Our love story is an amazing fairytale, bringing together the
lives, the prayers, and the dreams of two people who are completely
convinced the God is the best author of love stories, and that He is
in the business of writing them! Every time we take time to remember
how it all happened, we are amazed all over again at how perfectly
God planned our lives for each other, and all the care He has taken
to bring us together in just the right time and way. We both went
through years of waiting and praying that God would bring us the one
meant for us. We both experienced times of doubt and discouragement,
wondering if God really did have a plan, and so we are both excited
with His perfect answer!
So how did it all happen? Joseph has lived in North Carolina all
his life. He grew up with lots of close family and friends and was an
active member of his local church. School and then work kept him
busy, and he was happily settled in life, except that the perfect
girl to share it all with didn't seem to be in his corner of the
globe, and she never seemed to cross his path. But then, just short
of his twenty-ninth birthday, he met someone who would change history
for him.
Ashley's family moved to North Carolina in August, 2011 when she
was twenty-three. Her family had moved often in her growing up years,
and somehow friends seemed to come and go with the different moves.
She was homeschooled and then had gone on to work from home for her
father's mail order business, so her sisters were her closest
friends. She had met many people from their different moves, but
never Mr. Right. Soon after moving to North Carolina, Ashley and her
family visited the Washington SDA Church where they moved their
membership just after arriving in the state. The first week they were
there they met Ray and Charlotte Moore, Joseph's parents. They were
so warm and friendly, and did so much to make the Brinley family feel
at home in their new church. It was some time however, before Ashley
learned that Ray and Charlotte had a son.
In October the Brinleys decided to host a harvest party at their
home and invite their church members out for a social time. Charlotte
came and brought her son Joseph. That was the first time we met. We
had such a good time that evening, and that kind of lighted a spark.
The next time we saw each other was another church-related
activity in December. The Washington church decided to make christmas
tree ornaments to give out as an outreach in the neighborhood, so we
planned to stay after potluck one week in December and put them
together. Charlotte had agreed to help with the project, so she
brought Joseph and a friend of his along to help with it. We ended up
sitting across the table from each other while twisting pipe cleaners
around candy canes to make candy cane reindeer, and while we worked,
we talked. We were both surprised at how easy it was to talk, and how
much fun we had together. After that, we both had a hard time
forgetting about the other one.
The following week there was to be a Christmas program at the
Washington church on Saturday evening. After church and potluck,
several members from church gathered to go Christmas caroling in the
neighborhood before the evening program. Ashley and her family were
part of the caroling group. About half-way around the neighborhood
Joseph joined the group as he had come down from Greenville where he
had been for church. We had a good time visiting between houses until
we got back to the church, and then everyone was busy getting ready
for the evening program.
Just a few minutes before the program was to start we were
informed that the song leader was not going to make it to the
program, so we needed to find a replacement. There was not much time,
and not many people there to choose from as most had not arrived yet.
Ashley and her sister Lacey were discussing the problem when Ashley
turned around to the seat behind where Joseph and his mom were
sitting and said with a smile “Joseph would do a good job!” He
wasn't very committal on that point just then. Ashley had to go out
and check on a few details before the program started. Joseph had
also stepped out, and they met again in the foyer just before going
in to get started. Ashley went up to him and started to ask him again
if he could fill in as song leader, but about half-way through she
looked up into his big brown eyes, and it was the magic moment - one
of those that only lasts a split second and leaves you wondering if
you imagined it, or if the other person felt it like you did. But
both of them had, and Joseph agreed to lead the songs that evening.
Ashley was involved in playing and singing for several special
selections with her sisters, and whenever she was up front, looking
out into the audience, it seemed those big brown eyes were out there,
looking back. Then they would swap places and Joseph would be up
front leading a congregational song, and Ashley could observe from
the audience. It was an interesting evening, and afterwards we had
the opportunity to visit more over refreshments before going home.
The next day Ashley and her family were leaving for Michigan to
take care of her grandmother's estate as she had recently passed
away. It was hard to leave and be gone over the holidays, but the
memory of that evening went with both of them and neither one could
forget the other over the holidays. While in Michigan, Ashley emailed
Charlotte a few times to let her know how things were going and that
they had made it to their destination. She mentioned missing North
Carolina and being anxious to be home again. The day the Brinleys
returned home, December 28, Ashley found an email in her inbox from
Joseph welcoming her home, and that kind of got things started.
Ashley emailed back, and after that, they hardly missed a day writing
to each other. They began spending time together, usually on weekends
with their families or with church-related projects. They spent a
couple of Sundays chopping and hauling firewood from the church
property where trees had come down, and that kind of set a tone for
lots of practical projects that they tackled together, and they began
to realize more and more how well they worked together.
Just after Christmas a friend of Lacey's visited the Brinley
family and was spending some time in their home, so the girls were
looking for things to do while the friend was visiting. They decided
to take a trip on a Friday up to visit the aquarium on Okracoke
Island, so Ashley invited Joseph to come along for the day. It would
be Lacey and her friend, Ashley, and Joseph. It was our first date,
and we remember the fun we had that day, even though Ashley did do
the asking out:) Shortly after, Joseph asked her out to spend a day
with him touring Greenville and meeting more of his family. We had
lunch at a little Italian cafe, so maybe that was our first “official
date.”
One month after that first email, on January 28 after church we
went down to walk at the Washington waterfront. After walking we sat
on a bench to rest and talk and that was when we had the discussion
about our relationship and where we were headed. We both agreed that
we were serious about looking into the possibility of taking our
relationship to the finish line.
Our relationship continued to blossom and grow with the changing
seasons. We spent many fun times together, did many projects, took
trips, spent time with each other's families, and spent regular time
on the phone, emailing, studying, and praying together every day. Six
months after we had begun our relationship, on June 28, we spent a
special evening together with a picnic at a little park in Belhaven.
That evening Joseph promised that someday he would ask Ashley to
marry him, but she didn't think he'd propose until the end of the
year, maybe around the holidays.
Summer was nearly over and we were celebrating eight months to our
relationship on August 28. We planned to meet at Joseph's family
cottage on the river to share a meal and go out for a boat ride.
Ashley met Joseph at his office as he was finishing work and we drove
to the river together. Joseph planned the menu and prepared a lovely
candlelight meal. We had planned to eat on the boat, but it was
raining, so we had a candlelight dinner on the porch, then retreated
inside where it was a little warmer to finish dessert. By this time,
the rain had stopped so Joseph offered to take Ashley out for a boat
ride down to the waterfront to see the lights from the water as she
had wanted to do that before summer was over. The stars were
beautiful and the lights on the water were spectacular when we
reached the waterfront. We floated in the bay while we admired the
lovely scenery, then Joseph got down on one knee to ask the question,
and presented Ashley with a lovely wrist watch for an engagement
present. She was so surprised it took a few minutes for her to
answer, but she already knew what she wanted to say. That evening we
made an agreement to “love forever”.
When we got back to the boat dock, our families were waiting for
us to congratulate us, so it was a very special evening, and the
commitment we made to each other is one that we are looking forward
to making public when we stand together and say our vows on May 27,
2013. We are looking forward to continuing to grow in that
relationship until then, and to continue with a “happily ever
after”.
True
Love Stories Never Have Endings!
