For many years, I prayed to the Lord that if it was His will, He would bring me a Christian girl. When I moved to Coeur d'Alene two years ago, I began to seek the Lord and put my love life on the back burner, and quickly found myself a roommate, a brother in Christ, Jordan, who led me to volunteer with Younglife. And to my surprise, when the Lord wants something to happen, He works quickly. Shortly into my friendship with Jordan, he told me he had the perfect girl for me and her name was Zoe. After two younglife events, I still had not met the beautiful redhead girl. Finally, we ran into each other at Church while she was with three of her Younglife middle schoolers.

She was absolutely stunning and sweet as can be. Over the course of a few weeks, I quickly noticed the way she interacted with the kids at Younglife. It was inspiring and she held a confidence in the Lord that was really impressive. She was wise beyond her years. I began to wonder if this woman could be my wife. After returning from a hunting trip with my friend Cade, he got the chance to meet Zoe at a farmers market and was just as amazed in her as I was. Before he left for Bozeman, he said to me “you need to marry that girl.”

Trusting in the feelings I had for her and the rare, but powerful judgement from a close friend of mine, I knew that I had to pursue Zoe. As my love grew, I began to purposely navigate in her direction for the next couple months at Young life. We began to build a friendship in the Lord and spent time preparing for club/cleaning up and talking about how the Lord was working in our lives. Zoe was thoughtful during every holiday and even wrote me a very nice letter on my birthday, despite only knowing me for about a month. I knew right away that God had been preparing me for Zoe.

Over the holidays, giddy as a schoolboy, I showed everyone in my family a picture of Zoe and told them that she could be the one. Despite multiple hidden efforts from Zoe secretly encouraging me to ask her out, I finally got the courage to. I knew that if Zoe agreed to go on a second date with me, I was going to marry her. It was clear from the beginning that the Lord brought Zoe into my life to become my wife.

(Pictured: A photo from our first date!)

If I had to choose a single moment that made me believe Matt is the one, it might just be one from February 18th.

We had just come back from visiting Cam and Faith in Missoula for the weekend. As we walked in the door, Matt told me he had something for me—just a little surprise. It was a new ring dish, the exact one I had broken earlier that week. This dish had a simple yet meaningful phrase on it: “It’s the little things.”

At that moment, I knew. Matt’s attention to those "little things" meant the world to me. I had mentioned, just in passing, how upset I was about breaking that dish, a gift from my mom back in high school. He not only listened, but he acted, surprising me with a new one as soon as he could. That’s when I realized that Matt would make an amazing husband one day. Life is truly about the little things. While we’ll share many big moments throughout our lives, it’s the small, everyday gestures that will fill most of our days and define our love.

His sweet gesture might have seemed like no big deal to him, but to me, it meant the world. It’s often said that love is in the details, and that’s something I’ve come to understand deeply with Matt. Knowing someone is "the one" isn’t always about a single, defining moment. Often, it’s the culmination of countless moments where you feel an unshakable sense of comfort, trust, and connection. With Matt, it’s the way I feel completely at ease, whether we’re in deep conversation or simply enjoying each other’s presence in silence. It’s the shared values and vision for the future, the mutual respect and admiration, and the feeling that together, we can navigate anything life throws our way. Being with him feels like being home, no matter where we are.

Of course, it’s not just this moment that made me certain Matt is the one. His deep love for the Lord is my favorite thing about him, and it influences every part of who he is. Friends and family who meet Matt for the first time always comment on his kindness and calm demeanor. I can’t wait to see the way he’ll lead our family with that same grace. His patience, in particular, is something I admire deeply—it’s the kind of patience that makes me excited to see him as a father one day. I know he’ll be the type of dad who listens intently, teaches gently, and loves unconditionally, creating a home filled with warmth and understanding.

From the very beginning, I felt embraced by Matt’s world. The weekend he asked me to be his girlfriend, he brought me to Missoula to meet Cameron and Faith. At breakfast, Cam told me how I was an answer to their prayers and how excited they were that I was there. Two months later, when I met the rest of Matt’s family, I was met with the same warmth and acceptance. To know that his community had been praying for him to meet “a great girl,” and that Matt had told them I was that person, was one of the sweetest, most encouraging things I’ve ever experienced.

My love for Matt grows every day. He is my best friend, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him. Here’s to more game nights, camping trips, ice cream dates, guitar serenades, garden parties, fly fishing lessons, and a million other memories to come. I love you, Matt!

And as I look forward to our future together, I’m equally excited to welcome Matt’s family and friends into my life as my own. The love and support they’ve shown me already makes me feel so blessed to have them by our side on this journey. I can’t wait to build new memories with all of them as part of our growing family.

(Pictured: The ring dish)