Our Story:
Every Tuesday at Apex we have staff meeting and staff lunch. On one particular Tuesday, I sat at a table with my good friends Amy and Drew. We talked about what was going on with our ministries and whatnot until Drew asked me what I was doing for the weekend. I proceeded to tell him that I had a date. He said, "Oh really?" I replied, "No. I'm just kidding. I don't have a date, just two shows with Crystal this weekend." Drew asked if I was starting to date again. I told him that if someone decent came along, then maybe. When he mentioned he had someone in mind, I was shocked (and a little excited). He asked if I would consider it. I agreed. After lunch we went back to his office to look at a few pictures of this ‘mystery man.' As I peaked over Drew's shoulder at the pictures, I thought his friend was pretty cute and quickly learned his name was Justin.
My initial meeting with Justin came as a surprise to me. As Crystal and I were wrapping up a Sunday night show at Barnes and Noble, I looked up to see the guy - who I recognized in the pictures a couple days before- walking by the very large window! All of a sudden my heart started pounding and I thought, "Oh, my goodness. I should have worn something nicer than a t-shirt." During our last two songs, I never saw Justin. I thought he had shown up and left.
Crystal and I loaded up all of our gear and I made a few trips out to my car to unload the equipment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walking up to my car. Sure enough, it was Justin. He came up to me, introduced himself, and asked if I was leaving. I told him, no. By that time Crystal had packed up and left, so I couldn't pull her aside and tell her what all was going on. After I was done packing the car, I went back inside to find Justin sitting at one of the tables. By that time, a children's choir had come in and was singing. We talked for about 2 hours, after which he asked for my number. I distinctly remember calling my mom and talking to her about it. I was excited, but cautious at the same time…not wanting to get my hopes up.
Our time of dating was beautiful. He continues to date me, making me feel (and know) that I have great value not only in his eyes, but in the Lord's as well. Watching him find ways to serve me makes me want to serve him even more. We're truly friends first, but then so much more.
Fast forward a year later. It was a typical Monday at work; the 29th of September to be exact. At about 2:30pm, I get a phone call from my Dad. He asks me where I am and what I'm doing. I tell him I'm in the middle of my work day. As he asked me that question, I detected something was wrong. He proceeded to tell me that my sister, Emily, and my Mom had driven out to Eaton to purchase a barn star that Emily had found on Craig's List. While on their adventure, the car broke down, and they were waiting patiently for someone to pick them up. Dad was about to teach a class and asked me if I could leave work early to rescue them. I reluctantly agreed, frustrated that I had to leave work early. After all, Emily and Mom have not had the best track record of going on random adventures to pick up random items from all over the place, only for me to covet them later when it looks good sitting comfortably on their wall at home. Irritated, I made my way over to Phil's office to tell him I needed to leave early. He smiled at me and said, "That's fine. I hope you find them."
My little episode of getting to Eaton was hysterical, to say in the least. I think I called Emily about 6 times trying to find where in the world they broke down. After a missed exit and 2 dirt roads through no-where-ville, I arrived at the "broken-down" car. As I approached, I asked mom how the new car could have broken down. Mom just tells me to get out of the road, when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Thinking it was Emily, I swung around to actually find Justin standing smack dab in front of me. Adrenaline rushes through my body as I suddenly realize I've been "punk'd." Suddenly, Mom shoves a bag into my hand and gives me a kiss. I notice Emily's eyes tearing. Then they're gone…it's just me and Justin standing in this random parking lot. He grabs the bag that I'm holding and pulls out some tennis shoes and helps me put them on (since I'm still in shock from seeing him). He then leads me across the parking lot to a horse trailer where two beautiful horses are waiting for us. The two tour guides help us mount and the four of us leave for our horse ride.
The trees were the most beautiful to look at. I often checked behind me to see if Justin was still there on his horse. I still couldn't believe what just happened. The girl tour guide agreed to take pictures for us while riding and made sure to capture our smiles as we gazed at each other. After two hours of riding, we dismounted. I now know what John Wayne must have felt like after each western movie. Wow! Were we saddle sore! Justin took my hand and walked me back to the car. Our initial plans that day were to go back to his house to finish painting the living room. I seriously wondered if those plans were going to be carried out. I decided to ask him. He turned to me and said, "No, honey. We're not going to paint today." All I could do was smile and not let the butterflies out of my stomach.
We drove to another parking lot. This time, we were the only ones to occupy it. He helped me out and walked me through a field. Of course I tried to control my giddiness, but I couldn't help myself. The grass had turned somewhat brown by now, with the seasons' change. For miles all I could see was brown…until we rounded the corner. Then I saw red. There it was. A red blanket with roses displayed for only me. A picnic basket accompanied the setting with 2 dozen roses peeking out from the basket. Justin turned and landed on his knee asking me to be his wife. All I could do was say...yes.
