were going to be up at our church that Sunday and they had invited Zac to come with them. So, about 7 months after the first time I met him, ( Just so you know, 7 means completion) Zac shows up at my church on May 18th 2008...just another weird coincidence THATS MY BIRTHDAY! I was still determined that no one was going to set me up. That sunday morning during greeting I went over to say hello to Kevin Chisholm, his wife Holly and their son Peyton but did not speak with Zac at all. In fact, when I got to them Zac turns his back and starts speaking with someone else...how rude I thought! Well, then I figured if he is interested he is just going to have to come seek me out. After the service I hung out in the sanctuary for a while waiting on everyone to leave so I wouldn't run into him. Wouldn't you know I walked into the foyer and ran right into him. Zac said hello, shook my hand and then immediately turned around and walked out the door (he will tell you his version later (; ).

The next morning, Marla called me and asked me if she could give Zac my number, she voiced knowing that I had bible study that night and probably wouldn't be able to do anything since Zac was leaving on Tuesday. In my head I thought "oh boy hear we go" and was reluctant but said that would be fine and in fact bible study had been canceled and moved to Tuesday. So, Zac called me on Monday May 19th and I of course let the phone ring so he had to leave a message. When I called him back I told him that we could go have dinner but that I did not want to go with just me and him so I invited some friends to come along. At dinner Zac hit if off real well with the other guy that came along but did not hardly speak to me. To shorten the story a little I will not go into all the details of that night. Basically after the evening ended I took Zac back to his car totally thinking this was a flop, he didn't have a good time, and once again saying that was that.

The next day was my very first day of working at the hospital and it was great, I loved it. After work we had bible study so I came straight back and picked up mom and a friend and headed to bible study. When I got in the car, mom tells me that someone brought something by work for me and at first I was like...what??? She had a huge grin on her face and said...you'll see. Well, at about 9:30 when I got home there were 12 yellow roses sitting on the table with a card from Zac. I still wasn't sure how I felt about it, and I didn't call him right away to say thank you, instead I called Harold and Marla and asked them if they had anything to do with this...they of course said no, they didn't. It was too late to call Zac at that time so I told them I would call him tomorrow. Well, Harold being the fatherly type knew that Zac was probably on pins and needles and called him that evening to let him know that I had received the flowers and that I would call him tomorrow (thank goodness for men like him!). So, the next day I called and left a message (it was Wednesday and i knew he would be at church and I wouldn't have to speak to him...terrible I know) telling him thank you for the flowers. He called back and left a message saying that he would be back next weekend and wanted to know if I would like to do something. I later found out that Harold had told him not to ask me if he could come back down, but to TELL me he was coming back down and then see if I wanted to hang out. I had to ponder and pray about that one for a while, I was starting to wonder what God was doing. I finally called him back and said that yes I would do something with him if he came back down, he was SO excited on the phone he could hardly contain himself. Mom was sitting on the couch when I was talking to him and I had to hold the phone away from me because I could not stop laughing. He probably said the phrase "that just blesses my heart" about 5 times while I was on the phone with him, and when I asked him if he would like to go for a hike he busted out with "that's what was in my spirit to do" which I thought was strange at the time. He later told me that he had a dream that we had went hiking.

