When Love Inspires: Kristen's story

When Love Inspires: Kristen's story

Does Prince Charming exist?

Hallmark will tell you he does. He’s handsome, well-mannered, and romantic. He dresses really well, usually has plenty of money, and likely a college degree alongside his picketed-fence upbringing.

I grew up aspiring for this type of Prince Charming to become my husband. The kind who would play soft music and cook me a surprise fancy dinner every so often. A man who would buy me flowers every anniversary and Valentine’s Day, but then also “just because” while upgrading my diamond to diamonds—plural. The type of husband who would find a way to kiss me under the mistletoe and hold my hand in public.

Now, I love me some Hallmark Prince Charmings. The channel is on constantly during Christmastime, and each movie provides exactly what it intended—warm fuzzies.

But my Prince Charming looks very different than those I see on TV.

My husband and I started dating five weeks after I turned eighteen. It was the summer after I graduated high school. We were babies! We’ve been married over fifteen years now, and this summer will mark twenty years together. But he’s never bought me flowers. He’s never cooked me a meal and lit candles for ambiance. He’s never surprised me with a super fancy date night out on the town.

Even still, he’s the love of my life and each day with him only gets better. He’s practical, so he spoils me rotten with things like a new Mac computer for work “just because,” or thermal underwear to wear around the house ‘cause I’d told him I was cold (yes, this has really happened a few times in our twenty years). He works a very strenuous and physical job outside in the elements so we can live a beautiful life that allows me to stay home writing (which doesn’t pay the bills). He takes pride in building us a fire, inside or out, to keep us warm and cozy. He has an alpha-wolf personality but will still do anything I ask of him. He’s a protector at heart and devoted to our kids which means coaching their sporting activities whenever possible. He’s a Jesus-follower, and most know this about him very quickly by the way he lives his life.

So, while he may not be romantic according to the world, he is to me. And when I think about what inspires me to write sweet love stories, I believe my husband is why. I want my readers to see everyday men in my heroes—men they could come in contact with. Like my husband, the characters in my stories are flawed and most don’t adhere to the typical romance-style we watch on Hallmark. They are real men. They are rough and tough sometimes. They are practical, but also generous. They are doting but hold tight to their masculinity while doing so. They are handsome, but not always put together in the perfect suit or trendy model-worthy outfit.

They are the Prince Charmings of reality. They may not be typical, according to most romantic movies on Hallmark, but they’re absolutely worthy. They’re the ones we, women, encounter in everyday life. These men, those like my husband, are the ones who inspire me to write about love. They’re real Prince Charmings waiting to snatch you up as their princess.

~*~
Author Bio:

Kristen holds a Master's degree in Theological Studies and served as a Children's Ministry Director for five years. 

She cherishes her Southern roots and currently lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. 

With the support of her husband and two children, she stays at home writing Christian fiction, allowing God to take the story where He needs it to go. 

Kristen blogs for Wholly Loved ministries at WhollyLoved.com and Crosswalk.com. She also loves serving her local church on their women's leadership and teaching team.

~*~
Blurb for Kristen's book, Morning Star:

Addie McHenry, restoration home builder extraordinaire, catches her big break when the House to Home network contracts her to film a reality TV show focusing on how she brings homes back to life. She sets her sights on one of the oldest on Moanna’s beach and has to risk everything just to get it. 

Shane Armstrong moved from Savannah to his grandmother’s Moanna oceanside house when his world shattered five months before. He went on leave from his job as a Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer, hopeful his grandmother’s peaceful street will help him heal. The reality TV show’s arrival threatens this serenity.

But the construction and camera crews are nothing compared to Addie herself. She’s tough as nails, challenging, and superbly bossy as she works to get her way. But she’s also kind, hardworking, and has a relationship with God Shane can’t begin to understand.

With each encounter, Shane’s walls start to crumble as Addie brings more than just the historical home back to life, but him as well. Addie tries desperately not to enjoy spending time with the irritable and scowling boy from next door. He hides his heartache well, but she sees it there behind his prickly exterior. Soon she begins to uncover the sacrificial hero underneath the façade.

