Jared and I met at a typical location work. I think we had both worked there about a year and a half at the time but I could be wrong. The way I met him was by no means typical nor was Jared a typical guy as I would soon discover. He approached me and began to sit and eat lunch and talk to me and a couple other people and I had no idea who he was. Time passes and He and I begin to talk about church camp (not a coincidence at all) and somehow we begin a friendship although I could not remember his name when he asked me a few days later. . . he he he who would know that he would become my husband??? Anyways we began to hang out and have hot tub nights (just friendship style) and we enjoyed talking in fact I could talk to him for hours (which many may say I can do that with anyone but anyhow). . . I was falling for him, his eyes reminded me of the mountains and he was just so handsome. Friends is all he offered and he was for sure that was all he wanted. he heee. . . anyways we went on a trip with a friend to a water park down south and stayed the night in a horrid motel (I had my own bed which was full of questionable things. . .:?eek) OOps I have to back up to our first kiss ok so on one of those hot tub nights as "friends" Jared stopped by my apartment and left his shoes, he called to return back and I was eagerly hoping he would kiss me but not sure that he would. Well he did thus began my infatuation that still remains . . he dropped his shoes . . . the rest is history???
We started officially dating a couple of weeks later. Our relationship was a roller coaster ride and neither of us had any idea that we were headed down a new path. . . together. A friend invited us to church and Jared took him up on the offer. I had not attended church for years until I met Jared. We decided to go. . . the gospel was preached there and God continued to work. The first time Jared met my family was at an evangelical conference at my parents church. To everyone's shock at the invitation God literally moved me out of my seat and pushed me forward. He was continuing His work in me, Praise the Lord. About a month later Jared and I were supposed to attend church and we missed that night. My brother had mentioned a preacher named Paul Washer and urged us to see a video. We watched the video and God continued His work unto salvation and that night we both were changed. Forever. Together. God had not given up on us, He had not forgotten us regardless of our many sins, He called us, we laid our sins down and we still do, and He continues to change us both.
When God called us we were by no means living in perfect submission in fact perhaps we were in a difficult predicament. We were engaging in premarital activities that were reserved for marriage but we were not married, not yet. When we became believers God called us to let that go. . . which was impossible by our own means. . . and so we sought Him. For the last six months of our relationship God kept us pure. We did not have purity on our own or it would have never happened. . . When I stood before Jared on our wedding day we stood in a completely different place than where we started, we stood before God who had cleansed our many sins as forgiven and loved. Ok on to the proposal. . .
It was a cold December night and I was with a friend watching I am Legend. . . weird movie. . . odd feeling afterwards and so I am driving home just trying to process it all and Jared calls. He was frantic as to why I was running late which was a tad uncharacteristic of him, he is usually super easy going. So I rush home we get in the car and he speeds to Dallas, I think we are going to a Mavericks game so I am super excited and trying to get rid of the weirdness from the movie thing. Anyways, we go to a parking lot and there is a horse drawn carriage. I am thinking "Wow what a Christmas gift." I am a little surprised that the lady knew our last name something I chalked up to the fact that Jared must have given a big tip:) We get on the carriage and begin to go through lights in Highland Park which were gorgeous. Then the carriage stops and the lady suggests that we go and "look at our faces in the pond." Okay I said kinda confused as to why we were going to do this. Then Jared tells me by the pond that he has a poem to read to which I respond, "Can you read it at home?" to which he says no. Then I think I began to put the pieces together by that time the poem was over and all I could do was nod my head yes. I was in shock. I spent the rest of the carriage ride crying, hugging, and snuggling. It was wonderful!!
Fast forward six months to our wedding day. We got married on July 17, 2008 at TWU in the Little Chapel in the Woods my ideal location. It was a small and intimate wedding with close family and friends and it was an amazing day. We had our reception and stayed at a bed and breakfast overnight which was really neat. Then we headed to our honeymoon. . . it was not going to be long before God started to work out some imperfections. . . before He began to mold us, shape us, and show us reality. We had our honeymoon in Mexico. To make a long story short I got sick (really really sick) lost like 10 pounds and I think they finally determined it was a parasite. . .in the water... Jared's credit card number got stolen, we had no AC in our honeymoon suite, We missed a flight, and we encountered the worst in one another. God brought us through that and we came out stronger and I think more prepared for what marriage really is like.
Each year since, I could write a book about in our journey together we have shared so much over the course of almost five years now. We have traveled, toured, hiked, climbed mountains, white water rafted, went to Alaska, cruised, gotten sick, injured, dealt with broken AC units at multiple houses in the middle of the summer one while I was pregnant, labor, delivery, raising our son, and sooo much more. Each day with Jared is a blessing and it is all because of God. Nothing is coincidence. Love is our anchor. . . and each moment we hold on. . . .life gets sweeter and sweeter.
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