On Friday May 23rd after a long day of work, we went out to eat at Lou Lou's in Sylva. It was all kind of strange because I was at a point that I usually would not have gone out to eat with just a guy, but for some reason this time I did. Well, we were enjoying our dinner and Zac pipes up and says "I gotta tell you something" immediately I thought Oh no, here we go. Zac continues and says "I want you to know this now, so that you can get out quick or run if this scares you", I am thinking...What in the world is going on? He says "I am called to preach" and then looked at me as if I would jump up and tear out of there right then. I just looked back at him and said "ok". He said "I just wanted to let you know that now, so you didn't think "hey I got myself and engineer", as if we had been dating for a couple months or something. Anyways, we got over that hump and finished our dinner. We had a really good time chatting and talking about the things of the Lord and also finding out many more things that we had in common. After leaving the restaurant we decided to walk down mainstreet and up to the court house in Sylva. We sat on the top of the court house steps over looking Sylva for a while and talked about the things of God. In the midst of that conversation Zac turns to me and asks "Would you ever gut a deer?" which I thought was a rather strange question to be asking but when I said yes (blood and guts is no thing to me, I worked at a vet for years, and now work at a hospital) Zac jumps up from where he is sitting runs in a circle and sits back down...STRANGE don't you think??? Well many weeks later Zac reminds me of that episode and tells me that he used to joke with people at his church that he knew it would be the women he would marry when of course she loved the Lord, but if he ever killed a deer she would help him gut it. It was a sure sign I was the one...haha

As we were walking back down the courthouse steps it started to sprinkle (how clinche) as we reached the bottom of the steps I stopped and turned to Zac and just shared my heart with him. I told him that I was not here to date just to date, that I had prayed for my husband for a really long time and I was not willing to continue something that was not God ordained and purposed for marriage (I had been through it to many times before, hanging out with someone who is not the one only brings confusion and hurt in the long run). I told Zac that if this was not from the Lord then we didn't need to carry this out any further. Apparently Zac already knew at this point what the Lord wanted for the both of us, cause he just said ok, Ill see you tomorrow for our hike...

So the next day Zac shows up at my house and we head out for a hike with my best friend Becky (she was there for moral support). Little did we know that all through out the day Becky had been snapping pictures of us as we would hike up to waterfalls or sit out on the cliff...what a precious memory. We both found out so much about each other that day and so many more things in common (I am trying to make this verrry long story somewhat shorter so I will leave out all those details).

That evening after eating dinner, we rode back home in complete silence except for some Hillsong worship music playing softly. For some reason I had this feeling come over me that was overwhelming. I felt like I wanted to get back home as fast as I could so that Zac could get out of the car and go home. I wanted to run so far in the other direction, it was not even funny. Basically I was scarred because here sat this man who was turning out to be everything that I had prayed for. We pulled into the driveway and sat in silence for a few more mintues and the feeling grew, then Zac (being the discerning man that he is) started praying over me and speaking things over my life that were amazingly spot on and exactly what I had written in my prayer journal. He started speaking about covering and bringing forth what God had placed inside of me. I could not speak, only sit there and wonder...Lord what is going on. When Zac finally got out of the car I sat there and cried for a good 30-45mins asking the Lord to give me some kind of direction because I was convinced I was not going to continue this any further if this was not the man.

When I went back inside I took out my prayer journal and the journal I have kept for my husband to be and started reading and praying, searching for answers. This is what I found...on Oct 10th 3 days before I met Zac I prayed "Lord I come to you tonight seeking guidance and direction for the next few days. Lord do I go to this conference or stay here in Franklin? Please give me some insight into Your will for the next few days. Lord I want to in the place where You can use me, the place that You have already destined me to be no matter how small or big Your plans may be." Ok...strange. Then I picked up the journal I have kept for my husband and started to read the entries that lead up to the days I met Zac. Fom the time I started my journal in 2005 until Sept 30th 2007 I had always prayed along the lines of asking the Lord to help me be patient, help me wait on his timing and asking Him to keep me until that time. But around Sept 30th I was reading in Genesis how Adam and God were in such close communion and Adam walked with and talked to God and yet God said it was not good for man to be alone. So, I started changing how I prayed and on Sept 30th, Oct 2nd, Oct 8th, and Oct 11th (two days before I met Zac) this is what I prayed "Lord bless him and keep him. Lord bring him to me so that he is not alone. Lord Your Word says that it is not good for man to be alone. Lord don't let him struggle in this life. Father I ask that if it is better for him to be with me then I am ready Lord and I will love him with the love that You have given me." Also as I was remembering things I recalled a time when I had been talking to a guy named Zack Rusch and I had asked a close trusted friend to pray that I would not get into anything that was not of God (cause once again I didn't want to date just to date) and the person who had been praying about this situation came back to me and said "I don't know Bek, the only thing I kept getting as I was praying was "Zack no Rush". Ok at the time I didn't really know what that meant...but NOW with another Zac in the picture it was pretty astonishing.

