"Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21 - To some, Brian's and Elizabeth's meeting could be called "fate." Neither one was seeking a relationship at the time, they had no friends in common, and they lived almost 30 miles apart. There was no reasonable chance that they would have crossed paths - but God had other plans in mind. Elizabeth was invited by a friend of a friend to a worship night in Atlanta. She didn't plan on going, being that she was an introvert and didn't know a single person who would be attending. But at the last minute she decided to just try it out. It was time to practice stepping outside of her comfort zone, and what better opportunity than with a group of people that she was sure she'd never see again, since this would be just a one-time trip downtown...

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." - Ecclesiastes 3:11 - Well, one trip turned into two. Then two turned into a date... A first date that lasted 13.5 hours. Needless to say, they hit it off. What started out as plans for just a short walk in the park after church turned into an afternoon of exploring Ponce City Market, people-watching on the BeltLine, even stopping for groceries at Kroger - anything they could think of as an excuse not to part ways. Neither wanted the day to end. It took them until 10pm to realize they hadn't even had dinner yet - which says a lot for a couple of foodies. Cookout was about the only option open so late on a Sunday night, but apparently french fries and milkshakes are the perfect cuisine to bond over. The next two hours were spent opening up about fears, sharing personal quirks, and making each other laugh until they cried. Those moments were perfect. It was as if everything that was in the past and anything to come in the future were all tied together to right then and there.

"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." - Mark 10:9 - Months went by and they grew closer together, and closer in their walk with Christ, as they navigated the peaks and valleys that a relationship brings. They weren't just a couple - they were a team. And it didn't take long for them to know without out a doubt that this was the teammate they each wanted for life. And so, Brian began planning the perfect way to ask Elizabeth to marry him. He secretly bought the ring while they were in New York visiting his family, had a friend plan to get nails done and invite Elizabeth to join, and asked her to dress up for dinner since it was Brian's birthday. But before dinner, he suggested a walk around a nearby pond where they had spent one of their first dates - where a friend was hiding in the bushes ready to photograph the moment he popped the question. It was the easiest question he had ever asked. And the best one she had ever answered.