26 May 2025

I recently started a podcast with two of my sisters in law; and I have quickly found that I am much better at writing than I am talking.

I decided to take on the podcast because it was out of my comfort zone, and a chance to spend time with my sisters in law; talking about the wonderful things Yahweh is doing in our lives.

We recently put out a podcast talking about how we met our husbands, and I could not even listen to the whole thing. It has been weighing so heavily on my heart. Yahweh gave my husband and I a beautiful story, and I did a horrible job telling it.

I wanted to retell our story through a medium that I am much better at, to do it justice.

I will never forget the day that I met Laramie. I had just started a new job, and I heard the office door open, only catching a glimpse of someone walk by. At the same time, hearing the most audible voice from Yah that I had ever heard, saying “that is going to be your husband.” I remember feeling like time was frozen for a second, and then I see a shaggy haired boy in blue jeans, vans, and a ball cap standing in front of me (and I thought to myself, “oh yeah, this will do”). I figured I should introduce myself to my future husband, so I did; and I was pretty much all in, crazy about this boy from that moment on.

I did have a boyfriend at the time, but I quickly handled that, in the kindest way possible.

As time went on, I got to know Laramie at work, and found that his faith was incredibly important to him, he was kind, smart, a gentlemen, and most undoubtedly the cutest boy that I had ever met. I waited and waited for him to ask me out, but I grew unsure if he would. If we were at work, I was pretty much glued to his side. If it was a one person job, I’d figure out how to make it a two person job and bring him along with me. I am sure I was becoming quite annoying, but I believed what Yahweh told me. Laramie had mentioned that I should go to the campus ministry that he was a part of, and with no hesitation I said that I would go. I was in fact looking for somewhere new, but I really went because he was there. My best friend kept encouraging me to ask him out, but I kept getting too scared. Until one night we were talking with a group of people, after Thursday night service, and in front of all these people Laramie says, “hey Chloe, what are you doing this weekend?” And in my head I am thinking, “this is it!!” I told him that I was going home for the weekend, as we had some kind of event going on, and he said “oh cool!” I remember thinking, “but I am free next weekend!!” Looking back, I wished I would have.

My best friend and I walked back to our apartment, and she talked me up the whole way saying that I just needed to ask him, so when we got back to our apartment, I texted him. He said yes, and we planned to go to a drive in movie in Fort Worth, and I could not hardly wait. I brought it up when we were at work, and he didn’t seem quite as excited as I was…

Finally the day of our first date had arrived, and he showed up in a beat up, single cab pick up. I was even more encouraged after seeing his truck because I went to college to find my cowboy, and I had done just that.

I remember being nervous that we wouldn’t have things to talk about, but we talked the whole way, he was easy to talk to. We stopped by Target to get a snack for the drive in, and when Laramie picked up a box of whoopers, I began to question, but I guess he couldn’t be completely perfect.

When we pulled up to the drive in, the line was so long; so we decided to switch it up and do something different. I was shocked that he had never been to Chuys, so we grabbed dinner, and at dinner I invited him to meet my family the next weekend. Looking back, I think that was totally a Yahweh thing because I remember after the words flew out of my mouth, I was like, “wait a minute, did I really just say that?” But he agreed, and seemed excited to come. Following dinner, we walked around Sundance square, and talked for hours. Best first date I had ever been on.

Following this, we were pretty much attached to the hip. He met my family, and my family absolutely adored him.

He invited me to go to church with him, and I remember him showing up with the most raggedy beat up Bible that I had ever seen, and I loved it. That was a Bible that had been loved. He knew so much Bible that he encouraged me to really seek out the scriptures. That being said, we both knew a lot about the Bible, but we both were young in our individual relationships with Yahweh.

To make a rather long story short, we broke up a handful of times. In those times, I remember crying out and asking and Yah what He was doing. I knew what He had told me at the start, and I was so confused. I knew that I loved him, that he was the best man I had ever met, so why couldn’t we make it work? I began to question that small voice I had heard.

In the times that I was the lowest, it required me to lean on Yahweh. To fully put my all of my trust in Him. I spent time with Yahweh, and really made my faith my own.

The last time that we had broken up, for lack of better words, I was done. I had been through some emotional turmoil, and I decided to let go. But yet I knew that Yahweh told me that Laramie would be my husband. So I decided that if we were going to be together, that Yahweh would make it happen, not me.

I was in a really good place, truly in love with Yahweh and His Word, when I got a text from Laramie out of the blue. My heart stopped when I saw his name on my phone because I hadn’t really thought about him, I had been doing my own thing. He reached out wanting something of his that I had. We made plans for him to stop by the house that day to pick it up, and I was so anxious. What did this mean? Did he miss me? Did I need to be strong, and let him go?

I’ll never forget this day. When he pulled up, I walked to him; my heart racing. I gave him some cookies I had made, as it was his birthday. I guess that was my way of waving my white flag, and letting him know that I still cared for him after everything we had been through. We talked for a minute, and as I was going to give him his things back, he stopped me. He told me to keep them, and I was frozen. I was so confused. He went on to say that he felt as though he had made a mistake, and that he didn’t think he would find anyone better. Which is funny because I had felt that way from the start; which is why it was so heartbreaking in all the times we weren’t together. Following him saying this, I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, only to be let down again; but I also knew that I wanted to be with him. I knew that Laramie was the most amazing man I had ever met. He loved Yahweh, he loved me, and he checked all of my boxes. I got to witness Laramie grow in his relationship with Yah. I got to see him fall in love with Yahweh. Laramie knew Yahweh.

I prayed a lot that night, asking Yah how I should feel, what I should do. I kept coming back to the fact that He told me from the start that I was going to marry Laramie. In my time studying, one thing that I knew was true, was that Yahweh kept His promises, and He had never not taken care of me.

From then on, the rest is history. Laramie asked me to marry him, and we had the most beautiful June wedding.

He has recently become a father to our son, Levi; and I love him even more. He has taken on the role of being a father, beautifully and seamlessly.

Our life is beautiful; all thanks to Yahweh, and working a silly campus job.

I love you Laramie James!

Our first date!

The day I knew I was in love with Laramie