OUR 16th Anniversary!!!
Today Lisa and I are celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary. We got married when I was 20 and Lisa was 21 and we were best friends for five years before that. If you do the math, that means that Lisa and I have been together for 21 years now! We met at a child evangelism training camp in Minnesota (think Jesus Camp minus the cool factor and charismatic gifts) when we were 15 and 16. Although we were very happy together when we got married 16 years ago today, we both agree that at this point, every year is better than the last. The friendships & conversations are better, the sex is better, our weekly date nights are more fun– and at this point I think we both keep getting better looking!
Because I’m loud and Lisa tends to be calm & quiet, many people don’t know all of Lisa’s charms and accomplishments. She devotes alot of her time to guiding and educating our kids– and if you have met Hailey, Noah or Isaiah–you know that her investment is paying off in their character and confidence. She also spends 15 hours a week doing administrative work with ReIMAGINE, mentoring younger women and hosting the stream of people who come through our home. I should also mention that Lisa is the administrator for our local home education coop that serves over a hundred families and she is a girl scouts co-leader and co-op writing and knitting club teacher. In addition to all this she is making great progress in taking care of her body– eating well and walking an hour a day– and this year she has lost almost 50 pounds. Some of you may know that Lisa is also a compulsive knitter– in her spare time she always has needles and yarn in hand creating something for the many people she loves. In the past year or two she has been kniting prayer shawls for friends who are going through hard times. As she knits she prays for the person and then gives the shawl to them as a gift to wear when they are feeling sad or discouraged. I really feel like out of the two of us, Lisa is the best at living into the greater wholeness of the kingdom. I teach and write about the life she is living. I love you Baby-Mama!!! Happy Anniversary!!!
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Hoorah!
Comment by Ryan Sharp — June 22, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Congrats! Amy and I celebrated our 10th yesterday. We too got married at 21, having met at the age of 14 at a Bible Camp. We celebrated our anniversary this week at the same camp, where I was the speaker for the week.
Comment by Mark Van Steenwyk — June 22, 2007 @ 7:52 pm
Mark, I’m glad you realize that you are married to one of the most generous and strong and beautiful people on the planet. Our family has been overwhelmed by the love of yours, and we wish you many, many more years together. Happy Anniversary!
Comment by Mike — June 23, 2007 @ 5:15 am
So Sweet! It is great to count you as friends. Peace and Love in the many years ahead.
Comment by dawn — June 23, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
Happy anniversary dude! Nice pic - you two make an awesome couple, and the guy in the pic actually looks like you.
Comment by Bill Hackett — June 27, 2007 @ 6:00 am
Happy anniversary Mark and Lisa! It was so good to meet you all, you are an awsome couple! May God Bless you.
Comment by Luis Fernando Batista — June 28, 2007 @ 4:27 am
happy anniversary. beautiful.
Comment by danaemesa — June 28, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
i have looked in vain for an email address to write to you several time so will just do it here. we are related in some way, i am not sure from what direction. i met you on the street in Nashville a few years back and we chatted for a few minutes. i met your sister, Jen, is that correct, when she was with YWAM in shelton, wa where i was a pastor for 16+ years?
so congrats on your 16 year milestone. Linda and i just completed 35. your book is excellent.
greg “without the e” scandrett
Comment by Greg Scandrett (with no e) — July 9, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
Congrats! Hey, remember us from northern Minnesota (we were at Aurora FBC for a couple of years)?? Lots and lots has happened since then. Our journeys have followed somewhat similar, yet very different, paths. Remember little Emily Shackelton? She sings just as beautiful as ever and is getting married next weekend! We hear lots of good things about what you are doing. I had a prof at Grand Canyon that knows you–spoke very highly of you as well
Anyway, thought I would say hi and Kevin says hi too!
Comment by sylvia skinner — July 29, 2007 @ 7:59 am
“Jesus Camp” minus the cool factor and charismatic gifts…what a perfect description of Camp Good News!!! Aww…I remember when you two crazy kids escaped from training camp to go celebrate your 2-year anniversary - we were so lost without our fearless leaders (especially me, the little Pentecostal girl who was convinced that my cover would be blown and that they’d send me home…LOL!!!). I think about you guys all the time and pray for you often - congrats on 16 happy years together. Hope to see you again
).
Comment by Leanne — September 3, 2007 @ 1:03 pm