With both of them only temporary residents on Moanna Island, their thin ice relationship crashes to a halt. Can Shane return to his risky job with the Coast Guard? Does he even want to? And can Addie let him go and follow her dreams even when tragedy strikes?

~*~
Connect with Kristen:
Website: https://www.kristenterrette.com
Amazon Author page: https://amzn.to/2RLmJ2t
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkristenterrette
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kterrette
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kterrette/

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Worth 1,000 Words: Kaitlin Noel Photography

Featured photo:

Photo credit: Katelyn James Photography. Featured: Mrs. Kaitlin Noel Hebert
with her husband and children during their wedding "the second time around."

Today's Worth 1,000 Words post is a bit different than the rest because the featured photo is from the wedding photographer's own wedding, the "second time around" after being married with children. The photographer who captured the photo is Katelyn James and while Katelyn's wedding photography will be featured later on in this series, today is all about her friend Kaitlin Noel of Kaitlin Noel Photography!

Kaitlin would like to share the story of what love means to her through the lens of her work as a wedding photographer, her special day as a blushing bride and her life as the wife to the man of her dreams. 

So here is what love means to Kaitlin, she wrote:

"Love is family!”

My husband and I renewed our vows on our 5 year anniversary in 2014 in front of all of our family and close friends. Our first wedding was a very rushed, last minute and ill-planned event that was more focused on the "wedding" than the marriage. After five years of marriage and two kids later, we really thought about our marriage, all we have been through...all our love for each other and these kids has done for us as individuals, a couple and as parents. We wanted to create a day where we could REALLY focus on our love and our family which are the core values of our marriage.

Love is so much more than attraction, gifts on holidays, date nights, trips, and romantic gestures. It’s about being able to just sit next to this person. Breathe in the same air. Sitting in silence, and be PERFECTLY HAPPY. Perfectly content. A feeling of home. Acceptance. And ultimately, unconditional support and respect.

Raising children is TOUGH! We had our boys, Nicholas and Ryan, back to back and it was by no means easy. It was taxing. We were tired. Poor. And our "romantic fire" was turning into ashes. We knew that we loved our kids and loved each other, but often OUR love was the furthest thought...it was all about the kids.

As of lately, we LOVE showing the kids how in love we are. When cooking dinner, Michael will often come up behind me and offer to help. He will grab me away and dance with me by the stove and the boys come running in. They even scream..."Kiss her dad!" We are TEACHING them about love by SHOWING them what true love is. Love isn't perfect. It is not roses and chocolates and jewelry all the time. It’s about MAKING THE TIME to show each other that you on their mind and always in their heart. We are a huge fan of little notes tucked in each other’s work bags, coffee mugs, or suitcases before we travel on separate business trips. We figured out that we speak VERY different love languages and need different types of support.

For us love is absolutely effortless, but CULTIVATING love is hard work in that you must never, ever stop. Marriage, though a blessing, is work. BOTH members need to work to make sure each other are respected, supported and FEEL safe. His pain is mine. My sadness is his. We are a TEAM.

As a wedding photographer, I get to capture HUNDREDS of love stories. Though each one involves a pretty wedding with music, drinks and captivating floral arrangements....each wedding is perfectly unique. My couples are truly radiant and spirited people that THRIVE on each other. They get their joy from their spouses and vice versa. I love capturing the way each specific couple uses their OWN love language to communicate. I have had grooms that are hair brushers (they constantly sweep their spouses hair from their brow line and cheek). I have had hand kissers and holders (where they never let go of their spouses hand and always lift it to their lips for a soft kiss). I have had twirlers, ticklers, funny-facers and tacklers. Each expression of love in unique and quite frankly ADORABLE to watch play out. I am a blessed girl to see so much love in my life time, let alone be the one that gets to capture it for their generations to look at for years to come.

