1 Corinthians 13:7

Carter and I met while serving in the children’s ministry at our church. During a pre-service huddle, we were prompted to share a personal struggle with the person next to us — but I happened to be standing next to a man I had never met, so I (not so politely) declined to share. Later, I was talking with my friend when a guy walked up and joined our conversation. I remember thinking it was weird that I kept running into him that day, even though I’d never seen him before. After he walked away, I told her I thought he was funny and that I wanted to be his friend. Naturally, she said “That’s Carter. He’s single. You should date him.” I laughed it off, having no idea what God had in store. We started building a friendship, though there was some shameless flirting on my end. I started to realize that I felt most like myself when I was around him, and there was a steady peace in my heart after every conversation we shared. After a few weeks of trying to deny it, I accepted that I had a crush on Carter. After attending the same wedding in October 2025, my interest grew into genuine feelings, and I knew there was something special about him. He felt the same way, and our relationship grew from there. He asked me on a date soon after (though he never actually called it a date), and he’s had my heart ever since. After our fourth date, I called my mom and told her I had met my future husband. Carter is nothing short of an answered prayer. I quickly fell in love with him — his kindness, his patience, and his heart for Jesus. He felt like a missing puzzle piece in my life, and I was no longer me without him. After six months of dating, he asked me to marry him, and it was the easiest yes. It is the greatest joy of my life to spend forever with Carter Gillaspie!

I met Grace Anne while serving in the kids’ ministry at church. The first Sunday I was back after summer break, a short, brown-haired girl came running into our pre-service huddle ten minutes late. She quickly asked what we were talking about, and I told her the prompt was to share something we were struggling with—to which she responded (loudly), “I’m not doing that.” We went our separate ways until after the 11 a.m. service, where we met again. She had become friends over the summer with some people I was close with, so we started talking. I promptly asked her where in Kentucky she was from because of her distinct accent. From there, conversation came easily, and a friendship was sparked. Over the next couple months, our friendship began as we began talking at church and at Young Adults. Admittedly, I had a crush from the beginning, but if you know me, you know I have no game. Grace Anne and I began flirting with each other, though neither of us picked up on each other’s hints. We were like two passing ships, hoping to sail to the same destination. In October of 2025, Grace and I attended the same wedding, where she was clearly flirting and I was completely missing her signals — but our connection felt different. After the wedding, I asked her out (though I forgot to actually call it a date), and we have been inseparable ever since. I knew that Grace Anne was the person I was going to marry and nothing was going to change that. From our first date, everything just felt right — I had found my person, the person that God had created for me. I had never experienced a peace like the one I felt when God revealed to me that Grace Anne was to be my wife. Grace Anne pushes me to grow in my faith and become the man of God I was created to be. She is my missing rib, my safe place, my home. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with the woman God has uniquely designed me to be with!