This is kind of embarrassing because it all starts on my side. When I came into my first year at UT Austin, I immediately got involved with a club called Christian Students on Campus. I don’t recall the exact moment that I noticed Matt, but I just know that it was pretty early on. At first, he was just the cute boy in the club. As the years went on, we interacted a little bit more, mainly because we had some overlap in our engineering classes and in the club. Growing up, there was always a boy that I liked, but this was different. Throughout all of college, I never lost feelings for him. Every little interaction I had with him felt like a big deal. Then came senior year of college, and he joined a church small group that I was a part of on Tuesday nights. And on top of that, we were on an intramural volleyball team together. Come on Lord, what are You doing? Well, we grew to be really good friends that year. Of course, the entire time I was literally falling in love with him, but I really treasured that time when I could get to know him as more than just the cute boy in the club. He had a genuine heart for the Lord, and he was so kind and warm and funny. And I felt like the chemistry was off the charts. But I don’t know, maybe I was a little biased. After we graduated, both of us attended a two-year Bible school in California. Going into this program, I still had strong feelings for Matt. My biggest mistake was not fellowshipping about it, but the Lord gained so many conversations with me. I told the Lord that if my feelings were still there after the two years, that I would do something about it. And that’s exactly what I did. Although we didn’t see each other much during the two years, the feelings developed even more. Then towards the end of our last semester, I asked if he was interested in me. When I heard that he was, I was so happy! From our first date onward, everything was so smooth and just felt right. I’m so thankful for the Lord’s timing and way. Matt was on my heart for many years, and I have no doubt that the Lord put him there.

I grew up in a Christian household, so early on I knew that God had to have a central role in my consideration of a spouse. When I was in high school, someone told me, “pray for your future wife. Pray she would love the Lord more than anything else, even you.” I took his advice. Then I found Lily ☺️ To take a step back, I met Lily in college. We were the same class, similar majors, and in the same Christian club, so we had some overlap. She grew to be my friend, but nothing more than that. We both went off to a two-year Bible school in California along with some other friends, and I kept up with her while in the program. Right before graduating I heard she had an interest in me. I had never considered her in that way before (dufus), but as soon as I did, it was like I saw her in a new light. She was sweet, beautiful, and I could tell she really loved the Lord. After one date, I knew I liked her. After a couple of months, I knew I was in love with her. After a couple more, I knew she was the one who I’d been praying for for the past ten years. I’m so thankful the Lord brought us together in the way and the time that He did.