2020 was a year that most of us will never forget. There was hurt, fear, and confusion that year, but the Lord says in Romans that “ALL THINGS work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” CJ and I were truly blessed that year as, even through all the worry that COVID caused, we met and realized that the Lord used everything that was happening to give us each other. I had come back from Los Angeles for what I assumed would be the "two weeks that COVID-19 was going to be around,” and CJ had come back to Spartanburg from Columbia to finish up the school year on zoom. While I was back in Spartanburg, I decided to visit a church I attended back in middle school. First Baptist Spartanburg was holding all of their services in the park and everyone was so excited to finally attend a service again after weeks of being on lock down. I soon started volunteering and a certain cute guy working the service every Sunday morning continually caught my attention. One day, one of my Sunday school teachers from middle school noticed me checking out said boy, and asked if I thought he was cute. I said yes and Ed Roof quickly got to work, chatting us up to each other; telling me that he was a great guy, super smart, and in his junior year of college; all while reassuring CJ that I was, in fact, old enough for him to date! Ed introduced us and told me he would be working the FBS Frisbee games and I found myself unexpectedly excited to play Frisbee every Thursday! We hit it off that first Thursday and have never looked back. Our first date was at Wades, one of my "bucket-list restaurants" where I HAD to eat before going back to Los Angeles (like that ever happened!) and after talking in the restaurant for three+ hours I knew something special was about to happen. We have been inseparable ever since that first summer together. It has now been two years and we are the best of friends. We are constantly uplifting each other in our faith, pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves, and always encouraging each other along the way. He never fails to make me laugh and we have so much fun navigating life together! We constantly find ourselves looking back at the year 2020 with joy and gratitude to the Lord for using something so seemingly helpless and giving us a type of love I thought only existed in my Disney princess movies. CJ proposed on August 5, 2022, a day after our two year anniversary. We went out for sushi, our favorite food (second only to Bojangles of course), and then he took me to Barnet Park- the place where we met, laughed, and talked to each other for hours every Sunday before and after services that whole summer. It was the most perfect moment as he took us through the entrance, right in front of the fountains, and asked me to marry him as his family came out of the bushes to add to the surprise. We can't wait for April 15th as we celebrate our love together with our family and dearest friends and begin our life together as husband and wife!