Dating my Husband

I was a kindergarten teacher and he was a sailor in the US Navy. I was in a relationship with a guy I had been dating for 5 years and he was engaged to a young girl. I thought he was out of my league. We weren't saved back then and we definitely weren't living a Christian life. We met at a country night club in Charleston, SC. I was a challenge for him just because he had fantasies of being w/ a teacher - apparently that is a fantasy for a lot of guys. He asked me to dance at the club and the sparks started to fly. After a few more times of being around him, I realized the relationship I was in wasn't a good one and there just might be somebody else out there for me. So, I broke things off with my current boyfriend and set off to tell Mark. I think he took the news as kind of a shock, but then starting spending more and more time around me. He eventually broke things off w/ his fiance as well and we became a couple.

After a few months of spending all our free time together, he found out he was moving to Pensacola, FL. So, for a few months, we had a long distance relationship. We would take turns driving 10 hours (one way) to see each other. Eventually, he moved to Jacksonville, FL and I decided to join him there. Yes, though I'm not proud of it, we lived together before we were married. He was deployed shorty after I moved in with him and it was a strain on our relationship to be so far apart, but it was something I knew I had to get used to if I wanted to be with him because he was a military men and military men have to go away for periods of time - fact of life.

The thing I loved (and still do) about my husband are that he brings out a stronger side to me. I felt confident by his side, not shy and reserved, like I had been my whole life. Also, I loved the attention he gave me - when we were together he focused on me and when we were apart he always called or e-mailed or sent cards or something.

I know it doesn't seem like we should still be together because of the life we lived back then, but tomorrow will be our 8 year wedding anniversary and God definately gets all the glory for that. If it wasn't for HIM we wouldn't be together - HE has strengthened us and brought us closer together.