Our Story
Josh and Rosemary met at their church in the summer of 2006. He had noticed her for a little while; she was oblivious. Mutual friends and group dates gave them time to observe each other... on Sunday nights at church Josh would ask if the seat next to Rosemary was available, and she first took notice of him because of the great journal he had - leather with stitching on it that just seemed to say "Rosemary!" (It was later revealed that he bought the journal to get her attention!) This continued for a while... One night a mutual friend was having a bonfire out on the lake, and since Rosemary didn't have a car, it seemed the perfect opportunity to...slyly...ask Josh if he was going and if he was willing to give her a ride home. They talked on the way home and sat in his truck in front of her apartment telling stories well past bed time. They were hooked.
Friendship quickly developed into mutual admiration, but they both knew that God had more He had to do in their lives before they could be together. Obeying God above your own desires is one of the greatest challenges we face as Christians though. Weeks turned into months and they still weren't ready to fully obey God and stay single. They both struggled with a lack of peace about the relationship, and knew that deep down they weren't doing things the way God was asking them to. Finally in early November, they agreed to fast from each other and give God the time and space He was asking of them to work in their hearts before they were in a relationship. This was such a difficult season. But they both had a deep peace and trusted God to bring them back together if it was His will. New Year of 2007 would bring a new beginning for them both. For the last two months they had been fasting and seeking God, and they both felt that as of January they would be free to pursue a relationship with each other. After much anticipation and prayer and fasting, Josh and Rosemary went on their "first date" on New Year's Eve.
They haven't been apart a day since then. Going into the relationship, they knew that it would result in marriage. Sometimes you just know. Peace, confirmation through spending time with God, approval of friends and family, and of course a deep love and respect for each other brought them to the realization that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives serving and loving each other. In June of 2007 Josh bought a house with the knowledge that they would start a family there someday. Rosemary's favorite flower is lavender and when she was grooming the plants in the front yard, she realized that there were nineteen - nineteen - lavender plants covering the front lawn. In tears, she joyfully showed her discovery to Josh. He grinned and said that God knew she was going to live here, so He planted lavender in the front lawn for her.
On August 13th, 2007 Josh and Rosemary went to their favorite spot in the arboretum. This was a bit of a sanctuary for them - they met here for the first time after they were reunited after their fast, they'd taken many long walks here, even argued here! After sunset, they wandered around the fountain and along paths, Josh being extra attentive and romantic. They stopped and talked in the gazebo, and that is where Josh got down on one knee and asked Rosemary to be his wife. She danced and squealed and said, "Ask me again!" and soaked up the moment. After several "yes's", they started to make wedding plans... And that brings us here.