So I went to bed that evening with all this stuff on my heart seeking God and His will for my life, and I truly believe that He began to seal all of this in me as I slept that night. I woke up the next morning and actually woke up my mom around 7am to share everything with her that I had uncovered the night before. Mom looked me right in the eyes and said "Well Bekah you having been praying about the man you were going to marry for a while, did you not believe that God would do it" Ok that was a wake up call and her statement really stuck with me. I had been praying so long and here I was trying to doubt and discredit what was going on. That morning I taught Sunday School and the Holy Spirit was speaking through me and Zac was there to listen ( I had always pictured the man falling in love with me as I spoke God's Words). So I decided that I was going to share everything that I had found out the night before with Zac and just lay it all out on the table. As I was sharing all this stuff with him (which was pretty scary) I looked over at him and just started to laugh (at this point after all God had done...this was too much) I realized that for the past several years me and my younger brother had a running joke because I had told JJ that I knew when I met my husband he was going to be wearing a yellow shirt (I had a dream once) and we would always joke when we would see a guy with a yellow shirt on that maybe he was the one. Well I look over and Zac is wearing a button up yellow shirt, I stopped talking, picked up my cell phone and called JJ "JJ what color shirt did I say it was when I knew it was the man for me"..."Yellow, why? whats going on....did you met him???" "Um Ill call you back".

After I had shared all that with Zac I started to think about Zac showing up on my birthday and the fact that I wasn't even supposed to be there that day, I was supposed to be running a race in Asheville, then headed to the beach with a friend, which all got canceled. In fact the race got canceled, my beach trip got canceled, my first day of work got moved to Tuesday instead of that Monday, and bible study was canceled...a coincidence...I think not. Zac began to share with me all the things that had gone on, on his end (which you will get when you hear his side of the story) and I was blown away with everything God did to bring us together.

The next morning I woke up and mom and dad were sitting in the kitchen (now remember it has only been a week) and I told them that Zac was THE ONE, and then I went to breakfast with Harold and Marla and the first thing I asked them was "when did you know" and of course they played it off like they had no clue what I was talking about but they could not keep the grins off of their faces...they had know for a while that Zac was the one.

