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Meet Denise Brunner

Denise Brunner has been married to her "super cute and utterly irresistible" husband, Larry (an elder at Beltway Park), for 16 years.  When she married Larry, she inherited 2 step-daughters, Laura and Lisa, and 2 sons-in-law, Eddy Smith and Jay Lester.  Together, Denise and Larry have 4 grandchildren, now in 6th thru 9th grade.

Denise is an Elementary Library Supervisor for Abilene ISD, where she uses her spiritual gift of Teaching.  "I love to teach children -- especially how to discover answers on their own.  I believe the best thing we can do for our kids is to hardly ever answer their questions, but just show them how to get there."  She also has spiritual gifts of service and administration.

Denise grew up in a pastor's family, as her dad was the music minister at a church in Abilene.  Therefore, she had no desire to marry a pastor or elder.  She took her biggest step of faith, when she decided to marry Larry.  Not because he was an elder, or, as she says, "in the business," but because she had been through a previous 2-year marriage that had ended 10 years prior, after a great deal of turmoil.  "I believed that was my one chance at a happy marriage and had refused to consider that kind of commitment with any man.  I had always said that I would never remarry unless God, himself, came down and said, 'Denise, you can't get into heaven without marrying this man right here!'  When the Lord brought Larry into my life, that is just what He did."

Larry is an English professor, so he receives grants for study trips.  Therefore, the couple has had wonderful opportunities to travel abroad together, which is something Denise really didn't do much, prior to meeting Larry.  "Two months after we married, we left for England and spent 3-1/2 months there while he was teaching a semester on an exchange program.  Since then, I have been to Europe five times, and several other beautiful places God made.  We have traveled to Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  I keep trying to assure Larry that there were surely some English poets that visited Hawaii, but he hasn't come up with any yet."  Additionally, they traveled to Israel with a Beltway team a few years ago, which she described as "a truly special experience." 

Denise has a delightful sense of humor, and she admits that she likes laughing at herself.  She comes from a family of cut-ups, and she says they always have a good time together.

When she is not working or traveling, she enjoys quilting and sewing (although she doesn't have as much time to do those things as she would like).  She also loves singing, and enjoys all things technological (Mac, iPod, iPad, iPhone...) "I know I've gone too far when Larry says, 'I wish I was that computer!!' Yipes!!"  In addition, she enjoys baking cookies for her grandkids, doing jigsaw puzzles on her computer, doting on herself with a bi-weekly pedicure, and serving the Family of God.

We hope that you will join us for Let's Get Together on Thursday, September 26th at 6:30pm, at which time you can get to know Denise a little better!!


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