I actually had, earlier that week, just come to rest with the fact that God had me single for a reason. I thought that I would know everyone at the wedding, then I turn around and see this beautiful young lady standing there. I was simply dumbfounded; the classic foot-in-mouth disease. I left my brother’s wedding on June 26th, 2010, thinking that I just met the woman that I was going to marry. Then we dated for about two years, got engaged, and here we stand today.
Moriah: Joel and I first met at his brother's wedding on June 26, 2010. Neither of us anticipated meeting anyone special that night and both of us had just come to peace with our singleness. That being said, he was rather shocked upon first meeting and I was rather rude! I wish I could tell it differently but I simply didn't want to stroke his ego; however, after spending a few days writing a song together ("I'll Wait for You, Love"), I learned that he was one of the most humble men I'd ever met.
Crown of Beauty: Moriah wrote a song called, “Haven’t Even Kissed.” What does that song talk about and how did it affect your relationship?
Joel: Moriah wrote this song early in our relationship. We were actually at her manager’s house watching a film. The beauty of our early relationship, because we stayed away from kissing, was we were able to enjoy each other more. Moriah got up in the middle of the movie and was gone for fifteen or so minutes. I began to get a little worried; so I went to check on her to see if everything was alright. I walked into a room and found her writing a song. She was inspired in that moment to start penning the lyrics to “We Haven’t Even Kissed.” We didn’t share our first kiss until our wedding day. I think that what I would say to anyone in that dynamic of a dating relationship would be this: Ask yourself, in a very still moment, "What are the things that you feel you need to make decisions on?" Any indecision is a decision. The encouragement of that song is this: Take relationships seriously and get to know one another.
Moriah: I wrote the song out of the overwhelming love I felt for and from Joel. What hit me as funny was that I so enjoyed our romantic relationship, yet we hadn't even kissed. It was a quandary for me, but I soon realized that contrary to popular belief, premature physical intimacy can often steal from the natural growth of strong communication and friendship. That didn't change the fact that it was difficult to fight our innate and God-given desires at the time, but it did make us more dependent on God's strength than ever before.
Crown of Beauty: If a couple who recently started courting (dating with a purpose) came to you and asked for advice on how to center their relationship around God, what advice would you give them?
Joel: I would tell them that a relationship starts with having a real and honest connection with God. Pray together. The thing I’ve learned, whether it be a spiritual relationship, a dating relationship, or a friend relationship, is that the health of a relationship is based on how often you communicate with one another. And how you love and cherish one another. All those rules apply to dating, but they also apply to our relationship with God. We can’t expect to have a flourishing relationship with God if we never talk to Him. You have to want to grow and want to know Him. Before the sun rises, seek Him in the morning.