The Day We Met...Zac's side of the story

It was October 2007 and I had heard of a campmeeting that was being held in Dalton, Ga with the evangelist Perry Stone from a family (the coggins) in the church I attended in Shelby, NC. So me and the Coggins had decided to go to the campmeeting and at the last minute they backed out, but that did not waver me from going and expecting God to fulfill my desires of finding a wife. I will let you know I graduated from NC State university in May 2005, and I got saved in October 2003. God really began to prepare me for my wife by putting a desire in my heart for her in December 2004. About that time in 2004 a prophet came to our church in Shelby and gave me some advice. He said write down on paper what you have been burdened in your heart from the Lord for a wife. What do you desire in your wife, write it out and begin to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So for almost 3 years I prayed for my wife while God was preparing me and now I was heading to the Perry Stone Campmeeting alone a 3-1/2 hour drive hoping that God would show me the woman my heart had so desired and was nearly weary from waiting for.
I can remember the drive almost as if it were yesterday, my heart was so anticipating the campmeeting I was nearly bursting to get there. I do remember on the way we were in a severe drought and as I drove through Georgia almost every lake I passed was nearly 30 to 40 feet below it banks. I had not physically seen rain fall from the sky in almost 3 months. It was so ironic on the way as I approached Dalton I was still nearly an hour away I came upon one of the most torrential thunderstorms I can remember and it rained all the way to Dalton. You know it is just like that sometimes we go through dry seasons and all the sudden here comes the rain of blessing but our eyes are so fixed on our dryness for the time that we have spent in it that when the rain or blessing comes, we almost miss it ( Ill fill you in on that later).
So I got to Dalton and finally got in the doors of the campmeeting on Tuesday night to a sea of people it had to be over a thousand. I knew no one but the speaker Perry and so I took my seat over to the right of the conference room all the time thinking that I may meet my wife or I know that God is going to show up and just speak to me and shine a bright light and say this is the one marry her!!!
Two days passed and it was now Thursday and I was bouncing all around in the conference room wanting to find some friends and sit in about the same spot, so this time I decided to sit over to the left of the conference room and listen. After the morning service I was discouraged and decided to go for a drive. I drove way out into the coutry pleading with God and crying my eyes out talking to him and reminding Him that He said that He would give me the desires of my heart. I returned to the campmeeting for the Thursday night service and I again sat to the left and this time a little further towards the front. As I was sitting there I felt impressed on the inside to sit back where I had sat earlier that same morning, where I had met two families from Florida. As I continued to sit there with the beginning of the service approaching I continued to look over my shoulder to see if the seat had been filled yet, about 5 minutes before the start of the meeting I had such an urge to sit back there that I stood up and looked at the families ( the Judahs and the Chisholms) on that row and asked is anyone sitting in that seat, and to my amazement they said “we were actually saving that seat for you” because these same families had sat in this row the entire week and I had sat beside them earlier that day. I had never meet these dear peaople before in my entire life except for the night before. So we worshiped the Lord and God began to ignite a close relationship between all of us, that I was not yet aware of.

The Judah's and Chisholms

I returned to the campmeeting Friday morning and knew where I was to sit, I took my seat and the Judahs and the Chisholms asked me if I wanted to go and eat at the Dalton Depo for lunch after the morning service and I said “yes Praise the Lord”!!! After the service we headed to the Dalton Depo which was a restaruant in Dalton, GA and as we all took our seats and ordered we all fellowshiped and talked to one another to better get to know one another. I will let you know I can remember it as if it were yesterday that the presence of God was still very heavy upon us all and we all ordered and sat there just saturated in the awe of who God is. I do remember sitting around the table and God allowing the gift of the “word of knowledge” 1Cor 12:8 to go forth to a dear brother across the table which brought much edification!!! As we finished our dinner and were sitting there Kevin Chisholm ( now a full time minister of God) leaned over towards me at the table and said “ we met some friends from the campmeeting earlier this week that said they were from North Carolina and they said that there was a young woman of God that attends there church in Franklin, NC that will be coming to the service tomorrow (Saturday) Morning”. I turned to Kevin and said “ok, Praise God, what are the chances we will run into those people from North Carolina, I have no idea who they are much less meet them, and by the way where is Franklin?”