How does a young lady properly go about announcing the most special news she has ever had? Does she make people guess? Or does she just come out and say it? Or maybe she doesn’t even announce it on her blog? I’m sure you wouldn’t prefer the latter way and since I am the kind of person who has bursted with this secret since I knew it, I’ll maybe just come right out…

“My beloved is mine, and I am his.” (Song of Solomon 2:16)

At times, I almost did a blog post to dispel your suspicions that there was something ‘else’ going on. And actually, till June 23, there was nothing ‘else’ going on. (That I knew of. ;-))

But then Josh aroused my suspicions that ‘somebody’ liked me and was trying to figure out if I liked him back. Oh my! How did I go about this? I alerted my parents and started praying about it. So many questions! Some of what I wrote down that evening, “How high do his standards have to be and how much do I expect to come later? What if he doesn’t want [a] ‘hands-off’ [relationship]? Do I really have convictions about that? At least enough to refuse a courtship on?”

During this time, I tried very hard to keep my thoughts focused on God on not on guys. But I was starting to notice things…

This certain ‘someone’ was always trying to be on my team when we played volleyball. He also treated me special during the game, giving me sets and making sure I got my balls. He asked me for the time and looking back, I could see all the other small hints he had dropped that I had so totally missed!

Sooner than I expected, Jon Neufeld asked to go out for supper with my parents and, after two agonizingly long weeks for him, Daddy gave him the go-ahead!

Daddy didn’t leave me in the dark during this time. He told me that one of Jon’s convictions was a ‘hands-off’ relationship. What a confirmation! And what a gift from God! Daddy made sure that I was at peace about it before he gave Jon an answer. I had peace about it soon after I found out and before I knew it, I had to restrain myself from going head-over-heels. My friends popped the secret out of me and they couldn’t believe that I could get so excited about a guy. I never knew that it was so easy to fall in love! Knowing that it’s God’s will, makes it unbelievably fun!

Finally, on Sunday, Jon asked me if I was interested in starting a relationship! My enthusiastic ‘Yes’ officially began our courtship relationship!

Love is more beautiful and exciting than I ever imagined! I can hardly believe it’s true and then they say it only gets better!

Jon’s sister Tena was waiting for us with a camera! (sorry for the poor quality of the picture. I wanted it quick so it lost some quality on the way)

“How precious … are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” (Psalm 139:17,18)