We’re getting hitched!

Some Time in ‘09 We met working together at a fast food restaurant - our first official job. After some flirts here and there, we started dating. We broke up, and got back together, again...and again...and again. Until finally we went our seperate ways - Justin to South East Missouri State, and I to Texas A&M Galveston. I was engaged to someone else and Justin was enoying his life as a college bachelor. [Enter God] After struggling in Texas, I wouldn’t find out until later that God was behind moving me back to Carbondale, Illinois. After joining the Vine Church and experiencing God, I felt that my current engagement was not part of the plan. Futhermore, it was no coincidence that Justin was called to Carbondale, shortly after. Eventually, Justin reached out to me and our friendship began again. It wasn’t long before the old attractions took off. After dating on and off again, this time for almost two years, it was not at all healthy. That involved lots of pain and heartache to more than just us. Finally, God got ahold of us. We ended our relationship and that’s when the real work began. Justin started asking about church and God, so I invited him to the Vine. But we’re not out of the dark just yet! As God started doing some SERIOUS work in both of us, a new friendship slowly began to develope. Not long after this, we started to realize that it seemed as though God was pushing us back together. Justin realized it before I did, and I just wasn’t having it. I wasn’t ready, not to mention it would stir up my people pleasing issues, which was not okay in my mind. As my doubts and fears began to cripple me, God just kept feeding us more and more confirmation that we were suppose to get back together. After lots of prayer and time spent with God, I gave in and we got back together, depsite my heart not being in it AT ALL. Then after awhile, my heart changed. I started to love Him all over again and most importantly, could feel that this is what God intended for us.

When deciding where to propose, I needed it to be somewhere important to us. And with how much we go kayaking at Cedar Lake, I couldn’t think of a better place. The hard part was that she was expecting me to propose. So surprising her was going to be tricky. It took careful persistence to convince her the ring wouldn’t be in for another 3 weeks. And sure enough after the ring came in, I proposed two days later. I was feeling rushed, but if I waited longer, it would seem more obvious to her. I knew I wanted to propose at dusk. I ordered a special ring box that when opened would shoot a beam of light directly on the ring. I finally had everything I needed. I asked Kayla to come with me to sit on a bench overlooking the lake as the sun was setting. Thankfully she agreed which made my plan that much easier. As we sat there admiring that gorgeous sun getting ready for bed, I took her down near the water. I said, “Hey, take of picture of me with the water and setting sun behind me. Would be a great profile picture!”. After that I told her that since her mother wanted us to hurry up and get married, we should take a picture of me “fake proposing”. And before she could protest, I was already on my knee. She snapped the picture and quickly started toward me to pick me up out of my kneeling position. “Okay, please get up, this is feeling too real!” But I gently pushed her back asking for one more picture but this time without flash. As she backed up, I quickly rushed my hand in my pocket fumbling around for the ring box. And quickly presented it to her. She was frozen in place and not a sound was spoken. “Well did you get the picture?” I jokingly asked. As she slowly approached I started panicking as I couldn’t remember my amazing speech. I had to do the best I could on the spot, but I ended with, “...following God’s plan, there’s one more step to take, one last question to ask...Kayla, would you marry me?” ...Spoiler... she said “YES!!”