In the fall of 2021, Zach and his Mom started attending Calvary Chapel Waynesville after finding an ad online. As often happens when young people join, the congregants started to think of who might make a good match for the fine young gentleman. With only two young ladies in the church, it didn't take long. So before Courtney even met Zach, her sister had sent a text to friends saying "Here comes my future brother-in-law!" The problem with these match-making plans was that Courtney was happily single and had been visiting another church for a while. However, she started to feel the Lord tell her it was time to return to her home church. When Zach met Courtney, something about her eyes pulled his heart. He thought she was beautiful too. Courtney thought his beard was nice, but didn't want another broken heart. When one of the older ladies commented, "There's a nice young gentleman who’s looking for a modest young woman," Courtney was annoyed because she thought it was scheming. Courtney didn’t want the guy to feel pressured or to scare him away. At a pot luck a couple weeks later, one lady casually suggested since they were both similar in age, "Maybe you two could see each other!" Courtney felt bad for Zach being put on the spot. Zach however, had already had the thought. Afterwards, in a conversation about pets, Zach mentioned he had chickens. Courtney shared she wanted a goat one day. Zach wanted to have goats too. Something clicked. The next week, Zach got up the courage to ask for her number. And despite it being clumsy, she gave it to him! He was elated, but played it chill, waiting till the following day to text his "hello." One word turned to hours of conversation.
Over the following months Zach and Courtney learned more about each other. He loved Reese's. She was allergic to chocolate. He had lots of pets growing up. She had a fish for 3 days. They both loved the color blue, exploring outdoors, and were native Georgians. Growing up they had lived less than an hour apart, but their paths never crossed. The odds became even stiffer when Courtney's family moved out of state in 2008. But then years later first Courtney's family, then Zach's a few years after, had felt led by the Lord to move to North Carolina, where again they lived less than an hour apart! But it wasn't until Zach found the church that they met. The more they talked, the more they discovered they agreed on a lot of things: their love for God, family, and the outdoors. As the friendship blossomed, the more they realized God's fingerprints were all over it. Then one day the question came: "Do you want to go on a date?" Courtney wanted to say yes, but wanted her Daddy's approval first. So, following a lesson on how to butcher ducks, Zach and Mr. Carl made their plans to have lunch, and over burgers, the approval was given. The first date ended up landing on Courtney's 20th birthday, her best one yet. By the third date, Zach knew, "I want to marry you!" Over the next year, they saw each other frequently, discovered new favorite spots and explored all around North Carolina, and even tried some new things. They started to learn each other's strengths and stressors, how to work together in new situations, and more and more, how much they didn't want to live without each other. In May 2024, following a Casting Crowns concert, Zach took a knee and asked "Will you marry me?" Courtney was speechless, but Zach knew she meant yes. They would follow whatever the Lord had in store for them, hand in hand.