Alex and I first crossed paths at METRO, a young adult gathering every Tuesday night at our church, Houston’s First Baptist. I was new to Houston and beginning medical school; she was thriving in her role as a contract analyst preparing to move to a different company. A friend introduced us, and we exchanged a quick handshake before I got pulled into another conversation.

We met again the following Sunday — September 15th (Alex’s birthday!) — in our Life Bible Study class. We sat next to each other, and I quickly found myself overly aware of how I moved, wrote, and spoke. I knew it was because the most beautiful girl in the room was sitting beside me. After class, we discovered a few surprising things in common: trips to Guatemala, a love for Jesus, and — of all things — sciatic pain.

That morning, as I sat in the Spanish service, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I decided that if I saw her again, I’d ask her on a date. Not an hour later, she walked into the room to greet some family. My heart raced. I asked, she said yes (by the grace of God)!

Over the next seven months of dating, we laughed, learned, and prayed. I saw what it looks like to build a deep friendship while intentionally evaluating for Christian marriage. By late March, I had peace — the kind that comes when a man chooses one woman to love and cherish for a lifetime, forsaking all others. For me, that woman was Alexandra Say.

A couple months later, I proposed beside a quiet pond near her home. She said yes! And now, I’m beginning to understand what Solomon meant when he wrote the classic proverb, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” (Proverbs 18:22)

A&M

Wedding Day