When I first moved to Madison I lived at an apartment complex less than a mile from Tim’s house.
The first night we met at a young adult gathering, he completely ignored me and I thought he was just too cool to talk to me. I told my sister about this super cool energetic guy who was “definitely not a potential husband”.
Two months after first meeting him, I found myself at his house for a Superbowl party. I couldn’t stop thinking about how badly his white walls needed painting.
The second time he spoke to me was because he accidentally ran into me (literally) at a party and said, “Oh, I didn’t see you there. What’s your name?”
It took Timmy three months of repeatedly asking me my name for him to actually remember it. Finally, he stored it in his cell phone and used it as “notes” for whenever he saw me.
Once he was able to remember my name, I stopped feeling irritated with him and started realizing how amazing he was (is). But I didn’t like him romantically at all.
Because there were several “Tims” that I knew, my nickname for Timmy was “Bouncy Tim” and I would constantly relate hilarious stories about him to my family.
The first time Rynn met Timmy she said, “You should marry Bouncy Tim!” I told her that whoever Bouncy Tim married would be an extra special girl and I certainly did NOT think that would be ME.
I really liked talking to Tim and found myself seeking him out at gatherings. He kept me laughing with his silly stories and I genuinely enjoyed his company.
Tim says he loved talking to me because he made me laugh so hard. He also says that he became enamored with “the cutest girl” he had ever met and he was constantly surprised at my “sweet little sayings” and “complete purity”. (His interpretation of me makes me sound a little like a Disney princess.)
Timmy liked me first. God told him I was the girl for him while he was at a dinner party at my house. I briefly wondered why he made so much eye contact that night, but had no idea it was because he was looking at me as his future wife.
My parents met Tim when I was moving into a new apartment and my friends offered to help. My Dad told me afterward, “You should like that Bouncy Tim. I like him a lot.”
The first time I realized he might like me was at the movies with a group of friends. He “happened” to sit right next to me and during the movie he shifted his arm so that *gasp* our arms were touching!!! I remember telling my mom that I really didn’t think Tim was the kind of guy to touch a girl’s arm without good reason. (Haha!)
I became fairly certain that he liked me when our group of friends went laser tagging and Tim spent his entire time chasing me into corners and shooting me.
Tim decided to paint his house and he asked me to pick out the colors. I was completely oblivious at the time, but he later told me that he knew I would be living there someday and that’s why he wanted me to choose them. I was trying to impress him and chose “manly” colors - blue and grey – not colors I would have chosen for MY house. (We started dating two weeks later.)
I first realized that I was going to marry Tim while I was praying at a worship gathering. As I was praying, he stood up and started reading Psalm 16. Suddenly I just knew. (Psalm 16 was the Scripture reading at our wedding.)
I was happy to trust God and accept that Tim was the guy for me because I had been able to get to know him slowly over six months. I realized that he was a man of great character and he met all of my hardest requirements on my list of qualities I wanted my future husband to have: he didn't like to watch TV or play video games, he wasn't a sports fanatic, he wasn't a drinker/smoker, he made me laugh, he wanted to homeschool his kids someday, and he was interested in being healthy. (I made this list when I was 18 and many guys didn't get a second glance thanks to their failure to meet one of these requirements.)
The night before he asked me out we were at a worship gathering with our group of friends. As I was leaving he stuffed a fake purple flower into my hand and said, “I want you to have this.” I got out to the car and said to my friend, “Tim O’Brien just gave me a flower…”
Timmy told me he had "taken a shining" to me and asked me to “court unto marriage” after an evening church service. After explaining that he didn’t want to kiss me until our wedding day he paused and said, “Oh. I guess I should ask if YOU like ME?” I said yes.
That first night we started “courting” Timmy asked me where I wanted to travel the most. I responded with Ireland and Paris, and at that moment our honeymoon was planned. Almost exactly one year later, we were married.
On June 8, 2008 I had no idea where my relationship with Timmy would take me. I get a little overwhelmed when I think of all the beautiful, good things that have unfolded over the last three years. My life is full and I am happier now than I have ever been in my entire life. The funny thing is, I thought the same thing three years ago… two years ago… and last year, too.
My capacity for joy seems to be ever expanding
as this life of mine gets better and better.
The first night we met at a young adult gathering, he completely ignored me and I thought he was just too cool to talk to me. I told my sister about this super cool energetic guy who was “definitely not a potential husband”.
Two months after first meeting him, I found myself at his house for a Superbowl party. I couldn’t stop thinking about how badly his white walls needed painting.
The second time he spoke to me was because he accidentally ran into me (literally) at a party and said, “Oh, I didn’t see you there. What’s your name?”
It took Timmy three months of repeatedly asking me my name for him to actually remember it. Finally, he stored it in his cell phone and used it as “notes” for whenever he saw me.
Once he was able to remember my name, I stopped feeling irritated with him and started realizing how amazing he was (is). But I didn’t like him romantically at all.
