The Love-Byrds' Story

By Darlene Byrd and William Byrd

Our journey of love began long before either of us realized that we were being groomed for one another. We've experienced many pivotal points prior to being brought together, to make this dream a reality. We knew we needed an extraordinary love to withstand past relationsh

• Language: English
• Publisher: Love-Byrds
• Release date: Feb 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736301616

Book preview

CHAPTERS OF LOVE

Meet the Byrds

The Class Clown and the Class President

HIM: Your Past Should Not Control Your Future

HER: Your Past Predicts Your Future

The Broken Road: Lost Love

HIM: When the Winds and Waves Crush Your Dreams

HER: Go to the One Whom the Winds and Waves Obey

Love Found: Desiring True Love

HIM: God’s Plans Are Bigger Than My Plans

HER: Love Is Not What You Say–It’s What You Do

Who Is She? – The Pursuit

HIM: My Search for Darlene Led Me to Finding True Love

HER: Discover Who You Are–Know Your Value

Window of Opportunity

HIM: Opportunity Never Passes the Right Person

HER: Extraordinary Comes to Those With Great Expectation

Your Words Produce Life or Death

HIM: I Know I Can Love Her

HER: Be Specific! Speak It Into Existence

Professing My Love

HIM: Confess the Love You Want. You Can Have It!

HER: The Moment I Knew!

The Word Is OUT!

HIM: I Want the World to Know!

Her: True Love Is Not Intended to Be Contained

Transitioning to Husband

HIM: My Soul Has Found the One It Loves

HER: Observing this Undeniable Transformation

The Proposal

HIM: Be All Mine in Exchange for All of Me

HER: Listening for the Voice of God

The Wedding Party

HIM: This is Really Happening!

Her: They Said Yes

The Promise

HIM: A Promise Is Forever–in Devotion to Each Other

HER: Promises Produce Expectations

Solidifying the Mission

HIM: Above All Else, Love With a Serving Heart

HER: Outserve Each Other!

Relationship Scripture Map

Testimonials: The Love-Byrds' Affect

Meet The Byrds

~Welcome to Our Love Story ~

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear lasting fruit – so that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give to you. (John 15:16) We all have hopes and dreams that we would one day achieve something so great, it would be beyond our wildest imaginations. As for us, we always knew that we were given a special call – a call to love. We proudly earned the call of the Love Byrds. Every journey begins with a choice. A single step in the right direction can propel you into the highest levels of an empowered life. One of the main purposes of our love journey is to encourage others that true love is possible. It is our desire that our love story would help to uncover the hidden treasures within us and enhance relationships along the way.

Our journey of love began long before either of us realized that we were being groomed for one another. We’ve experienced many pivotal points prior to being brought together, to make this dream a reality. We knew we needed an extraordinary love to withstand past relationship experiences, everyday bad choices and our past hurts. From the very beginning, our relationship was predisposed to twists and turns, unthinkable for most couples. Suffice it to say, growing up, we’ve traveled very different paths, but in the end, two paths collided, and our destiny ensued. Our individual dreams created and called into existence what we specifically wanted in a mate (without ever knowing that we would truly one day find it.) Yet, we were brought together, as one, for a purpose.

We focused on the possibility that God could bring the most unlikely couple together for one sole purpose – to serve and love one another selflessly. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. (1 Corinthians 1:27) We are called lovers of love. God is love–and we seek this kind of love through our passion to please one another. This is no ordinary love, but we know the love that brought us together is the love we found in one another through our love for Jesus Christ and the answered prayers of our elders.

