Looking Out the Window: Regina Andrews Tells Her Love Story

  Regina Shares her Love Story

    And Tells us about her New Book

                                                                                                        

                                         LIGHT OF THE HEART

When Love Comes Knocking on Your Door

                                           by Regina Andrews
Sunlight fills the room, warming the lemon chiffon walls. I look over from my side of the bed and see him there, sleeping peacefully on his side, his breathing relaxed and his limbs at ease.

Closing my eyes, I open them quickly. Yes, he is still there. Yes, he is my husband. And yes, today is our wedding anniversary.

A breeze flutters through the open window, rustling the sheer curtains and stirring memories of such sweetness and contentment. Our wedding anniversary! A truly blessed union that was meant to be.

I smile as I recall how those who knew me “before” were amazed when I finally “tied the knot.” Fancy-free and independent, I was the quintessential free spirit, with no desire to “settle down.” Me, get married? No way.

Then, my sister buys a condo and two doors down she has a neighbor named Jon. They are both on the Condo Board. One day I’m visiting her and she asks me to deliver a flier to him about Maintenance of the Grounds.

Grumbling under my breath I stomp up the stairs and knock on the door. Jon answers. Lo and behold, I am knocked off my proverbial horse.

He’s sincere, cute and a great conversationalist. Before I know it he’s offering me a drink and I’m sitting on his sofa, giggling and sipping a grape juice-club soda spritzer.
An hour later the doorbell rings and his mother and sister enter the living room, their eyes wide and their mouths frozen in round, open “o”s. They sit down, Jon gets them spritzers and before we know it another hour has gone by, and we’re laughing like old friends.

Then my cell phone rings and my sister is squawking on the other end about all the other stuff we have to do that day. I say good-bye and we all set up a time to meet for lunch together the following week.

Easy, natural and fun. Before I know it, Jon’s calling me every night and we’re doing as much together as we can possibly fit in – including going to Church together on Sundays.

I find myself telling him things and wanting to know his opinion on things like never before. Little by little, I am opening my heart to him. I realize I trust him.

This starts me praying for guidance. You see, I don’t want to get tangled up in anything serious. So I don’t want to begin anything I’m not intending to finish. Jon deserves honesty, and he deserves the best.

My answer? A strong, sure, unwavering certainty inside that trusting him is right. This is a good man, a positive person, a sincere soul and a humble servant of God. It’s a feeling that being with Jon is almost beyond me, my designs or anything I might decide on my own.

It feels like a calling. God is knocking on the door of my heart, offering me a gift. God is rapping with persistence, letting me know it was time to open up and cherish another, take care of another, put another ahead of myself. God is blessing me with an angel.
That’s exactly what it was; we were called to be together, and blessed by God’s hand.

I look back over at Jon as he stirs. It won’t be long before he’s awake. I can’t wait to begin our day together! I have so many things planned to make him happy today, starting with his favorite breakfast.

Then I realize that even though it’s our anniversary, I feel like this every day, anyway. How lucky am I, to feel this! Sure, there are days when we’re exhausted by life. But not by each other. And that’s pretty wonderful.

Fresh, new and joyous, every day. Hard to fathom that it’s been fourteen years. Memories have been created, challenges faced, tears shed, wounds healed, triumphs celebrated, faith nurtured, love cherished, gratitude expressed. All of it, shared together.

The sunshine illuminates the lemon chiffon walls. It’s our wedding anniversary! I feel as excited as if it were the morning of our wedding. With a smile, I recall us all laughing as my dear mother-in-law, Joan, proclaimed: “I always said, for Jonathan to find the right girl, she’s going to have to march right up those front stairs and knock on his door. And, Gina, you’re the one who did it!”

What a delightful memory, and what a blessed union. It all came from answering the call, which in this case was a knock on the door. Literally, the front door of a condo and spiritually, the inner door of my heart. These are the ‘knocks’ which called me into marriage.

It leads me to wonder: how did you get the call from God to share your life, and how are you sharing it?

                                                              
                                                                  
Light of the Heart by Regina Andrews
More than anything, Cascade Preston wants to forget her dark childhood in Sterling Lakes, so there’s no way she’ll agree to help refurbish that town’s church. Then she meets Dan McQuay. Will she be able to forgive the past and let the light of God’s love shine through into her heart?

Back Cover Blurb
A stained-glass artist based in Boston, Cascade Preston’s world is a kaleidoscope of color and beauty. She has overcome a dark childhood, deeply shadowed by domestic violence, in the town of Sterling Lakes. When she is approached to design new windows for a refurbished church in Sterling Lakes, she ignores the request. But when the no-nonsense Project Manager Dan McQuay appears looking for the window plans, the project takes on a whole new light. Will Cascade be able to keep the dark, protective cocoon she has built around herself intact, or will McQuay break through and shine new light into her heart? Is it possible that God’s plan for Cascade will lead her to forgive the town that ignored the situation in her family?
REGINA'S BIO
A resident of Providence, RI, Regina grew up in nearby Barrington. After graduating from Providence College she attended the University of Delaware, eventually earning her Master’s Degree in American Civilization from Brown University. She is inspired by anything to do with nature, and she and her husband enjoy visiting nearby Cape Cod.

Regina’s hobbies include Travel, Museums, Theater, Classical Music, Choral Singing and Gardening. She is a radio host for In-Sight, an association dedicated to providing services to the visually impaired of all ages.

Learn more about Regina at her Web site - http://www.reginaandrews.com/
Visit Regina's blog - http://www.reginaandrews.wordpress.com/