When Ashley and I first started becoming friends in 2022, I noticed something amazing about her. We worked at the UGA Wesley Foundation and were on a small team preparing for an upcoming mission trip to Jamaica. At the end of a team meeting, Ashley prayed for our upcoming trip. She closed the prayer with the words “It’s all because of you, Jesus…” I soon discovered that this special truth is one that Ashley often prays. Looking back at our story, there are no better words to describe our relationship than “It’s all because of you, Jesus.” God has richly blessed us with the gift of one another, and we want to bless God and others through our future marriage.

After about half a year of being friends, we both began to recognize some feelings beginning to develop for one another. We had an iconic front porch conversation one evening in May of 2022 and expressed our mutual desire to go on a date. A few days later, I picked Ashley up for a picnic with a basket of flowers. (She opened MY door.) We drove to a park in Athens to fly a kite, drink sparkling water, and just talk. I remember the first couple minutes I was nervous, but quickly the nerves fled and were replaced by the peace of just getting to be together. As we dated, I began to discover how wonderful of a treasure Ashley is.

We dated slowly throughout our relationship, both wanting to be wise and protective of the other's heart. A consistent metaphor for how we wanted to approach dating was “to hold out our relationship before the Lord.” Meaning, we wanted to surrender our dating to God, and we always wanted to keep Jesus as our greatest treasure. This commitment to hold out our relationship before the Lord was our true North regardless of where our relationship might go.

Those first several months of dating were incredibly joyful, formative, and full of special memories. We started activities that turned into traditions. Casual moments became magical like our walks to a stop sign or ‘our booth’ to get tea. Although life was challenging during that first year, our friendship to one another and the support of our friends and family were wonderful graces in our lives. We discovered that we could date well when life was easy and date well when life was hard. As we held out our relationship to the Lord, we knew “it was all because of you, Jesus.”

We were intentionally slow in using the word “Love.” Separately, we knew our love for the other after several months of dating, but we delayed saying those words out loud. We wanted the truth of our love to be evident in how we lived, how we served, and how we prioritized the other. It was like trying to keep water in our hands - our love was just spilling out of all the cracks. Eventually, we DID say “I love you,” and we cried with joy!! It was so sweet. And so worth the wait.

As we dreamed about the future, we couldn’t dream about a future that didn’t have the other in it. We both left Athens with no jobs and moved back in with our parents - great start! As we worked to start a new career and transition into this new stage of life, I started looking for a RING. I asked Ashley’s parents for their blessing to marry Ashley (and they gave it! Hooray!). I found the perfect ring for Ash, and the plans started to unfold.

Without Ashley knowing (And with the help of some of my best friends), we had an amazing proposal set up in Ashley’s backyard. On November 11th, I got on a knee and proposed to Ashley on her back porch. She said YES! After singing a love song to Ashley, we sat in our chairs and soaked in the magic. Then, the two of us sang a couple of our favorite hymns to the Lord. This was one of the most beautiful, worshipful moments of our lives. It was a tangible experience of the truth that “it is all because of you, Jesus.”

The night of our engagement, many of our closest friends and family celebrated us at our engagement party. We could not adequately describe how thankful we are to each of you. Ashley and I simply would not have gotten where we are without your loving support. Every bit of care, friendship, laughter, wisdom, and time you’ve given us — thank you. You have been and will always be part of our story.

As we approach our wedding day, I can’t help but think of the beautiful story that God has woven together. Throughout our relationship, Ashley and I have held out our relationship to the Lord in surrender. On our wedding day, we will hold our marriage before the Lord and receive our Covenant together with God. Thank you, Jesus!!! It is truly all because of you.