Rachel’s Thoughts On Marriage

Marriage|

Sameer and I celebrated our one-year anniversary on May 23rd of this year, and it was spectacular. Our first year has had its bumps and bruises and hiccups, but I am so happy to say that we are even more madly in love now than we were a year ago. I wanted to take some time to write about and share my thoughts on marriage after our first year with ...

What I’ve Learned in my First Year of Marriage

Marriage|

Rachel and I just celebrated our first wedding anniversary on May 23rd. So here I am, starting my second year as a husband. I’m no longer a newlywed, and in the parlance of sports, my rookie year is over. It’s been a great first year. I say that with hesitation because I know many, many couples have had a crappy first year as they get used to each other and ...

How to Get Over the Girl

Courage, Dating|

So there was this one time where I really liked a particular girl.  It was way back in 2005.  She was all wrong for me, but I still wanted it to work, and gave it my all because I thought it just might.  I would be sweet and endearing and thoughtful.  I would demonstrate in meaningful ways how much I cared about her and her family.  I would put in ...

Are You Safe To Be Yourself in Your Marriage?

Dating, Marriage|

Lately I have been reflecting on the passion, energy, and effort involved when a guy really likes a girl and just wants to be with her. You know, when he's past the uncertainty and has made up his mind that she's the one for him for forever, and he goes all gung-ho pursuing her and trying to win her heart. I mean, this hypothetical guy spends time in the gym ...

When Love Starts to Become Conditional

Dating, Marriage|

When I was first falling for Rachel, I tried to do everything to win her heart. I remember teaching her how to juggle, and showing her how to play guitar. I remember writing her poems and letters, and talking with her on the phone for hours, and gladly giving up time I could spend doing the things I’ve always done (my work, my fitness, whatever) just so that I could ...

What I’ve Learned in Six Months of Marriage

Marriage|

I am six months in. To marriage. To being a husband, and having a wife. And it’s actually going great. You know me by now, I always want to be completely candid so that in my vulnerability you can find value. And so really, it’s been solid. I honestly thought I was going to struggle a lot – not because of Rachel, but because I have been so used to ...

When You Know, You Know

Dating|

When it comes to finding the “one,” I’ve heard many people say that. “When you know, you know.” I’ve always been like, what does that even mean? How are you supposed to know? And is it so definitive? How can you have a perfect peace about committing to something/someone for the REST OF YOUR LIFE, no matter what? And since it is one of the biggest leaps of faith that ...

It’s Okay to be the Little Spoon

Marriage|

So, my friend Arturo and I joke about spooning a lot. We don’t do so in a crude way, but just because it’s something that people don’t talk about, and it represents an amalgamation of elements which are heavy and all too real: intimacy, vulnerability, masculinity, and femininity. And something we always tell each other with a wry smile is…. “it’s okay to be the little spoon.” I think about ...

Any Guy Can Get Any Girl

Singleness|

As I’ve mentioned a few years ago on this blog, beautiful girls are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. And growing up during my adolescence as a warm-blooded heterosexual male, I really liked looking at them. And I wanted to become their friend. And I wanted to become their boyfriend. And wanted to marry them and make babies with them and live happily ever after with them. Well, not “them” – just one of ...

Is Your Heart Closing Off, or Opening Up?

Wisdom|

I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of my heart recently. I feel like it’s in a good place. I feel close to God, I don’t feel like I have any unresolved conflict or tension I should address, I feel like I doing the things that make Him proud of me. But I recognize I am still living in this world, and exposed to all sorts of pressures and ...