If you were to ask Simeon and I how we met and fell in love, he will smirk at me while I giggle and roll my eyes at him. We both have a very different version of the story.

Let me preface our story with a few details that will help give some context. Simeon and I both had a very serious outlook on dating. To us it was more than a fun thing to do. Dating was to lead to marriage. It was important to us to include God and our parents in this process. God wrote a beautiful love story for us, and I believe it is because we tried our best to follow Him, honor Him, and keep Him the central focus of our relationship. It’s our joy to say that the only person either of us have ever dated was each other. Our first “I love you” was said to each other. We had our parents approval and support of our marriage. Together with our parents, we all felt that God was in this relationship, and had aligned our paths to now become one.

God is a God of beauty. While we can see that in so many areas of life, we are so thankful to see His beauty reflected in our lives together!

Now for the story! Here’s his side of the story in his own words. . .

Ok, here’s the true side of the story. My family moved to the Knoxville, TN area about a year after Brettnay’s. We were visiting churches to try and find one we could attend that was doctrinally sound. Upon our first visit to Temple Baptist Church, not knowing any better, we went to the main auditorium. We were greeted by someone (who I don’t remember) and told the teens were in the college building just down the road. I hopped on a bus and found myself walking into a large room full of teenagers. I heard a lovely melodious sound to my left and looked over to the piano. Sitting there was a stunning blonde. Music faded as the world blurred around the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. We later joined the church.

I would find out that this girl was Brettnay Varner, and she was the topic of many teenage boy conversations. I had told the Lord at the end of Junior Highschool that I wouldn’t date anyone until college. That didn’t stop me from thinking, planning, and scheming to get her attention. Once, at a mini-golf church activity, Brettnay, my best friend, and I all played together for over an hour. I did my best to be flirty and fun. Of course, she remembers him being there, but not me.

In college, I again promised the Lord that I wouldn’t date until after my freshman year. I knew I would end up getting married before graduation if I did. I was serious about going to the mission field and knew I had to be serious about my studies. I went the full year not dating, but gazing from a distance and participating in several conversations about the elusive, but very pretty blonde across the room.

The summer before my sophomore year, I travelled across the western United States with a quartet group. One of the guys was texting Brettnay from time to time. He would often brag about talking to her, but would be reassured by another of the group that he didn’t have a chance. I would quietly pine, hoping that his attempted advancements would fail. When we returned, she approached me and asked about travelling with a tour group. My promises were up, and my golden opportunity had arrived! I slyly used this chance to exchange phone numbers so we could “talk more about it later.” One thing led to another and we were married shortly after graduation. She’s never had it so good…that’s what I tell myself anyway.

-Simeon

My version is quite different! I have very few memories of Simeon in high school. We were in a youth group of over 100 kids, and we were in different social circles, so it wasn’t odd that our paths rarely crossed. They did one night at church camp. It was after the evening service. Most of my girlfriends were dating and had paired off with their guys. One single friend remained with me. We discussed our plight of being single and decided to check out what options we had to change that, then along walks Simeon. My friend leaned over and said, “What about Simeon Brazzell?” My response, “Never in a million years!” Boy would I eat those words later!

Fast forward about 4 years to the fall of 2011, and you’ll find us both students at Crown College. Simeon had traveled with a singing group from our college that summer. I was very interested in doing it the next summer. I began chatting with Simeon about his experience. One thing led to the next, and soon I realized I was falling in love with this cute guy. A sweet memory we share is one evening we went with our brothers to play tennis. Afterward, I mentioned how much I enjoy baking cookies. Sim, who’s dessert of choice is cookies, said “Oh wow! Will you marry me?” The first thing that crossed my mind was that I didn’t want to tell him no! So I replied, “Well, I need to finish college first.” I’ll never forget the look on our brothers faces!

I could gush on and on about sweet details, but I do not wish to bore you. God continued to knit our hearts together, and we fell deeper and deeper in love.

On August 3, 2013 Simeon asked me to be his wife. Of course I said “yes!” We were married on July 12, 2014. Sim surprised me with the most incredible 2 week honeymoon in Valencia, Spain, and we’ve been honeymooning every since. God has blessed us with three beautiful children. Together for 9 years and married for 6, this has been the journey of a lifetime!

Song of Solomon 3:4 “I found him whom my soul loveth”