Where do I start with “Our Story”? My sister met Aaron at church (Eastside Christian) and went out a few times and decided to remain friends. When Aaron would come over to see Melissa, my mom would say, “Aaron why don’t you go out with Marzette? You two have more in common!” I was so embarrassed. Other than the fact that I didn’t like him, that’s just wrong to say when he was there to see my sister (no matter how true it was). Aaron would come over and sit at our piano. He’d play and sing a while and occasionally I would go in there and join him. He would come in and out of our lives for about 3 years. My sister would call him to hang out occasionally or we’d call him over for parties and all hang out.
I was working at Anderson and Howard Electric as a receptionist (my dad’s work) and I kept getting free baseball and hockey tickets. I didn’t always want to go with a girl, so I would call Aaron…he was always free and was up for going anywhere for free. So we’d go and have a great time. Around the same time, my friend Beth (I coached her in cheerleading when she was in junior high…she was my head cheerleader) her mom, Lisa was going through a divorce. She’s lost over 140 lbs and in that process she wanted to start living life again. Beth was out of high school and she was getting divorced and had never had to not take care of kids…so she wanted to start going out dancing and karaoke. She was safe to go out with because I didn’t have to worry about her wanting to go home with anyone, or drinking so much I had to take care of her. So we began going out and we would ask Aaron to go since he liked to dance and sing.
Aaron and I would sing duets together, and people would come up to us and say, “That was great! You and your boyfriend sounded wonderful!” I would stop them and say, “Oh no, he isn’t my boyfriend,” and they would say again, “Oh well, you and your husband sounded wonderful!” Hello?! Did they not get it! We later realized it was “us” that wasn’t getting it. There was chemistry going on and we couldn’t even see it. So we’d go out dancing and I would have brought my internet date (a total dud) and Aaron and I would be ignoring my date all night, while Aaron talked about what girls he wanted to ask to dance but was too shy to. What a weird way to start out! I remember thinking that we both had the same dancing style and that had never happened with anyone else I had ever danced with. Slowly I began to go from introducing Aaron as “my sister’s ex-boyfriend” to “my friend” to …wait a minute, I think I kinda like this guy!
Aaron even decided to try internet dating. I told him to go ahead! So he fill out all his information, and hit “world wide match” and guess who showed up number 1! You guessed it! He called me up and boy was he mad! “Guess what just happened…” he said, telling me the whole story. He was so upset…and I just thought to myself, hmmm. I was over my friend Emilies’ house the night before Easter and that was the first time he and I talked about what we wanted in a relationship and the chemistry that was going on. After that, he started to call me every day to come hang out with him. We would hang out at his apartment with Dave, and watch gospel concert videos. My mom would get mad asking, “What could you be doing over there so late at night!” I don’t think she believed me when I told her.
Our first date, you could say, was eating at a whole in the wall Italian place. It had an old strip mall feel from the outside, but inside was a beautiful, warm Italian décor. I had the best chicken piccata I have ever had, and Aaron had chicken Marcella. This was the first time we ever really asked each other questions and got to know each other on a personal level.
The first time Emilie met Aaron (and I had brought several other men before Emilie and Dan before that), I was considering moving in with a girl from church…and we were all over Emilie’s house. Aaron, Emilie and I all sang together in her kitchen (great acoustics) and boy did we have a good sound together. After Aaron left her house, Emilie said that that was the first time she had ever see me act the most natural around a guy. She liked him a lot. However after talking to him, he asked me what was wrong. I did know what I meant! (not really) I was struggling the whole time wondering if he was going to meet my friend from church, a potential roommate, and like her instead of me…but I figured if this is the guy for me, God will make him have eyes for me. I told Aaron I was struggling with that, and he said, I knew it! Didn’t you notice I hung out with you all night, even when I was on the couch and she came in and sat down, I got up and went somewhere else! Even when my best friend Emilie thought I was acting myself, Aaron could sense something was wrong.
On my birthday, Lisa and I were headed to a place we used to go to hear a jazz band, and I called Aaron to let him know we were going out. He said he was tired and needed to go home and take a shower (worked in Irvine, lived in Fullerton, and the jazz club was in Aliso Viejo) and eat before he could go out and he didn’t get off till 7pm…so I thought, “ok, never mind!” I told him, ok, well talk to you later…. Never telling him it was my birthday. Well, he showed up! Apologized for forgetting that today was my bday…he had remembered that it was soon. We later went to a karaoke place and got to slow dance together…which was so nice because he didn’t just dance like we were in high school…he knew how to slow dance. I had never felt so much like Ginger Rogers in my whole life. It was what I always wanted to feel like, dancing with a guy. He kept telling me how great I looked, and paying attention like he was really interested (for the first time). Later that night he kissed me. Meanwhile, my sister is telling me what to do if I wanted a date with him or him to kiss me. I did the exact opposite of everything she said. Even though she was trying to be helpful, I didn’t want her in the middle of our relationship.
A few days later he told me that he kissed me because he liked the red shirt I was wearing. We continued to hang out but only once in a while did I feel like we were more that friends. Even my pastor’s wife had told me… “When you walk into a room with him, it’s like you are suppose to be happy to be seen with him!” There were red flags when we would hang out, but even Emilie saw that every time I’d tell her some reason it wasn’t going to work out, I would take everything I said back when I saw her next, because Aaron and I would have a conversation, or he would show me I was wrong in the things I was seeing in him (unbenounced to him). Even Emilie brought it up that every time I say something I don’t like about the relationship, the next time it is resolved, or not what I thought. So I’d say, “Ok Lord, I guess I’ll see consider dating him a little while longer.” Despite all that, I knew in my heart he still wasn’t totally into me.
At the beginning of the Pageant of the Masters (which I did the makeup for every year) we have a dress rehearsal, and I had always wanted to take someone I liked. I had only taken girlfriends. So I was so excited because Aaron had never been. However when talking to him he was asking me if some other girl from his work could go too, then later called and said he didn’t want to go. I was hurt, and wondering what was going on. I got a message on my phone after the performance from him saying that he wanted to date other people. When talking to him the next day, he said that he didn’t think that I was the one, because he looked at other girls when we were together, and he thought God would give him someone that would not make him look at anyone else! I told him he had a lust problem and that he needs to get over that, otherwise even when he does marry at some point he’s going to wake up and she won’t be “doin’ it” for him. So we talked every once in awhile, but didn’t really hang out anymore.
I began working as a manager at Origins. We were doing a special event and we needed a massage therapist, so I called Aaron. He, Beth and I did the event (Beth was assistant manager) and it was so fun, we hung out afterward and from that point on, started hanging out again. We had gone to hear a local band, and that night he looked at me funny in the parking lot. I asked him what that look was for, and he said he just saw me in a different light, later that translated as: not just a friend but more. He from then on, paid more attention to me. He was asking me what made me feel special and what I like doing, he was holding my hand and acting more like I was “it”. Then I was royally confused! Did he like me or not!? Was I getting distracted? I had a TD Jakes woman’s leadership conference to go to, a weekend event. I was so confused I called him and asked if I could come over and talk to him…he had vertigo. He could barely make it to the door he was so dizzy. I explained to him that I needed to just be friends with him and focus on my relationship with the Lord. He told me that “he was proud of me and that, that was a great idea…” mind you he was on prescription drugs and totally doped up!
I went away for the weekend and came back empowered! I don’t settle for potential! I do means: I do you, you do me, and we don’t do no body else! I was on a roll. He called me to see how it was and I went on and on about how great it was. He patiently waited for me to finish (talking a mile a minute) and told me he had missed me and had thought about me all weekend. We had had a discussion a few weeks before that on why if we were hanging out all the time did he not miss me when I was gone, or think about me at work. So for him to tell me that was huge. Then he told me he had a dream that we got married and that he had thought about what he wanted in a wife and I was it! What a change! From that point on everything was different. He talked about how he couldn’t wait to see me.
Then we went to Vegas. Drove up on new years and left the next day. We stayed in a room with Dan, Emilie, Banc, and Dave. We were all bowling waiting for the countdown in Vegas and Aaron told Emilie that he loved me….oh boy, that opened up a can of worms! They got in a heated argument about how if he loved me, those were just words, what was he gonna do to show it! He got flustered and was frustrated. He and I talked in length that night about how he felt about me. He admitted he was falling for me. Apologized for having dumped me and hurt me before. He said he looks at me and is breathless. He hadn’t seen what was right under his nose. He told me that event by event what he’s been going through to realize what he had missed. It was a good weekend. That next day (Sunday) he came to church with me. He even came out with all of us to lunch….which showed huge integrity, because everyone from my church was mad at him for dumping me. Emilie was the first one to defend him (the day before was when she challenged him!) From there, my pastor’s wife kept trying to call me to go have coffee…that meant she was trying to get a hold of me to figure out why I was dating him again! Before we could have coffee, we had a worship night at our church, I took Aaron and God gave my pastor’s wife a word for him and she prayed with Emilie and Joe Z. for Aaron and I and said that I would be an encouragement to him. After that she never contacted me for “coffee” again.
One by one, God changed everyone’s heart to agree with us being together. When we first announced to my mom that we were officially dating, January 3rd 2004 (after Aaron and I had fasted about it and decided to make it serious) my mom said as we were leaving, “Welcome to the family, Aaron!” and laughed but didn’t apologize. I still battled my parents, they were sure he was right for me. Aaron and I prayed and fasted. I prayed, “Lord, I have never intentionally been rebellious against authority and my parents, and I do not want to marry Aaron unless my parents and all authority over me agrees with it!”
We both had a day off and went to play some pool by the pier with Dave. Dave left after a few games and Aaron and I walked to the pier. He looked at me and told me he loved me. I did too, but I couldn’t say it back. I wanted more confirmation that he was the one I was suppose to marry before I let too much of my emotional guard down. January 15, 2004.
I later met Karen and Tammy from Aaron’s church and by the end of the night we were all best buds…the told me they liked me for him and that I was spunky. He’s been so stable for me emotionally and has totally taken care of me. I just wished I could know for sure he was the one, so I could let my emotions go and fully soak up his goodness to me.
On January 16th, he took me out to a romantic dinner at the Chart house. He totally surprised me. Later on that weekend I sang with him at his church and the pastor spoke on successful relationships! Aaron later opened up to me and told me he had never felt this way about anyone and he can’t even compare me to anyone. He keeps getting choked up when he talks about it or looks at me. All the small confirmations are adding up. All the things his pastor spoke about we had already discussed. Aaron kept asking how much more confirmation I needed.
Deidrah was out here and she said her and her mom had been praying for me and had word for me, but wouldn’t tell me yet. So we all got together to pray (Deidrah, Emilie, Lori, and I). I thought we were all getting together to pray for each other….no! They were all getting together to pray for me!
I was standing up and Lori was laying hands on my feet, and Emilie was on my right arm holding it up and Deidrah was holding my left arm. Lori prayed and said that she saw thousands and thousands of feet. She wasn’t sure what that meant but that she felt that Orange County wasn’t going to be my home, and that I was going to be traveling. Deidrah spoke up and said that she and her mom had been praying and that she agrees with that word, that they saw me traveling and singing all over the world, and Emilie confirmed that word. They didn’t hear anything from God about Aaron being my husband, but Deidrah said that if he fit into Gods plan and had the same calling that he might be the one.
