I sat in the backseat of my best friend’s car, on the way home from the beach after a sandy, sun-soaked July afternoon with she and her husband. The three of us often went on adventures, and it very rarely felt like third-wheeling; still, a familiar longing arose. “Joey?” I called quietly. “Yes?” “…I want a husband.” *pause* “Christie… it’s time. You’re getting on a dating app.” I began to protest as Sam, his wife, made it clear that she agreed. When we stopped for In-n-Out, Sam took my phone and downloaded two apps. I wanted to try Hinge first, but since the other app downloaded faster, she said we’d start there. We wrote my bio, chose my pictures, and together launched, wide-eyed and giggling, into the Wild West of online dating. Wild indeed. I went on a few dates, learned a lot about trusting my intuition, got way too much material for the comedy special I’ll probably never write, and then took a break. In mid-November, another friend shared that she thought Hinge was a superior platform, so I figured I’d give it a whirl. A couple days later, amidst a plethora of profiles, I ran across one that stood out. I scrolled through: cool name. Cute face. Christian; seems like he might actually mean it. Composer? Fun, though perhaps a little too on brand for little miss always-dates-musicians. Lots of siblings, and a compelling voice-memo impression of Mushu from Mulan. I didn’t have a specific affinity for Mulan, but this Sterling guy really committed to the bit, and I could respect that. It seemed that he didn’t take himself too seriously, but was serious about the purpose of dating. I sent an unassuming “Like” into the ether, pondering the odd reality that this stranger on my screen could be the man I marry, or someone I never hear from. A week later, I had a notification. “Oh, this guy! Fun! Let’s see how this goes.” It went well. I immediately loved talking with Sterling. I can’t say I trusted him at first, but he seemed trustworthy, authentic, intelligent, and kind. He was visiting his sister in Seattle and then heading to Alaska for Thanksgiving, so for two weeks we generated enough voice-memo content to start a low-production podcast. Our first date was on December 2nd, 2023. I could tell Sterling was nervous, but had a hard time admitting that I felt exactly the same. I already liked him, and we had invested time talking over the last couple weeks, and what if, what if, what if? But then again, what if. I drove home at 2:00am, wide awake, exhilarated, hopeful. At church the next morning, I tried to sound casual as I told my dear friend, Joanna, that I thought maybe I could marry Sterling. On our second date, Sterling asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes please, and we joked that since he’d be gone for so long for the holidays, I should just join him in Alaska. By the next day, it was no longer a joke, and we booked my plane ticket. Sterling told me he loved me under New Year’s fireworks on a frozen lake, and I repeated it back, shivering from the frigid Alaskan air and the happiness of looking into Sterling’s eyes, unsure of the future but grateful for the gift of now. Over the last eight-months, Sterling has become my best friend. I can’t believe I get to love him! Sterling is so gentle, but stands firm in his beliefs and convictions. He courageously leads us towards Christ and is always willing to make sacrifices for our relationship. He’s humble about his mistakes, and gives God the glory for his successes. I’ve never had to guess how Sterling feels or what his intentions are. Our relationship has been incredibly exciting, but also very steady; like taking a deep breath of shimmering, fresh air, restful yet pregnant with promise. There have been ups, downs, and everything in between, and it has been an absolute honor to experience all of it alongside Sterling. Here’s to a lifetime of moments both magical and mundane, together, by the grace of God and for His glory. I love you, Sterling.

“I don’t really do that anymore,” I said, a bit resigned. My sister Michaela looked up from her brand new camera. We were trying it out in the warm, fall forest of Auburn, Washington. What started as some artistic foliage photos and a homemade “Where’s Waldo” with her five children hiding amongst the trees, led to Michaela suggesting we take some headshots. I am awful at photoshoots. I always hope there's a burst held long enough to capture some semblance of a respectable facial expression in between my uncomfortable comedy bits. “These are so good, though,” my sister said. “You really oughta add these to your profile!” I had deleted dating apps almost a year ago. Between my aversion to what felt like ‘shopping for a person’ and the dozens of ghosts who took up residence in my Haunted House of Hinge, the difficulties of modern relationships were too much for me. She convinced me. I redownloaded Hinge, and when I opened it, I noticed a ‘Like’ from a girl named Christie. Her profile radiated personality and charm, and she was absolutely gorgeous. However, since a week had passed since her interaction (and her favorite food was sushi), I had little confidence in receiving a response to my 'Like' back. A few hours later, though, it came! We hit it off instantly. Messages turned to texts, turned to voice recordings, turned to longer voice recordings, turned to seriously long voice recordings (I’m talking TV show runtime-length voice recordings). We went on our first date on December 2, 2023. By the time I got home at 3 a.m., I knew that I loved this girl. We became “official” a week later, and two weeks after that, she came to Alaska with me for New Year's! Our closest family and friends were amazed, and I can only echo the sentiment, that it seemed as though we had been together forever. Our lives just ‘fit’ so perfectly. We have had so many adventures in these last eight months, and each one has brought us closer to each other and closer to God. I am so amazed by Christie’s courage, strength, conviction, and compassion. She thinks of others first and is so sacrificial with her time and energy. She is kind, generous, and amazingly supportive of my dreams and my career. Christie’s devotion to the Lord has inspired me to grow in my own relationship with Jesus. I am beyond excited to lead her, as Christ leads me, in our brand new life together. I know that we will have times of prosperity and times of struggle, victories and failures, wisdom and foolishness. Who can know the future? Certainly not me, but it is so comforting to know that you will be with me on this journey. I am so blessed to travel this life with you! I love you, Christiebird!