Leah and Lonnie
“Having Faith that God has a plan and knowing He sometimes allows us to fall down and fail, so we may remember that He is in control... ”
1. What is one of your favorite things to do together?
Lonnie & Leah: Take long walks and talk.
2. Where did you meet?
Lonnie & Leah: Buzz Mode Ent. Aka Lonnie’s Studio, at the time.
3. How long have you been together?
Lonnie & Leah: 22 years
4. What about him/her caught your attention?
Lonnie: I found her to be very attractive but I didn’t think too deep about it because she was at my studio with her boyfriend.
Leah: He seemed to demonstrate and command dominance over the room. I immediately took note of that.
5. Why did you chose him/her?
Lonnie: After getting to known Leah and getting the opportunity to spend time with her, I started to feel things I had never felt before. We often use the words love and talk about feeling a “connection” with someone. I just felt something that I had never felt before.
Leah: I saw his vision, the hunger and believed in his determination to be successful. As I got to know Lonnie, I decided I wanted to grow with him.
6. Name 1 challenge within your relationship?
Lonnie: Trying to find a balance between the pleasure versus the business of being married, without one overshadowing the other.
Leah: Having two people that like to have the last word can sometimes be challenging but we have gained tools throughout the course of our relationship that now allow us to listen for understanding and clarity versus listening to respond.
7. Have you ever lost trust during the course of your relationship?
Lonnie & Leah: Yes. We have been together for a long time and we have grown individually and collectively. There have been times when we have disappointed one another & ourselves.
8. How did you overcome this situation?
Lonnie: Initially, I was totally against it, but one of the best things we could have done was go to counseling. Not only did we learn a lot about ourselves as a couple but we learned a lot about ourselves individually.
Leah: Having Faith that God has a plan and knowing He sometimes allows us to fall down and fail, so we may remember that He is in control and we need to ask for his forgiveness, guidance, love, grace and mercy. That has helped us cultivate and build a stronger foundation.
9. Using the 5 Love Languages listed below, which two best speak to how you tune into one another’s needs?
Love Languages:
• Words of Affirmation
• Acts of Service
• Receiving Gifts
• Quality Time
• Physical Touch
Lonnie & Leah: Quality Time & Physical Touch. We are so different yet so much alike. #Libras
10. Do you have children? Does this change the dynamics of your relationship as a couple?
Lonnie & Leah: Yes. Children definitely change the dynamics of a relationship. While focusing on our children, work-life balance and finding time to self evaluate and rejuvenate, it is import to be mindful and intentional about date nights, weekend, midweek and mid-day get aways.
11. Is it beneficial to your relationship to socially interact with other couples?
Lonnie & Leah: Definitely
12. I am going to give you 3 words to think about… Money, Sex, Time... Put them in order of most importance.
Lonnie: Time, Money, Sex - Sex is enjoyable. One day we will look back at time and wish we had more of it. You can spend time without having money. Money can’t be last on the list because it eliminates the space for sex and time to be enjoyable. It has to go in the middle.
Leah: If the kids are reading, I can’t answer, lol. I will leave it at Ditto.
13. Is the person that you met then, the same person you are with now?
Lonnie: No. When I met Leah, she was a freshman in college. I have had the pleasure of watching her mature from a young lady into a woman.
Leah: No, he is not the same. He has matured in so many ways. He continues to evolve daily, which I respect and appreciate. I value his individual growth. He’s teachable when necessary, lol.
14. Is there a special song that the two you share that reminds you of a particular time frame in your relationship?
Lonnie & Leah: 7 Days - Mary J. Blige
15. What does intimacy mean to you and has your view on intimacy changed since the beginning of your relationship to present?
Lonnie: Being younger when I heard the word intimacy the first thing I would think of was sex. Maturing, I realize intimacy can be transparency, spending time together, putting your phone down. It doesn’t have to be sexual or physical.
Leah: This is not an all inclusive list. Intimacy for me means being able to share things that don’t always feel good to yourself or your partner. It can also mean, holding hands, watching this man sleep and praying for him or sharing a passionate kiss. My view of intimacy has not changed but how I engage my husband by the level, frequency and spontaneity has changed throughout the course of our relationship.
16. Please feel free to add anything else that you feel might be beneficial in getting to know both of you as a couple.
⁃Lonnie: As long as we’ve been together, many people know Leah as, “Lonnie B’s wife”. She is so much more than that. That’s why I’m excited for her and this new Project BGL, because people will get a chance to peek into her world. They will not only find out who she is as a person but they will also get a chance to find out what’s in her heart. I’m so proud of her.
Leah: As a couple, I believe Lonnie would agree with me when I say, we are life partners. We have not always given the best version of ourselves to one another. However, within our journey together, we have been educated and provided tools we did not initially have, that now help enable us to love more selflessly, be intentional, show consistency and vulnerability. I share our continued journey to speak to the women who have loved and trusted yet may have had to face obstacles within their relationship. I share for transparency and speak to those who have been able to and who are in transition, looking inward, speaking over themselves, overcoming these adversarial moments and having strength to move forward, with better insight, self love, determination and a vision for what currently works best and is most physically and emotionally healthy and rewarding for self.