. I will fill you in on something, the Chisholms and the Judahs are from Florida, and at this time I had no idea that God had supernaturally ran these families into (Harold and Marla Johnson and Ron and Carol Christie) two families from Franklin, NC in the parking lot of the camp meeting. I had no idea that God was using the Judahs and the Chisholms to get me to meet the Johnsons and the Christies to eventually meet Bekah. After lunch I sat there excited but very scared with very high walls up, actually ignorant to the fact that God would use people to answer prayers. As we finished lunch we paid and headed out the door, I was by myself as I approached the exit of the Dalton Depo, when I heard some men from another table talking about the Lord and assumed that they were also attending the campmeeting. I passed by the table and immediatley began to talk to them and I asked them where they were from and they said “North Carolina”. I immediatley thought to myself whoa!!! Hallelujah!!! About that time Kevin approached and said “Zac thats the people I was talking about to you at the table”. I was so overwhelmed yet so scared that I can’t explain it. As we all talked a few minutes Kevin brought up the conversation of the young woman that was to be coming tomorrow and I remember exactly Ron Christie said “well what does that matter, who here is single”. A huge grin came across my face as I said “well I am” and actually raised my hand!! Immediatley right there in the Dalton Depo, Ron Christie, Harold Johnson, and Kevin Chisholm all laid hands on me and began to pray for me!
As I left the Dalton Depo I felt within my spirit such an amazing presence yet so scary because I was so fearful that I would mess up and it would not be the woman that God had intended for me to marry from the foundation of the world. What I realize now is that I did not fully trust Him to answer my prayers and how much I am in need of his mercy and grace to hear Him and make the right decisions in life. To be honest with you all I was so fearful that I allowed the walls in my life to harden me to the fact of what was going on and what God was doing. I had prayed earnestly now for almost three years for a wife and I could have let it slip through my hands.
Saturday was here and the morning service was upon us. I took my seat and Kevin came to me and asked me if I would like to go back to eat at the Dalton Depo, because he had talked with Harold and he said that Bekah would be here for lunch, I gladly agreed, but was scared and actually went in to it before hand thinking that this could not be my wife, God wouldnt work like this.
We all went to go eat again at the Dalton Depo, but this time it was all of us including myself and Bekah. I remember sitting directly across from her at the table but would not look her in the eyes. Actually I talked to everyone else but her, because I was thinking that God would somehow just speak to me and shine a light and say this is her, and I got none of that so I decided this is not her. Even though I had decided no, I could not help but hear as Bekah has already mentioned all that we had in common, it amazed me, but the walls were not going to come down.
I thank God for seasoned men of God that have walked with the Lord for sometime and understand when they see God putting something together, that I could not see. As we all left the Dalton Depo we all stood around and they all decided to take a picture ( I can promise you that had it been left up to Bekah or me to have the picture taken it would not have happened). As we all stood there it was funny how the Lord set the picture up, there was everybody and then there was Harold and Marla Johnson and Myself on one side and Bekah on the other, they were actually a buffer between us two. As we took the picture like I said before I thank the Lord for seasoned men of God, Harold Johnson which I love like a father leaned over to me and said “ it looks like a beautiful family photo”(we later learned that Harold and Marla had cropped this picture and put on their computer). I thought to myself this man is crazy and we all got in our cars and left. Bekah and I never spoke another word, even though it may have only been about ten that was spoken altogether.

