We love because He first loved us

It was June 28th, 2024, when God brought Brandon and me to the same place. We were both at FCA Leadership Camp at WKU—me as a huddle leader and him on staff. The night before the campers arrived, all the huddle leaders and staff gathered to prepare and be trained to lead students well. That evening, a few of us went to Walmart for snacks and drinks. I found myself in the aisle with Dot’s pretzels, debating whether to get a bag—knowing full well I’d probably finish it before camp ended. As I reached for it, I suddenly heard, “You can’t get those.” I turned around to find a handsome brunette with flowy hair, speaking to me like he already knew me. I laughed and asked, “How do you know that?” He laughed too—and said “Because you will eat the bag in one sitting.” So, I put the bag back. (Don’t worry, I later went back and bought it .) Brandon said it was my voice and laugh that caught his attention. From there, we didn’t talk much during camp—we were both focused on the mission: leading students to Christ, encouraging rededication, and deepening their relationships with Him. On July 4th, Brandon invited a group of huddle leaders to celebrate in his hometown of Richmond, KY. Out of about 20 invited, only four of us went. That day, I met his entire family (and loved them all), played games, watched fireworks, and—most importantly—finally got to talk to Brandon. That night, while playing Left, Right, Center, I kept rolling “L,” meaning I had to give my money to the person on my left—Brandon. Roll after roll, I kept thinking, God, are You trying to tell me something? Later, I asked Brandon to share his testimony. One question turned into a 12-hour conversation where we completely let our guards down and experienced a deep sense of peace, joy, and God’s presence. In that moment, we both knew—this was something different. But we also knew we wanted to do it God’s way. A week later, on July 11, 2024 (7/11—yes, we love that!), Brandon asked me to be his girlfriend—in Italian! Since then, God has been so, so good to us. We've been surrounded by prayer, love, encouragement, and the support of so many wonderful people. Getting to know someone the way God knows them has been one of the greatest blessings. We've stayed committed to putting our relationship with Him first—so we can love each other the way He loves us. On December 15th, 2024, Brandon proposed to me during my Blue and White gymnastics meet, with our families, friends, and coaches all there to witness the beautiful moment God orchestrated. So, yes—July 4th holds a special place in our hearts. It's when it all began, and we are so thankful to celebrate the marriage God intended for us on the very day He brought us together.