Amanda: It was a typical Thursday afternoon at the PT clinic. I had been slammed all day and was looking forward to a 30-minute break where a patient of mine had canceled. Then Jeff approached and asked if I'd be willing to see one of his patients who had showed up on the wrong day...

Paul: The appointment was on Thursday. I could have sworn the appointment was on Thursday. I frantically picked up the phone, "Hey, Jeff, I seem to have gotten my appointments mixed up. Is there anyway you can still fit me in for rehab... someone else can see me... great! I'm already on my way!"

Amanda: He's a crossfit athlete... ugh. I know the type and I am not thrilled to see this 26-year-old man who's probably going to tell me he knows everything and I'm doing my job wrong. I sneak a peak in the lobby - oh! He's actually kinda cute! But he's a patient. A patient. No feelings allowed.

Paul: Great. I'm profusely sweating as this gorgeous PT is working on my shoulder. Who turned off the AC? "So how long have you been doing this?" Oh way to go, Paul. Now she'll think you're assuming she's too young to be a PT and she doesn't know what she's doing. "Two years. Wow! That's awesome! Me? I'm in school for education; I want to teach high school English and then teach English over seas. In China." I can't leave out that I want to do missions in China as a way to serve Christ, it's the whole reason I went back to school in the first place... She's either going to think I'm insane or she's really going to get it...

Amanda: Oh I got it. Jesus. He loves Jesus. And he's this cute? I'm in trouble!

10 months later...

Paul: The sun was setting perfectly the way it had so many times before on our long walks talking about life, the love of Jesus, and unknowingly falling in love. I smiled at her as she held my hand. How on earth am I going to convince her to get into a John boat and let me row her to the middle of a flooded Pedrick Pond?

Amanda: He'd been planning a surprise all week and I'd asked what to wear for the evening. "The dress from Easter would be perfect" - a floor length dress I save for special occasions. And now he's asking me to get into a John boat. In a floor length dress. I begrudgingly took his hand and (mostly) trusted him to help me get in the boat without toppling over. What a fun surprise! We'd been joking about kayaking since the pond had flooded and now here we were.

Paul: I fumbled my hand around inside my draw string bag, feeling the small square box and a book, as if they would have disappeared into thin air in the 30 seconds since I last checked. We are juuuuust about in the perfect position. I can't believe it. This is working out too perfectly. She never asks me what to wear and now she is wearing the dress just like how the artist drew it in the book. Please God, somehow, keep her from knowing what I'm about to do. The boat is just about in the same position as the picture, and it will be a miracle if this is even remotely a surprise...

Amanda: This is such a beautiful evening. I am just enjoying being on the boat with my best friend watching the sunset and now he pulls out... a book he wrote for me! How sweet! There's even photos that are drawn of us in various stages of our relationship. This is pretty much the sweetest thing I've ever read and then... I turn the page. And he's holding a ring... a RING! I can't make words come out. Is this really happening or am I just having the best dream of my life?

Present day...

Amanda: I am so overjoyed and abundantly grateful to my amazing Heavenly Father who has blessed me with this incredible man. This man who quickly became a best friend as we walked circles around Pedrick Pond, sharing our hearts and our thoughts on life and faith. This man who is now the greatest earthly blessing I have ever received. This man that I can't wait to do life with - have kids with, travel with, follow Jesus with. What an absolutely extraordinary gift he is. Can't wait to marry you, honey pie!

Paul: God really did do more than I could have ever thought or imagined. There are a million and one things I could be thankful for in my incredible soon-to-be wife: from her gorgeous complexion, her heart of gold, her incredible planning and organizational skills, her amazing abilities as a physical therapist. But the most infinitely valuable and priceless quality is her commitment to never stop running faithfully and wholeheartedly after Christ. I can't wait to run this race with you as your husband. I love you, cutie bun!

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