Finally! Another Guy!

When I tell people that I have three daughters, their typical response is, “You are really outnumbered!” My clever reply is, “I was outnumbered the day I got married!” The truth is, yes, I exist and thrive in a world of women. I’ve learned how to make it work, I’ve learned to love it and feel really blessed by it, and I believe God has shaped me into what he intends for me by surrounding me with these beautiful, emotional, delicate, fiercely tough and determined females. I’ve also always been aware that when my daughters married, their husbands would bring a new and needed dynamic to our family. I would finally have male cohorts, comrades to take my side in the inevitable discussions and debates that fall along gender lines. Somebody to back me up when silly theories about men or sports or marriage are posited as truth or when overreactions to normal minor inconveniences are treated as appropriate and they need to be challenged.

And that strange, wonderful day has come.

David Richardson has asked for Valerie’s hand in marriage and she has enthusiastically accepted!

David and Valerie met a little over a year ago on a church college-group mission trip to South Texas and bonded almost immediately. They share a love for our Lord and a passion for his people. They selflessly serve others in the name and manner of Christ. And they truly love and care for each other. I really like their comfortable, easy manner with each other. I like the way they look at each other and look out for each other. They understand each other’s quirks, they laugh at each other’s jokes, and they seem to have a mature outlook and plan to work hard to nurture and support their relationship.

David is from Phoenix. So he’s a Cardinals football fan. That’s weird, right? Who’s a Cardinals fan? I mean, only people from Phoenix. So, it’s not a knock; I’m just observing that I’m going to have to work to be able to talk knowledgeably about Arizona and the Suns and Arizona State.

They will both graduate from OC next April — they’d better! — and will get married pretty quickly after that. By then, hopefully, Valerie will have a youth minister position at some really great and lucky church and David will be enrolled in law school. And I will have talked them into serving only peanuts and mints at the wedding. And I will have learned how to dance.

Carrie-Anne and I couldn’t be more proud of these two. We love David and his family — his sister Claire has become a really good friend of Carley’s — and we’re excited to add him to ours. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to support these two and their marriage for as long as we’re around. And we’re beside ourselves with joyful anticipation for what our God is going to do in them and through them to his glory.

Welcome to the family, David. I can’t decide yet if you need to sit right beside me at the dinner table at family gatherings to present a physical united front or straight across from me to strategically cover more area. This doubles the number of males for us and I want to use this to my best advantage.

God bless Valerie and David. May the blessings of heaven crown their marriage with increasing joy and peace. And may their hearts and lives be forever united by the love and grace of our Lord.

Peace,

Allan

1 Comment

  1. Payton G.

    Congratulations to Valerie, David and the rest of your family!

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