![](http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r207/jessclark_01/Scans/img009.jpg)
We got married in August of 1996. I was 17 and he was 18.
![](http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r207/jessclark_01/Scans/img021.jpg)
We were doing youth ministry and didn't really have any desire to go to college... to us, it was a stepping stone to a career and we already had the job we wanted, ministering to kids. We have never regretted that decision.
We set off on married life and very quickly landed amazing jobs making lots of money. We were 18 and rich (for teenagers, anyway) and we lived in an apartment by ourselves. We were pretty giddy.
3 months after we got married, we brought home a kitty, and then a 16 year old. Andrew was estranged from his family.. he
![](http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r207/jessclark_01/Scans/img025.jpg)
We were either the same age or 2-3 years older than the kids we pastored... I got "carded" at more youth pastor functions than I care to remember. The pigtails and knee-high socks probably didn't help with my street cred.
Around this time, kids were just flocking to our youth services. It was a sovereign thing. We did very little promotion and no games. Just worship and preaching... and God showed up week after week and blew us all away. I quickly got an education in dysfunction. These were hurt kids, messed up kids. They were 14, 15 years old and in many ways on their own. My heart expanded and I LOVED them all. Even the ones who only came one time. I would look at them with their smeared eyeliner and scarred arms... and just see hurt little kids. They were beautiful. I miss those kids.
![](http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r207/jessclark_01/Scans/img010.jpg)
![](http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r207/jessclark_01/Scans/img026.jpg)
We gave ourselves body and soul to serving those kids for the next 3 years. During that time, Richy started writing songs... we had a hard time finding anything that really expressed our hearts and the movement, so he just started writing. More on that later.
We actually youth-pastored for 7 years, but I will stop here around the 3-year mark, because... 3 years into our 5-year plan, we discovered we were expecting our first mini-Clark!
Part III here
man o man
ReplyDeletea blog before noon
i am impressed
what ever happened to andrew
ReplyDeleteWagonshoot married and divorced.....Misty?
ReplyDeletechild?
The wedding I remember...my hair was so curly that day I was sporting a 'fro...chi-mex's and fro...not so much.
ReplyDeleteB
You two hit the ground running!
ReplyDeleteAndrew is remarried with three kids... we haven't seen him in years
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to hear that......
ReplyDeleteI love Andrew......
is andrew still in the conroe area
ReplyDeletejust wondering
making small talk
getting the blog movin
blah blah blah blah
Blog moving info
ReplyDeleteDolly in the Gulf headed towards Brownsville
I need rain but my poor riding lawn mower...
O no
Dolly is expected to strengthen and make land fall Wednesday.......first rains might be felt tomorrow evening in Houston area
ReplyDeleteGod news for us......Cuz Mercy and Madi and Wes and Em are all swimming tomorrow.....
We need the rain to stay away for just a little longer.
These 4 kids spent the first 5 years of their lives together....and everyone is very excited about our plans.....
hi
ReplyDeletehi jessica! i have my account back now lolzzz
ReplyDeletehi hi hi
ReplyDeletehow r u??? those r really cute pics of u and richy whenever u were ypunger
ReplyDeletei mean whenever u were "younger" ha ha ha lolzz. hey like my icon? zac efron. i wounder wut my mom would say about this...
ReplyDeletewuts karate kid?
ReplyDeleteoh and its meee madi
ReplyDeleteI think your mom would be ok, considering her icon used to be Tom Cruise...
ReplyDeletehi
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeletehi look at my icon lmao!
ReplyDeleteWhat a dreamboat... too bad he's NUTS
ReplyDeletelol! lmao!
ReplyDeletelmao means laugh my @$$ off!
ReplyDeleteim sooo BAD!
ReplyDeleteI knew what it meant, cusser!
ReplyDeleteMany people use lmbo, fyi.
ReplyDeletei like using lmao better its kooler!
ReplyDeletei like cheese!
ReplyDeleteTom cruise huh... when mercy saw that u said that..she made her icon tom cruise lolzz.
ReplyDeleteok im gonna change my icon...lets see wut my mom will think of this..
ReplyDelete:B :> :) :O X_X :D
ReplyDeletemadi ur hideous.
ReplyDeletethis icon is even HOTTER! mom did u hear that?!! wah ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteawwww mercy thats sooo nice of u! so r u.
ReplyDeletemy person is hotter!
ReplyDeletetom is a whimp
ReplyDeleteim probably neva gonna change this icon and username wah ha ha ha!
ReplyDeletesorry jess..me and mercy r fighting on UR blog...
ReplyDeletehe may be short but hes not a wimp he could beat up your tall person.
