We met in a church small group 4 years ago. During the first years, our friendship was centered on honesty, spirituality, and matters of the heart. In the winter of 2017, our friendship changed. We were both going through personal growth and enjoyed each other’s company and support. Our feelings grew as we continued spending time with one another. God was working in each of us separately to open and prepare our hearts for one another. Their relationship had been based on honesty, so Julie felt moved to share her feelings with Mike and she did so by reading him a letter over coffee. After reading the letter aloud (shaking) and a few moments of thoughtful silence, Mike said, “I adore you.” We began dating in April 2018. We knew each other well spiritually and emotionally from our time as friends, but had to learn the more surface-level information. We decided to invest a lot of time in each other and the relationship by reading and studying books together. We also invested a lot of time in playing well by going on fun dates! Over the last year, we’ve experienced the four calendar seasons, as well as various seasons of life. We have experienced mutual support through tremendous emotional circumstances, both joyful and difficult. Physical moves, job transitions, changing churches, developing new communities, and pursuit of our individual emotional wellbeing. Traveling the seasons has fortified our love for each other and built a foundation of trust and commitment that we are excited to build on in our marriage. When looking back we clearly see Gods’ plan, provision, and work in the formation of our relationship. We experience promptings from God that lead us to live in a way that is counter-cultural, full of grace, and expectant for God’s continued intervention in our lives. Our love for each other is different because of God’s love for us. It’s hard to capture how beautiful and nourishing our relationship is in a few words. We hope to keep telling you our story!