I had a few things still on my list that I was praying would happen so I knew he was the one to marry….small things but they all add up. I was praying that I could meet his parents. That very week, Aaron called and said his dad was coming into town and wanted us to go out to dinner with him and his girlfriend. Also I wanted him to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
So Aaron and I went to Vegas for his birthday and we had a romantic dinner at the top of the stratosphere and after dinner he asked me to dance with him, in the middle of the restaurant. It was so fun, and I told him I loved him. I know he has gone through so much, telling me he loved me over and over, and waiting so patiently to hear it back from me.
On Easter (in April), Aaron and I prayed before we set foot in my parents house. We had sung 3 services with Dave Pettway for Easter and went over my parent’s house after. We sang with the TV (which was playing the songs we had sung that morning) for my parents, and had a great time with them. Before we left I felt that we should pray with them. Mom was having back trouble and dad was in need of a new job. So we sat down with them and all prayed together. The next day my mom called me and said that she didn’t know what had happened but that they felt different about Aaron after last night, and they were looking forward to getting to know him better! From then on things kept getting better. The Lord allowed us both to see how we handle each other through stress and anger and pain. He has such a loving heart and knows how to deal with me when I am emotional. He told me he has never seen me when I didn’t look beautiful. While practicing worship at Eve Free, he looked at me and said he has prayed for someone to sing with and worship with. Looking at me then, he saw himself spending the rest of his life with me. He talked about marriage more that I did! We even had similar dreams about things. He had completely changed. He was finally treating me the way had always wanted to be treated. I was not going to nag and be manipulating to get him to feel this way about me.
April 30, 2004 Aaron told me he had some cleaning to do at his house and that he would maybe come over later…I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t ask me over to help him, I thought he might be asking my parents for their permission to marry me! So I called my parents. “So mom, whatcha doin?” and carried on a conversation with her, which got me nowhere. She told me she and my dad were just talking in bed. Aaron wouldn’t answer his phone. Finally around 9:45-10, he calls me. He told me he actually lied and was hanging out with Dave, he hadn’t spent much time with his friend and wanted to, I told him he could have let me know…I don’t care if he has a guy’s night out! He said he was sorry and came over. I told him how silly I was being, that I thought he was over my parents house. He said no, he still had to save up for the ring and he was so nervous to talk to my dad.
The next day, May 1st Aaron had to work that morning. I went over Em’s and we were getting ready to go to the Renaissance fair. Aaron dressed up too and looked like a Spanish Explorer! He looked so hot! We had a great day and at the end of the day, we all went down to the small lake and Emilie sat down on a tree that hung partly over the lake…beautiful picture spot. So I took her picture and she took mine. Then she told Aaron to go take a picture by me. He walked over and got down on one knee…I thought how cute, that will make a good picture! He said, “Marzette you know I love you, will you marry me?” I said, “YES!” …remembering that my dad was forever mad at my mom for saying “YA!” Then he said, “Give me your hand!” and put the ring on my finger. Then he grabbed it off my finger and I asked what he was doing and he said he had to do that over because they couldn’t get the video camera out fast enough and my dad wanted it videotaped! So we did the whole thing again, and Aaron said he got a better reaction that time! When I said yes (I think the first time) we were down a small hill and a crowd saw what was going on and cheered when I said yes! It was so wonderful, and I had no idea! I didn’t even know that they had been trying to find the ideal spot to do that all day, but it was never right. They tried to get me to go behind a Romeo and Juliet stage and climb to the top window and look out, and as soon as I got behind the stage, there were no stairs to the top window…so they quickly put the video camera away so I wouldn’t see it. Then there was the jousting ring….no, and the garden….too soggy, till finally it was about to close and we all went down to the lake. I had no clue!
So the plans begin….My parents call a meeting to get organized. My dad has a spread sheet and outline of all that he thinks will need to be done or bought for the wedding and approx. how much it might cost…we are to look it over and make sure he’s covered everything. We then had weekly meetings with them.
We were praying about a date and looking for a place to have the wedding. My church was meeting in a hotel and his church didn’t have good parking…so we finally looked at the Yorba Linda Community Center. On our way there, Aaron was sleeping in the car and I was praying about the date. Originally we were telling everyone January, but then we felt that that was too late. September seemed too soon, November too late and I didn’t like October cause of Halloween. God spoke to me and said, “I will give you the desires of your heart.” After that I had peace. We loved the place and they had a date open for Saturday in the middle of October. We took it!
I had lost my job at Benefit and was looking for another one. We thought about staying by the beach and I knew Dana Point was cheaper; a job came up to work for the Marriott in Dana Point that helped us decide to move there. It took awhile for my job to start cause they were opening up the salon for the first time. But it was a God send, cause I could still keep planning my wedding and even once it started I could just sit there and fill out wedding invites.
Finding a dress was hard. Every place I went to was a disappointing experience. Then Emilie found the style and maker I was looking for on EBay and found a dress she thought I would like the pattern…without me seeing it (I didn’t have internet connection) I asked my mom about it and she saw it and they bid on it. We ended up with it for $250! A 700-900$ dress! Emilie made my veil, it was so beautiful! My tiara Emilie and I found in LA (I think we went down there a million times to get stuff).
We went on a food tasting. We really wanted the first restaurant we went to, to serve at our wedding but a day after we got a hold of the new owner, they changed to a Persian restaurant. So we went with a recommendation of Lori Couto’s and this place had great food and they gave us everything at cost, and we had Prime rib and Cornish Game hen. Every limo and photographer and video person we met with happened to have that date open…no other Saturdays but that one!
We got the bridesmaid’s dresses made from Daniel from church and all the fans from eBay, and vases from LA.
Lori, Emilie and Deidrah threw me a surprise intimate shower….that was awesome. We had it at the citrus grill, and it was a perfect group of friends. I got some fun stuff. They all went around and all the married woman gave me advise and then Amy spoke up after and said that she was proud of my example to stay a virgin and that it inspired her to be as well and she was proud of me. That was really hard to take, cause I was across from people who either weren’t anymore or who had had children who had even had kids, and I know that’s what they would have wanted for their kids.
We got a gospel choir and band together for the wedding and the practices were so fun. Aaron Gayden and Dave got together and helped us get sound and paid for a lot of it. Aaron’s dad when we met with him said that he would pay for the plates and silverware….something we thought we were going to have to skimp on…and go plastic. He also did all of our invitations, stationary and programs they looked so great! Just what we wanted. I had 2 more showers, one in Fresno and one at my parent’s home.
We looked for an apartment and found one, and the girl who processed our account helped us get in. She told us some things we could do to get approved into the apartment. We made the 1st payment and deposit and my old apartment payment. Aaron got a ton of work and I got busy at the salon.
Aaron’s tux was so handsome! He got a great deal on it and the tux guy does all the tuxes for the Grammy’s and other award shows. Aaron’s tux and shoes were free! Emilie found my ring and we both liked it, she had her jewelry shop open the ring up for a diamond.
The week of the wedding we met with all our intercessor friends at Joe and Brenda’s. They all prayed over us, and Aaron was open to receiving the gift of tongues. He didn’t speak it yet but was filled with the Holy Spirit and was down on the ground and couldn’t get up. That was the last thing on my list before got married and I was so happy!
The day of the wedding I got up and bathed, and ran errands, came back and ate lunch, and jumped in the bath to cool off, and my mom had put rose pedals in my tub for me…it was so pretty. Deidrah called and made me cry…I missed her so much and she was heartbroken that she couldn’t be there. I had Brianna come by and learn the song my mom wrote so that my mom had something special to walk down the isle to.
Ted climbed way up on a ladder and hung all the material from the ceiling. The city had an event that morning and found out that a wedding was taking place and that morning…cancelled their event…which gave us more time to set up! That was my mom’s answered prayer. We got the favors we wanted…coffee packets saying “perfect blend”. Our engagement picture that was signed, we found at the 1 cent sale at Aaron brothers! Hit that sale just right! Choir robes we found at cost and risers from Danny Kurmay and Zion where I grew up going to church.
We had people at our wedding that we didn’t even personally know. People asked in their neighbors and friends could come cause the knew it was going to be spectacular. People were really touched and ministered to. Our camera guy and video guy were crying at the wedding.
My dad, Levi and Mel helped put together a wonderful slideshow of us.
My bride’s maids and a few other women I love prayed a blessing over me before my wedding and Pastor Carl did such a good job!
We heard the music and my dad prayed with me and then walked me down. I had to “kick and step” because I kept stepping on the front of my dress. When my dad walked me down the isle he finally gave Aaron the blessing once we got down there. Both of my grandparents were healthy enough to come which made my day. I even got to dance with my grandfather!
My flowers didn’t show in until the ceremony was almost over, so Monica at the beginning went out and get me a bouquet. But out of everything that could go wrong, sound and all that…the flowers were the least important and people didn’t even notice. They thought that they were going on the tables after the ceremony so they wouldn’t block their view.
The limo ride to the hotel was awesome! …and our first night was free because I went to orientation and that’s what they give you to check out the hotel. That night it rained and was so romantic. Aaron had flower pedals all over the room and bed and candles everywhere. We then stayed 2 nights and left for Maui for 10 days.
Shortly after the wedding…Ginger gave Aaron her car! So we got to sell Aaron’s car that kept breaking down, and benefit from those payments. Aaron’s mom bought us a refrigerator and paid for our moving truck. Levi put our bed together for us while we were sleeping in the other room!
Aaron one morning woke up with a major migraine. It was so bad he was crying. He decided to hop in the shower, sometimes that helps his headache. I feel back asleep and woke up with him leaned over the bed and hugging me. At first I thought that he was still hurting, and then I realized that he was glowing. He told me he was in there and just praising God. He saw a vision of God taking a ball of all his past history and pain and bad memories and rolling them in this ball and throwing it into the ocean. It came back up. He threw it again. It came back up. The third time he scooted Aaron back behind his mighty arm and threw the ball and it sank to the bottom never to return again…then Aaron started speaking in tongues! It was so exciting, cause he can’t ever deny that experience. He knows it was real.
We were looking for a church. I told Aaron I wanted to belong to a church where my pastor knew me and that wasn’t too big or too small. A place where we didn’t want to miss a minute of worship or miss church at all.
We started going to Life Church. We found it cause Aaron’s friend Tim told us there was a church on the other side of the mall that he should take us to sometime, we would like their worship. So we looked it up online and visited that Sunday. We knew this was it. We met Pastor Mac and he welcomed us…he and his wife help with marriages and counseling. The next Sunday we met Pastor Phil…he made a bee line for us after church and asked us if we were new and said that he would pray that God sends us there. The next Sunday, Pastor Phil spoke to us again and said that he believes that we will minister to other married couples even though we haven’t been married long…God had given us wisdom. We began attending.
