God is the author of love while also being love. Think about it! He is a love story. We are all part of His love story, and we’re eager to share our story with you. Our Lord is in every single detail for billions of souls inhabiting the planet. Isn’t this mind blowing? (Not to get into a dissertation on Divine Will and Permissive Will, but He knows everything past, present and future all the time simultaneously for all of us – every breath we take, every heartbeat in our chest — He IS. You are all kind of a big deal when you consider the fact that the Universe is pointless without His people. You!

We wanted to present this backdrop for a simple reason. How is it that Jennifer and I both knew all the same people, traveled and socialized in all the same circles for over a decade, worshiped at the same parish, attended the same conferences and meetings, yet – we never met or knew each others’ name? One might say, “it wasn’t our time” while another might say, “Fate”, while another might say “God’s will”. And then on the campus of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio two individuals — one living in Richmond and the other living in Lynchburg —have their lives intersect at a Catholic conference called “Power and Purpose” hundreds of miles away from their respective homes. Why didn’t he spare us the inconvenience of just having us meet in Lynchburg? Think about it… This is cosmic humor.

We were both living life, but that weekend things began to get a little more interesting. We spent three days worshiping and praising our Lord, sharing stories and “closest moments” with our friends, and if we’re honest – were a bit disappointed the weekend came to an end. We returned home, and we talked for hours everyday. (In fact, if memory serves me – this is Eric writing at the moment — I called Jennifer about an hour into my drive back to Richmond after hugging her goodbye at Franciscan University. What can I say?) The natural next step was to accept the invitation to allow a love story to unfold.

We had a mutual friend in Monsignor Michael McCarran who so happened to be retiring the next weekend presenting an opportunity to create time and space for us to spend more time together. So…only one week after our first meeting in Ohio, we went out on our first date at Isabella‘s Italian Trattoria in Lynchburg, VA. We didn’t look back and continued the journey meeting many friends and family along the way. We also fished in Minnesota shortly after meeting (and yes…Jennifer caught the only fish that day!) and again in December on a 10” thick sheet of ice on Lake Waconia. We consecrated ourselves to the Eucharist and Our Lady, and continued making ourselves available to what we think is God’s plan. The details of His tapestry are far too connected to be anything other than providential. Love prompts us to take risks; Eric bought a house we look forward to calling our home as a married couple and filling it with love. We drove under a rainbow in the winter enroute to Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Why is this detail important? Rainbows are a summer thing up north — and that just doesn’t happen in Minnesota and Wisconsin when the temperature is 7o and there is no rain in sight. That rainbow was another invitation — another detail — in our story. It was a confirmation, a blessing, a promise, that the author of love is at work. All we have to do is show up and allow grace to grow. We believe God has brought us together to marry, and to follow his mission in our life. We look forward to celebrating our commitment to each other and the Lord in your presence.