ReplyDelete!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteriiiggghhhhtt...like he can do that...
ReplyDeletenacho libre
ReplyDeletenow this guy is hott!!!!!!!!!!! he could KILL zachary quinto!
ReplyDeleteim im-im dead
ReplyDeletenachoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ReplyDelete*farts*
ReplyDeleteyou goofballs...
ReplyDeleteyes we r googballs
ReplyDeleteboth of you jokers need to put radiant on your favorite music list, or I will personally come to Texas and destroy you.
ReplyDeletenow this guy kills nacho.
ReplyDeletehi jess!
ReplyDeleteyes ma'm
ReplyDeletehi jess!
ReplyDeletey is pete there all of a sudden out of nowhere?
ReplyDeleteno way mercy!
ReplyDeleteok i put hideous radiant on my fav music!
ReplyDeletemadi i was just being random!
ReplyDeletehi mommy if ur there! luv ya! we only got 20 more minutes on the computer...
ReplyDeleterandomness
ReplyDeletewhos andrew
ReplyDeleteits robert redford time!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteglad to see you fear my wrath
ReplyDeletemercy....r u ok
ReplyDeleteya ya ya
ReplyDeleteim the horse whisperer!
ReplyDeleteim so hott!!!!!
ReplyDeletemercy, u change ur icon a lot...im keepin mine..even how much my parents say that im a dork!!!
ReplyDeletemercy stop this hideousness!!!
ReplyDeletejess where r u?
ReplyDeleteits jack coleman time!
ReplyDeletei'm right here listening to your ridiculousness
ReplyDeleteits young spock time!
ReplyDeletelolzz i jessica
ReplyDeletejack coleman jack coleman jack coleman!
ReplyDeletespock!
ReplyDeleteyay!
ReplyDeletehey wut do u know?! its the glasses guy er jack coleman!
ReplyDeletehi jessica
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletei saw those cute young pics of u and richy when yall were just widdle kids lolzz
ReplyDeletemercy how could u say that?!
ReplyDeleteradiant is cool.
ReplyDeleterandomness
ReplyDeletewe were older than you, whippersnapper
ReplyDeletei bet ur gonna make 100 comments!!!
ReplyDeletewere gonna make 100 comments today!
ReplyDeleteha ha ha i know! oh and whimmpersnaper is such an OLD word no offence. just kidding (jk)
ReplyDeletewhippersnapper was an old fashioned word back when bedste was a whippersnapper. I am awesomely retro.
ReplyDeleteim tierd..."yawn"
ReplyDeleteha ha ha ha ha ha!!! mercy showed bedste that lolzz!!
ReplyDeletelive long and prosper.
ReplyDeleteok im changing this right now!
ReplyDeleteOMG MERCY! spock is sooo hideous! my spock is cuter! im dead.
ReplyDeleteya know
ReplyDeletenow this spock is hotter!
ReplyDeleteyo adrian!
ReplyDeleteROCKY BALBOA! YA KNOW
ReplyDeletewoops...i forgot to change my icon when i waz talkin bout rocky lolzz
ReplyDeleteim the heavy weight champion of the world!
ReplyDeleteya know
ReplyDeleteya know
ReplyDeleteya know
ReplyDeleteNO I AM! NACHOOOOO LIBRE! -madison
ReplyDeletewow we r over 100 comments ya know!
ReplyDeletewoops i forgot to change my stinky icon again!
ReplyDeleteu r NOT nacho lebre ya know!
ReplyDeletei know that ya know!
ReplyDeletethats better goodbye jessica bedste is forcing us to go 2 bed!
ReplyDeleteoh my! i wondered how you got almost to 100....and then I see.....
ReplyDeleteello ercy and addy....
love you gals!
hey only rocky sats ya know!
ReplyDeletebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteRadiant so ROCKS.......................
ReplyDeletegoodnite jessica! we have to go 2 bed now..luv ya and i will talk to u tomorrow..
ReplyDeleteNITE
ReplyDeletehey jess. the 1 that says "cruisy" is bedste talkin on mercys thingy lolzz! radiant is a hot band by the way...
ReplyDeletehi lindseys mama er pam lolzz
ReplyDeleteercy amd addy? wut the? lol
ReplyDeletethanks... we are so HOTT OMG
ReplyDeletenite
ha ha ha! i know
ReplyDeletegood night my dear friends
ReplyDeleteAndrew is remarried with 3 kids. A set of twins!! He's doing good...too bad things didn't work out with us. But they DID work out! Love you Jess....
ReplyDeleteI love you, too, Missy. You have a beautiful family :)
ReplyDelete