Our church did a corporate fast. After the fast we both felt that we should join the choir. We were trying to not be apart of anything for a year to just be married. That didn’t happen…God had other plans. Our first Sunday to sing with the choir was Easter Sunday (the Saturday service). They asked Aaron to sing! Within a month they had us both on a worship team. Pastor Steve came up to us and told us they were offering a special membership class just for us because you usually have to be a member to be on the worship team. On our way to the membership class I told Aaron it would be awesome if they actually asked what you talents and where God wants you so you could get plugged into the church, not just to hear about what the church believes…when we got there….it was exactly what I wanted, asked us about our gifts and talents and how to get plugged in. We’ve been on the team ever since.
Aaron quit his job. We were going to have him put his 2 week notice in on Friday but Dr. Erickson found out and told him he could just quit that day so he wouldn’t take any clients with him. He said Aaron could ask him for help with his school work anytime he wanted it and gave him an awesome recommendation letter. I think if we would have waited till Friday, we would have thought twice about him quitting – since there was no reason why he should quit.
From the moment Aaron quit people started calling. People Aaron hadn’t talked to in months! One lady thought Aaron was too highly priced so she asked if he would bring down his price if she added 2 more people! So Aaron didn’t get 1 but 3 people and he only took off 10$ each!
Tara and Eli, our good friends, wanted to bless us because they believed that we were stepping out in faith – so they gave us $150!
Aaron booked not only hour and a half massages but also sold 2 gift certificates! He has gone several weeks with 11 or more clients when we figured 5 clients a week would be great @ 1 hour each.
Aaron’s client was getting married and I did her makeup for a trial run (and her mom and friend). Aaron went with me and ended up working on them. We were going to charge them around 200 for our services. They gave us $400! When I did the actual wedding 12 girls all airbrushed she gave me a $400 tip so she paid me $1,500 for 1 day!
We had favor buying phones. The guy gave us 20$ off my set and Aaron’s phone set free…Aaron prayed for a deal and favor when we walked in!
Claudia prophesied over us a while ago that change was coming and it was going to bring peace.
We went to Las Vegas to hear Fred Hammond and decided to stay at the Aladdin. When we got there they up graded our regular room to a mini-suite. It was amazing! We didn’t have to pay any more money and it was so nice. They turned down our beds with chocolate every night and sent us the specials at the restaurant everyday. We even prayed before we gambled (to transfer money from the wicked, he he) and ended up at the end of the weekend with over 300 won! Seek ye first the kingdom…
September 28, 2005
When we got back from Vegas, a ton of stuff hit. Car insurance that was higher than expected, we didn’t get a car payment that we expected, our computer crashed, Aaron had a ton of people cancel on him. So he didn’t have rent and we couldn’t pay our bills. So we’ve been trying to stay positive and pray and just praise God, and trying not to worry. I called to pray with Aaron before he went to a massage and I went to meet with Jacqueline. A guy came over to evangelize to us and spoke that just like Samson killed a young lion and he walked past it and there was honey in it, and Samson ate the honey from the dead animal, symbolizing something sweet coming from turmoil and from something that was dead. When I got home I looked up verses on finance and the first verse I found was Ps. 34:9-10 – talking about young lions lack and suffer hunger – but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing! Aaron called and said he now had 7 people who called and want massages in the next 2 days! We will make rent – it will be over $900! And our bills! Thank you Lord! You are our provider.
October 2, 2005
In our first year of marriage we “found” a black leather loveseat, leather-high back computer chair, and bar stools. We were given, a BBQ, a computer, and a car. God is so good. We have traveled to Vegas 3-4 times, Ohio, New York, San Diego, Fresno, and San Francisco.
While cleaning out the guest room after the honeymoon, I was working till 2 in the morning and Aaron was playing video games. I asked him if he would mind taking out the trash, so I could feel like I got somewhere with all the mess. He didn’t want to (it was freezing outside) but he did anyway and when he came back he was yelling for me…I came outside and there was a black leather loveseat by the dumpster…with no rips, or anything wrong with it, and I had just told Aaron all we needed was a black loveseat to match our décor! I also told him we needed a computer chair and a few days later Aaron found a black leather computer chair near the same dumpster!
Joe Z. came over for a massage from Aaron and noticed we didn’t have a BBQ and said that his neighbor had just moved and that he left a BBQ that was just like Joe’s he asked us if we needed one… we had just decided (before Joe came over) that we would have a BBQ for my B-day! Now we had a BBQ!
I went recently to get glasses and ended up with 3 pair for $350! The manager cut $300 off my bill!
We got a call that a company was going to send us 500$ but hey ended up taking 270 from us and our rent check bounced. It was a mess. But I’m praying that God will help us recover from a few things that have been hard lately.
It seems like we keep getting more and more attacked in our finances. My last 2 paychecks were under 400 for 2 weeks! This week we had Emilie over and Aaron went to go get her and he got a ticket on the way. Then the next day his car got towed. Em had come out here to work at her old work and made enough money to help her mom out with a new car and she had 200 left, and that’s how much the car was to get it from the tow truck place. She blessed us and helped us get our car out. It ended up being only 170. She bought us a few meals too. We were invited to go to Joe and Brenda’s with Claudia and Pilar, Flow and Rose. After visiting and praying for Em, Claudia said she felt like they needed to pray for us. They prayed for our finances and God would bring him clients that would sustain us that would have plenty of money and he would sleep better, and God would deposit visions into him in his sleep. She prayed that his hands and back wouldn’t hurt. When they were done both Brenda and Flow both said that God knows that we will be faithful with the money He gives us and we will bless others with it. We realized that we needed to tithe more faithfully. When we finished praying, Aaron felt like he needed to give Em all that he had in his pocket…all he had earned that day. So he did and she protested, and he said no, I have to do what God told me to do! As soon as Aaron turned around Brenda said, “Well, I need to give you this!” and handed us a check in the amount the Lord had told her. We all got a good laugh out of that, and Pilar gave us a check as well. The next day Aaron’s business got busy again, and my business was crazy for New Years.
We wrote our rent check and thought Lisa had sold our car and we would have rent between that and my paycheck. Well, Lisa didn’t sell the car and my pay check was only $130 for 2 weeks! When I saw that, I lost it and balled all the way to the bathroom. Then Aaron called and said rent hadn’t gone through yet – so we had till Monday to get that money in. Saturday I went to work and Aaron had Debbie and she gave him her Xmas gift in an envelope already made out…it was $200! Plus the money for the massage he had just done…then he got a guy from church and Tara’s dad (a prophet) in the same day! So today he earned and recovered over $500 which was rent. And my mom called my grandparents to pray and they asked for our address so they could mail us their tithe because they wanted to support our ministry (which ended up being $300! Dan called just before Tara’s dad got here and had an encouraging word for Aaron, and Tara’s dad prayed and blessed us. He said that we will be blessed so that we can bless. That poverty and just enough thinking was broken off of us, and God has a house for us. Whatever we write down as a goal for this year God will accomplish. That we will prosper this year! God will use all of our gifting. After Aaron massaged him he told Aaron he wanted him to go up to LA and massage him and he would line up a few other massages to make it worth it. One of the guys Tara’s dad has been telling about Aaron lives on the same black as the playboy mansion and just bought Denise a Jag. Just because they are friends!
January 7,2006
We made our rent, but our bills were still behind. So when my grandparents check arrived I was blown away at how much it was. Then I went to go put that in the bank and I called my dad to see if he wanted to do lunch. I had a thought earlier that I wanted to write thank yous but I didn’t have any stamps. So when I called my dad he could meet me for lunch but to buy time till then he wondered if I could go to the post office for him and get some stamps…the price of them had just changed…so he bought me some stamps and helped me out with gas AND we went to lunch.
Because my paychecks have been so low, I began trying to think out of the box. Should I get another job? If so where…well, Aaron and I had done a Spa Show in LA with some celebrities and a guy from MAC had approached me and had noticed that I did airbrush and so did he. He said I should call him and have coffee sometime…so I did. But just before we set up the meeting I was sharing with my mom and we went out shopping and I had thought earlier if I could just find 2 blazers and 2-3 pants to wear on interviews…and I did! …on sale too! And my mom later bought me some undergarments and got my nails done too so I was totally ready to meet with him with confidence. He was very nice although he didn’t remember me, but the meeting with him wasn’t a real deal breaker. So I was confused on what to do. I thought well, maybe I’ll get another receptionist position during the week and Aaron had received an email from a guy at church who had a temp position open! I thought great! I’ll do that and earn some extra money. The next day after talking with him, I got a call from a wedding coordinator who wanted me to do a wedding at the Ritz and said that she was interested in my airbrush for other weddings. So this got me thinking! What about other wedding coordinators? Could I just build my business that way? So I postponed my interview a day so that I could make a bunch of calls and look into wedding coordinators. I called a bunch and the few I got a hold of were very interested once I got a website and info I could send them. So I kept praying about this office job? Do I do it? He was very willing to be flexible with me and my other job, but now I didn’t have peace about it. So I kept perusing it because I wasn’t sure if I didn’t have peace because I didn’t want my time not to be my own anymore, or if I wasn’t suppose to do it. So I kept on, and really wrestled with it till finally Sunday Pastor Phil spoke on a Purpose Driven Life…are we just working or doing things out of fear of money or is that our purpose? What are we called to do? So I felt even more like I shouldn’t take that job…and William said to me (to boss) that he didn’t need me after all, a woman who needed full time work could fill in for him till he got a full time person going. TOTAL answer to prayer, because I didn’t want to not do it just because I didn’t want to, if that’s how God wanted to provide for us. However, that next week they kept calling me into work on days I normally don’t work, so it was a good thing that I didn’t do that job, because I made more money in less time by going into my own job.
Since that job was a closed door, I began thinking about going on my own. Starting my own company so if I’m busy doing another wedding or don’t want to do a wedding on a Sunday, I can still get a percentage of what is generated from my advertising and contacts. Pulling a few teams together to go to weddings and high school dances. Then I could even hold classes, and fashion shows and do makeovers. So I began researching, and coming up with a name and working on my portfolio. We talked to Aaron’s friend Shawn and he said he would personally take some portfolio shots for me. So we lined that up and got on that.
At the end of January, Ed, a guy in our choir was weeping and praying with Aaron and was talking with Aaron about what was going on with us (barely making it) and he offered to buy us groceries, but we did have that…so he gave us $400, to help with bills…that helped save us. He said he remembered when they were homeless and his wife was pregnant! So he wanted to help us, because God had blessed him with so much…we saw his home for super bowl weekend and it’s beautiful! We were so blessed to get to know them. Lisa also sold the car finally and just in the nick of time, another months rent made.
Aaron’s birthday came up and I surprised him with some friends over the St. Regis for cake and he loved it…and some people pitched in for a keyboard for him, and his dad sent him money for a massage chair! That will help us get ahead. Aaron’s mom came out for his birthday and some other things and she gave Aaron money because she had received a call about one of our bills so she gave us some money to help out with that…$500! Aaron got everything he desired for his bday. He wanted to start writing songs and learning the piano again, so he could worship the Lord, and God honored that! We went to go get the keyboard and got accepted through my credit for the exact amount we needed. Aaron got his brand new keyboard for ½ off cause it was a floor model.
