It's a tale as old as time, ok maybe not that old, but it's certainly a story worth telling. Both Joe and I are avid fitness people, we enjoy getting our daily workouts in when we can, and happened to go to the same gym.

Initially, we met in November of 2023, I started the conversation, and then promptly ended any conversation 2 weeks later because I thought he was awkward and too quiet for my liking. Little did I know that He was cold because we were outside attending the Iowa v. Nebraska game the day after Thanksgiving and couldn't formulate any conversation because he was focused on not freezing to death. (To this day I still ask him to dress warmer during cold weather, he doesn't.)

Several months went by, and we both worked on ourselves and grew in relationship with God, which was a beautiful gift to be given. In August of 2024, we caught each other's attention, but didn't talk to one another. (We thought that staring longingly at the other person from across the gym would solve the situation.) All the while we thought that the other person didn't want anything to do with the other. And we were wrong.

One day in early November of 2024, Joe came into the gym wearing his work uniform, he's a correctional officer, and who could resist a guy in uniform! I said "Hi Joe!" in a way too excited of a voice, he awkwardly said hi back, all the while panicking in his head that such a beautiful woman (his words) was talking to him after all this time. We started dating the next day, and the rest is history.

But neither Joe nor I can take credit for the story that has been written, we can only glorify the Lord in the love story that He has written on our hearts, to be able to love one another through Him. Looking back at the depth of our story, we see that God was working in every nook and cranny, making us whole so that we could come together and glorify Him. Praise be!

M&J

Wedding Day

2:00 PM–2:30 PM

2:00 PM–2:30 PM

Ceremony

2:30 PM–5:00 PM

2:30 PM–5:00 PM

Reception