Dating:

Abigail's Perspective: When asked how we met, we both laugh. Before I, Abigail, moved to Arkansas, I had heard of "The Martins" and their son that I needed to date (that son was Jackson...that never went anywhere). When I started attending University Baptist Church (UBC), I was introduced to the Martin parents. I come to find out that they have another son, Cooper, who lives in the same freshman dorm as me. Cooper seemed nice, but he was dating another girl, so we formed a friendship. I admired the way Cooper loved the Lord and His people, it is evident that Cooper Martin knows the love that has been lavished on him, in Christ, it overflows from him. But, I admired him in a platonic way, not imagining that he'd every become single. In the Spring of our freshman year, Cooper became single. Cooper introduced me to the beauty of country music, and we started two-stepping together. I had committed to work the summer at a camp, without much contact. We decided to remain friends and see what we thought in the fall, taking the summer to pray and seek wise counsel. I didn't think we'd end up dating, I thought Cooper had found a convenient way to let me go kindly. But, in August 2022, Cooper Martin asked me to be his girlfriend. As the months went by, it became clear through prayer and conversations with wise women that Cooper Martin was (and still is) the man I want to spend my life with. The Lord has been so kind in sustaining us for this past year (and some change), and we are excited to walk into the coming seasons together! Praise be to God!

Cooper's Perspective: When I, Cooper, was first introduced to Abigail, it was while I was still in high school. I prayed for her when uplifting the family of my youth leader at the time, who just so happened to be the O so esteemed Connor Davey. I was maybe 15 or 16. She then drifted out of my memory until it was time to go off to college, when I was again told that Connor's sister would be coming to school at the University of Arkansas. Cool, fun news and fun facts for me at this point. Fast forward to some point early in my first semester of school, I had become acquainted with Abigail. I got to know her pretty well by finals that first semester as our friend circles collided. Then I became single. A few months later, I caught myself starting to notice this Abigail girl. She loved the Lord and the church overwhelmingly. I could not deny it to myself anymore, I really liked this girl. Coming up on the summer, Abigail had decided earlier to sign a contract to work at a summer camp which would require her to be out of touch and without a phone for the majority of her time. We decided to take the summer to pray about it, seek counsel, and see if distance truly did make the heart grow fonder. After a long, hard summer, much prayer, and long talks, we began dating at a place which has since become near and dear to us. During our dating relationship, the Lord was very kind to us and grew us nearer to Himself and to each other. After around one year of us dating, we realized that we did not want our relationship to end at dating, so we began praying about and talking with many others about marriage. After many long talks and prayers with people a lot older and wiser than we are, it became evident to me that this woman was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I bought a ring, hid it for a while, lied way way too much, and finally the waiting gave way to celebration. I had a fiancé.

The Engagement:

Cooper had been taking me, Abigail, on Friday lunch dates for a few weeks. These were after work, so I was always conveniently dressed in nice-er clothes. One Friday, November 10th, Cooper told me there was a "game" we were going to play on our date. I thought that was weird, but on we went. As we drove north for the "reservations" that Cooper made, he realized that our reservation was actually an hour later than he thought. So I said we should begin the game he had planned while we wait (this is exactly what he wanted me to say, there were no lunch reservations). This game consisted of boxes with pictures in them, pictures of memories we have made together. The writing on the box directed me to look for Cooper's favorite memory of us. He drove us to a place we went hiking about a month ago. (Turns out, Cooper was scouting out places to propose while we walked around that day in October.) I can't figure out what his favorite memory is, so I just kind of let him lead the hike. Eventually, we got to a suspension bridge that we had laughed and run around on during our first trip to this spot. When we get there, Cooper pushes me out a little ways in front of him, and tells me to look for the memory. Given that it's a suspension bridge, I feel Cooper crouch down behind me, and I realize he really is proposing now. I turn around and see Cooper on his knee with a ring in his hand, and then I pretty much blacked out from then until he introduced me to the photographer as his "fiancé." I confirmed in the car afterwards that he did, in fact, ask me to marry him and I did, in fact, say yes. Time to plan our wedding!

And now, as Natalie Davey would say, let's all sing the doxology...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Amen