As some of you may have already known, I am in a relationship with an incredible man named Christian (and am loving every second of it). I met my now-boyfriend at youth group when I was in high school, and although he and I weren’t the best of friends then, God had bigger plans for us. I am so glad He did, and here are a few of the reasons why.

• Christian wants to put God at the center of our relationship. Those of you who don’t believe might not think this is important, but I couldn’t be prouder that my boyfriend wants to honor God in our relationship. Our faith is important to both of us, so it only makes sense that we choose to let Christ guide us. That definitely brings us closer to God, but it also brings us closer together.
  
  
• Christian always acts like a gentleman. I am a feminist, so I have never believed that men should be required to treat women like delicate flowers (i.e. paying for all dates, opening doors for them, etc.) That being said, I think it’s refreshing when men genuinely want to. I can’t speak for all women, but I admit that I have always secretly wanted a man who naturally wants to take care of me, even though I am more than capable of taking care of myself. Once, Christian even dropped me off at the entrance to a restaurant because it was raining and he didn’t want me to get all wet. Little things like that show me I made the right choice in choosing him.
  
  
  
  
• Christian absolutely adores my nephew. I let him hold Bellamy (after making sure my sister was okay with it, of course) the first time he came over to my house for a date. I could tell he was nervous but I knew this wasn’t his first time holding a child so I just gave him Bellamy and stepped back, taking a few pictures when I thought he wasn’t looking. After a moment, his nervousness turned into peacefulness, then love. Now, every time he comes over he is eager to hold his new favorite baby, and I am eager to watch him.
  
• Christian doesn’t just say he cares about me – he proves it. We all have our struggles.The thing is, he knows about my struggles and he prays for me. He tells me every day how beautiful I am so I never forget and so one day I’ll see myself the way he sees me. He kisses me when I’m in sweatpants and my hair is a mess, and he tells me I'm good enough just the way I am. He gives me encouragement on my bad days and shares my joy on the good days. I know that no matter what, he will be there for me.
  
  
• Christian knows how to be an adult, but he hasn’t lost his inner child. Some men have a reputation for being too serious, while others have a reputation for never being serious enough. With my boyfriend, I get the best of both worlds. He is hardworking and responsible, but also incredibly zany. I know that we could have serious conversations and then laugh about Disney movies while getting ice cream. I wouldn't have it any other way.