I am blessed with a wonderful husband, amazing children, and an incredibly moving career. Love surrounds me every day and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

~*~
Photographer bio: 

Kaitlin Noel in action, capturing a moment of love

Kaitlin Noel Hebert is a professional wedding and portrait photographer based in Cape May, New Jersey. She’s the mother of two perfect little boys, Nicholas and Ryan. Kaitlin is the “police wife” to her husband Michael. She is also the mother to a French bulldog named Ellie who was named after her favorite movie character Elle Woods from the movie Legally Blonde.

Kaitlin is approaching her fifth year as a professional photographer. She enjoys traveling for destination weddings around the world and traveling to new locations with her husband and family.

Kaitlin spends her free time with her family at their beach house and up on the boardwalk eating as many deep fried Oreo cookies as possible. Kaitlin’s DSLR camera has become an “extra limb” over the years, so she finds it challenging to ever lay it to rest. However, she finds that it’s nice to unplug and invest in more photography education. Kaitlin attends retreats to become motivated and re-inspired to do what she loves most—photography.

Visit Kaitlin Noel of Kaitlin Noel Photography's website to learn more about Kaitlin and her photography business, http://kaitlinnoelphotography.com/about

True Love Stories: Complement - "something that completes or makes perfect"

The story of The Taylors is so beautiful that when reading it, you just may cry! Tears of joy may cascade down your face as you learn secondhand of how beautiful a love story can be when you allow God to write it! Only God can bring together two people who perfectly complement each other in every sense of the word. 

Okay, so you may not experience waterworks when you read this story but you most definitely will smile as you read the journey Jared Taylor took to the altar with his wife Vanessa. You will learn the value of patience as a virtue and you will be reminded that friendship first with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone is the foundation that helps romantic relationships last and flourish. 

So go ahead, pick up a box of Klennex (just in case you cry) and be prepared to believe in true love again as you read how God brought a "French Girl" known for her beauty and love for God, together with a man with a passion for Jesus Christ, who was raised in the home of his heritage, Trinidad.

Yes, the story is THAT good. 

~*~

Complement- "something that completes or makes perfect"

Jared and Vanessa Taylor's true love story

I met her in college--an exotic beauty. The “French Girl” we called her. We were friendly but not friends. At the time she had a boyfriend whom she seemed really into, plus I had other interests, including her roommate.

Fast forward a few years to the heyday of the social networking site Hi 5! I stumbled across “The French Girl’s” profile and sent her a friend request. Surprisingly she accepted. Turned out there was an attraction on her side as well. We exchanged numbers but our conversations were off and on.

Shortly thereafter “The French Girl” whose real name is Vanessa, completed grad school at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan and moved to Maryland. We hung out from time to time, even dated occasionally but we both had other things going on so we never became more than friends. However we became close, confiding in each other, encouraging and supporting one another.

The first time the idea of Vanessa being more than just a friend happened was in October 2010. I had received some disturbing news one Friday evening and I called to share it with her. She dropped what she was doing, came over to my apartment, prayed with me…and just held me. I’ve had people pray for me before, but there was something different about the way this chick spoke to God. Where most people seem to be detached and formal, she seemed way more intimate and familiar; like He was someone she really knew as a real person and not an abstract concept. It was a breath of fresh air! I took notice and thought to myself, “That’s what I’d want in a wife!” Then the moment quickly passed and life continued on as normal…for a few months.

In January 2011 I enrolled in a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry Leadership Program and was required to attend an “intensive” session in Daytona, Florida. On the 12 hour drive home, my friend Keith included me in an email to his friends with a YouTube link to a sermon series by Pastor Henry Wright entitled “The Holy Spirit a& Choosing A Mate.” I listened to pass the time and found it enlightening. I wasn’t actively looking to get married, but I was looking to give my attention fully to a single individual and I found this sermon helpful in evaluating my options, which at the time didn’t include Vanessa.