January 26, 2006
So rent comes around again, and we don’t have it. Aaron has some, and I decide not to freak out about it because every time I do, God comes though and I feel dumb for not trusting him. So I hardly thought about our situation and Aaron and I just prayed about it the morning of the 1st. I went to work, knowing I got paid, but my last paychecks have been hardly anything. So I had decided to not look at my check because I didn’t want it to affect the way I treated my clients, but when the time came, I forgot (I was in such a good mood) and looked at my check…it was $900! With a few more massages we would make rent!
I called Aaron and we were so happy, at bible study he shared how thankful we were, and Ester spoke up and told everyone how blessed she was when someone gave her money when she was in need, so she handed Aaron money and said that she encouraged everyone else to give to us too! We were blown away! By the end of the night we had almost $400! That helped out big time on some of our bills. Because of barely making it the last few months I have neglected some of my bills in order us to make some of Aaron’s bills. So mine were beginning to pile up. But we have learned something. We have not dwelled on our situation, but instead been focusing on what we can do, like research and build our own businesses, and help out in ministry and bless others with what we do have.
I wanted to bless the models and Shawn (helping me with my portfolio) with lunch. I originally wanted Subway sandwiches ($30 for 3 feet). Well, our car insurance came through and we needed to make a switch in carriers, and the down payment for that was my whole paycheck. SO I had no money to feed everyone that was helping me with my portfolio. While talking to Aaron about what to do, he meant to say how much is Subway and instead said, “What about spaghetti?” He stopped and had a puzzled look on his face like where did that come from? I said that’s perfect! I have plenty of noodle and sauce! So I made it and it was a big hit! Many people said that that was their favorite! We had a great time. God is good…and funny!
God’s been speaking to me about digging ditches, for when the rain does come and that just like a farmer plants seed and doesn’t always know how big his harvest is going to be, but plants and waters and churns the soil anyway. I had 3 people tell me I should look into going on my own and promoting myself in the last week…confirmation I’m headed in the right direction. I thought just yesterday that once summer does come, I’m going to be busy, I see that and we need to know how and where to apply our money so we do this right and Eli called us and encouraged us and told us that God put in his spirit, that we are faithful and God sees all that we do and will reward us. He also said that he was going to get some cd’s on financial planning that were simple and easy….just what I had thought about that morning. And Aaron was watching Rod Parsley and he was saying something about digging ditches for the rain is coming!
Its exhausting trying to focus only on what God can do, not just looking at our circumstances. I was not sleeping well last week and I went to work and luckily had all Christian clients because of a convention that was going on at the hotel. After sharing with them what all God is doing (all good) I had one clients give me a $50 tip, and another $30! I was thrilled and blessed God that He put that much on their hearts…but at the same time I was bummed that I didn’t have any gas and all my tips are on room charges, and I won’t see that for another month! So I was battling with not being bitter. After sharing with our small groups at church…Dave Pettway gave me some gas money, he had been blessed with a trip to Indonesia and got paid well and had paid off all his bills, so he blessed me with gas!
Psychics
Favor gone with brides
Calling appointments and everything canceling.
I had a dream that Marie called me and said, Donald and Lucy won’t be at that salon for much longer. I thought that was interesting…not a normal dream. Yet, I kept in the back of my mind. A month later I had a client that got a service refunded and I was mad about it. I went to see Jane and she told me that they were franticly trying to take over the salon. She gave me dates and everything and even talked to me for over an hour. I basically would not have any more responsibility as a manager or coordinating weddings or anything. I would just be an employee. I began praying about it.
Aaron went to men’s retreat and he came back so encouraged and began showering me with more and more compliments and encouragement. He prophesied over me that I should pray for 2 weeks and God would give me an answer about work. So I did. Closely before 2 weeks were up, I called to talk to Debbie, Aaron’s client. She knew of a salon I could go to. I felt compelled to tell her about my dream, she ended up knowing Donald and Lucy and when I talked to her it was like a light bulb came on and I thought if I don’t get out now, I may not get paid. I felt like my eyes were opened after that. Then a few mornings later, I woke up with a fire in me to write my resignation letter. To anyone else I would be crazy. Were just now trying to get out of debt and now when my busy season comes I’m quitting my job. I turned it in, after praying about it and handed it into the salon and to Maureen the spa manager. Luckily no one was there, so I didn’t have to let one know about my leaving before the other. Lucy called me later that next day and asked if I was offended or anything was wrong because they did not want me to leave. I let her know I was not offended and would not leave for being offended anyway.
Aaron’s business has really been picking up. And we are running a legacy campaign at church and Aaron and I have pledged to give so much a week. And God has been faithful. I have been working on my website for my own company.
I quit Marriott and started working on my own business. Erin from Joyous Events called me and not only game me more business but also invited Aaron and I to a bridal association meeting…kind of a networking thing. It wasn’t like the ones I had been to with my dad, people weren’t very friendly.
We were getting ready to go to Fresno to visit with Aaron’s mom for her birthday, and as we were loading up the car, our wallets got stolen out of our car, in our carport. We had an idea who it was (took Aaron a while to realize that they were stolen and not just misplaced) so we called the cops and while we were waiting for them, our accounts both got hit for close to $600 total. We decided to go up to Fresno anyway, and so we ended up staying 5 days instead of 3 like we had planned. We got to just relax an get away from everything and be together and pray and slowly get all of our wallet/account stuff in order (filing paperwork, etc.). Aaron and I were talking in the pool and we discussed that we both believed that God was going to just give us a place to live! So when we got home, what did I do? Panic and start looking for a place to live (stupid, I know). I looked into one bedrooms, then into just living in someone’s house, but then I thought about how much I wanted to start working out and how it would be weird to use someone else’s kitchen, etc…so I thought why not move into a studio. After being frustrated, we went to bible study and got prayer, then decided to go to our favorite Japanese restaurant. While eating we had a young couple and 2 kids sitting at our table and it was the boy’s bday. We got to talking with them, and found out that there were Christians and that she sings and that the kids were her niece and nephew that the just got custody of and she was pregnant with her 1st. They asked us where we lived toward the end of the meal and we told them where but that we were moving because of our wallets being stolen, etc. She said that 2 days ago they found out that their tenants were leaving the 1st of July and that they had a studio apt. I asked the location, and it was exactly the area I told Aaron we needed so that he could get to his clients and school easy. It was $500+ cheaper than we were paying, and it had a washer/dryer and air! We gave them our number, and it took over a week for her to call me and of course the day I freak out about her not calling me (thinking that she lost my number) she called that night. We checked it out that next week and it was much bigger and nicer than we imagined…and it has a lake in the back yard, that you can walk around. We loved it and they didn’t require any deposit from us, because we were stretching it to get out of our old place sooner than we normally would so we had to come up with 2 rents and movers (cause Aaron & I can’t afford to hurt our backs). We came up with all of it, and moved. However, we found out that a small burn mark on the counter cost us over $750 from our old apartment as well as all of our $500 deposit…what a rip off.
Shortly after moving I told Aaron we needed to learn some languages if we are going to be traveling the world. Maybe we should start with Italian. The next day at church Ed our base player asked us if we wanted to go to Italy for 3 weeks and do 12 concerts…all expenses paid, not this Dec. but next. Heck ya!
Aaron had had several amazing weeks making over $1000 a week, but that always happens in spurts. A few weeks here and then and then nothing for a while. So he began looking for a job. He looked into an old friend that he knew from church and Tiffany from church also got him an interview at a chiropractor office. He talked with both men and both were offering him jobs. The chiro office interview went awesome and it was the first time that Aaron felt like he was confident and interviewing them as much as they were interviewing him. After looking into both jobs he took the chiropractor job and has been building up his clientele fast.
As soon as we moved in, we started getting attacked. Aaron had an allergic reaction to something and his eyes almost swelled shut and he broke out in a rash all over his body. The week before we had gone to a Rutkins meeting and God healed Aaron’s hands, in about 3 days Aaron’s hands were almost completely healed. But now his body was attacked for almost a week. I felt helpless. We were being attacked in our sleep and with rest and physically. However, there were mornings that I woke up and just heard the Holy Spirit speaking to me, and I didn’t even have to get into the presence of God to get this revelation.
2 weeks after Aaron broke out, we were at church and Donna an intercessor called us forward to pray with us. She said God had put us on her heart to pray for us every morning for 2 weeks (the time Aaron broke out). She said God had spoken some things to her and that God wanted to seal those things today. She said Gods vision for us is so much bigger than we can imagine and we will be traveling around the world. Our bodies are going to line up with the word of God and blood sugar must come into alignment (I’ve been having problems with that). This is the beginning of the things God is going to do. God is going to put blinders on us for a season, and whatever people are doing we can bless them but we don’t have to be apart of it…God wants us to focus on what he’s called us to do. Even though others will not understand and everyone will think that we are perfect to join their ministry God has called us to something on our own, then He will take the blinders off and allow us to be apart of other ministries. Even sacrifices that we have had to make, people will not understand, but God sees our sacrifices, and we are stepping into a new season. He’s going to move us faster through this season and bless us beyond belief we will be amazed at what He is going to do…expect BIG!
Denise Tarino also prophesied to us after Aaron worked on him. He said that God will make us one mind, and we will think the same thought and confirm with each other, visions and goals. God is going to prosper our ministry and businesses to overflowing. So much work we won’t know what to do with it. Aaron’s look- people don’t know where he’s from so when we go to the nations, he will be able to evangelize and save people with the gospel because they think he is “one of them”. I have prophetic giftings to specific things and things I have spoken to people before and now will stay with people for a long time and go a long way. We will be millionaires, and have ministry all over the world.
However, there have still been times we have had to borrow money from my parents. But God is good and he will provide and allow us to pay back all that we owe!
One morning we woke up for church and Aaron had been up since 5am. God told him to go get his Anatomy book. He did and God told him whatever pages he touched, God would give him that knowledge. So he began flipping through the pages and he realized all that God had helped him remember from school. Then when I woke up, he got in the shower and began prophesying to me! Stuff that I had not told him at all he was speaking over me. He asked me if I had been thinking about the Marriott. I said a little…he said, “God told me to tell you that you made the right decision, and that God wanted you to leave there and start your own business and that it is going to be bigger than you imagined and grow very fast. Don’t worry about the timing of getting things done, its Gods timing, He gave you this idea, and he’ll complete things in his time. You didn’t miss me by leaving the Marriott. I will reconcile Donald and Lucy and deal with them.” Aaron also said that God told him that this job he’s at now is not a permanent thing but where he’s suppose to be right now. He also said that God told him that I didn’t believe that he was prophetic, but that God was confirming that and that when we travel around the world people are going to think Aaron’s fake until he begins prophesying specifically over them. He prophesied all the way to church! It was awesome to see what God was doing through him, and the confidence God gave him.
Not more than a week later, I got a call from Howard Jones. A guy I had met at the Spa show up in LA and he informed me that he was taking over the Salon at the Marriott. He wanted to know what I was up to and if I was willing to work there (all on my answering machine). I hesitated to call him because I wasn’t sure what God wanted me to do, and it brought confusion to my mind. So after that holiday weekend, I called him and told him about my business I had been working on and he is going to hire my company to help do the weddings! My first account for my company! And it doesn’t effect what I have been doing, I can do the weddings there and still do what God has been calling me to do…start my business, and that will help me get other accounts with hotels. God is so good.
