06/11/2026
❤️ Five years ago today, my divorce became final.
At the time, it felt like the end of the world as I knew it.
I felt like I was stepping off a cliff into the unknown, wondering what would become of me and my five boys.
But the Lord had a plan that I couldn't yet see.
Just five weeks later, I met an amazing woman named Beckie.
At first, we were simply friends.
And for an entire year, I intentionally chose to get to know her without any physical relationship whatsoever.
I know that's uncommon these days.
But after my divorce, I had learned some important lessons.
As I dated, I met many wonderful people, but I also discovered how easy it is for physical attraction and affection to cloud judgment.
More than once, I found myself overlooking important compatibility issues because emotions were moving faster than wisdom.
I didn't want to make that mistake again.
This time, I wanted to evaluate a potential relationship with complete clarity.
So Beckie and I became friends.
Real friends.
We worked together in the Single LDS Entrepreneurs group that I had created, served together, talked for hours, and got to know each other deeply.
And the contrast was remarkable.
The more I learned about her, the more she stood out.
Not because of chemistry.
Not because of attraction.
But because of her character.
I saw her faith.
I saw her virtue.
I saw her integrity.
I saw her kindness.
I saw her work ethic.
I saw how she treated people.
I saw how she lived the gospel when nobody was watching.
And I was able to objectively evaluate something incredibly important:
Could this woman be my partner in raising children?
Could she be my partner in business?
Could she be my partner in adventure?
Could she be my partner in serving the Lord?
The answer became increasingly obvious.
Then, in early June of 2022, I traveled to South Dakota with some business partners to evaluate a potential investment opportunity near Mount Rushmore.
One morning, I woke up early to explore the area and stopped at Roughlock Falls.
The entire trip, Beckie had been on my mind.
As I stood there, surrounded by the beauty of God's creations, I felt a powerful impression come into my heart:
"She is the one who will be your wife."
The impression was so strong that it stopped me in my tracks.
At that point, I hadn't even held her hand.
We had never kissed.
Yet the answer was unmistakable.
On this day four years ago, we shared our first kiss.
The chemistry was incredible.
And from there, things moved quickly.
Seven weeks later, we were engaged.
Coincidentally, Beckie's family planned a camping trip to South Dakota in early June, right at the season of our kissaversary. Last week I got to
take Beckie and all of my children back to the very place where the Lord had told me she would someday be my wife.
Standing there together felt surreal.
During that trip, I read portions of my journal to Beckie.
Page after page of prayers, hopes, fears, and dreams.
I had written about the kind of woman I hoped to find.
The kind of mother I hoped my boys could have.
The kind of life I hoped we could build together.
As I read those entries aloud, we both realized something remarkable.
The Lord hadn't simply answered those prayers.
He had answered them almost exactly as I had written them.
Today, as I look at our family, our marriage, our adventures, our faith, and our business, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
What felt like the darkest chapter of my life became the doorway to some of God's greatest blessings.
I will forever be grateful for His guidance, His timing, and for the courage to follow His promptings when I couldn't see what He could see.
Sometimes the Lord is preparing something far better than anything we could imagine ourselves. 🙏❤️