Love is an action word. One of our guiding principles for action: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the other. (Philippians 2:3-4) Today, we believe acting on our values is truly a foundational part of our love story. We focus on words like serving, loving, honesty, dedication, commitment, consistency, steadiness, and diligence; to name a few. These values create an environment that consistently draws out the best of each of us. We allow nothing to come between our love for each other nor our love for our God. (Jeremiah 31:3)

As we share our love story, we hope that from our experiences you can gain positive takeaways to use in your own life and relationship. Strong relationships require work, effort, and intentionality, on both parts. We pray that the message you receive, demonstrated in our core values and guiding principles, assist you in strengthening your relationships and/or marital bond. The set of core values, which you will see threaded throughout our stories, are intended to not only show how we consistently challenge to out-serve one another but also to highlight the grace of God on our marriage.

In His service,

Billy & Darlene Byrd

THE CLASS CLOWN

AND THE CLASS PRESIDENT

HIM

Your Past Should Not

Control Your Future

My parents were young, high school lovers who were married straight out of high school. Planning for a family was not first and foremost in the minds of two young lovers. My parents had plans like every other high school graduate. Yet unexpectedly, in 1964 I was born and then my brother and sister were born shortly thereafter. Life was wonderful for the young lovers. They were ecstatic with the new additions to the family. My father, who always dreamed of a first-born son, could not have asked for a more suitable blessing.

We were a loving, close-knit family. My mom was super supportive of my dad’s dreams and aspirations. She also had dreams of her own. Raising her children to be strong spiritually and academically, with great character, was a top priority. My father was the consummate disciplinarian, provider, and protector. He owned an upholstery business, which is where I noticed his ability to bring life to hopeless furniture.

The entire Byrd family was well-known in our small hometown in Pennsylvania. My father always wanted to raise his first-born son as a warrior, to be a mirror image of his strength, drive, passion, and especially his love for family. I witnessed his work ethic first-hand. I admired his masterful, hard work and I promised that I would emulate it to the fullest. In my high school years, my father taught me everything I knew about reupholstering. I learned a lot through his guidance and expertise. To no one’s surprise, I became exceptional at reupholstering furniture. I could fix or upholster just about anything. My father’s wish for a son to take on his mirror image was suddenly beginning to take shape.

My strong academic background was a result of years of private school education. Daily exposure to moral role models was significant in my upbringing. I had a solid religious and educational foundation, and all had a huge impact on my development spiritually, educationally, and emotionally. I was surrounded by students in school, all growing in the same direction. This experience was one part of the bedrock of my focus on good character. I excelled in many areas of my life due to the rigorous teaching in parochial school.

The transition from private school to public school in my junior year of high school was an incredible story in and of itself. When I enrolled in public school, my private school education placed me a year ahead. Getting good grades was not difficult at all. I would complete my work at school and have plenty of time to do things that I liked. I had plenty of time to clown around in class. I became the popular student affectionately known as The Class Clown. The class clown was a way of adapting to all the changes that suddenly took place around me in my junior and senior year of high school. The course of my life took a drastic turn. Certain situations occurred during my early upbringing that put me in a place of having to fend for my life on my own. These situations were mostly brought on by the unexpected turn of events that took place involving my dad. You have this strong, domineering man, who leads his family with love, protection, and strength, suddenly becomes completely succumbed to and overtaken by the use of drugs and substances. It affected his relationship with the very people he loved. Clowning around and bringing laughter to myself and others made life more bearable.

HER

Your Past Predicts Your Future

They say natural leaders are born. I say born leaders are rare. You can tell a true leader by how they take charge without even thinking about it. They typically do not wait to be told what to do. They come up with the idea, map it out, and then effortlessly lead the charge. You will know you’re dealing with a leader when you find yourself being completely engulfed with making their ideas a reality. A true leader is proactive, inspiring, encouraging, and supportive. While growing up, I would hear people say, She is no average, ordinary girl…Darlene is a born leader. I never really understood what they meant, nor why was it so evident to everyone except for me. I was just being me. Being me, just came naturally. While I never focused on being a leader, I always knew I was comfortable taking charge and leading without being asked. In high school, I was well-known for my leadership qualities, and my wide, warm embrace of people. My propensity for high academic achievements afforded me opportunities to lead