I was working at Anderson and Howard Electric as a receptionist (my dad’s work) and I kept getting free baseball and hockey tickets. I didn’t always want to go with a girl, so I would call Aaron…he was always free and was up for going anywhere for free. So we’d go and have a great time. Around the same time, my friend Beth (I coached her in cheerleading when she was in junior high…she was my head cheerleader) her mom, Lisa was going through a divorce. She’s lost over 140 lbs and in that process she wanted to start living life again. Beth was out of high school and she was getting divorced and had never had to not take care of kids…so she wanted to start going out dancing and karaoke. She was safe to go out with because I didn’t have to worry about her wanting to go home with anyone, or drinking so much I had to take care of her. So we began going out and we would ask Aaron to go since he liked to dance and sing.
Aaron and I would sing duets together, and people would come up to us and say, “That was great! You and your boyfriend sounded wonderful!” I would stop them and say, “Oh no, he isn’t my boyfriend,” and they would say again, “Oh well, you and your husband sounded wonderful!” Hello?! Did they not get it! We later realized it was “us” that wasn’t getting it. There was chemistry going on and we couldn’t even see it. So we’d go out dancing and I would have brought my internet date (a total dud) and Aaron and I would be ignoring my date all night, while Aaron talked about what girls he wanted to ask to dance but was too shy to. What a weird way to start out! I remember thinking that we both had the same dancing style and that had never happened with anyone else I had ever danced with. Slowly I began to go from introducing Aaron as “my sister’s ex-boyfriend” to “my friend” to …wait a minute, I think I kinda like this guy!
Aaron even decided to try internet dating. I told him to go ahead! So he fill out all his information, and hit “world wide match” and guess who showed up number 1! You guessed it! He called me up and boy was he mad! “Guess what just happened…” he said, telling me the whole story. He was so upset…and I just thought to myself, hmmm. I was over my friend Emilies’ house the night before Easter and that was the first time he and I talked about what we wanted in a relationship and the chemistry that was going on. After that, he started to call me every day to come hang out with him. We would hang out at his apartment with Dave, and watch gospel concert videos. My mom would get mad asking, “What could you be doing over there so late at night!” I don’t think she believed me when I told her.
Our first date, you could say, was eating at a whole in the wall Italian place. It had an old strip mall feel from the outside, but inside was a beautiful, warm Italian décor. I had the best chicken piccata I have ever had, and Aaron had chicken Marcella. This was the first time we ever really asked each other questions and got to know each other on a personal level.
The first time Emilie met Aaron (and I had brought several other men before Emilie and Dan before that), I was considering moving in with a girl from church…and we were all over Emilie’s house. Aaron, Emilie and I all sang together in her kitchen (great acoustics) and boy did we have a good sound together. After Aaron left her house, Emilie said that that was the first time she had ever see me act the most natural around a guy. She liked him a lot. However after talking to him, he asked me what was wrong. I did know what I meant! (not really) I was struggling the whole time wondering if he was going to meet my friend from church, a potential roommate, and like her instead of me…but I figured if this is the guy for me, God will make him have eyes for me. I told Aaron I was struggling with that, and he said, I knew it! Didn’t you notice I hung out with you all night, even when I was on the couch and she came in and sat down, I got up and went somewhere else! Even when my best friend Emilie thought I was acting myself, Aaron could sense something was wrong.
On my birthday, Lisa and I were headed to a place we used to go to hear a jazz band, and I called Aaron to let him know we were going out. He said he was tired and needed to go home and take a shower (worked in Irvine, lived in Fullerton, and the jazz club was in Aliso Viejo) and eat before he could go out and he didn’t get off till 7pm…so I thought, “ok, never mind!” I told him, ok, well talk to you later…. Never telling him it was my birthday. Well, he showed up! Apologized for forgetting that today was my bday…he had remembered that it was soon. We later went to a karaoke place and got to slow dance together…which was so nice because he didn’t just dance like we were in high school…he knew how to slow dance. I had never felt so much like Ginger Rogers in my whole life. It was what I always wanted to feel like, dancing with a guy. He kept telling me how great I looked, and paying attention like he was really interested (for the first time). Later that night he kissed me. Meanwhile, my sister is telling me what to do if I wanted a date with him or him to kiss me. I did the exact opposite of everything she said. Even though she was trying to be helpful, I didn’t want her in the middle of our relationship.
A few days later he told me that he kissed me because he liked the red shirt I was wearing. We continued to hang out but only once in a while did I feel like we were more that friends. Even my pastor’s wife had told me… “When you walk into a room with him, it’s like you are suppose to be happy to be seen with him!” There were red flags when we would hang out, but even Emilie saw that every time I’d tell her some reason it wasn’t going to work out, I would take everything I said back when I saw her next, because Aaron and I would have a conversation, or he would show me I was wrong in the things I was seeing in him (unbenounced to him). Even Emilie brought it up that every time I say something I don’t like about the relationship, the next time it is resolved, or not what I thought. So I’d say, “Ok Lord, I guess I’ll see consider dating him a little while longer.” Despite all that, I knew in my heart he still wasn’t totally into me.
At the beginning of the Pageant of the Masters (which I did the makeup for every year) we have a dress rehearsal, and I had always wanted to take someone I liked. I had only taken girlfriends. So I was so excited because Aaron had never been. However when talking to him he was asking me if some other girl from his work could go too, then later called and said he didn’t want to go. I was hurt, and wondering what was going on. I got a message on my phone after the performance from him saying that he wanted to date other people. When talking to him the next day, he said that he didn’t think that I was the one, because he looked at other girls when we were together, and he thought God would give him someone that would not make him look at anyone else! I told him he had a lust problem and that he needs to get over that, otherwise even when he does marry at some point he’s going to wake up and she won’t be “doin’ it” for him. So we talked every once in awhile, but didn’t really hang out anymore.
I began working as a manager at Origins. We were doing a special event and we needed a massage therapist, so I called Aaron. He, Beth and I did the event (Beth was assistant manager) and it was so fun, we hung out afterward and from that point on, started hanging out again. We had gone to hear a local band, and that night he looked at me funny in the parking lot. I asked him what that look was for, and he said he just saw me in a different light, later that translated as: not just a friend but more. He from then on, paid more attention to me. He was asking me what made me feel special and what I like doing, he was holding my hand and acting more like I was “it”. Then I was royally confused! Did he like me or not!? Was I getting distracted? I had a TD Jakes woman’s leadership conference to go to, a weekend event. I was so confused I called him and asked if I could come over and talk to him…he had vertigo. He could barely make it to the door he was so dizzy. I explained to him that I needed to just be friends with him and focus on my relationship with the Lord. He told me that “he was proud of me and that, that was a great idea…” mind you he was on prescription drugs and totally doped up!
I went away for the weekend and came back empowered! I don’t settle for potential! I do means: I do you, you do me, and we don’t do no body else! I was on a roll. He called me to see how it was and I went on and on about how great it was. He patiently waited for me to finish (talking a mile a minute) and told me he had missed me and had thought about me all weekend. We had had a discussion a few weeks before that on why if we were hanging out all the time did he not miss me when I was gone, or think about me at work. So for him to tell me that was huge. Then he told me he had a dream that we got married and that he had thought about what he wanted in a wife and I was it! What a change! From that point on everything was different. He talked about how he couldn’t wait to see me.
Then we went to Vegas. Drove up on new years and left the next day. We stayed in a room with Dan, Emilie, Banc, and Dave. We were all bowling waiting for the countdown in Vegas and Aaron told Emilie that he loved me….oh boy, that opened up a can of worms! They got in a heated argument about how if he loved me, those were just words, what was he gonna do to show it! He got flustered and was frustrated. He and I talked in length that night about how he felt about me. He admitted he was falling for me. Apologized for having dumped me and hurt me before. He said he looks at me and is breathless. He hadn’t seen what was right under his nose. He told me that event by event what he’s been going through to realize what he had missed. It was a good weekend. That next day (Sunday) he came to church with me. He even came out with all of us to lunch….which showed huge integrity, because everyone from my church was mad at him for dumping me. Emilie was the first one to defend him (the day before was when she challenged him!) From there, my pastor’s wife kept trying to call me to go have coffee…that meant she was trying to get a hold of me to figure out why I was dating him again! Before we could have coffee, we had a worship night at our church, I took Aaron and God gave my pastor’s wife a word for him and she prayed with Emilie and Joe Z. for Aaron and I and said that I would be an encouragement to him. After that she never contacted me for “coffee” again.
One by one, God changed everyone’s heart to agree with us being together. When we first announced to my mom that we were officially dating, January 3rd 2004 (after Aaron and I had fasted about it and decided to make it serious) my mom said as we were leaving, “Welcome to the family, Aaron!” and laughed but didn’t apologize. I still battled my parents, they were sure he was right for me. Aaron and I prayed and fasted. I prayed, “Lord, I have never intentionally been rebellious against authority and my parents, and I do not want to marry Aaron unless my parents and all authority over me agrees with it!”
We both had a day off and went to play some pool by the pier with Dave. Dave left after a few games and Aaron and I walked to the pier. He looked at me and told me he loved me. I did too, but I couldn’t say it back. I wanted more confirmation that he was the one I was suppose to marry before I let too much of my emotional guard down. January 15, 2004.
I later met Karen and Tammy from Aaron’s church and by the end of the night we were all best buds…the told me they liked me for him and that I was spunky. He’s been so stable for me emotionally and has totally taken care of me. I just wished I could know for sure he was the one, so I could let my emotions go and fully soak up his goodness to me.
On January 16th, he took me out to a romantic dinner at the Chart house. He totally surprised me. Later on that weekend I sang with him at his church and the pastor spoke on successful relationships! Aaron later opened up to me and told me he had never felt this way about anyone and he can’t even compare me to anyone. He keeps getting choked up when he talks about it or looks at me. All the small confirmations are adding up. All the things his pastor spoke about we had already discussed. Aaron kept asking how much more confirmation I needed.
Deidrah was out here and she said her and her mom had been praying for me and had word for me, but wouldn’t tell me yet. So we all got together to pray (Deidrah, Emilie, Lori, and I). I thought we were all getting together to pray for each other….no! They were all getting together to pray for me!
I was standing up and Lori was laying hands on my feet, and Emilie was on my right arm holding it up and Deidrah was holding my left arm. Lori prayed and said that she saw thousands and thousands of feet. She wasn’t sure what that meant but that she felt that Orange County wasn’t going to be my home, and that I was going to be traveling. Deidrah spoke up and said that she and her mom had been praying and that she agrees with that word, that they saw me traveling and singing all over the world, and Emilie confirmed that word. They didn’t hear anything from God about Aaron being my husband, but Deidrah said that if he fit into Gods plan and had the same calling that he might be the one.