The last night (Saturday night) service came and Bekah was there at the end of the row, I glanced over at her a few times but that was about it, we never spoke at the night service. After the service Bekah left back for home and didnt stay for the last night dinner. We all ate and enjoyed our fellowship together and like that the campmeeting was over. But even though I had walls up of defense the Lord did not let me forget His awesome power of how He had brought all of this together and the love that He had for me and the plans for my life. And like that I was heading back to Shelby. I thank the Lord for His mercy, I never kept in touch with Harold and Marla or Ron and Carol, but God had developed a close realtionship with me and Kevin Chisholm and that was maybe the link back to what God had already begun.

Testimonies

While we are waiting on Zac (he is working diligently I promise) to write his side of The Day We Met, I thought I would post a short snipet of both of our testimonies before we got married.

I (Bekah) was born in Ketchikan , AK , but I have lived in Franklin , NC for most of my life. I grew up in a Christian family, and was saved and baptized at the age of 6. I have been going to church my whole life, but about the middle of my high school years, I started drifting away from God. I kept myself busy with sports, friends, and trying to fit in by the world’s standards, and totally neglected God and His calling for my life. I allowed sin to slowly creep into my life and I cut off my fellowship with Jesus Christ by not reading the Word of God. I quit spending time in the only book that would bring me closer to God and teach me truth. I had allowed myself to be sucked in by the world and its false advertising. I wanted to go with the crowd instead of against it, because it SEEMED easier and more fun. I had a lot of pride, and what I mean by that is I wanted to put myself and my will above Gods and I guess I just wanted to see if I could make it on my own. I continued this lifestyle of rebellion into college. I was running from God. I thought I could have more fun without Him and maybe after college I would return to my “Christian” life. My first year of college, I went all the way across the state to ECU. I tried to get involved with as many things as possible to fill up my time and what I thought would make my life content. I got involved in club soccer, racquetball club, friends, going to clubs and parties, and I was constantly changing things in my life that I thought would make me happy. After my first year at ECU I was unhappy so I decided to transfer to NCSU. God strategically placed people in my life over those years at State to get my attention. He was not going to leave me. God grabbed my attention one night through a dream. I had a dream that Jesus came back and I wasn’t ready. That whole week, I thought about my life and who I was living it for. I had made myself an idol and put myself and my own selfish desires before God. That Sunday I asked my Dad, who I deeply respect, to pray with me. I asked God to forgive me for wasting what He had given me, and invited Christ to dwell in me. Since that day I have come a long way in my walk with the Lord. Things have not been easy but I definitely have a joy that was not there before and can’t be explained by anything other than Jesus Christ.
God placed it on my heart years ago to begin praying for the man that I would one day marry. I started to believe that the Lord had a perfect plan for my life, and that He would bring someone into my life who was sold out for Him. Back in the summer of 2005 I started keeping a journal of my prayers for my husband. I believed that even before I met this man that the Lord would go before us and prepare the way, that He would honor those prayers because He knew the man that He had set apart for me. It is overwhelming to look back over those years of praying for Zac and see how the Lord has answered every prayer and every desire of my heart. When I first met Zac, I had no idea that this would be the man that God had chosen for me. In fact it went a little different than I always thought it would. For some reason I had always thought that I would know the exact moment I saw the person that they would be my husband. Well God’s ways are higher than my ways and it took about a week ;)

TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH IT IS HARD FOR ME (Zac) TO SUM UP MY LIFE STORY THUS FAR ON A SHEET OF PAPER, I GUESS I COULD BEGIN HERE I WAS AIR LIFTED TO CHARLOTTE, NC WHERE I WAS BORN 6 TO 8 WEEKS PREMATURE ONLY WEIGHING A LITTLE OVER 3 POUNDS I HAVE LIVED MOST OF MY LIFE IN SHELBY, NC, BUT DID LIVE IN CULLOWHEE, NC AND ANCHORAGE, AK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME IN MY LIFE. I WAS RAISED IN A CHRISTIAN FAMILY AND WAS BAPTIZED AROUND THE AGE OF 16, BUT DID NOT HAVE A HEART CHANGE IN FACT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND AT THAT TIME IN MY LIFE THAT IT WAS A PERSON THAT I NEEDED (JESUS) NOT A PERSONS HANDSHAKE. FROM THAT POINT ON IN MY LIFE I LIVED TRYING TO FIT IN AND BE WHAT OTHERS WANTED ME TO BE. SIN WAS MY FIRST LOVE AND CURSING WAS MY FIRST LANGUAGE ALTHOUGH I KNEW IN MY HEART WHAT WAS RIGHT AND WHAT WAS WRONG. KNOWING WHAT WAS RIGHT IN MY LIFE DOES NOT MEAN THAT I WANTED THAT IN MY LIFE, I MEAN I WANTED WHAT I WANTED OR AT LEAST WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD HELP ME, NOT HURT ME. I FILLED MY LIFE WITH FRIENDS AND HUNG OUT WITH THEM 7 DAYS A WEEK AND THANK THE LORD THAT HE SPARED THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND PROTECTED US WHEN WE WERE NOT THINKING ON HIM. I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH NO SET PLANS FOR MY FUTURE SO I DECIDED TO GO TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE SAME FRIENDS FILLING EVERY CORNER WAS WHERE I BEGAN. AFTER ONE YEAR OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE I DECIDED I MIGHT GO TO NCSU. I WAS NOT THE TYPE OF INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD ACTUALLY GO IF I WAS ACCEPTED. I WAS ACCEPTED AND THANKS TO THE LORD, MY DAD PUSHED ME OUT OF THE NEST TO NCSU WITH NO LOOKING BACK. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT GOD WAS SETTING ME UP FOR AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIS LOVE (JESUS CHRIST) IN THE YEARS TO COME. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I WAS ALONE AND MY CLOSET FRIENDS WERE NOT AROUND. IT WAS ME AND THE REAL WORLD. I SOON MADE FRIENDS AND GOT INVOLVED IN SPORTS WITH NO TIME FOR CHURCH OR JESUS IN MY LIFE. I WAS WALKING ACROSS CAMPUS ONE DAY AND RAN INTO TWO GUYS THAT BEGAN TALKING TO ME ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS SAVED AND I REPLIED HONESTLY YES, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT MY SERVICE AND TIME IN THE CHURCH COULD SAVE ME OR EVEN THE FACT THAT I WAS RAISED IN A CHRISTIAN HOME COULD SAVE ME. I WAS FULL OF PRIDE THAT HAD BLINDED ME AND I WAS LIVING FOR MYSELF. AS TIME PASSED I LOST CONTACT WITH THE TWO FRIENDS AND BEGAN A TIME IN MY LIFE THAT WAS DARK, BUT THANKS BE TO GOD THAT HIS LIGHT IS BRIGHTER IN THE DARKNESS. ALMOST THREE YEARS HAD NOW PASSED AND I WAS AT THE PLACE WHERE GOD HAD ALLOWED THE ENEMY TO TILL THE SOIL OF MY PRIDEFUL HEART. I HAD BEEN WALKED ON AND HURT AND BEGAN TO CALL ON GOD AND PRAY IN MY ON LIFE AND PRIVATE TIME WITHOUT YET KNOWING HIM PERSONALLY UNTIL ONE DAY I WAS INVITED TO GO TO CHURCH IN RALEIGH. FOR A MONTH I WENT SITTING ON THE BACK ROW UNTIL ONE DAY I FELT COMPELLED TO GO TO THE ALTAR AND IT WAS THERE THAT JESUS MET ME AND LITERALLY REACHED DOWN THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN BETWEEN MY WEEPING AND WASHED ME IN HIS LOVE AND I ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS MY PERSONAL SAVIOR. THAT WAS OCTOBER 2003 AND THINGS SINCE HAVE NOT BEEN EASY BUT GOD THROUGH HIS GRACE AND MERCY HAS CONTINUALLY KEPT ME AND PROTECTED ME THROUGH HIS WONDERFUL LOVE. I GRADUATED COLLEGE AT NCSU IN MAY 2005 AND GOD MOVED ME BACK TO SHELBY WHERE I SPENT A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS GROWING IN GOD’S GRACE. IT WAS THEN WHEN GOD PLACED IT IN MY HEART TO BEGIN TO PRAY FOR MY WIFE. FOR THREE YEARS I SOUGHT GOD FOR MY WIFE TO BE NOT REALLY BELIEVING THAT HE WAS A FATHER GOD THAT COULD ANSWER MY PRAYS LET ALONE GIVE ME THE DESIRES OF MY HEART. IT IS TRULY A BLESSING TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW GOD WAS LISTENING AND PREPARING ME FOR BEKAH AND THE PERFECT TIMING THAT ONLY HE COULD ORCHESTRATE. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT WHEN I MET MY WIFE (BEKAH) TO BE THAT THE CLOUDS WOULD PART AND ALL OF HEAVEN WOULD SING BUT GOD HAD A BETTER WAY THROUGH THE SIMPLE CONFIRMATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. I THANK GOD FOR HEARING MY PRAYERS AND BRINGING ME MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER DESIRED, MY BEKAH.

