Joi Copeland – Real Life Romance – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Inspirational Fiction author, Joi Copeland shares how she met her husband, plus a chance to win her debut novel, Hope for Tomorrow. Winners’ choice of paperback or e-book. Every time you comment on any post dated May 28 – June 2, your name goes in the drawing. Deadline: June 9th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Joi:

True Love
             My love life was headed nowhere, seriously. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of almost a year a few months beforehand. I had moved in with a group of girls I was acquainted with, but not really friends with yet. That was a huge step for me. I am an introvert by nature, so doing that was totally out of character. Looking back, I can see God’s hand in all of this.
            One night, I came home from work to find a group of people in our living room. One of my roommates was in a band and they had practice at our condo. I met the members and nodded my hello’s to the ones I knew. I went upstairs and prayed for the loneliness in my heart to go away, that God would fill it with Himself.
            Sometime in August, I noticed my roommate’s band member had written it was his birthday in September. I couldn’t help myself. I like to do things early, so I bought him a birthday card and left it for him. He was surprised and caught off guard, but at the same time, I think he was intrigued. Chris, that is his name, left me a thank you card on my bed the very next week.
            I kept that thank you card, and then one day, started praying. I asked God if He wanted anything to happen with Chris. I don’t know why I had an interest in him. I barely knew him. But I remembered Elizabeth Elliot saying in Passion and Purity, “Talk everything over with God before talking with anyone else.” or something like that.
            So I prayed and prayed. Everything I prayed for was out of the ordinary. I asked God to have Chris search me out and talk with me. He did. I asked God to have Chris give me the lyrics to a song for a friend of mine. He mailed them to me (even though he said he would give them to me the following week.) I asked God to have Chris send me things randomly in the mail. All of these things and more Chris did.
            Then, one night, Chris called me. He lived an hour away, so seeing each other was not a regular thing. He asked me out on a date. I was thrilled! Of course I said yes.  The story doesn’t end there, however.
            He came to our condo on a Sunday. I had gone to church the morning before and came home to an empty home. My roommate’s fiance had scooted everyone out to give Chris and I a chance to get to know one another. Chris came and picked me up. He asked me how I felt about Halloween. We decided to carve pumpkins.
            For me, a big thing on my list for dating a guy was he needed to be taller than my five foot eight frame. It seemed every single time Chris and I walked side by side, he would be on a slope, on the downside. I was starting to get aggravated, but how do you ask such a question? “Um, excuse me, before we continue, are you shorter or taller than I am?” Nope. I don’t think so!
            We had  great time with each other. We carved pumpkins, talked a lot, I made a spaghetti dinner, and we watched the Music Man. Still, was he taller than me? Ugh. I couldn’t figure it out!
            The next day I was miserable. I was really interested in this guy, but he had to be taller than me for it to go anywhere. I had dated a shorter guy and was very self conscious. After work that Monday, Chris called me and said I was on his heart all day and wanted to make sure I was okay.
            I finally asked how tall he was. “Five ten,” he answered. Praise the Lord!
            And that is where our story begins. But it doesn’t end there! Stay tuned for our engagement!
About Joi: Joi Copeland is married to a wonderful man, Chris, and has three amazing boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin. She is living the dream in beautiful Denver, Colorado. She home schools her boys and loves being a wife and mom! Joi enjoys spending time with her sister Steffanne, and loves to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea with friends! She has been a Christian for over twenty years. Following Jesus has been the best decision she has ever made. Joi’s first novel, Hope for Tomorrow, was published in 2011.
About the book: Josephine came from a close-knit family of three sisters. Tragedy strikes her family and sends her world into a tail-spin. Josephine walks away from her faith and everything she once held dear. When the fog of sorrow has lifted, she decides that she needs Jesus in her life, but her poor decision making continues. And then she meets him. Will Josephine continue on the road of bad choices? Will she let him and his guidance tear apart the only family she has left?
Come back May 30th for Joi’s proposal story.