I had a few things still on my list that I was praying would happen so I knew he was the one to marry….small things but they all add up. I was praying that I could meet his parents. That very week, Aaron called and said his dad was coming into town and wanted us to go out to dinner with him and his girlfriend. Also I wanted him to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
So Aaron and I went to Vegas for his birthday and we had a romantic dinner at the top of the stratosphere and after dinner he asked me to dance with him, in the middle of the restaurant. It was so fun, and I told him I loved him. I know he has gone through so much, telling me he loved me over and over, and waiting so patiently to hear it back from me.
On Easter (in April), Aaron and I prayed before we set foot in my parents house. We had sung 3 services with Dave Pettway for Easter and went over my parent’s house after. We sang with the TV (which was playing the songs we had sung that morning) for my parents, and had a great time with them. Before we left I felt that we should pray with them. Mom was having back trouble and dad was in need of a new job. So we sat down with them and all prayed together. The next day my mom called me and said that she didn’t know what had happened but that they felt different about Aaron after last night, and they were looking forward to getting to know him better! From then on things kept getting better. The Lord allowed us both to see how we handle each other through stress and anger and pain. He has such a loving heart and knows how to deal with me when I am emotional. He told me he has never seen me when I didn’t look beautiful. While practicing worship at Eve Free, he looked at me and said he has prayed for someone to sing with and worship with. Looking at me then, he saw himself spending the rest of his life with me. He talked about marriage more that I did! We even had similar dreams about things. He had completely changed. He was finally treating me the way had always wanted to be treated. I was not going to nag and be manipulating to get him to feel this way about me.
April 30, 2004 Aaron told me he had some cleaning to do at his house and that he would maybe come over later…I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t ask me over to help him, I thought he might be asking my parents for their permission to marry me! So I called my parents. “So mom, whatcha doin?” and carried on a conversation with her, which got me nowhere. She told me she and my dad were just talking in bed. Aaron wouldn’t answer his phone. Finally around 9:45-10, he calls me. He told me he actually lied and was hanging out with Dave, he hadn’t spent much time with his friend and wanted to, I told him he could have let me know…I don’t care if he has a guy’s night out! He said he was sorry and came over. I told him how silly I was being, that I thought he was over my parents house. He said no, he still had to save up for the ring and he was so nervous to talk to my dad.
The next day, May 1st Aaron had to work that morning. I went over Em’s and we were getting ready to go to the Renaissance fair. Aaron dressed up too and looked like a Spanish Explorer! He looked so hot! We had a great day and at the end of the day, we all went down to the small lake and Emilie sat down on a tree that hung partly over the lake…beautiful picture spot. So I took her picture and she took mine. Then she told Aaron to go take a picture by me. He walked over and got down on one knee…I thought how cute, that will make a good picture! He said, “Marzette you know I love you, will you marry me?” I said, “YES!” …remembering that my dad was forever mad at my mom for saying “YA!” Then he said, “Give me your hand!” and put the ring on my finger. Then he grabbed it off my finger and I asked what he was doing and he said he had to do that over because they couldn’t get the video camera out fast enough and my dad wanted it videotaped! So we did the whole thing again, and Aaron said he got a better reaction that time! When I said yes (I think the first time) we were down a small hill and a crowd saw what was going on and cheered when I said yes! It was so wonderful, and I had no idea! I didn’t even know that they had been trying to find the ideal spot to do that all day, but it was never right. They tried to get me to go behind a Romeo and Juliet stage and climb to the top window and look out, and as soon as I got behind the stage, there were no stairs to the top window…so they quickly put the video camera away so I wouldn’t see it. Then there was the jousting ring….no, and the garden….too soggy, till finally it was about to close and we all went down to the lake. I had no clue!
So the plans begin….My parents call a meeting to get organized. My dad has a spread sheet and outline of all that he thinks will need to be done or bought for the wedding and approx. how much it might cost…we are to look it over and make sure he’s covered everything. We then had weekly meetings with them.
We were praying about a date and looking for a place to have the wedding. My church was meeting in a hotel and his church didn’t have good parking…so we finally looked at the Yorba Linda Community Center. On our way there, Aaron was sleeping in the car and I was praying about the date. Originally we were telling everyone January, but then we felt that that was too late. September seemed too soon, November too late and I didn’t like October cause of Halloween. God spoke to me and said, “I will give you the desires of your heart.” After that I had peace. We loved the place and they had a date open for Saturday in the middle of October. We took it!
I had lost my job at Benefit and was looking for another one. We thought about staying by the beach and I knew Dana Point was cheaper; a job came up to work for the Marriott in Dana Point that helped us decide to move there. It took awhile for my job to start cause they were opening up the salon for the first time. But it was a God send, cause I could still keep planning my wedding and even once it started I could just sit there and fill out wedding invites.
Finding a dress was hard. Every place I went to was a disappointing experience. Then Emilie found the style and maker I was looking for on EBay and found a dress she thought I would like the pattern…without me seeing it (I didn’t have internet connection) I asked my mom about it and she saw it and they bid on it. We ended up with it for $250! A 700-900$ dress! Emilie made my veil, it was so beautiful! My tiara Emilie and I found in LA (I think we went down there a million times to get stuff).
We went on a food tasting. We really wanted the first restaurant we went to, to serve at our wedding but a day after we got a hold of the new owner, they changed to a Persian restaurant. So we went with a recommendation of Lori Couto’s and this place had great food and they gave us everything at cost, and we had Prime rib and Cornish Game hen. Every limo and photographer and video person we met with happened to have that date open…no other Saturdays but that one!
We got the bridesmaid’s dresses made from Daniel from church and all the fans from eBay, and vases from LA.
Lori, Emilie and Deidrah threw me a surprise intimate shower….that was awesome. We had it at the citrus grill, and it was a perfect group of friends. I got some fun stuff. They all went around and all the married woman gave me advise and then Amy spoke up after and said that she was proud of my example to stay a virgin and that it inspired her to be as well and she was proud of me. That was really hard to take, cause I was across from people who either weren’t anymore or who had had children who had even had kids, and I know that’s what they would have wanted for their kids.
We got a gospel choir and band together for the wedding and the practices were so fun. Aaron Gayden and Dave got together and helped us get sound and paid for a lot of it. Aaron’s dad when we met with him said that he would pay for the plates and silverware….something we thought we were going to have to skimp on…and go plastic. He also did all of our invitations, stationary and programs they looked so great! Just what we wanted. I had 2 more showers, one in Fresno and one at my parent’s home.
We looked for an apartment and found one, and the girl who processed our account helped us get in. She told us some things we could do to get approved into the apartment. We made the 1st payment and deposit and my old apartment payment. Aaron got a ton of work and I got busy at the salon.
Aaron’s tux was so handsome! He got a great deal on it and the tux guy does all the tuxes for the Grammy’s and other award shows. Aaron’s tux and shoes were free! Emilie found my ring and we both liked it, she had her jewelry shop open the ring up for a diamond.
The week of the wedding we met with all our intercessor friends at Joe and Brenda’s. They all prayed over us, and Aaron was open to receiving the gift of tongues. He didn’t speak it yet but was filled with the Holy Spirit and was down on the ground and couldn’t get up. That was the last thing on my list before got married and I was so happy!
The day of the wedding I got up and bathed, and ran errands, came back and ate lunch, and jumped in the bath to cool off, and my mom had put rose pedals in my tub for me…it was so pretty. Deidrah called and made me cry…I missed her so much and she was heartbroken that she couldn’t be there. I had Brianna come by and learn the song my mom wrote so that my mom had something special to walk down the isle to.
Ted climbed way up on a ladder and hung all the material from the ceiling. The city had an event that morning and found out that a wedding was taking place and that morning…cancelled their event…which gave us more time to set up! That was my mom’s answered prayer. We got the favors we wanted…coffee packets saying “perfect blend”. Our engagement picture that was signed, we found at the 1 cent sale at Aaron brothers! Hit that sale just right! Choir robes we found at cost and risers from Danny Kurmay and Zion where I grew up going to church.
We had people at our wedding that we didn’t even personally know. People asked in their neighbors and friends could come cause the knew it was going to be spectacular. People were really touched and ministered to. Our camera guy and video guy were crying at the wedding.
My dad, Levi and Mel helped put together a wonderful slideshow of us.
My bride’s maids and a few other women I love prayed a blessing over me before my wedding and Pastor Carl did such a good job!
We heard the music and my dad prayed with me and then walked me down. I had to “kick and step” because I kept stepping on the front of my dress. When my dad walked me down the isle he finally gave Aaron the blessing once we got down there. Both of my grandparents were healthy enough to come which made my day. I even got to dance with my grandfather!
My flowers didn’t show in until the ceremony was almost over, so Monica at the beginning went out and get me a bouquet. But out of everything that could go wrong, sound and all that…the flowers were the least important and people didn’t even notice. They thought that they were going on the tables after the ceremony so they wouldn’t block their view.
The limo ride to the hotel was awesome! …and our first night was free because I went to orientation and that’s what they give you to check out the hotel. That night it rained and was so romantic. Aaron had flower pedals all over the room and bed and candles everywhere. We then stayed 2 nights and left for Maui for 10 days.
Shortly after the wedding…Ginger gave Aaron her car! So we got to sell Aaron’s car that kept breaking down, and benefit from those payments. Aaron’s mom bought us a refrigerator and paid for our moving truck. Levi put our bed together for us while we were sleeping in the other room!
Aaron one morning woke up with a major migraine. It was so bad he was crying. He decided to hop in the shower, sometimes that helps his headache. I feel back asleep and woke up with him leaned over the bed and hugging me. At first I thought that he was still hurting, and then I realized that he was glowing. He told me he was in there and just praising God. He saw a vision of God taking a ball of all his past history and pain and bad memories and rolling them in this ball and throwing it into the ocean. It came back up. He threw it again. It came back up. The third time he scooted Aaron back behind his mighty arm and threw the ball and it sank to the bottom never to return again…then Aaron started speaking in tongues! It was so exciting, cause he can’t ever deny that experience. He knows it was real.
We were looking for a church. I told Aaron I wanted to belong to a church where my pastor knew me and that wasn’t too big or too small. A place where we didn’t want to miss a minute of worship or miss church at all.
We started going to Life Church. We found it cause Aaron’s friend Tim told us there was a church on the other side of the mall that he should take us to sometime, we would like their worship. So we looked it up online and visited that Sunday. We knew this was it. We met Pastor Mac and he welcomed us…he and his wife help with marriages and counseling. The next Sunday we met Pastor Phil…he made a bee line for us after church and asked us if we were new and said that he would pray that God sends us there. The next Sunday, Pastor Phil spoke to us again and said that he believes that we will minister to other married couples even though we haven’t been married long…God had given us wisdom. We began attending.
Our church did a corporate fast. After the fast we both felt that we should join the choir. We were trying to not be apart of anything for a year to just be married. That didn’t happen…God had other plans. Our first Sunday to sing with the choir was Easter Sunday (the Saturday service). They asked Aaron to sing! Within a month they had us both on a worship team. Pastor Steve came up to us and told us they were offering a special membership class just for us because you usually have to be a member to be on the worship team. On our way to the membership class I told Aaron it would be awesome if they actually asked what you talents and where God wants you so you could get plugged into the church, not just to hear about what the church believes…when we got there….it was exactly what I wanted, asked us about our gifts and talents and how to get plugged in. We’ve been on the team ever since.
