• Olivia & I met at one of our church's HomeGroups. Here’s the part where I admit that, as a twenty-one year old man, I still don’t have a driver’s license. That being the case, I needed other people to take me to & from HomeGroup. A wonderful couple had been giving me rides, despite my being half-an-hour out. (Thanks Johnny and Megan!) Megan met Olivia & learned that she lived in an apartment just a stone’s throw away from my own. Olivia was my ride home that night. Here’s the part where I let you know that I’m an introvert. I was nervous about this twenty-minute car ride with a stranger, but we hit it off immediately! We had wonderful conversations about The Bible Project, psychology, and all our geeky fandoms. After learning that my roommate & I played D&D, she asked if she could join us some time, subsequently becoming a regular. We talked a bit more, grew a bit closer, & became a bit more fond of each other. Then came October 31st. Here’s where I let you in on the fact that Olivia and I care nothing for Halloween. Instead, we celebrate Reformation Day, the anniversary of when Martin Luther nailed his theses to the chapel door in Wittenburg, Germany. The manner in which we decided to celebrate that day was to reenact the Wittenburg incident at 2:00am at Regent’s chapel. That night I shared that I was “keenly interested” in her. Fast forward a few beautiful months to Good Friday of 2017. My mom had helped select an engagement ring for which my dad constructed a gorgeous wooden box in which to place it. My two youngest siblings filled that box with hand-made wood shavings, & my other brother transcribed the chords to a song for me. I asked Olivia to picnic in a garden beneath a cross. Together we read through the Gospel of Mark & sang a few hymns. I switched gears & began singing I’ve Got a Great Idea by Harry Connick Jr., then reached into my bag and brought out the box to give Olivia the ring that was inside. Spoiler alert: She said yes.