I fondly recall the first time I met Elijah—dressed as Han Solo at a church costume party (and anyone who knows Elijah knows just how much he loves Star Wars). That night, My costume won second place in the contest—right after Elijah’s sister of all people! After the contest, Elijah introduced himself, his charm and outgoing personality leaving an impression on me. But at the time we were young and I didn't think much of it. Years passed without another encounter, until January 2015, when fate brought us together again at an event with mutual friends at Downtown Disney. Elijah, true to his nature, was as lively and engaging as ever, even throwing in a few flirtatious remarks. A month later, a mutual friend started a group chat, where the three of us talked about our lives and interests. That very night, Elijah and I stayed up until 4 a.m., lost in conversation—and from that moment on, everything changed. Our journey was not a straight path, but rather a story woven together by time, patience, and God’s perfect plan. It wasn’t until March 2016 that we made it official, but every twist and turn along the way only strengthened our bond. Now, nine years later, Elijah is not just my soulmate, but my best friend. We've walked through so many different seasons of life, growing and changing, only to find ourselves more in love and more perfectly matched than ever before. Elijah is my soupsnake (if you know, you know) and I am endlessly grateful that God orchestrated our love story so beautifully. I pray that our journey together continues to glorify Him for the rest of our lives.
Wow nine years of having the privilege to stand by Maria in life. It’s quite difficult to comprehend bringing everything down to just a moment, meeting one another. Maria and I attended the same youth ministry in high school. I remember always seeing her around being a shining light, doing God’s work constantly. I first officially met her on Halloween during a costume party where I went and introduced myself. To be quite frank I have difficulty even remembering the words that were exchanged. I do however, remember her eyes, her smile, the reassuring and non-judgmental peace about her. I had a few random interactions here and there, one of which would be the following Halloween where I got first place for my Green Army Men costume and she stood on stage taking second place in her Mary Poppins costume (I promptly complimented her costume). It wasn’t until roughly year and a half later in which my friend was at the mall with her and I asked her to put us in a group chat, we talked that night until 4:00 AM.. The very same week we actually started hanging out and she brought me along into her friend group. From here on out we would talk every single day getting to know each other as friends, even though I was already catching feelings. Some months later I would confess these feelings to which she responded with.. not the same feelings haha. In her defense, she was wise in this decision as I was not mature enough yet. We stopped talking for some months after that and while we weren’t talking I did get a lot more serious about my faith and my life in general. At a summer camp we started talking again, more frequently as the weeks went on. I stood firm on the fact that even though I had feelings for her, that I wouldn’t bring it up so we could still be friends. She later revealed that she also developed feelings for me. She told me this, as I was too stunned to speak, and said she still wanted to know a little more until we started dating, which I replied “what do you wanna know?” We were more intentional, even going on an unofficial date to the plaza where we talked and talked. It was so peaceful looking back at it now. I then asked her parents for their blessing to date her, they said something that stuck with me that I always strive to follow, “as long as you keep following God and making Him your priority, we are okay with it.” I am so grateful for those words of wisdom from them, and still hold them dear. It was now the day, the beginning of our official relationship. If you know Maria you know she has always had an affinity with Disney. I hatched a plan to dress as Russell, a character from Disney Pixar’s Up in which he is a Boy Scout trying to get badges going door to door to help people. Well, I went to her door, and I asked her to prom, then said I need one more badge, that I needed to have her as my girlfriend to get that. Long story long, 9 years later we have lived a long, at times very difficult, life. But with God and each other, we would not have it any other way. I am beyond grateful for my life and in awe of Maria’s love and patience with me on a daily basis. She truly is a woman after God’s own heart, and I love her with all of mine.