The end of that semester found me having to conduct surveys for a project on how people viewed God. Vanessa was one of the persons willing to be interviewed. We made plans to go to the movies and decided to meet early to knock the interview out before other people came to the theatre. As I recorded Vanessa’s responses I had several of those “That’s what I’d want in a wife!” moments. We ended the interview, watched the movie and went our separate ways, but unlike the first time, the moment didn’t pass. My curiosity was piqued. I purposed in my heart to take a closer more intentional look into Vanessa and see what she was all about. So I began using her love of food to create opportunities for my investigative endeavor!

When I left Trinidad to return to the United States in 2004, I had a firm grasp on where I believed God was taking me and what he wanted for me. Listening to Pastor Wright's presentation in 2010 helped me get a clearer picture of what a complement to that would look like. To my very pleasant surprise…in 2011, it looked like Vanessa. I recognized it pretty quickly but took time to do my due diligence, spending time in prayer, just to be sure.

I shared my intentions with Vanessa but she wasn’t really feeling it. We were cool, but she wasn’t feeling me like that. Yet, she didn’t say no! In that moment I saw a glimpse of God’s love for me, the certainty of His love and His continual demonstration of that love despite my reluctance to fully accept it. I determined to mirror the love I received from Him in my interactions with her, until she made a decision one way or the other! It wasn’t easy being around while she explored her options. It wasn’t fun being referred to as vegetables (the stuff that you know is good for you) as opposed to Fritters (a favorite food that excites). 

However God kept on loving me and likewise I continued to demonstrate my love for Vanessa, until eventually she returned the love I showed. On December 1st, 2011 I proposed to her and she said "yes". On May 27, 2012 we were married. 

We thank God every day for the opportunity to experience His love in such a marked way and desire to share it with everyone with whom we come in contact!

~*~
Author bio: Jared Renaud Taylor is a graduate of the Huntington University Masters of Youth Ministry Leadership program. He also holds a Bachelor degree in Computer Information Systems from Andrews University.

Jared is the author of New Lenses: How I Met Jesus on MTV. He is also the creator, producer and host of Water For The Thirsty, an online web series which facilitates daily personal devotion and Bible study.

Currently Jared works at CGI Federal as an IT Support Specialist.

Jared has two charming sons, and lives in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with his wife Vanessa, whom he loves dearly.

True Love Stories: Worth the Wait

A common scene in Christian circles is the scenario where a single Christian lady is approached by a wife-seeking Christian male who declares, "GOD told ME that YOU are my WIFE!"

Depending on the person, such a comment can make you or break you. If you've been praying to God for Him to send a spouse to you and a guy at church tells you this "news," you may or may not be happy to hear it. If you like him you're elated but if you don't like the man you're deflated. 

Luckily, if you have a good relationship with God--one where you are spending devotional time with Him in prayer and are living for Him every day--then you know His voice. God will give you wisdom to tell the difference between a man who's pursuing you from His heart vs. a man who wants you for the wrong reasons. So then you're not troubled by this common scenario because as they say when you "know" you "just know" who the person is that God has called you to spend the rest of your life with on this Earth. So clearly you can tell the counterfeit mate from the genuine, God-sent match for you to marry. 

Such is the case with the married couple in today's featured true love story. Natasha and Mario sought God before they sought each other. They knew the importance of being a complete person in their walk with the Lord and they embraced the practice of praying for their future spouse even before they met. So when God worked through a church lady named Karen to bring Natasha and Mario together, they "just knew" the timing was right.

Read the rest of this wonderful couple's true love story and be encouraged as they share their journey. 

~*~
Worth the Wait
Natasha Broussard’s true love story

“Three years and seven months ago, Mario placed receiving a wife on the altar to God. It was the exact same time that I started praying for God to send me my husband…and approximately one week later, Mario and I met. Seven months later, we were married. God is and will always be our foundation!” 

~Mrs. Natasha Broussard

About four years ago, Mario was asked to record a devotional thought for his home church in Columbus, Ohio. After the recording, one of the church members (Karen) asked Mario if he was single, and stated that she had a single friend. She asked Mario to look at pictures of me on Facebook to see if he would at least be interested in giving me a call. Smiling at my pictures, he promised Karen that he would send me a message, in hopes of meeting me one day.

