WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

From Lauren's POV.. Lauren has been in the dating scene for some time & had figured out the most important things to her-- along with 1,000 other lessons she will probably write a book about one day. Fall of 2025, she was heading to treatment in Franklin TN & when scrolling on Facebook one day, an ad popped up saying "Most single christian men by city" & Nashville was listed as #1. She thought to herself, wellll why not give it a try ONE more time. From Trent's POV, he entered back into the dating scene in January. He was a bit more decisive than Lauren & went on many first dates. One day in July, he woke up & thought “maybe I need to see if there’s a lady in Nashville” as he wasn’t finding what he was looking for. It “just so happened” that Lauren & Trent both changed their location to Nashville, TN on the same day. Trent’s filters were very refined, so Lauren was one of 5 women that popped up. Trent started by saying "I have to be honest, I live in Acworth GA & understand if you aren't open to long distance" & Lauren said, "well I happen to have you beat, I live in Idaho." Both decided that it felt worth it to at least have a conversation to see where it could go as what they'd heard & seen so far about one another was hard to find! Trent asked to get on a phone call right away (can we say green flag from Lauren's POV)! Their first phone call was 3 hours & Lauren was taken aback by Trent's honesty, pure heart for Jesus, commitment to his church & community, sense of humor, & lastly, southern accent. Trent was refreshed by the depth of joy Lauren carried in the midst of trials, the community she surrounded herself with, & her long golden hair. After the phone call, Trent said "I'd really love to take you to dinner but since I can't, can I door dash you food on Monday & we can have a FaceTime dinner date?" From there started a pursuit that Lauren had never experienced before. Lauren had awakened an excitement in Trent that he didn’t know he was capable of feeling, & he was all in. Lauren had never felt the peace in her head & heart like she had with him and while she NEVER said things like this before, she told 3 people before even heading to TN, "I think I met my husband." Trent messaged friends after the first phone call. Something was different with Lauren. There was no hesitation this time. (Other than the distance) Then came the in person date. Both had nerves & while it felt like they knew each other so well from only having the option to talk for 5.5 weeks, they were both trying to hold their future loosely. Trent bought concert tickets & showed up with a basket of incredibly intentional gifts. The weekend was spent laughing & not trying "to figure anything out." Lauren's heart felt safe & cared for in a way it never had been before. Trent was smitten. Could a sophisticated mighty woman of God with top notch aesthetics like Lauren really like a simple country boy from Tennessee like him? Outside of treatment, they had the gift of spending time together for 3.5 weeks. Lauren got to see a glimpse of Trent's world, which in her mind, sealed the deal. With daily life, adventures & ministry events, it just felt right being side by side. Fast forward, Trent came to Boise over the holidays & Lauren's friends & family fell in love. Safe to say, they thought nothing had ever felt so right. Peace continued to affirm their desire for a life with one another along with the support & affirmation of their people. God took 10 years of chronic illness in Lauren's life & used that very thing to be a bridge to giving her her greatest desire, a husband who loved Him at all costs. He took Trent's pain, surrender of dreams & his once future hope, & gave him more than he could have ever asked for in Lo. Her maturity, depth, peace, joy, & beauty were the final wave that washed away any hint of doubt in the goodness & faithfulness of our Father. AND SUDDENLY a long season of waiting is done & much celebration lies ahead!