We are so thankful for the way the Lord intertwined our lives together and hope that as we share our story from each of our perspectives, it is evident that God was and still is ultimately the author.

Josh:

Coming to Baylor, I believed in a God but didn’t have a relationship with Christ. After building relationships with some incredible men of God, I came to know that Jesus is the perfect son of God who died the death we deserve and gave us right standing in the eyes of God. This changed everything for me, especially after coming from Los Angeles. Almost immediately, I knew that God’s way was better and wanted to make sure that I was approaching dating in the right way. While I was eager, YHWH had other plans. It was only after I had made sure that my life was built solely on HIM that Miranda came into my life.

Miranda:

I was enjoying the start of my senior year with my girls when Josh unexpectedly came into my life. I knew of Josh through one of my roommates and mutual friends from our church, and he would occasionally come over to my house for games, movies, and karaoke. Then one day, some friends coordinated us all playing tennis to practice for intramurals (photo featured in gallery). It was so fun and I was so impressed with Josh’s amazing tennis skills. I will never forget how surprised and excited I was to see that a few days later after my intramural game, Josh had texted me to ask how it went. We quickly made plans to hang out and play tennis again, except this time, we ended up talking for 2 hours and only played for about 5 minutes.

Josh:

When I saw her at a game night with friends, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen (I still do). So, a few months later, when Rylan (now my best man) set up doubles tennis with Miranda and another friend, I was ecstatic. She had an amazing community around her, led other women through a small group at our church, served with underprivileged children, and was a woman after God’s heart. Later that week, while I still barely knew her, I told Rylan I was crushing on her. While playing tennis, all I could think of was figuring out how I could interact with this girl more. Later, I texted her to ask how the game went, and was super impressed by how friendly, open, and kind she was. When I asked her to play tennis again, she was everything I had hoped for. I asked her on several more coffee dates, and every time I found myself even more smitten than the last, so I asked her on an official date. Shortly after, I asked if she would be my girlfriend. When she said yes, I tried to contain myself, but I wanted to jump through the ceiling with excitement.

Miranda:

It felt so natural and comfortable being with him, and I was so inspired by Josh’s outgoing, bold character and his story of how he came to know the Lord. I knew there was something special about him and was so giddy to keep getting to know him more. After about 3 weeks of many coffee dates, long chats in the car driving around Waco, losing track of time together, and praying about the potential of a relationship, we officially started dating! With Josh, I just had that feeling he was going to be a part of my life. The way he pursued me with such intentionality made me feel so seen and overwhelmed that he genuinely cared to learn about me, my passions, and my dreams for life.

Josh:

Since Miranda agreed to be my girlfriend, we have been able to do a lot of life together, and through all of it, Miranda has been a huge blessing to me. Her name in Latin means “worthy of admiration”, and she is. She is loving to her friends and serves everyone around her. She was the “mom” of her 8 roommate house, and is pursuing a career in occupational therapy to minister to people who struggle with their ability to do the things that are meaningful to them. Miranda is a gentle peacemaker, always being the person that her friends feel comfortable talking to without receiving condemnation. In all these ways, she lives out Proverbs 15:1, 1 Peter 3:3-4, and Romans 12:18

Miranda:

It was so sweet getting to enjoy all of the senior year fun with Josh. I knew from the start that he was husband material, and all the little things throughout dating continued to prove it to me. The one thing I loved most about Josh was his passion and excitement for life. It was clear he was joyfully walking in obedience with the Lord Psalm 128:1. Josh is the most dedicated person I’ve ever met, and I saw so clearly that he was committed to being a faithful friend to others, boyfriend to me, and follower of Christ. After graduating college, we were able to walk through the highs and lows of being thrown into adult life together. Josh started his internship and eventually his career in accounting, and I started my occupational therapy doctorate program. Seeing the way we were able to love and support each other during some of the craziest times of life, I knew we were ready to finally get engaged (even though Josh was ready about 4 months into dating haha) and pursue the covenant of marriage.

Josh:

Miranda is a model of biblical femininity. God made man and woman as compliments to each other, we are not meant to be the same. She has a big heart and sees all the beauty in the world, while I see everything in black and white. As deeply as she cares about her career, her biggest priority in life is being a godly wife and mom in the way God intends Titus 2:4-5. Through all of this, Miranda has shown me throughout our time together that there is no one I would rather spend my life with! So, on January 13th, she thought she was only taking family photos and that I was in Waco taking the CPA exam, but in reality, I was hiding at the picture spot so that when she got there, I could ask her to marry me, and to my great joy she said YES!!!

Miranda:

Josh has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, grow closer to Jesus, and truly appreciate life for the adventure it is. He is always exemplifying Hebrews 10:24-25. Josh and I have named The Painter by Cody Johnson our song because of the sweet lyrics “my life was black and white, but she’s the painter” that he originally played for me, but I like to say that he’s the painter in my life, filling it with more vibrance, joy, and depth. I feel so lucky knowing I get to marry someone who encourages and cares for me in a way I never thought I would find, and most importantly, loves Christ more than he loves me.

Thank you so very much for your generosity and for sharing this milestone with us! Everyone’s presence in our lives is the true gift we will continue to cherish!