Praise for
The One
Ryan and Amanda have a truly amazingand virallove story. Weve not only read the book, we know this couple personally, and they are the real deal. The One tells their fascinating story, but its also chock-full of invaluable tips and practical approaches for anyone looking for lifelong love.
D RS . L ES AND L ESLIE P ARROTT , authors of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts
Ryan and Amanda Leaks story is both inspiring and insightful. Its spontaneous romance coupled with historic wisdom from Scripture, making their story enticing to over one million people on YouTube. In The One, youll discover the ingredients to their story that will also help make your story a success!
R ON L UCE , president/CEO of Teen Mania International
Upon meeting the Leaks, you cant help but see how they both reflect Jesus. From how they met to how they live now, its amazing to see the way they use their gifts and talents as communicators to reinforce what love is: its a surprise and a commitment. Both Amanda and Ryan are continuously sharing this message in all that they do.
B IANCA J UAREZ O LTHOFF , speaker and chief storyteller at The A21 Campaign
In an era when love needs clarity and traditional marriage seems naive, Ryan and Amanda present a practical, entertaining (romantic) apologetic, which appeals to the deep intuitions and longings of the human heart. This love story guides attitudes and behaviors into the fabulous opportunity biblical marriage was designed to provide. Whether beginning your personal love story or continuing to accelerate established love, this book will return your investment.
P ASTOR J IM H ENNESY , senior pastor at Trinity Church and author of No More Cotton Candy
T HE O NE
P UBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS
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Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Scripture quotations marked ( ESV ) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Text Edition: 2011. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked ( MSG ) are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ( NKJV ) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ( NLT ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Details in some anecdotes and stories have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved.
Hardcover ISBN9781601427441
eBook ISBN9781601427465
Copyright 2015 by Ryan Leak and Amanda Leak
Cover design by Kristopher K. Orr; cover photo by Meshail Mitchell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
W ATER B ROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leak, Ryan.
The one : an amazing love story starts with you / by Ryan and Amanda Leak ; with Jodi Lipper.First Edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-60142-744-1 (hardback)ISBN 978-1-60142-746-5 (electronic) 1. MarriageReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Leak, Ryan. 3. Leak, Amanda. I. Leak, Amanda. II. Lipper, Jodi. III. Title.
BV835.L425 2015
248.844dc23
2015004312
v4.1
a
To the little boy who keeps us grounded and makes us better people every day, we dedicate this book to you,
Jaxson Carter Leak.
Contents
Foreword
W hen I was a twenty-six-year-old graduate student, I became very close friends with a wonderful man named Jeff. He was a few years older, the leader of a student Christian fellowship group, and we shared some similar activities. (Truth be told, I just might have joined one of the activities because of him) We were just friends, but we spent lots of time together, and I wondered, Might it become something more?
Shortly before he graduated, Jeff asked me out for lunch and told me that hed been praying about the same thing. He said he wanted to stay away from anything romantic for a while and really dive into a much more purposeful friendship to see if we might be the one for each other. We began talking about everything: our histories, goals, dreams, worries, and weaknesses. We counseled with friends and mentors. I was advised to not just pray, Lord, is he the one? but, Lord, if this is of You, make me the one: make me into the woman Jeff needs as a wife. And make him into the man I need as a husband.
Twenty years later, I look back with awe at how God has answered those prayers. How He honored that effort to not only find the right person, but to be the right person. How he guided two normal, semiselfish, excited-but-clueless people into a true love story. And how He ensured that we found each other in the first place.
As I watch the amazing story of Ryan and Amanda Leak on their famous YouTube video and read about their transition from friendship to marriage, I see an echo of my own history. But as I absorb the vibrant wisdom God has given them to share, I see so many of the lessons I wish I had known during our excited-but-clueless phase!
In this engaging book, Ryan and Amanda as a newlywed millennial couple bring to bear insight far beyond their years. They share solid counsel and encouragement for everyone who has wondered if the right person is around the cornerand real, practical advice for not only finding the one but being that one who someone else is looking forboth now and for years to come.
Im thrilled that a few years ago, a simple little engaged-and-married-in-the-same-day video went viral and has given this remarkable couple a chance to share a big message today. A message that all of us need to hear.
Shaunti Feldhahn
Best-selling author of For Women Only
Introduction
W hat makes an amazing love story? Is it witty conversation over dinner, common interests, shared values, and strength in the face of obstacles, or is it something elsesome secret, elusive element that we can only pray for? Weve all seen those couples, the ones holding hands in the park or whispering to each other as they stare into one anothers eyes, as if they share an awesome secret. We watch them and wonder,