At Valley Forge Christian College I saw Judith. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and the Lord told me she was to be my wife. When she saw me, almost simultaneously, the Lord said to her, “There stands your husband.” It was indeed, “love at first sight.” Never have I doubted or questioned that she was God’s choice for me.

That particular Bible College was rooted in holiness and some aspects of it were very legalistic. They had a “six inch rule” where you could not touch or even hold hands. Well, I was a 24-year-old, ex-sailor, convinced that the “six inch rule” was the dumbest thing I had ever heard of. So one night under a lamppost I grabbed her and really kissed her. Part of the kiss was because a sense of defying that rule. We both got expelled from the school for the rest of that school term. If I had to do it over again, I would probably do the same thing! We returned the following semester, kept the rules and graduated.

While we were still in Bible College, I began a little mission church, functioning as the pastor as well as driving the Sunday school bus. A few weeks after this I asked Judith to marry me. Our wedding on May 12, 1956 consisted of attending the regular Sunday morning service at our home church after which the Pastor made an announcement inviting everyone to stay for the wedding of Bob and Judith. Many of our family members were there. Judith and I wore regular church clothes and it was a warm ceremony, which for me was totally fulfilling but something less than what Judith desired. Our first daughter, Keren, was born 10 months later and Beth, 15 months after that.