My dearest (and only) sister, longest friend, and most steadfast companion in this life! It has been one of the richest blessings to grow-up with Rachel as my little sister. Despite our many differences and few annoyances from childhood, we have remained best friends throughout every season of life. Rachel has challenged me in areas that I have needed to be pushed in, she has deepened my perspective on what it means to love people, and she has grown my love for Jesus + excitement in sharing his good news. Rachel has the gift of boldly standing-up for what she believes, being a loyal friend, and keeping the people in her life laughing!

Amanda is also my dearest (and only) future sister-in-law, and it has been a joy getting to know her alongside Alex’s family. One of the first things that I noticed about Alex was how much he loved his sister and how highly he spoke of her. And now, it has been such a gift in my life to grow in friendship with Amanda! I admire the way Amanda sacrificially loves the people in her life, serves her church, and boldly lives out the Truth of the gospel. Thank you Amanda for welcoming me into your family, for adding some spunk + humor into my life, and for always humbling Alex!

Katie is the most faithful friend through every season of life! Our friendship has been a constant blessing throughout high school, college & now living in Indy exactly 22 minutes apart. When I think about Katie, I am reminded of the joy + kindness she radiates and how she gives of herself to love the people in her life. What a gift it has been to grow alongside Katie in every season and what a delight her friendship is in my life! Friendship with Katie means being reminded of what is true about yourself, slowing down and watching sunsets, walking through the blessings + difficulties of life together, catching the giggles, and being loved in a way that points you to the love of Christ!

Madeline is one of the rare people who can make you laugh hysterically + feel safe enough to cry all in one conversation! I met Madeline our freshmen year of college and we always joke about how we weren’t ready to be friends until much later in college. Praise God that He allowed for our friendship to grow into what it is now! I can’t imagine this life without Madeline. She has modeled vulnerability to me, has taught me the importance of accountability + community, and her life displays God’s power in amazing ways. I can always count on Madeline to remind me of what is true, to carry my burdens through prayer & to make me laugh at any given moment!

Lu was just the friend that the Lord knew I needed to encourage + sharpen + walk alongside me in college. It was one of the greatest joys in college to be roommates, to walk through daily life & to pursue our faiths together. Lu’s friendship is such an answer to prayer in my life! Life with Lu is fun + challenging (in the best way) because it won’t leave you the same. Lu has the gift of bringing out the best in people & changing them for good! I am forever thankful for the ways the Lord has worked in my life through friendship with Lu.

Amelia & I met at summer camp in high school and (thankfully!) reconnected again in college. How thankful I am that our friendship has continued throughout all these years! Amelia has the gift of honesty, resiliency, asking the hard questions, and apparently predicting the future as she claimed that I had just met my future husband after we met Alex on the Monon together. My life is way more full + fun because Amelia is in it! Thank you Amelia for being a faithful friend, for challenging me to grow & for never failing to bring joy (and a whole lot of laughter) with you wherever you go!

Abbey Collins is all things good & lovely! What a blessing this friend is to me. I met Abbey our freshman year of college & as soon as I met her I knew I wanted to be her friend. Abbey radiates kindness and joy. She uses her words to build others up, she clings onto what is good & she has a gentle spirit. Abbey is a friend to all and it is a great joy in my life to be her friend! She has sat with me in seasons of trials & she has rejoiced with me in God’s good gifts. Because of Abbey, my life is more full of goodness + grace + light!

Chrissy and I met in high school, and her friendship has been a blessing to me ever since. Her friendship was just what I needed in that season & is a constant reminder of God’s care + provision in my life. Chrissy is one of the most kind, joyful & caring people that you can will ever meet. We share many memories of adventures + laughter together and it is such a gift to grow together through the years of friendship. I am so thankful for who the Lord made Chrissy to be & what her friendship reminds me of!

Chandler is the friend I feel has given me more of himself than most people would ever be willing to give. Over our 12 years of friendship this has manifested as thoughtful conversation, mutual encouragement, an open ear and prayerful heart in crisis, generous and thoughtful gifts after difficult dental school semesters, and shared enjoyment of daily life. Since high school he has also taken pride on being able to get inside my head whenever we compete against each other, in literally anything. Regretfully, I have to say it’s worked once or twice.

Dalton has marked himself as a steadfast brother to me. Though we’re now separated geographically while Dalton positions himself as the future mayor of Evansville, we shared 4 transformative years together in Bloomington at IU, and a couple epic road trips out West. God has used Dalton’s gifts of listening, questioning, prodding towards truth, and genuine care to transform my view of what it looks like to love Jesus. May Evansville always remain ‘Heavensville’ for you, Dalton.

I have never met a person who serves others as tirelessly as Kyle does. Most every night of his week, Kyle is serving his friends, his church, his missions organization, or his clients. After his long days, Kyle cares enough to ask intentional questions directed at the heart. The focus of his heart is so reliably outwards. Kyle’s example and care is such a gift! Fact about Kyle: you will also have a very difficult time finding a picture with him smiling normally.

Palmer is probably the most loyal person I know. Through give or take 15 years of friendship, he’s remained someone that always cares, supports in difficulty, and someone I can count on to always be in my corner. I have trusted Palmer countless times and have been blessed in return by his empathy and patient listening. Palmer loves his friends, church, and family without reservation, and I’m so happy to have him as a friend!

Try to find a man with a kinder spirit or wider vocabulary than Alex Brown. I dare you. Our discussions over the political world extend back to high school, but so do our deeper and more significant conversations about faith. To this day, one of my favorite memories with Alex is studying the book of Ezekiel together during our study hour Senior year of high school. Since then, we’ve spent our maturing and adult years in close proximity, and it’s been an absolute joy to grow alongside Alex.

Oti has been a more recent friend, since meeting at a College Park young adult’s night. Oti’s wit is one of his best qualities, constantly lurking behind his soft-spokenness, just waiting to reference the perfect meme or a meticulously crafted joke. His personality comes out with verbose expression very quickly after you spend some time with him. Underneath the quiet humor is a man who has exhibited lots of patience, faith, and general resilience in his current season of life. Because of Oti, my life is more thoughtful, more joyful, and a whole lot funnier. Love you, brother!

I’ve known Matthew perhaps longer than anyone else on this list! We’ve enjoyed friendship in multiple contexts: we grew up playing recreational sports together, later we attended high school together, and most recently, Jesus planned for us to take on dental school alongside each other. I particularly love Matthew's quiet, consistent faithfulness and strength. I’ve been encouraged by Matthew in the way he leads and cares for others, and I’ve personally benefited from his reminders of gospel truth in the midst of stress. I respect Matthew greatly, and I’m so glad for his friendship!

I met Mike my first year of dental school. Without his and Matthew’s friendship, I don’t know if I would’ve made it through! Mike has endured his share of trials through school as well, and it’s been so encouraging to me to watch him endure patiently and faithfully. We’ve had the joy of experiencing road trips in Scotland together, and learning more of God’s grace through all sorts of experiences. Mike has a heart marked by care for others and love for Jesus, and watching that shine through some of our harder days has been an incredible blessing.