My name is Joshua and I want to share my success story with you. Ultimately, my goal in sharing my story is to simply say “thank you” to Christian Mingle for introducing me to my beautiful fiancée and soon-to-be wife, Natalie.
I am currently a 33-year-old college professor in Riverside, California, but in July 2010, I got a professorship with Central Texas College out of Killeen, Texas. CTC has an exclusive contract with the United States Navy to offer instructors for the military’s Navy College Program for AFLO at College Education (NCPACE). As such, I deployed with the USS George Washington (2010-2011 & 2013-2014), the USS Hue City (2012), and the USS Monterey (2012) in order to become the only on-board English instructor.
I spent the better part of four years either out to sea or on foreign soil teaching college courses for our US military members. Understandably, this time out of the country put a burden on my social life as I was rarely in the States, and when I was, it was only for short periods of time.
I had tried other dating sites, most of them were of the non-paying kind, but as the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for.” There is no denying that there is a large quantity of people out there looking for love, but I just wasn’t finding the quality of person that met my criteria. A good friend of mine suggested that I get onto a site that required me to pay. I balked at the idea, but he assured me that the quality of matches increases when there is a financial commitment applied to the search for love. As such, I started looking at all of the paid dating sites, and since I am a Christian, I signed up for Christian Mingle in June 2014. I will admit that I felt a little awkward at first since I felt like I was paying for love, but it didn’t take long before I ran across Natalie’s profile.
She was a brown-haired beauty that was not only gorgeous, but seemed strong and athletic and shared many of the same values that I do. I contacted her with a little apprehension since I thought she was quite possibly out of my league. I know now, as Natalie admits, that when I first looked at her profile, she saw that I had done so and hoped I would contact her. She wasn’t going to be the first to initiate. She believed, and still does believe, that the man should lead.
Thankfully, I had the gumption to write; she immediately wrote back. It wasn’t long before we were chatting on the phone quite often. Interestingly enough, she was in a similar situation. She lived in a remote location (Bishop, California) and didn’t have many options when it came to dating. Therefore, she had to resort to online dating to connect with the world. After many laugh-filled conversations on the phone, we decided to navigate the 261 miles that separated us to have our first date.
Since our first date at the Water Grill Restaurant in Santa Monica, California back in August 2014, we have each traversed those 261 miles countless times. Personally, I have put over 8,000 extra miles on my car just getting back and forth from Bishop to Riverside, where I now live permanently. Once Natalie and I became a couple, I decided that I wanted to work on my love life more than I wanted to travel the world teaching. Our relationship has been something that we could only describe as romantic. We have become best friends and better people because of each other’s company.
As of December 12, 2015, Natalie is now my fiancée. I bent my knee upon the spot in Santa Monica, California where we had our first date and our first kiss. In asking her to be my wife, I figured it was fitting to do it where it all began for us.
It really began, however, online with your website. If it had not been for God’s providence working through your company, I do not know if Natalie and I would have met, but we did, and I am so very thankful. She and I will be getting married on November 18, 2016 in Corona, California, and with all of the planning leading up to the wedding, I often get the question, “Where did you two meet?” Without hesitation, I let people know that we met on Christian Mingle.
Describe the moment you knew it was true love!
Shortly after I asked Natalie to become my girlfriend on November 7, 2014, I was the victim of an attack that left me in the hospital with a fractured orbital bone, a deviated septum and many stitches and staples. My injuries required surgery and a lot of rest. Natalie was there for every step on my road to recovery. She is a deputy sheriff by trade and does many heroic acts for her community, but she is my own personal hero as she helped nurse me back to full health. In fact, it’s from my injuries and time thereafter that Natalie earned her nickname as my, “Guardian Angel.” It was then when I was, literally, limp in her arms that I knew this woman was the one for me; it was true love.
What advice would you give other Christian Mingle members?
Keep your mind and your heart open to what God has in store. It is immeasurably more than one could possibly imagine.
Did you find love online? Inspire other Christian singles by sharing your story of how you met your soulmate on Christian Mingle.
