12 | They fell in love at first grocery cart. From long-distance calls to fireworks and magic tricks—Dusty and Rae’s unexpected love story proves God writes the best plot twists.

Rae was 31, single, and settled in Iowa. As a functional nutritional therapy practitioner, she had finally gotten crystal clear on the kind of man she hoped to marry: someone with unwavering character, a solid Christian faith, a shared passion for healthy living, and—just as essential—a deep appreciation for good coffee.
Dusty, on the other hand, was living in sunny Southern California. A chiropractor and functional medicine doctor, he was a devoted father who had weathered the heartbreak of divorce and was now walking through a season of healing
Their two worlds collided in 2017 at a health and wellness conference in Salt Lake City. Rae and Dusty were part of a group of colleagues staying in the same Airbnb. Rae thought Dusty was a party pooper, but a spontaneous grocery store run flipped the switch. One glance over a grocery cart—and a spark quietly ignited. Rae’s sister, who was also at the conference with the group, subtly played wingwoman as the connection deepened.
Back home, that one spark turned into a slow, steady burn. Long, heartfelt phone calls became their norm. To test the depth of their feelings, they tried something unconventional—a phone fast. No calls. No texts. Just silence to see what lingered. Rae broke the fast first. She couldn’t stay away, and her heart hadn’t changed. Neither had Dusty's.
Love was no longer a question. So Rae made a bold move: she packed up her life in Iowa and relocated to California.
Knowing this was the woman he wanted to share his life with, Dusty secretly prepared a proposal worthy of their extraordinary journey. With the help of Rae’s sisters—who had been quietly collecting ring ideas from her Pinterest board—he had the perfect ring crafted. Then, Dusty went full showman and learned a series of magic tricks.
At a family reunion in Iowa, Dusty entered the family talent show as a magician. With the help of Rae’s family, he performed trick after trick. Then, with the big finale, Rae opened the box with her ring. Dusty was on one knee asking for her hand. Then came the grand finale: fireworks bursting across the sky, sealing their magical moment with a literal bang.
From long-distance phone calls to a cross-country move, from healing hearts to a house full of magic, Rae and Dusty’s love story is the kind only God could write—a story built on family, faith, and a whole lot of fun.

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