April 7

It was 10 years ago to this day that I made one of the most frightening phone calls of my life. I remember it well. Most of it.

I stood in the hallway of my dorm floor at Emmaus Bible College and stared at the public phone on the wall. Beads of sweat covered my 125 pound, 5'7" frame.

I rehearsed my lines: "I was just wondering....I just thought I'd ask....I just wanted to know what you thought about..."

Oh screw it. I picked up the phone, looked at my phone card, and dialed the digits. Anne picked up with a cheerful, "Hello?"

In a shaky voice I spurted out, "Uh, hi...Mrs. Moe? Hi this is Joel."

"Hi Joel!!! How are you?!?" Her friendly, cheery voice calmed my nerves. For a second.

"Uh...good, thanks. Is Mr. Moe there?"

"Sure! One second."

In a flash Brian was on the phone. I must have blacked out because I don't remember anything that was said for the rest of the conversation. I do remember hanging up with a sigh of relief, thinking "that wasn't so bad after all."

An hour later I found myself sitting with Kari in Jeremy Goering's old beat-up truck in the Kennedy Mall parking lot, pulling a rose out from behind the seat and asking her to be my girl. 19 years old and no idea what in the world we were doing. A little over 2 years later we tied the knot.

So, I raise my glass and make a toast to 10 years. May the next 10 years be as happy and full as a fat squirrel in a peanut butter factory.