The Lord’s fingerprint is so evident on our story. I moved to Jefferson City and began my journey at Carson-Newman with the intentions of getting my degree and meeting new friends. As I entered this new chapter, I never expected to meet the man I would spend the rest of my life with, but God knew what was in store. Nate and I met through mutual friends very early into freshman year and we instantly clicked. We quickly became intramural partners, basketball opponents, and great friends. Nate finally asked me on our first date in October of our freshman year. We went to Cherokee Dam and had a picnic! I caught a glimpse of how special he was when he pulled out citronella candles from a Walmart bag to protect me from all of the mosquitos. We had the best time; it was full of intentional conversations, laughter, and stargazing! After that date our friendship continued to grow, but Nate was a little slow to make another move. Eventually, we went out to dinner for our second date right before Christmas break but didn’t make anything official. While I was at home during break, I could not stop talking to my family and Lauren (my Maid of Honor) about Nate! They all knew I liked him, but I would go back and forth on whether or not I wanted to date him. When we got back on campus, I initially told him that I just wanted to be friends because I was scared of being in a relationship. The following week I was still wrestling with my feelings towards Nate. I prayed a lot about the situation because I felt like I made the wrong decision. About a week later Nate pulled me aside intending to tell me he needed space from me if we were going to be friends because he still had feelings. While Nate was mid-sentence, I interrupted him and said, “Plot twist! I changed my mind. If you still want, I would love to be in a relationship with you.” The biggest smile came across his face! We made it official a couple of days later on January 24, 2021! Since the beginning of our relationship, the Lord has made it beyond clear to me that He has merged our paths for a purpose. It has been such a blessing to get to know Nate and love him deeply! I’m humbled to begin our future together while ultimately bringing honor and glory to our Heavenly Father.

-Anna

Coming to Carson-Newman University, I was eager to meet new people and explore God’s calling for my life. Never in a million years did I imagine that I would also meet my life partner so early in college. I clearly remember the day that I was invited to the Burnett Hall to watch a movie. That day I exchanged nothing more than a hello and my name, but we quickly grew to be close friends. Some of my first observations about Anna included her love for the Lord and finding a church in the area. We also would hang out with our friend group all the time playing basketball, watching movies, and going to Cookout. I can also say from very early on that she was insanely attractive. Imagine finding a girl that loves Jesus, plays basketball, and is incredibly beautiful. Eventually, we grew close enough for me to ask her on a date in October. I took her to Cherokee Dam to have a picnic with some Twin Dragon. I learned so much about her that night including her family details, her stories of serving in her church and on mission in Haiti, and so much more. After that first date, some may say I was slow to follow up, but I hold on to the excuse that I was getting some mixed signals. Even still, we continued to grow in our friendship. During Christmas break, I received all the evidence that I needed to confirm that Anna did indeed like me over a text message. She had made a watercolor painting of a sunset in the mountains with some of the lyrics from Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers” song. The painting said, “I find myself thinking about that boy from East Tennessee.” After some careful calculations in my head, I concluded that surely, I was the boy from East Tennessee being thought about. After coming back to school, we had a conversation where she had come to the conclusion that she was not ready for a relationship. BUT, then a week later she changed her mind so we’re all good now. Ever since January 24, 2021, we have learned so much about each other, we have grown incredibly close to each other’s families, we have served the Lord together domestically and internationally, and have decided that God is calling us to spend a life together sharing, serving, and loving one another all while surrendering our lives to him. In November of 2022, I liked it, so I put a ring on it. We took a trip with some friends to Max Patch just in time to catch the sunset. After settling in on the mountain, I took her aside and asked her to marry me. It is incredibly evident that God has guided the steps of our lives and of our relationship, and I am so excited for whatever the future may hold.

-Nate