What’s your favorite thing about each other?

Amelia: My favorite thing about Brent is his love for Jesus. He is always pointing me back to God whenever things are going rough, and even when they’re going well. He’s consistent in prayer, consistent in the word, and consistent in encouraging others around him. He is a great spiritual leader and shepherd to me and to his students.

Brent: It is difficult to only pick one favorite thing about Amelia; however, if I have to pick it would be her dedication to God and those she loves. To tell you all the things Amelia has done in service to the Lord would take several pages and countless hours, as her catalog of service is long and extensive. Her life is centered and built around Christ and she strives to be a light wherever she goes, regardless of how dark the area is around her. Her selfless dedication to those she loves is also incredibly commendable. She is willing to go above and beyond for her friends and family if it means she could make their lives easier or days brighter.

Describe your relationship in 3 words.

Amelia: Supportive, fun, steady.

Brent: Godly, dedicated, communicative

What’s something you love doing together?

Amelia: I have enjoyed building Lego sets with Brent. I didn’t really play with them very much growing up, but I think they’re pretty cool now. We’ve built a couple of sets together (my favorite was Wall-E and Eve, which we did while watching Wall-E—greatness). It’s fun to do it as a team, taking turns with directions and certain pieces. He loves Legos, so it’s especially sweet to see the childlike joy in him when we put together a new set!

Brent: One of my favorite things to do together is cook. I never really enjoyed cooking with other people, mainly because they got in the way or didn’t know how to cook. However, cooking with Amelia is always enjoyable and something I look forward to. From learning how to navigate my small kitchen space, to teaching Amelia the trick to not burning her eggs, cooking is always an adventure I look forward to sharing.

When/how did you know you wanted to get married to each other?

Amelia: I have had a note on my phone for about 3 years now of what qualities I want in a husband. It’s an idea I got from a podcast, and the analogy they use is basically that if you’re going to the grocery store to buy, say, milk, you’d go with something pretty specific in mind. There are lots of different kinds of milk, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’re more likely to go home with something you don’t need, or with nothing at all.

Not that Brent is milk. That’s not the purpose of the analogy. But there are a lot of people out there who are single and ready to mingle, and you need to know what you’re looking for so you can significantly narrow the field. So that’s what I did. I kept a list of must-have traits (things like loves Jesus, honors commitments, wise, disciplined, etc.) and I used it to determine whether I should consider dating someone.

When Brent wanted to start dating, I already knew he checked several of the boxes, but I kept going back to that list as our relationship progressed. I remember telling him that after he met my family at Thanksgiving that he could start thinking about proposing because getting along with them was the final item on the list he needed to meet (which, of course, he did). That was about a month and a half in, but we were very intentional throughout the dating process, and it helped that we’d been friends for close to two years beforehand. I’d gotten to see him in a lot of different situations and felt confident at that point that he’s the kind of person I’d want to suffer with.

So that’s not a super romantic answer, but I think it’s a very Amelia answer. I still have that list, and it’s a sweet reminder of the many things I love about Brent. The best part of being so list-minded is that there were moments when I feel like he checked off a box that wasn’t even on my list at all. He really was all I wanted and more. God is sweet like that.

Brent: I knew I wanted to marry Amelia within the first two weeks of dating. My best friend Jared had come over one Monday night and we were discussing my relationship with Amelia and how it was going. I remember looking at Jared and saying, “I am going to marry this girl.” His response was emphatic and sarcastic, “SHOCKER!” It didn’t take long because I knew going in that if Amelia and I were to date, it would either end in an awkward parting of ways or her walking down the aisle with me, sweating through a dress shirt, smiling like a child at Christmas who just opened their gifts.

What are you most looking forward to in marriage?

Amelia: I’m most looking forward to serving with Brent. In December, we got to go do the Big Sleep Out with Metro Relief in Arlington to raise money for homeless people in the city. I wouldn’t have done it on my own, but I’m really glad we did it together because it was an eye-opening experience. Brent is constantly pushing me towards being more compassionate and more selfless, so I’m excited about the ways we will minister to others with what the Lord has graciously given to us.

Brent: The thing I look forward to the most in marriage is us serving the Lord together. Amelia is one of the most Christlike people I know, and I can not wait to see where God takes us and what doors will be opened up. I’m not sure how we will be used or where we will be sent, but I look forward to doing it together.

Thank you for the gift!