SANDRA AND GREG

"Meet My Prince Charming"

[Sandra]  About 10 months later, I received in my e-mail a list of "candidates" from Match.com. As I quickly viewed the list, this one smiling face jumped out at me. I sent a quick "wink" to let him know I was interested. I received a return e-mail in less than 24 hours. When he responded, I realized I had not even read his profile. Then I took the time to really read his profile. He was a Christian, had the values I was looking for, loved children, long talks, the theatre and ...too good to be true? We started corresponding by email. Wanting to be completely honest, I wrote in one e-mail that I was a "Nana" to 5 grandchildren, had five children, and had brain tumors. Greg was not deterred by any of the events in my life.


{Greg]  Somewhere around October 20, match.com had a computer bug and accidentally sent my picture and profile to Sandra. You see, Sandra did not live within 25 miles. She was 153 miles from me. There is no way she should have gotten my picture. Even though Match sent her pictures of possible matches, I guess I caught her eye and she sent me an electronic 'wink'. While I cannot claim to have known that she was 'the one' at that time, I remember feeling that the smile on her face was somehow directed towards me. I found her profile and read it. For the first time, after reading numerous profiles, I felt that I found a compatible spirit. I wondered if she had read my profile - or just winked at me on a whim. I decided to find out and I wrote her. It turns out that it had been a whim!! BUT when I wrote back to her and she read my profile, I think she saw the same possibilities that I had.


[Sandra]  As we shared our lives, our children, our faith, and our love for God we realized that we were made for each other. God had made us for each other. When he shared about finding his soul mate within 25 miles, I laughed. How could he expect to meet his soul mate within 25 miles? I definitely was not within 25 miles. Now he had to make a decision. He did and we decided to meet. We planned our first date to meet at the Starbucks in Annapolis on November 2, 2003. Greg lived in Northern Virginia, near the Washington D.C. area, and I was on the eastern shore of Maryland, so Annapolis was our halfway point.


[Greg]  One of the most wonderful experiences that I have ever had was getting to know Sandra. It is amazing how I was able to express myself in considered words much more eloquently than I ever would have in a face-to-face meeting. So for a couple of weeks we wrote back and forth. For some reason, both of us quickly let our guard down and started to put our hearts into our notes. We would write several times a day. I began to realize that the smile in her picture was from her soul - not something that could be staged. We soon realized that we had to meet.


[Sandra]  Our first date was very special, and we began it in prayer. We also decided to do devotions together every night on the phone while we were dating. It was not long before we knew that God had a plan for our lives. Greg proposed on Valentine's Day at the Naval Academy on the steps of the Naval Chapel. He said it was the appropriate place because of the importance of God in our lives. I had been to single events, Christian conferences, Single Sunday School classes, and single friends. But I found the love of my life on MATCH.COM. God does have a sense of humor!


[Greg]  One other thing happened early in our relationship. In a note, I asked her if she believed in the power of prayer. When she told me of her story and how God had held her hand through brain tumors and a life that would have crushed many people, I knew that her faith was not some shallow words. She shared how she was a longtime Christian (no not a perfect person). I explained that I was a new Christian. I remember praying to God for guidance on how to approach this friendship. It was around this point that I distinctly remember that our friendship suddenly took on an aspect that was beyond love. I believe that God was giving us a love that comes only when He is made an integral part of a relationship. I don't suppose anyone who does not know Jesus would really understand this. But I believe now that not only did God bring us together - He has blessed our relationship. Our children, even people we don't even know have remarked how there is something incredible between us. I know what it is.,.. It is God being the center of our lives.

Sandra and Greg were married by Pastor Bill Warren on November 3, 2004- one year after they met. They moved back to the eastern shore of Maryland in August of 2005 to be nearer their children and grandchildren.

**  Greg not only took on a wife and became an instant caregiver, he added 5 children to his 2 boys and 5 grandchildren. Today we have 9 grandchildren and 1 due in July.