Aaron quit his job. We were going to have him put his 2 week notice in on Friday but Dr. Erickson found out and told him he could just quit that day so he wouldn’t take any clients with him. He said Aaron could ask him for help with his school work anytime he wanted it and gave him an awesome recommendation letter. I think if we would have waited till Friday, we would have thought twice about him quitting – since there was no reason why he should quit.
From the moment Aaron quit people started calling. People Aaron hadn’t talked to in months! One lady thought Aaron was too highly priced so she asked if he would bring down his price if she added 2 more people! So Aaron didn’t get 1 but 3 people and he only took off 10$ each!
Tara and Eli, our good friends, wanted to bless us because they believed that we were stepping out in faith – so they gave us $150!
Aaron booked not only hour and a half massages but also sold 2 gift certificates! He has gone several weeks with 11 or more clients when we figured 5 clients a week would be great @ 1 hour each.
Aaron’s client was getting married and I did her makeup for a trial run (and her mom and friend). Aaron went with me and ended up working on them. We were going to charge them around 200 for our services. They gave us $400! When I did the actual wedding 12 girls all airbrushed she gave me a $400 tip so she paid me $1,500 for 1 day!
We had favor buying phones. The guy gave us 20$ off my set and Aaron’s phone set free…Aaron prayed for a deal and favor when we walked in!
Claudia prophesied over us a while ago that change was coming and it was going to bring peace.
We went to Las Vegas to hear Fred Hammond and decided to stay at the Aladdin. When we got there they up graded our regular room to a mini-suite. It was amazing! We didn’t have to pay any more money and it was so nice. They turned down our beds with chocolate every night and sent us the specials at the restaurant everyday. We even prayed before we gambled (to transfer money from the wicked, he he) and ended up at the end of the weekend with over 300 won! Seek ye first the kingdom…
September 28, 2005
When we got back from Vegas, a ton of stuff hit. Car insurance that was higher than expected, we didn’t get a car payment that we expected, our computer crashed, Aaron had a ton of people cancel on him. So he didn’t have rent and we couldn’t pay our bills. So we’ve been trying to stay positive and pray and just praise God, and trying not to worry. I called to pray with Aaron before he went to a massage and I went to meet with Jacqueline. A guy came over to evangelize to us and spoke that just like Samson killed a young lion and he walked past it and there was honey in it, and Samson ate the honey from the dead animal, symbolizing something sweet coming from turmoil and from something that was dead. When I got home I looked up verses on finance and the first verse I found was Ps. 34:9-10 – talking about young lions lack and suffer hunger – but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing! Aaron called and said he now had 7 people who called and want massages in the next 2 days! We will make rent – it will be over $900! And our bills! Thank you Lord! You are our provider.
October 2, 2005
In our first year of marriage we “found” a black leather loveseat, leather-high back computer chair, and bar stools. We were given, a BBQ, a computer, and a car. God is so good. We have traveled to Vegas 3-4 times, Ohio, New York, San Diego, Fresno, and San Francisco.
While cleaning out the guest room after the honeymoon, I was working till 2 in the morning and Aaron was playing video games. I asked him if he would mind taking out the trash, so I could feel like I got somewhere with all the mess. He didn’t want to (it was freezing outside) but he did anyway and when he came back he was yelling for me…I came outside and there was a black leather loveseat by the dumpster…with no rips, or anything wrong with it, and I had just told Aaron all we needed was a black loveseat to match our décor! I also told him we needed a computer chair and a few days later Aaron found a black leather computer chair near the same dumpster!
Joe Z. came over for a massage from Aaron and noticed we didn’t have a BBQ and said that his neighbor had just moved and that he left a BBQ that was just like Joe’s he asked us if we needed one… we had just decided (before Joe came over) that we would have a BBQ for my B-day! Now we had a BBQ!
I went recently to get glasses and ended up with 3 pair for $350! The manager cut $300 off my bill!
We got a call that a company was going to send us 500$ but hey ended up taking 270 from us and our rent check bounced. It was a mess. But I’m praying that God will help us recover from a few things that have been hard lately.
It seems like we keep getting more and more attacked in our finances. My last 2 paychecks were under 400 for 2 weeks! This week we had Emilie over and Aaron went to go get her and he got a ticket on the way. Then the next day his car got towed. Em had come out here to work at her old work and made enough money to help her mom out with a new car and she had 200 left, and that’s how much the car was to get it from the tow truck place. She blessed us and helped us get our car out. It ended up being only 170. She bought us a few meals too. We were invited to go to Joe and Brenda’s with Claudia and Pilar, Flow and Rose. After visiting and praying for Em, Claudia said she felt like they needed to pray for us. They prayed for our finances and God would bring him clients that would sustain us that would have plenty of money and he would sleep better, and God would deposit visions into him in his sleep. She prayed that his hands and back wouldn’t hurt. When they were done both Brenda and Flow both said that God knows that we will be faithful with the money He gives us and we will bless others with it. We realized that we needed to tithe more faithfully. When we finished praying, Aaron felt like he needed to give Em all that he had in his pocket…all he had earned that day. So he did and she protested, and he said no, I have to do what God told me to do! As soon as Aaron turned around Brenda said, “Well, I need to give you this!” and handed us a check in the amount the Lord had told her. We all got a good laugh out of that, and Pilar gave us a check as well. The next day Aaron’s business got busy again, and my business was crazy for New Years.
We wrote our rent check and thought Lisa had sold our car and we would have rent between that and my paycheck. Well, Lisa didn’t sell the car and my pay check was only $130 for 2 weeks! When I saw that, I lost it and balled all the way to the bathroom. Then Aaron called and said rent hadn’t gone through yet – so we had till Monday to get that money in. Saturday I went to work and Aaron had Debbie and she gave him her Xmas gift in an envelope already made out…it was $200! Plus the money for the massage he had just done…then he got a guy from church and Tara’s dad (a prophet) in the same day! So today he earned and recovered over $500 which was rent. And my mom called my grandparents to pray and they asked for our address so they could mail us their tithe because they wanted to support our ministry (which ended up being $300! Dan called just before Tara’s dad got here and had an encouraging word for Aaron, and Tara’s dad prayed and blessed us. He said that we will be blessed so that we can bless. That poverty and just enough thinking was broken off of us, and God has a house for us. Whatever we write down as a goal for this year God will accomplish. That we will prosper this year! God will use all of our gifting. After Aaron massaged him he told Aaron he wanted him to go up to LA and massage him and he would line up a few other massages to make it worth it. One of the guys Tara’s dad has been telling about Aaron lives on the same black as the playboy mansion and just bought Denise a Jag. Just because they are friends!
January 7,2006
We made our rent, but our bills were still behind. So when my grandparents check arrived I was blown away at how much it was. Then I went to go put that in the bank and I called my dad to see if he wanted to do lunch. I had a thought earlier that I wanted to write thank yous but I didn’t have any stamps. So when I called my dad he could meet me for lunch but to buy time till then he wondered if I could go to the post office for him and get some stamps…the price of them had just changed…so he bought me some stamps and helped me out with gas AND we went to lunch.
Because my paychecks have been so low, I began trying to think out of the box. Should I get another job? If so where…well, Aaron and I had done a Spa Show in LA with some celebrities and a guy from MAC had approached me and had noticed that I did airbrush and so did he. He said I should call him and have coffee sometime…so I did. But just before we set up the meeting I was sharing with my mom and we went out shopping and I had thought earlier if I could just find 2 blazers and 2-3 pants to wear on interviews…and I did! …on sale too! And my mom later bought me some undergarments and got my nails done too so I was totally ready to meet with him with confidence. He was very nice although he didn’t remember me, but the meeting with him wasn’t a real deal breaker. So I was confused on what to do. I thought well, maybe I’ll get another receptionist position during the week and Aaron had received an email from a guy at church who had a temp position open! I thought great! I’ll do that and earn some extra money. The next day after talking with him, I got a call from a wedding coordinator who wanted me to do a wedding at the Ritz and said that she was interested in my airbrush for other weddings. So this got me thinking! What about other wedding coordinators? Could I just build my business that way? So I postponed my interview a day so that I could make a bunch of calls and look into wedding coordinators. I called a bunch and the few I got a hold of were very interested once I got a website and info I could send them. So I kept praying about this office job? Do I do it? He was very willing to be flexible with me and my other job, but now I didn’t have peace about it. So I kept perusing it because I wasn’t sure if I didn’t have peace because I didn’t want my time not to be my own anymore, or if I wasn’t suppose to do it. So I kept on, and really wrestled with it till finally Sunday Pastor Phil spoke on a Purpose Driven Life…are we just working or doing things out of fear of money or is that our purpose? What are we called to do? So I felt even more like I shouldn’t take that job…and William said to me (to boss) that he didn’t need me after all, a woman who needed full time work could fill in for him till he got a full time person going. TOTAL answer to prayer, because I didn’t want to not do it just because I didn’t want to, if that’s how God wanted to provide for us. However, that next week they kept calling me into work on days I normally don’t work, so it was a good thing that I didn’t do that job, because I made more money in less time by going into my own job.
Since that job was a closed door, I began thinking about going on my own. Starting my own company so if I’m busy doing another wedding or don’t want to do a wedding on a Sunday, I can still get a percentage of what is generated from my advertising and contacts. Pulling a few teams together to go to weddings and high school dances. Then I could even hold classes, and fashion shows and do makeovers. So I began researching, and coming up with a name and working on my portfolio. We talked to Aaron’s friend Shawn and he said he would personally take some portfolio shots for me. So we lined that up and got on that.
At the end of January, Ed, a guy in our choir was weeping and praying with Aaron and was talking with Aaron about what was going on with us (barely making it) and he offered to buy us groceries, but we did have that…so he gave us $400, to help with bills…that helped save us. He said he remembered when they were homeless and his wife was pregnant! So he wanted to help us, because God had blessed him with so much…we saw his home for super bowl weekend and it’s beautiful! We were so blessed to get to know them. Lisa also sold the car finally and just in the nick of time, another months rent made.
Aaron’s birthday came up and I surprised him with some friends over the St. Regis for cake and he loved it…and some people pitched in for a keyboard for him, and his dad sent him money for a massage chair! That will help us get ahead. Aaron’s mom came out for his birthday and some other things and she gave Aaron money because she had received a call about one of our bills so she gave us some money to help out with that…$500! Aaron got everything he desired for his bday. He wanted to start writing songs and learning the piano again, so he could worship the Lord, and God honored that! We went to go get the keyboard and got accepted through my credit for the exact amount we needed. Aaron got his brand new keyboard for ½ off cause it was a floor model.
January 26, 2006
So rent comes around again, and we don’t have it. Aaron has some, and I decide not to freak out about it because every time I do, God comes though and I feel dumb for not trusting him. So I hardly thought about our situation and Aaron and I just prayed about it the morning of the 1st. I went to work, knowing I got paid, but my last paychecks have been hardly anything. So I had decided to not look at my check because I didn’t want it to affect the way I treated my clients, but when the time came, I forgot (I was in such a good mood) and looked at my check…it was $900! With a few more massages we would make rent!
