My friend David (since Kindergarten) and his wife Erin had offered to help me find someone before I had even moved back to Duluth from Grand Forks. On December 7, 2023, David sent me a URL, saying "this woman goes to Rock Hill and is single." The URL was for a website, showcasing a certain pianist's skills and teaching studio. I was impressed! Then, David said he jumped the gun in telling me before his sister Amy had a chance to "investigate" with Emily. This is apparently all due to a Conspiracy, hatched on a return trip from the Twin Cities. Erin had broached the subject of my being available and looking. The minds of Lynette, Amy, Heidi, Lisa, and Erin were engaged in thought, until Amy thought of someone at church who runs the slides for services and plays piano. Erin told David and David, being David, told me immediately. After Amy did her investigating (see Emily's perspective), David told me Emily was open to the idea of a date. However, she would be at the Handel's Messiah singalong and - knowing I would likely be there too - I was not allowed to contact her before the performance, nor during. Only the day after could I say hello. I attended the singalong as planned and was enamored with the harpsichordist. I don't think she knew what I looked like - though I understand some Facebook stalking had happened. I kept my word and kept to myself. The next day I nervously composed a text message, and asked Emily if she'd be willing to go on a date with me. She said yes! But that it had to be at a quiet location. I can't blame her for that - nothing's worse than trying to have a conversation with someone you've just met, in a place where you can't hear your own thoughts. I asked David and Erin for ideas - David suggested Panera - saying he can't remember that being a loud place. He and Erin said they found it to be good for conversation. I suggested Panera to Emily and she agreed! I got RSV or something from the Messiah Singalong (and dealt with being Best Man in one of my groomsmen's wedding while still ill), so I'm glad I had the chance to recover before the fateful day arrived (aside from still having a harmless, yet disruptive cough). I pulled into a spot that evening and sat for a bit. I was a bit too early. Early is good, but too early is odd. Someone pulled in to the right of my car and I glanced over. "Oh gosh that's her!" Acting natural in this case was staring straight ahead at the dormant poplar tree, surreptitiously waiting long enough to not be creepy to get out of my car after her. I walked in, we said hello, ordered, and got a table. The rest... is a batch of tales for other times.

Once upon a time, on a December Sunday right after church, I was talking to my friend Dani when our church's worship director, Amy J. (not to be confused with my sister Amy), came up to me. "I need to ask you a question, but you have to promise to still like me after I do!" Somewhat confused, I thought perhaps she was going to ask me to play the keyboard on the worship team. (Which wouldn't be terrible or anything, I've just chosen to serve at church in other ways due to the fact that my full-time job is music.) Instead, she asked if I was open to being set up on a date. She told me a bit about this fellow who was a lifelong friend of her brother David. Apparently, there had been some kind of conversation in their family asking for ideas of someone to set up with Andy. Apparently, he was a great guy and a solid Christian. Apparently, he liked the outdoors, and he liked to sing. Side note: Around this time, I had just begun thinking that maybe I ought to come right out and tell my friends and family that I would be open to being set up if they knew a guy they thought might be a good fit. However, I hadn't yet gotten around to actually telling anyone that. It turns out God was already at work to bring about The Setup in a way I would not have anticipated. Amy J. had brought to my attention that Andy would be attending St. Scholastica's Messiah Singalong the following week, and suggested that perhaps he could introduce himself there. I declined this in favor of a later meeting, seeing as how I would be busy not only playing the harpsichord but also organizing many of the event details and logistics. Also, many of my friends, family, and coworkers would be around, and I figured that would be a bit intimidating for a potential blind date to meet all those people and me at one time. However, knowing that he was there, I couldn't help scanning the tenor and bass section, which, as it turns out, was front and center from my seat at the harpsichord. There were very few candidates--the majority of tenors and basses at this event are either men above 60 years old or college choir guys (all familiar to me) who are required to attend for their choir grade. Later, I was able to confirm that I did indeed spot Andy, sitting in one of the front rows and singing with gusto. Also sporting a rather long beard that he did not have in any of the photos I discovered in my internet stalking. But a guy who loves Handel's Messiah? How could I not be intrigued to learn more about him? The next day, I received a text from Andy. We went back and forth about the Singalong and various other things, then agreed to meet the following week for dinner at Panera. Our first date was December 20, 2023. I pulled into a spot in the parking lot and saw the mysterious silhouette of a man in the vehicle next to me. (Since it was December, it was pitch dark outside by this time of day, with only the scattered glow of the parking lot lights.) He was looking at me, but then quickly turned to stare straight ahead. I wondered if that was my date! No point sitting there in the car, so I gathered my courage and walked inside. Andy came in a minute or two later! We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and the rest is history! God had put it on my heart in January 2023 to be more consistent and persistent about praying for my future marriage and asking Him for a spouse. I did that every day for about 9 months, then gave up when it started to feel pointless. However, when I was faithless, God was faithful, and already had a plan for bringing about my meeting Andy just a few months later. Andy and I had been living in the same city for several years and even crossed paths at some of the same concerts, as we've now discovered. But God used other people who cared about us to bring us together, in His perfect and sometimes unfathomable timing. To Him be glory forever!