More like family than friends

I think the word milestone could be over used. So at the risk of being guilty, we just hit one of those in our lives. I have to go back in time to my high school days in Cambridge Ohio.  This is where two very important, life changing things happened to me.  

The first and most important item was that a friend introduced me to the fact that there is a God, He has a name, Jesus, who loved me and paid with His life so that I could spend eternity with Him and live a happy, fulfilled life here on Earth!  That changed not just my life, but my life ever after. 

Next, I met the love of my life.  We are one of those very rare high school sweetheart stories. Shortly after number one above, I met my wife in choir.  Five years after graduation, we were married. We just celebrated 36 years together, and I am so blessed by all that she brings to me daily!  I don't deserve either one of these events, but I'm thankful they both happened!

So, what do the following pictures have to do with this?  There was a man that was instrumental in my new life as a Christian. A man that took me under his wing and "discipled me" before that was a common buzz word in Christianity.   Secularly we call it mentoring, same concept and invaluable in my opinion. 

The above image is of our good friend Jim Lotz, his wife Dianne and their family. Jim and Dianne let us invade their home and play LOUD Christian music all through high school. To his right is his daughter Debbie, I was at their home the day they brought her home as a baby.  And, we photographed her wedding in Pennsylvania about 20 years ago!  That is her husband and their family, things like this really make you feel your age.  Just a few weeks ago, we were able to photograph his sons wedding at the Tennessee State Capitol building.  Jim was the guy that performed our wedding ceremony 37 years ago!  (Ironically just two days after this wedding!)

Steve and his beautiful bride Christin were a joy to work with. She works at the building for Governor Haslam that performed the ceremony. He was incredibly friendly and cordial, but that's no surprise.  Total attendees...19, one of my very favorite weddings to be involved with. I guess because it was like photographing family because that's how we were treated.  Congratulations Steve and Christin!