I called Aaron and we were so happy, at bible study he shared how thankful we were, and Ester spoke up and told everyone how blessed she was when someone gave her money when she was in need, so she handed Aaron money and said that she encouraged everyone else to give to us too! We were blown away! By the end of the night we had almost $400! That helped out big time on some of our bills. Because of barely making it the last few months I have neglected some of my bills in order us to make some of Aaron’s bills. So mine were beginning to pile up. But we have learned something. We have not dwelled on our situation, but instead been focusing on what we can do, like research and build our own businesses, and help out in ministry and bless others with what we do have.
I wanted to bless the models and Shawn (helping me with my portfolio) with lunch. I originally wanted Subway sandwiches ($30 for 3 feet). Well, our car insurance came through and we needed to make a switch in carriers, and the down payment for that was my whole paycheck. SO I had no money to feed everyone that was helping me with my portfolio. While talking to Aaron about what to do, he meant to say how much is Subway and instead said, “What about spaghetti?” He stopped and had a puzzled look on his face like where did that come from? I said that’s perfect! I have plenty of noodle and sauce! So I made it and it was a big hit! Many people said that that was their favorite! We had a great time. God is good…and funny!
God’s been speaking to me about digging ditches, for when the rain does come and that just like a farmer plants seed and doesn’t always know how big his harvest is going to be, but plants and waters and churns the soil anyway. I had 3 people tell me I should look into going on my own and promoting myself in the last week…confirmation I’m headed in the right direction. I thought just yesterday that once summer does come, I’m going to be busy, I see that and we need to know how and where to apply our money so we do this right and Eli called us and encouraged us and told us that God put in his spirit, that we are faithful and God sees all that we do and will reward us. He also said that he was going to get some cd’s on financial planning that were simple and easy….just what I had thought about that morning. And Aaron was watching Rod Parsley and he was saying something about digging ditches for the rain is coming!
Its exhausting trying to focus only on what God can do, not just looking at our circumstances. I was not sleeping well last week and I went to work and luckily had all Christian clients because of a convention that was going on at the hotel. After sharing with them what all God is doing (all good) I had one clients give me a $50 tip, and another $30! I was thrilled and blessed God that He put that much on their hearts…but at the same time I was bummed that I didn’t have any gas and all my tips are on room charges, and I won’t see that for another month! So I was battling with not being bitter. After sharing with our small groups at church…Dave Pettway gave me some gas money, he had been blessed with a trip to Indonesia and got paid well and had paid off all his bills, so he blessed me with gas!
Psychics
Favor gone with brides
Calling appointments and everything canceling.
I had a dream that Marie called me and said, Donald and Lucy won’t be at that salon for much longer. I thought that was interesting…not a normal dream. Yet, I kept in the back of my mind. A month later I had a client that got a service refunded and I was mad about it. I went to see Jane and she told me that they were franticly trying to take over the salon. She gave me dates and everything and even talked to me for over an hour. I basically would not have any more responsibility as a manager or coordinating weddings or anything. I would just be an employee. I began praying about it.
Aaron went to men’s retreat and he came back so encouraged and began showering me with more and more compliments and encouragement. He prophesied over me that I should pray for 2 weeks and God would give me an answer about work. So I did. Closely before 2 weeks were up, I called to talk to Debbie, Aaron’s client. She knew of a salon I could go to. I felt compelled to tell her about my dream, she ended up knowing Donald and Lucy and when I talked to her it was like a light bulb came on and I thought if I don’t get out now, I may not get paid. I felt like my eyes were opened after that. Then a few mornings later, I woke up with a fire in me to write my resignation letter. To anyone else I would be crazy. Were just now trying to get out of debt and now when my busy season comes I’m quitting my job. I turned it in, after praying about it and handed it into the salon and to Maureen the spa manager. Luckily no one was there, so I didn’t have to let one know about my leaving before the other. Lucy called me later that next day and asked if I was offended or anything was wrong because they did not want me to leave. I let her know I was not offended and would not leave for being offended anyway.
Aaron’s business has really been picking up. And we are running a legacy campaign at church and Aaron and I have pledged to give so much a week. And God has been faithful. I have been working on my website for my own company.
I quit Marriott and started working on my own business. Erin from Joyous Events called me and not only game me more business but also invited Aaron and I to a bridal association meeting…kind of a networking thing. It wasn’t like the ones I had been to with my dad, people weren’t very friendly.
We were getting ready to go to Fresno to visit with Aaron’s mom for her birthday, and as we were loading up the car, our wallets got stolen out of our car, in our carport. We had an idea who it was (took Aaron a while to realize that they were stolen and not just misplaced) so we called the cops and while we were waiting for them, our accounts both got hit for close to $600 total. We decided to go up to Fresno anyway, and so we ended up staying 5 days instead of 3 like we had planned. We got to just relax an get away from everything and be together and pray and slowly get all of our wallet/account stuff in order (filing paperwork, etc.). Aaron and I were talking in the pool and we discussed that we both believed that God was going to just give us a place to live! So when we got home, what did I do? Panic and start looking for a place to live (stupid, I know). I looked into one bedrooms, then into just living in someone’s house, but then I thought about how much I wanted to start working out and how it would be weird to use someone else’s kitchen, etc…so I thought why not move into a studio. After being frustrated, we went to bible study and got prayer, then decided to go to our favorite Japanese restaurant. While eating we had a young couple and 2 kids sitting at our table and it was the boy’s bday. We got to talking with them, and found out that there were Christians and that she sings and that the kids were her niece and nephew that the just got custody of and she was pregnant with her 1st. They asked us where we lived toward the end of the meal and we told them where but that we were moving because of our wallets being stolen, etc. She said that 2 days ago they found out that their tenants were leaving the 1st of July and that they had a studio apt. I asked the location, and it was exactly the area I told Aaron we needed so that he could get to his clients and school easy. It was $500+ cheaper than we were paying, and it had a washer/dryer and air! We gave them our number, and it took over a week for her to call me and of course the day I freak out about her not calling me (thinking that she lost my number) she called that night. We checked it out that next week and it was much bigger and nicer than we imagined…and it has a lake in the back yard, that you can walk around. We loved it and they didn’t require any deposit from us, because we were stretching it to get out of our old place sooner than we normally would so we had to come up with 2 rents and movers (cause Aaron & I can’t afford to hurt our backs). We came up with all of it, and moved. However, we found out that a small burn mark on the counter cost us over $750 from our old apartment as well as all of our $500 deposit…what a rip off.
Shortly after moving I told Aaron we needed to learn some languages if we are going to be traveling the world. Maybe we should start with Italian. The next day at church Ed our base player asked us if we wanted to go to Italy for 3 weeks and do 12 concerts…all expenses paid, not this Dec. but next. Heck ya!
Aaron had had several amazing weeks making over $1000 a week, but that always happens in spurts. A few weeks here and then and then nothing for a while. So he began looking for a job. He looked into an old friend that he knew from church and Tiffany from church also got him an interview at a chiropractor office. He talked with both men and both were offering him jobs. The chiro office interview went awesome and it was the first time that Aaron felt like he was confident and interviewing them as much as they were interviewing him. After looking into both jobs he took the chiropractor job and has been building up his clientele fast.
As soon as we moved in, we started getting attacked. Aaron had an allergic reaction to something and his eyes almost swelled shut and he broke out in a rash all over his body. The week before we had gone to a Rutkins meeting and God healed Aaron’s hands, in about 3 days Aaron’s hands were almost completely healed. But now his body was attacked for almost a week. I felt helpless. We were being attacked in our sleep and with rest and physically. However, there were mornings that I woke up and just heard the Holy Spirit speaking to me, and I didn’t even have to get into the presence of God to get this revelation.
2 weeks after Aaron broke out, we were at church and Donna an intercessor called us forward to pray with us. She said God had put us on her heart to pray for us every morning for 2 weeks (the time Aaron broke out). She said God had spoken some things to her and that God wanted to seal those things today. She said Gods vision for us is so much bigger than we can imagine and we will be traveling around the world. Our bodies are going to line up with the word of God and blood sugar must come into alignment (I’ve been having problems with that). This is the beginning of the things God is going to do. God is going to put blinders on us for a season, and whatever people are doing we can bless them but we don’t have to be apart of it…God wants us to focus on what he’s called us to do. Even though others will not understand and everyone will think that we are perfect to join their ministry God has called us to something on our own, then He will take the blinders off and allow us to be apart of other ministries. Even sacrifices that we have had to make, people will not understand, but God sees our sacrifices, and we are stepping into a new season. He’s going to move us faster through this season and bless us beyond belief we will be amazed at what He is going to do…expect BIG!
Denise Tarino also prophesied to us after Aaron worked on him. He said that God will make us one mind, and we will think the same thought and confirm with each other, visions and goals. God is going to prosper our ministry and businesses to overflowing. So much work we won’t know what to do with it. Aaron’s look- people don’t know where he’s from so when we go to the nations, he will be able to evangelize and save people with the gospel because they think he is “one of them”. I have prophetic giftings to specific things and things I have spoken to people before and now will stay with people for a long time and go a long way. We will be millionaires, and have ministry all over the world.
However, there have still been times we have had to borrow money from my parents. But God is good and he will provide and allow us to pay back all that we owe!
One morning we woke up for church and Aaron had been up since 5am. God told him to go get his Anatomy book. He did and God told him whatever pages he touched, God would give him that knowledge. So he began flipping through the pages and he realized all that God had helped him remember from school. Then when I woke up, he got in the shower and began prophesying to me! Stuff that I had not told him at all he was speaking over me. He asked me if I had been thinking about the Marriott. I said a little…he said, “God told me to tell you that you made the right decision, and that God wanted you to leave there and start your own business and that it is going to be bigger than you imagined and grow very fast. Don’t worry about the timing of getting things done, its Gods timing, He gave you this idea, and he’ll complete things in his time. You didn’t miss me by leaving the Marriott. I will reconcile Donald and Lucy and deal with them.” Aaron also said that God told him that this job he’s at now is not a permanent thing but where he’s suppose to be right now. He also said that God told him that I didn’t believe that he was prophetic, but that God was confirming that and that when we travel around the world people are going to think Aaron’s fake until he begins prophesying specifically over them. He prophesied all the way to church! It was awesome to see what God was doing through him, and the confidence God gave him.
Not more than a week later, I got a call from Howard Jones. A guy I had met at the Spa show up in LA and he informed me that he was taking over the Salon at the Marriott. He wanted to know what I was up to and if I was willing to work there (all on my answering machine). I hesitated to call him because I wasn’t sure what God wanted me to do, and it brought confusion to my mind. So after that holiday weekend, I called him and told him about my business I had been working on and he is going to hire my company to help do the weddings! My first account for my company! And it doesn’t effect what I have been doing, I can do the weddings there and still do what God has been calling me to do…start my business, and that will help me get other accounts with hotels. God is so good.
