How Michelob & I got together… Part 2

So when we last left off in the story, Michelob didn’t know that I existed. Ok, that’s not true, but he didn’t really look at me twice.

Things began to change in early 2002. I was in my last semester of college, taking only 2 classes (it was my favorite semester ever!), and preparing to leave Atlanta after graduating in May. I wasn’t really thinking about boys at this point. I was thinking about life beyond school– dreaming bigger and better things! Those few months were one of the few times in my life that I was perfectly content being a single woman, just pursuing God.

Since I had some extra time on my hands that semester, I decided to take a weekly class off-campus called Perspectives (www.perspectives.org). It’s a semester long course held all over the country about God’s heart for the world. Perspectives has rocked my world, literally. I always joke that Perspectives changed my life in 2 ways: 1) it opened my eyes to the world of missions and how God wants every ethnic people group to hear His story and 2) brought me a husband.

Let’s back up a little bit. During my senior year, Michelob started mentoring one of my good buds ML who was also in undergrad. I hung out with ML a lot through Intervarsity, and so Michelob & I started seeing each other more regularly on campus. Somehow I learned that Michelob was interested in missions, so I told him that he could come as a visitor to Perspectives classes with me if he wanted. He took me up on that offer.

Usually I go to Perspectives with 1-2 other girlfriends. However, (this is what I call a God-thing), the times that Michelob decided to come, ALL of my other friends were busy and couldn’t come. So I drove Michelob & I, just the 2 of us, from our school 30 minutes each way to the church where Perspectives was held. Since Perspectives was mind-blowing me, Michelob & I would have deep conversations about our thoughts from the classes.

That semester, one of our other mutual friends Davo took a class at our university, and he organized lunches with friends on the days he was there. So Michelob & I also sometimes had lunch together with a group of friends. Michelob later tells me that it was at one of these lunches that he glanced up and saw me, and thought I was “cute.”

All in all, seeing each other much more frequently, and sharing our hearts during lone car drives led Michelob to develop an interest in me. However, I was still super oblivious and didn’t think much else but what to do after May when I graduated and could move out of Atlanta.

Next episode: the CONFESSION! Stayed tuned for Part 3 of How Michelob & I got together!

How Michelob & I got together… Part 1

In some ways, Michelob & I had a boring dating relationship. In other ways, it’s a story of suspense and drama. I guess it just all depends on your perspective.

We attended the same church for almost 3 years before he took notice of me. The first time we met, he probably said “hi,” and I probably said “hi” back. But it wasn’t memorable. In fact, I don’t remember anything about it. (Sorry, but it’s true). Honestly, I wouldn’t have thought about him twice if I never heard him sing.

Michelob has a beautiful voice.

I’m not just exaggerating just because he’s my husband now and it’s obligatory for me to support him. REALLY! One of the church leaders calls Michelob the Asian Chris Tomlin. AND, he not only sings, but plays the guitar at the same time. I personally think he sounds like Bebo Norman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb8lRsqhxz8)- tenor, mellow, smooth, like a Lindt chocolate truffle. Ironically, he wishes he had a voice more along the lines of Derek Webb (derekwebb.com), whose voice is scratchy, slightly whiny, rough.

Anyways, so during the 2+ years I have a small crush on Michelob because he sings in front of the church about once a month. His voice melted me in a pool of oooh and ahhhh. (very descriptive, I know). Flash forward to my senior year in college. Michelob asks me to be on his worship team for one Sunday. He said he just needed someone to play keyboard; I was kind of flattered that I was asked by Asian Chris Tomlin to play with him (imagine Adele asking you to be part of her band). Michelob and I have mutual friends, but he didn’t hang out much with the college-age kids much because… he was older (in grad school at the time). It’s not cool for a grad student to hang out with younger kids, same as in high school.

Did he hear me play in his band, then instantly & passionately fell in love with me? Shnopes! He didn’t really even blink an eye at me. So I took things into my own hands. When Michelob had a birthday party at a local pizza joint, I found out and invited myself. He was surprised to see me, but welcomed me anyways (he’s a nice guy, what can I say?). But honestly, not much happened after that. I started thinking about graduation and leaving Atlanta. And he, well, I’m not sure what he thought about back then, but it sure wasn’t me!

Nothing happened until a series of fortunate happenings/coincidences (aka coinky dinks) led us to be alone in several long car rides. Alone, at night, in the romantic sketchy & bumpy streets of Atlanta. Stayed tuned for how Michelob fell for Leethebee!