Nathan's courtship journey~by Beth

When we joined ATI we were exposed to the idea of courtship instead of dating. We decided that was a more biblical idea and that dating definitely was not God's idea. So, that became our family standard. When Nathan was 15 years old he was able to attend the Young Men's Counseling seminar in Indianapolis. He was challenged to give the Lord his youth in order to serve Him, kind of a tithe of his life. Nathan made the commitment to give the Lord the next seven years of his life. During this time he would not be looking around for his future mate but would concentrate on serving the Lord and his family. He had also felt the Lord calling him to attend the ALERT Academy, and just before his 21st birthday he left for Texas. After completing the program in a little over a year, he was asked to remain and come on staff working in the computer department.

When the seven years he committed to the Lord came to an end, he talked to his dad about talking to girls. I later found this out and told him that it was no different than when he was talking to them now, but when the Lord showed him the right one, he would know in his spirit. I also told him that when it happened it would be fast since he was already in the position to be married and had prepared himself spiritually as well. Those words were prophetic.

So, a year passed. Then in September of 2008, he began to pray about a young woman that worked at ALERT. He did not tell the woman, nor her father, nor us. He just prayed about it. He prayed all Fall, all Winter, and then in the Spring he approached her father, Capt. Smith about the possibility of courting his daughter, Hannah. Capt. Smith liked Nathan and gave his blessing. Nathan had already built a relationship with Capt. Smith, and so he was able to evaluate Nathan as a future marriage partner for Hannah based on how well he already knew him. During this period of time he indicated to us that there was someone special. He planned to ask Hannah if she would begin a courtship with him. We talked several times about the timing of this "proposal" and he decided on a day and time.

Nathan told us later that he was very nervous about asking Hannah. He felt that before asking if she were willing to begin a relationship with the idea of marriage he should come clean with her about areas in his life in which he had failed. Full disclosure. She said yes, and Nathan later recounted that it was in that moment that he knew she would say yes to getting engaged. That was the first week of June.
Several weeks later Nathan came home for vacation to Florida. We talked about their relationship and he revealed that he was ready to ask her to marry him. He initially thought that he would propose on October 24th at Hannah's sister's wedding. But as time went on he told us he did not want to wait that long. He asked our counsel and if we had any check in our spirits about him getting engaged sooner. We did not and gave him our full blessing. Now, just before he left to go back to Texas we went looking at rings. We found one that was stunning, but still needed her ring size. When Nathan got back he got her ring size. I asked him how he got it thinking that somehow he had gotten a hold of one of her rings and then called to have the ring sized. He told me that he just asked her. The ring was to arrive on a Friday but arrived a day early. He and his roommate went to find a microscope to check the number on the diamond and see if it was the same as the one on his certificate, which it was. He had told us he thought they would get engaged on his birthday, but he wanted to keep the ring in his pocket in case the right time just came along. Lo and behold, the very next night the right moment came and he asked her to marry him. She said, "Yes." That was July 10th, making his courtship five or six weeks long.

We are so grateful that the Lord has brought a godly woman into Nathan's life. We pray that will be a testimony for our other children, and others about leaving their future spouse in God's hands and serving him with their whole heart.

I am also grateful for e-mail since it has allowed me to get to know Hannah. We have been sending lots of e-mails back and forth and having deep conversations. Jon is counseling them for marriage and will be performing the ceremony.

Tomorrow, Katie leaves for ALERT. Glad I will be busy with the children and school.

A new chapter in our lives~by Beth

Well, so much for trying to keep of more often on this blog. I love to write, just can't seem to get to it with the wonderful business of our lives, oh and the computer finally getting fixed (well, a replacement until it gets fixed in the next few weeks). After we began school and Jon went back to teaching at Ft Myers Christian School, we did settle into a routine. That is, until the boys began asking to go to football practice before basketball practice on Tuesdays. All their friends were going to play, which includes most of the basketball team, so we said they could go practice but don't plan on playing as we did not have the money for that, nor did we want the extra scheduling challenges. Well, next thing I know they are on the team and have games scheduled. So, instead of having a more relaxed Fall leading up to the busy winter and Spring, now we are going to games that last 2 hours!!! Plus the girls volleyball play during the hour before so we have to go cheer them on. I don't mind all of this, but it is hard to keep up some days. Yesterday we got poured on and soaked. But, with 2 hours of the game, we managed to dry off to just damp.
Wednesdays we have the boys' co-op followed by 3 piano lessons, home to dinner and then catch up on any school work that didn't get done, or correct work they did not understand. Today Jon worked with David and Charity on their math.
Katie is getting ready to move to TX to minister at the International ALERT Academy where Nathan is. She has felt that the Lord wanted her to give Him at least a year to serve. We will miss her but look forward to the growth that the Lord has in mind for her life. She leaves in one week!! Then we will all be leaving for TX for Nathan's wedding about 20 days later. I have been e-mailing his fiance' Hannah for some time now and am excited to be getting to know what a sweet, godly woman she is. Nathan used courtship to begin a relationship with her and then was shortly engaged. They will be having a double wedding with Hannah's sister Emily. Jon is performing the ceremony. I can't wait. Maybe next post I will write their courtship story. It is soooo of the Lord. What a blessing. I am excited that our other children will have such a great example for their lives.
This replacement computer does not have our hard drives so I do not have access to any photos except this one of Nathan and Hannah right after they got engaged.