19 years ago today...

...a very young Johnny and Tori were married in a little Baptist church in Texas. We were babies at only 18 and 19. We were so in love and couldn't be without each other. I wouldn't change a thing. We were young, unlearned and naive but we grew together and it worked out perfectly. 

What a wonderful decision I made when I said yes to this man. He has been my rock and my strength. He has kept me on the narrow path and has led our family in the way of Christ. He has taken me to more places than I ever dreamed of. He has made me feel more feelings than I thought possible. 

After 19 years of marriage, he's not the same man I married. No, he's amazing. Every year he becomes more wonderful, if that is possible. He thinks about me in ways that amaze me. I am his life outside of Jesus Christ and He adores me. I am so blessed to be allowed to spend my earthly life with Johnny, God is so good to me. 

So I scanned a few photos from our wedding and thought I would share them. YES, that's really us!!

Our first kiss as husband and wife. 

Stop laughing, yes that is a mullet! He was just 19 years in this photo. 

Me after the ceremony.

Johnny and I yesterday in Austria.

Johnny and Tori Leslie, married June 29, 1991. 

19 years later standing on top of a mountain in Austria, in love more than ever!

Below is a repost from our 15th anniversary with a little synopsis of how we met. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every time I say fifteen years, I have to stop and think, "is that right, could we have possibly been married 15 years?". I know to you couples who have been together more than 15 years, this is no big deal but to me it's HUGE.

God is so amazing! I sit and wonder what I did to deserve to sleep beside him at night and to watch him laugh at the same old reruns of Hogan's Heroes, to make his coffee in the morning and loosen his tie after church. The only conclusion I can come to, is that God is full of grace. Other than my Lord Jesus, Johnny is the loveliest gift God ever gave me,

We met one night at his cousins wedding. His cousin and I had been best friends since we were very small. And although I had never met Johnny I knew all about "Cousin Johnny". David bragged on Johnny like he was 7 ft. tall and could move mountains. We had been spending time with the same people all our lives, in the same houses and for some reason we never crossed paths.

Finally, after living our youth with the same people we finally met, God knew it was time. Johnny was not 7 ft. tall and I doubt he could move mountains in the literal sense but he was something special. I couldn't tell you what it was, but there was just something about him; a sincere sweetness. I loved him from the first time he spoke to me.

The wedding went off well, Johnny was best man. I can still remember him standing against the wall with a starched white dress shirt, crisp blue Wrangler jeans, and snake skin boots. I can remember what I was wearing too, I can even remember the smell in the room. He was so shy, he could hardly talk to me, I think I did most of the conversing. We got along perfectly from the beginning and stayed by one another's side the whole evening.

After the reception he asked if he could take me home and because my ride was now on his honeymoon, I accepted. It was actually a very quiet ride home, we didn't talk much but I thought about him all night. Was this guy going to change my life, who I am and how I think? He pulled his yellow Buick into the year, killed the engine. We sat in the dark for a moment and then simultaneously got out. He said he wanted to see me again and after he gave me his phone number and told me to call him, he leaned towards me and kissed me on the cheek. I waved goodbye and floated into the house.

"This is the one, Mom", I said as she realized it was me coming through the door. "Mom I'm going to marry this one." She sleepily replied, "okay dear" and drifted back to sleep. I lie in bed most of the night thinking about how he kissed me on the cheek, he was defiantly different then all the other guys I knew. There was something sweet about him and I loved it.

After waking the next morning I immediately thought about his phone number written on a crumbled piece of paper in my purse. Wait, what if he didn't really want me to call, what if he was being nice. I thought all morning about it and was just too scared to call him. I didn't. I was so upset the entire morning thinking about this guy. What if I never seen him again, why was I so silly.

I heard mom call dad from the window in the kitchen, "someone keeps driving up and down the street" she told dad in a bit of alarm. I ran to the window, it was him! He had come to me! I watched him drive past my house more than 6 times before he finally stopped. I was elated. I couldn't believe it was him. I walked out and said, "Hi" he said "Hi" and 8 months later I gazed into his blue eyes, held him trembling hands and said "I do."

There really was something very sweet about Johnny and not until much later did I realize what it was. Johnny had accepted Jesus as his personal savior just weeks before we met. The sweetness, it was Jesus in him. I'm sure that our lives were orchestrated by God for a very special purpose; 3 beautiful children who love the Lord and a family of Croatian believers who love the Lord.

All I can say, is God is so good and Johnny I love you!