Dear readers,

There has been something amazing and wonderful happening in my life that I have been waiting to share with you for some time.  I posted the picture on Thursday, so you all are well aware about what has happened… but now, I get to talk about it.  All I can say is God is so faithful.  When we trust Him there is no limit to the incredible things He can do.  His love is unfailing, His timing perfect, His dreams, well, they are beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.

My dreams have come true.

I’ve been granted the desires of my heart.

My cup is overflowing.

Everything has changed.

Everything is perfect.

I’m going to marry my best friend, Daniel Beals.

Remember THIS POST back in December?  Well, those dreams were about Daniel.

Though I’ve known Daniel for several years, this journey (for me) really started fall of 2011.  Daniel and I had grown very close over the last year and I had come to realize just how much his friendship meant to me.  Before I had tried to think of him just as a friend, a brother in Christ, but as New Year’s and 2012 came around, that became very difficult.

As the months passed our friendship changed.  We became even closer.  I knew I cared about Daniel, cared a lot, and I wanted to tell him, but more than that, I wanted to stay with in God’s will. I suddenly find myself praying nearly all the time.  For Daniel, about Daniel… constantly giving God my feelings for him, and my future, whether it included a life with him or not.

The first several months of 2012 were hard.  I tried to keep the mind set that Daniel was some other girl’s husband, I kept praying and handing how I felt over to God, I tried to keep from going crazy.  On a walk one day, I came to the realization that Daniel had become my best friend.  I knew I wanted the man I married to be my best friend, and the idea that Daniel might not be that man, honestly, made me feel depressed.  I decided that I would rather not marry anyone than lose Daniel or his friendship.  (I am so very thankful that God had other plans.)

One night that summer, during a closing shift at work, I spent the whole evening praying.  It was slow that night, and I had six hours before closing and clocking out.  I prayed about Daniel, telling God how much I cared about him, how scared I was of losing him, and I desperately I wanted to just tell him how I felt.  I wrestled with God, going back and forth between almost letting go, to coming up with a reason to hold on.  Finally… I let go.  I gave Daniel to God.  I gave my dream of Daniel to God.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I didn’t know what would happen, but I knew my future and my dream was in good hands.

Then the OYAN Summer Workshops rolled around.  When I saw Daniel again, face to face, I couldn’t stop smiling, and actually surprised myself with with the suddenly thought of, “I love him.”  Also, I was pretty sure that God was telling me, “Yes, he’s the one.”  That week was interesting, and when it comes down to it, rather hilarious.  I tried to let Daniel know how I felt, without actually telling him, and apparently, how we both felt about each other was very obvious to everyone there… except us.

In August, Daniel and his mom came to visit.  That week… I just about went crazy.  The whole time all I could think about was how I was going to let Daniel go back to Oklahoma without telling how I felt.  I prayed so hard that week.  Preparing myself for the goodbye I thought was coming.  I decided that if Daniel didn’t say anything that week, and left without confirming how I thought he felt too, I was going to slowly end the friendship.  I felt like I was being fake with him by not saying anything, and I couldn’t continue on with our friendship staying the way it was with how I felt.   Then… God gave me my dream.

My mom sent me with Mrs. Beals to run an errand.  When we got back, Daniel and my parents were sitting at the kitchen table, and my two younger siblings were no where to be seen.  I should have been more suspicious, but I wasn’t.  I thought it was rather odd, and continued on my way upstairs to the restroom.  My mom followed me up, knocked on the door and asked me if I was alright.  I thought that was a little weird.  She told me to wait for her before I went back down stairs, and there was something in her voice that made my heart leap.  When I came out I asked if everything was alright.  She just smiled and said yes, then took my arm, placed it through hers and led me downstairs.  We walked into the kitchen.  There was Daniel, his mom and my dad at the kitchen table.  (I was still clueless as to what was actually happening.)  Mom left me standing in the middle of the room and sat down.  Again, I asked if everything was alright and what was going on.  My mom looked at Daniel and said, “Well, are you going to tell her?”

Daniel stood up and walked towards me.  As he talked, he never looked up.  I just stared at him.  He told me he had asked my parents permission to court me, and they had said yes, now he was asking me for mine.  Suddenly I couldn’t remember how to talk.  I managed a quiet “yes” as I thought my heart would explode with happiness.  I couldn’t believe what had just happened and was in a daze pretty much for the next couple of months.

Since August, Daniel’s and my relationship as grown even more, and on February 8th, 2013 he asked me to marry him.

I walked in the door from work, to find a big vase of red roses along with a card with my name on it sitting at the kitchen table, and, my siblings waiting with cameras.  (Again, I was clueless, and readily accepted my sister’s explanation that Daniel wanted pictures.)  As I opened and read the card, Daniel walked up behind me.  I couldn’t believe he was there.  I turned around and gave him a big hug, then he knelt down on one knee, pulled out the most beautiful ring, and proposed.  Of course, I said yes.

God has been so good.  I have grown closer to Him through getting to know Daniel, and through falling in love with him.  The last year and a half has been an incredible journey, and I can’t wait to see what this next road holds, walking side by side with the love of my life.