Seretha
I started following Jesus in college a few months after reluctantly attending a Bible study my roommate invited me to. Before then, I knew there was a spiritual side to life but figured no one really knows the whole truth. I was very serious, ambitious and figured it was up to me to live successfully. As I read the Bible, I was surprised to find myself believing what I read. I finally told Jesus one day in my dorm room that I need Him and want to follow Him. I was amazed how happy I felt right away, like a weight had been lifted. The sky looked brighter, everything looked “cleaner.” People started asking why I was smiling all the time. I realized it was because of my new life with Jesus.
That was over 20 years ago and I haven’t looked back. In the meantime, I have enjoyed three different careers in and out of ministry, raised two boys, and embraced marriage with Stan (see “The Long Distance Thing” for our romance story).
You’ll see from the photo that I drive a 1932 Chevy Roadster named Joy Rider (Nehemiah 8:10). I also love sewing (made the Snow White costume), wandering the Rio Grande, and listening. My favorite place right now is the lounge on top of our backyard hill where I stare at the clouds and listen to God. Highly recommended! It’s something only recently discovered and highly addictive.
Stanleigh
I was born the son of a Nazarene preacher. If I wasn’t at home or in school, I was probably at church. I gave my life to Christ at a Billy Graham crusade in elementary school. This would make a great story if that’s all there is, but there’s more. I graduated high school and enlisted in the Navy. My wavering faith was tested, and I spent a few years doing my own thing and not paying attention to God. It was my future wife that encouraged me to pursue my faith again and take a more serious look at who God is and what it means to be a Christian. Through a series of events which some may call coincidence, but I choose to call “God leading me down the path”, I found myself actively following the teachings of Jesus. I am currently the leader of a small group that has me investigating the history of the Bible and applying those findings to modern, everyday life.
When I’m not studying the Bible, I’m earning a paycheck as an IT specialist where I am a Systems Engineer on virtual infrastructures and Active Directory. My hobbies include comic books, science fiction books and movies and the occasional video game, which have all been referenced or compared to stories in the Bible for my small group.
The Long Distance Thing
Stan and Seretha met in high school. There was a total of two dates before they graduated. But nothing came of it and they went their separate ways. Stan joined the Navy and was stationed in California and Seretha went to college in north Texas. Not exactly an ideal situation to form a lasting relationship.
Stan was homesick and had gone through his address book talking to every friend he had. When he came to the “S” page, he found Seretha’s number and decided to call it. Not only was Seretha added to the call rotation but she became a frequently called number. They both found themselves looking forward to the calls and setting aside time so they wouldn’t miss each other. Stan and Seretha fell in love over the phone.
There were some unique struggles involved with this process. There were also some unique benefits. There was no going out to eat or to see a movie. They couldn’t physically touch each other. Their dates consisted of an ashtray-turned-stool in front of a pay phone on one end and a dorm room on the other end with 1700 miles between them. All they could do was talk to each other. And this was the benefit. They got to know each other better than they ever thought possible. They discussed everything. Family, friends, pains from the past, dreams for the future, what they wanted and where they wanted to be. Over the next three years, their phone dates were more intimate than any relationships they had ever had. There was nothing they didn’t know about each other. Over that three-year span, they had seen each other in person a total of 31 days. Stan proposed in June of 1994. They were married on December 30th that same year.
Seretha was a new believer in Christ in college. Stan had a wavering faith in the Navy and needed something or someone to steer him right. God knew what He was doing. Stan and Seretha grew towards each other and towards God. And God has never failed them in all of their years together.
Finding His Footsteps 