THE DAY WE MET...Bekah's side of the story

October is a very special month for Zac and I. Not only because we celebrate our anniversary, but the first time we ever met (if you would call it that) was back in October of 2007. Not to mention our favorite time of the year is FALL! So today I thought I would tell you a little bit about Oct 13th 2007. Now bare with me, because I have to tell the story from both sides or it will not make sense...even then you might be a little lost. This story is a testimony to the fact that God answers prayer and that "If you delight yourselves in the Lord He will give you the desires of your heart". Psalm 37:4

There was going to be a Perry Stone Conference in Dalton, GA and two older couples from our church were going to be attending. The conference was a week long, and they had invited me to come down for the two sessions on saturday. Now you have to understand that to the logical mind it made no sense for me to go because (1) I would be driving the 2 1/2 hours down by myself (2) I didn't even know who Perry Stone was (3) One of the couples is in their 70s and one in their 60s and (4) I had to teach sunday school the next day. But going back to my prayer journal here is what I prayed on Oct 10th 2007 3 days before I would leave:

"Lord I come to you tonight seeking guidance and direction for the next few days. Lord do I go to this conference or do I stay here in Franklin? Please give me some insight into Your will for the next few days. Lord I want to be in the place where You can use me, the place that You have already destined me to be no matter how small or big Your plans may be. Help me to be sensitve to Your voice and Your leading."

To my knowledge I have never before prayed that I wanted to be where He had DESTINED me to be, and this is the only time I have found it in my journal. That being said I remember waking up late that saturday morning and just pretty much decided that I wasn't going to go. For some reason after laying in bed a few more minutes I jumped up threw on some clothes and ran out the door (bed head and all...what did I care I didn't think I would be around anyone my age anyway). On my way down to the Conference I called Marla (one of the ladies who went to the conference) to get directions and after talking with her realized that I was even later than I thought because the session had started an hour earlier than I had planned. Also while talking to Marla she said "Bekah I need to tell you about something before you get here." Marla preceded to tell me that Harold (her husband) and Ron had met this young man that they wanted to introduce me too. Now after hearing those two things, that I was late and that they wanted to introduce me to a guy, I was ready to turn around and go back home. I had no intentions of letting people set me up (I have since learned that is how the Lord works...through people (: ).

Ron and Carol

Harold and Marla

To give you a little background, Harold (who is married to Marla) had taken it upon himself to pray for the man that I was to marry for the past 3 years, always encouraging me and telling me that the Lord had someone special for me. So I made it to the last half of the morning session and then we all decided to go to lunch at the Dalton Depo. Now by all, I mean me, Harold, Marla, Ron, Carol, Zac and a family from Florida (I will tell you about them in the next post when I share Zac's side of the story). I probably only spoke a total of 10 words to Zac the entire time, in fact I sat on the total opposite side of the table and if I am being honest tried to avoid conversation with him. I did however learn some strange and interesting things through eaves dropping on his conversation with others. For instance I learned that he attended NC Sate University (so did I...no big deal so did 35,000 other people), I learned that his dad was a park ranger (hmmm my dad is the Forest Ranger) his mom worked at the school board office (ok this is getting strange, MY mom works at the school board office) he had lived in Alaska ( I was BORN in Alaska...how many people do you know have been there?)...and other little strange coincidences but I still had my wall up. In fact I thought he was a little strange because he kept saying "Praise the Lord" and "Bless God" even when he wasn't talking about spiritual things...I started to question whether that was real or just lingo he was using (I have come to learn it is very real and that is his heart, because the bible says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks). I also learned that his real mom had died when he was 3 years old and that one of his brothers had committed suicide when he was just 16. Again if I am being honest I found myself thinking his family life was broken and I could not see myself marrying someone that wasn't from a good family (how judgemental and uncaring those thoughts were seeing how I didn't even know his family, and I have since asked the Lord to forgive me, and Zac has a wonderful family). So after lunch and after the night session they were having a banquet for those people who Partner with Perry Stone and everyone from lunch was going and they invited me to go. I of course was behind my stone wall and had determined in my heart that they were NOT going to set me up and that I was going back home, and I did. And that was the end of that...or so I thought. I never thought I would see this man again, but seven months later he shows up at my church...on my birthday (don't worry I will fill you in on that part of the story later (; ).

After eating at The Dalton Depo

Please stay tuned for Zac's side of THE DAY WE MET.