We both heard the advertisement for ChristianMingle. Norm was already on another dating site, but decided to join any way. I joined ChristianMingle mid-May 2011.

Norm had come through some heartbreak by the passing of his first wife, Judy, of 33 years, and I had recently come through 8 years of a very troubled marriage. I wanted a Christian man who truly walked the walk and loved learning about Jesus.

I didn’t have a profile picture, but Norm did. I didn’t know how to get things started and I didn’t want to be too forward. This time, if there was someone for me, I was asking and praying that he would be a true child of God and Christ’s love would be evident in his heart. My first message to Norm was: “Hello, I’m Gina. I read your profile and appreciate your testimony to Jesus. Want to take a chance for some coffee or conversation?”

As a rule, Norm made it a point not to look at a profile if it didn’t have a picture, which explains why I didn’t get a response for a couple of days. Luckily, Norm finally wrote back, saying this:

“Gina, I would like to take that chance. Give me a time and place. I would like to know more. Norm” Thus, our story began. I sent him one more message before we met and asked if he’d like to hear my voice before we met, since I didn’t have a picture and I gave him my phone number, pressed “send” and shortly thereafter my phone was ringing. It was Norm.

While on the phone he asked “How will I know you?” I happened to have on an orange, v-neck T-shirt so I said I’d be wearing that. I said to him, so, if I see a guy headed in to the coffee shop that spots an orange T-shirt, stops and turns back to his car, should I take that as a “no”? On Monday, May 23, 2011, we met for the first time for coffee.

It started with a few easy questions, but then I felt so comfortable with him, I nervously started talking and didn’t give him much time to speak. He was soft spoken and listened intently to try and not miss too much of my talking too fast. After about two very quick hours had gone by, I had to pick up my sister and he walked with me to my truck. We talked a few more minutes, and he asked if I’d like to go for a motorcycle ride on Wednesday, in two days. I said yes. Unfortunately, it rained that day and we went to a cafe for more conversation.

Norm delved further into ChristianMingle’s compatibility testing and asked me to fill in my part. We compared our answers, discussed them, and waited for ChristianMingle’s COMPASS to come back to see how we did. The thermometer showed “very good match.” We spent so much time together praying, thanking and praising God for allowing us to meet. The feelings we were sharing were not about intimacy. It was all about two people who had God’s love in their hearts.

We know God brought us together. We shared each of our life stories with each other. We spent quality time praying together and doing devotions and praying diligently for God’s will in our life. On August 13, 2011, while on a camping trip at Deep Lake, Norm got down on one knee and asked “Will you marry me?” With tears in his eyes, and tears in mine, we both were on our knees. I softly whispered, “YES!”

We could have left that moment to get married, but we both wanted to be married by one of our pastors, and wanted so much for our families to witness our love. Norm has a good-sized family. He has 3 grown children, all married and all with their own children. I never had children. Every other Sunday after church, the family sets down around a home-cooked meal, praying and thanking God for this precious family of 16 and growing!

On November 11, 2011, we decided to get married on March 3, 2012. Norm’s family made all the soups and breads for our reception. We happily celebrated our first anniversary earlier this month, March 3, 2013. God does have a plan for each of us. It wasn’t by happenstance that Norm and I met.

We want others to see God in us. God made the special bond between a man and a wife to be very, very special. God’s love is what made our match, by using ChristianMingle to connect people. We both thank God that He gave us each other. Each day is one more day to love Norm and for him to love me. God used ChristianMingle and our true story to bring us to a blessed married life.