Because there were several “Tims” that I knew, my nickname for Timmy was “Bouncy Tim” and I would constantly relate hilarious stories about him to my family.
The first time Rynn met Timmy she said, “You should marry Bouncy Tim!” I told her that whoever Bouncy Tim married would be an extra special girl and I certainly did NOT think that would be ME.
I really liked talking to Tim and found myself seeking him out at gatherings. He kept me laughing with his silly stories and I genuinely enjoyed his company.
Tim says he loved talking to me because he made me laugh so hard. He also says that he became enamored with “the cutest girl” he had ever met and he was constantly surprised at my “sweet little sayings” and “complete purity”. (His interpretation of me makes me sound a little like a Disney princess.)
Timmy liked me first. God told him I was the girl for him while he was at a dinner party at my house. I briefly wondered why he made so much eye contact that night, but had no idea it was because he was looking at me as his future wife.
My parents met Tim when I was moving into a new apartment and my friends offered to help. My Dad told me afterward, “You should like that Bouncy Tim. I like him a lot.”
The first time I realized he might like me was at the movies with a group of friends. He “happened” to sit right next to me and during the movie he shifted his arm so that *gasp* our arms were touching!!! I remember telling my mom that I really didn’t think Tim was the kind of guy to touch a girl’s arm without good reason. (Haha!)
I became fairly certain that he liked me when our group of friends went laser tagging and Tim spent his entire time chasing me into corners and shooting me.
Tim decided to paint his house and he asked me to pick out the colors. I was completely oblivious at the time, but he later told me that he knew I would be living there someday and that’s why he wanted me to choose them. I was trying to impress him and chose “manly” colors - blue and grey – not colors I would have chosen for MY house. (We started dating two weeks later.)
I first realized that I was going to marry Tim while I was praying at a worship gathering. As I was praying, he stood up and started reading Psalm 16. Suddenly I just knew. (Psalm 16 was the Scripture reading at our wedding.)
I was happy to trust God and accept that Tim was the guy for me because I had been able to get to know him slowly over six months. I realized that he was a man of great character and he met all of my hardest requirements on my list of qualities I wanted my future husband to have: he didn't like to watch TV or play video games, he wasn't a sports fanatic, he wasn't a drinker/smoker, he made me laugh, he wanted to homeschool his kids someday, and he was interested in being healthy. (I made this list when I was 18 and many guys didn't get a second glance thanks to their failure to meet one of these requirements.)
The night before he asked me out we were at a worship gathering with our group of friends. As I was leaving he stuffed a fake purple flower into my hand and said, “I want you to have this.” I got out to the car and said to my friend, “Tim O’Brien just gave me a flower…”
Timmy told me he had "taken a shining" to me and asked me to “court unto marriage” after an evening church service. After explaining that he didn’t want to kiss me until our wedding day he paused and said, “Oh. I guess I should ask if YOU like ME?” I said yes.
That first night we started “courting” Timmy asked me where I wanted to travel the most. I responded with Ireland and Paris, and at that moment our honeymoon was planned. Almost exactly one year later, we were married.
On June 8, 2008 I had no idea where my relationship with Timmy would take me. I get a little overwhelmed when I think of all the beautiful, good things that have unfolded over the last three years. My life is full and I am happier now than I have ever been in my entire life. The funny thing is, I thought the same thing three years ago… two years ago… and last year, too.
My capacity for joy seems to be ever expanding
as this life of mine gets better and better.
Oh wow, Becki! What a beautiful love story, beautifully told. The laser tag lines had me giggling. And I just love that you and your family referred to him as 'Bouncy Tim.'
ReplyDeleteYep...I remember old "Bouncy Tim" helping us move you into your apartment on Fish Hatchery....liked him then...love him now!!!!
ReplyDeletedad
Sweetest sweetheart and most darling princess...you take my breath away. In fact your love and our love make me float up into the heavens. I just cant get out of the clouds with you. I feel as though you are perfect in every meaning of the word. I am consistently overtaken with the reality that I GET the cutest, most beautiful, most godly woman as my wife for all time. If one were to take all the shining diamonds, all the glistening rain drops, and all glimmering stars it would not compare to the dazzle that stops my heart when I look in your eyes!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are my princess and nothing can ever change that. Happy 3 wonderful years honey!
oh my goodness. you guys are so sweet. you have such a testimony of a relationship that has Christ at the center. i want this too :). thanks for sharing. i love all the little details sprinkled into every story. God really works in the details, doesn't He?
ReplyDeleteI just read our story again and had to leave another comment! As I watched you over the first 6 months the Lord slow but sure revealed to me how amazing you were(are). Your devotion and passion to godly principles caught my eye. In a generation of Christians "kind of" committed to Gods ways it was joyous to see one as devoted as you. Nothing was more important to me than finding a wife that was absolutely dedicated to God. You are that girl. As I saw who you were and saw Gods blessing on it I than had the confidence to pursue you. I also had decided that even if it would take 20years I would never stop pursuing you! Because you were Gods best!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying yes!!!!