On Friday June 10 2010, I received this message from Mario:

“Hello! It was a pleasure hearing about you from Karen. Her description of you was intriguing, so I decided that I wanted to (at the very least) be associated with such a great person. Hope to hear from you.”

I wrote Mario back that same day because I, too, was intrigued. However, two weeks went by without a response from him. I had even went out on a limb and left him my number in the message.

One day while talking to Karen, she asked me if I had heard from Mario. I told her only once, and she suggested that if I ever saw him online, to just start a conversation and see if it lead anywhere. Although hesitant, one night I did see him online and we ended up “chatting” via Facebook for hours.

Circumstances kept us from talking on the phone that evening, but he called me the next afternoon. Not far into the conversation I said “God is going to do some amazing things with you – He has so much planned for you!” Mind you, I am saying this to a man who was nowhere near where he wanted to be in his life, so he laughed at me. But I felt the Holy Spirit when I spoke to Mario, and we had not even met face-to-face yet. We talked until I had to go to class that evening, and decided to meet each other the next day.

Mario met me at my apartment and all we could do was smile; it was such a sweet moment. Again, we spent hours talking. The next day, God told me that Mario was my husband. I had spent years praying and waiting for this, so it was almost hard to believe that my husband was finally here! But I did not tell Mario what God told me – I waited for him to hear it for himself. 

We saw each other almost every day after our first date, and soon after, we started dating officially. One afternoon we were at the State Fair, and Mario received a phone call that there was a position for him to take in Maryland. I was confused because I knew God had told me he was my husband, but now we found out that he would be moving 325 miles away!

Despite selfish disappointment, we were both excited for Mario’s transition, because this was a door that God opened. We stuffed his car with his belongings, and drove from Ohio to Maryland. Only a few hours after arriving, I had to catch a plane back to Ohio. Mario dropped me off at the airport, and we embraced each other, trying to hold back tears.

We spoke every day, making the best of our long distance relationship. About a month after Mario moved to Maryland, he called me and said “God told me that you are my wife!” The holidays were approaching and Mario came back to Ohio for winter break.

On January 3, 2011 Mario got on one knee, and held a sign that said, “Natasha, will you marry me?” I believe my response included approximately twenty YES’s! We knew we were supposed to be together and wanted to wed soon, despite being long distance, so we set a date. Soon after, I received a phone call that I was chosen for a job in Bethesda, Md. and that they wanted me to start one week after our set wedding date–this was confirmation from the Lord!

So on February 20, 2011 Mario and I married in Takoma Park, Md. 

Everything fell into place perfectly, because we let God take control. After the proposal, amazing friends paid for our wedding insisting that they wanted to be a part of our journey! We even received the Presidential Suite at a beautiful hotel in Washington, D.C. practically free of charge, for three nights after the wedding.

Mario and I want our story to be a testament to the fact that future spouses are worth the wait, and current spouses are worth the fight. The Lord gave us a series of confirmations throughout our journey, leading us to the altar together, which reassures us during our tough times. Although it has only been three years, we remain in the “honeymoon phase".

I hope that in thirty years, you will see that we have never left this spot!

~*~

Author bio: Mrs. Natasha Broussard graduated from Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio where she earned a Master of Science in Business Administration. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Management, with a minor in Accounting. 

Directly after high school, Natasha served in the U.S. Army for four years as a Unit Supply Specialist. Her duty assignments after training included Ft. Polk, La. and Yongsan, South Korea. After returning back to her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, she began working for the Defense Logistics Agency as an Inventory Management Specialist which was her position prior to moving to the Maryland area. 

Currently, Natasha works as the Branch Financial Manager for the Nuclear Weapons Surety Division located in Washington, D.C. Her short term goals include becoming a Certified Financial Planner, and owning her own agency to help others understand and manage their finances to a greater degree. 

Natasha and her husband of three years live in Silver Spring, Md. They enjoy outdoor activities and traveling.