The first time I met Allyson was at the Lighthouse Church young adults group sometime in December of 2022. My first impression of her was that she was a quiet young gal, nervous to meet everyone. However that perception changed a bit by the time the night was over. During the course of the study she had spoken up to make her own observation of the passage of the Bible that we had gone through. That was quite uncommon for someone new to the group. Furthermore, she also spoke up during the communal prayer at the end of the gathering, which was uncommon for even those who have attended for awhile. Her prayer was a sweet and genuine prayer of thankfulness of the group of fellow believers that she had found.

From there we ran in the same circle of friends, seeing each other at Bible studies, movies and game nights. I learned more about her hobbies which included horse riding, crocheting and baking.

That summer, she put her baking skills to use and had a stall at the local farmers market selling sourdough baked goods, and she invited her friends to come visit her on the Saturdays that she was there. I would say it was her blueberry sourdough muffins that tipped the scales for me deciding to ask her out on a date.

From then on, my admiration and affection for Allyson has only grown. She, from the start, put God first in all things and I've gotten to see her quick wit and pleasantness first hand. Through many long walks, card games, and reading books together, a relationship was formed that felt like a true blessing from God. It became a regular occurrence after the days I got to see her that the thought crossed my mind: "Man, I love that girl. I'd be a fool if I didn't marry her." So after some thought and prayer, I asked her to pick out a ring, and (God be praised) that ring was delivered to me a good three weeks before either of us expected it. What followed was a drive through the rain on Valentines Day. We found a dry spot to step outside and enjoy the sounds and sights. There I was able to surprise her with a proposal. And the one I love, so much, said yes.

I met Jack in December of 2022 at a young adults Bible study. His quiet and gentle spirit was something I noticed right away in the kindness he showed to his friends. We hung out in the same friend group for 7 months. We did a lot of games and other activities, and I was always impressed at how he sought to make everyone feel included.
One rainy Sunday afternoon we played a question game with the group at Jack's house. During the game, Jack was asked the question of what his dream was in life. His answer was to have a family of his own. Family is something that I felt God had also placed on my heart. Not too long after, he asked me to go out to coffee with him. After praying about it, and committing my way unto the Lord, I said yes. A seven month dating relationship followed. Before our second date, Jack asked if we could start praying before our dates. I was so impressed how he desired to keep God at the center of our relationship. We played a lot of card games together. The winner of each hand would get to ask a question to the loser. We got to learn a lot about each other that way. Every time I had a question that I didn't quite know how to bring up, I would pray about it. Almost every time, on our very next date, Jack would bring up the very question I had been praying about. It was amazing to see God's hand at work in that way.
Finally, on a still rainy day, at a quiet campsite, near Balanced Rock Park, Jack proposed. Of course I said yes!
We are so blessed in the way our relationship unfolded and we praise God for the wonderful gift of each other.