With Valentines Day coming up (just in case you guys needed reminding)…and with all that we have been through this year, I’ve been thinking about the almost 32 years I’ve been married to Kathy Jean Lanier.

I met Kathy at a church service I was preaching for her father in Valdese, NC in the fall of 1977. I was an evangelist and Kathy’s father warned her about traveling evangelist having a girl in every church. He did not know me but I don’t blame him for protecting.

She was out of my league but attracted to my winning charm and lack of money. We dated sporadically for a few months and then got seriously involved and starting talking marriage quickly after the first of the year 1978. In fact, we were married on June 24, 1978…so our engagement was less than 6 months.

Kathy’s family accepted me quickly and my family fell for Kathy the first time I brought her home. We are both from outstanding families and that made the union that much better.

Kathy has talent, lots of it. She’s creative and innovative in many ways. Don’t be fooled by her quiet spirit, the woman has fire and passion about life, family and me.

We’ve moved and traveled most of the 32 years of our lives. We evangelized for 2 years, pastored for 5 years, state YCE director for 18 years, state overseers for 7 years…she hated traveling and leaving that pastorate in High Point, NC was not good moments for her but she has accepted that this is the platform God has for us and so each weekend, she packs up and travels to a new church and meets new people.

Kathy is committed to God, his church and her faith. I love her heart for God and the desire she has for doing God’s will. Even in the midst of her cancer season, she is talking about chaplaincy and accepting invitations for traveling overseas to minister to women.

Marcus Buckingham in his latest book, One Thing You Need To Know writes that a happy marriage requires a husband who over-reaches in his assessment of his wife’s abilities and good points. In other words, he convinces himself that she is better than he deserves, has more to offer than originally thought and loves him more than she says.

On the first two, he’s dead on and if so, our marriage is a happy one!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I love Kathy!