The summer after I graduated from college, I came back home to New Bern to work. My plans were to go live in Wake Forest in the fall when I started seminary classes. A few weeks before I was planning on moving, I got a call from Bennett Holloway at Temple asking me to come to talk with him about a possible job opportunity working with students. I soon got a job there and started seminary online. On my first Sunday at Temple, I met a lot of people including Jess. Our first interaction was a little awkward because of a very floppy handshake, but it was super quick because she was running around doing a million things she had to do. Over the next few months, I tried to be careful around Jess because I had just gotten my first job in ministry and didn’t want anybody to think anything was going on between us. Well eventually, after spending time with her and some friends over the Christmas and New Years holidays, I knew that I had to tell her how I was feeling. I sat her down over coffee and told her everything and she said that she felt the same way but she couldn’t date me. So the next few months were a time when we got to grow as friends until she finally let me take her on a real date in May. It would take another 10 months until I asked her to marry me.

On May 4th, 2018, I graduated from East Carolina University, the proud owner of a full paid for (miraculously, by the Lord) Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre – I will forever be undone by the way God provided for me to go to school, learn the craft He had gifted me in and graduate debt-free. On May 7th, 2018, I packed that diploma under my desk and began a job in full-time ministry, reluctantly saying yes to the Lord laying it on my heart to surrender to Him a season. Every six months, I kept trying to leave. And every six months, one way or another, I felt the Lord lovingly leading me to stay. Three years later, after many ups and downs in a season so unexpected I wouldn’t even know where to begin, after not really dating anyone seriously since high school, after jokingly (but not) asking my boss to please just hire my husband already, after telling friends that really what I wanted was the opportunity to meet someone and get to know them slowly over time, become friends, and then eventually date because I was terrified of jumping into anything, I met Alex Hinson. And we got to know each other slowly over time, and we became friends, and (eventually) we dated. A few months in to him working with me on our Student Ministry team, we sat down for coffee, and my anxiety levels hit the roof as he looked me in the eyes and told me what he thought about me and his intentions (forever raising the bar for every high school girl I will ever disciple). I’m sure he was expecting a yes or a no, and instead, I gave him what every man wants to hear- “um yes, I feel the same way, but I’m not ready to date anyone right now.” He could have left, but he didn’t. Instead, Alex proceeded to faithfully and respectfully pursue me as a friend for six months, buying me lunches and surprising me with bagels and gently revealing his character as a person who is willing to stay the course. He was tender and gentle and patient with my heart; kind in difficult moments and patiently steadfast in his pursuit of me- he reminded me of Jesus. I pretty much fell in love with him throughout the beginning part of that process, and about three months in, knew I wanted to marry him. He patiently waited until I was ready and after a few false starts, we finally went on our first date. Throughout the next ten months following that first date, our community continued to walk us through the process of deciding if this was the right move. And step by step, the Lord confirmed that it was. On March 10th, 2023, Alex got down on one knee and again looked me in the eyes and told me what he thought about me and his intentions (but this time ending with a question). He cried and I cried and somewhere in there I said yes, and we jumped into a wild and beautiful new season. This past May marks the 5th year of me living in New Bern, and I am so moved by the Lord’s faithfulness to bless me with such a good gift. I've learned (and am learning) surrender in a new way here in this season that has lasted much longer than I originally anticipated. There are still so many questions that I'm learning may not have answers on this side, but this I do know: God is faithful, and He is steady. And how kind of Him to bring a man to run alongside me that is faithful and steady too.