“I knew I loved Josh when he was yelling, ‘I'm King of the Castle’ standing on the top of a play set in the backyard of his parent's house,” smiles Liz, 23, from Fort Worth, Texas. “That day, he was having a rowdy time playing with his nieces and nephews while I was talking with his mom.”
Before meeting Liz, Josh had spent three years on CatholicMatch. “I had to get past the idea that online dating was supposed to be easy. It took me two years to really
start putting effort into my profile and messaging,” Josh, 27, from Joshua, TX, explains.
Even though she was skeptical that she’d meet anyone authentic, Liz signed up for a membership in early November 2014. “My mom had suggested CatholicMatch several times. When I finally realized I was not meeting men who were as serious about the faith as I was, I decided to listen to my mom's advice and sign up.”
By the end of the month, she and Josh were talking. Josh was impressed how Liz was able to analyze the meanings behind books and movies. Liz appreciated the depth of their conversation and that they seemed to have a lot to talk about.
Where was Liz?
Two weeks later, they met in person for the first time at a Theology on Tap event hosted at a bar in Colleyville, TX. When Josh showed up he looked around the room, but he didn’t recognize Liz! “It was my first time at the event; I can be a little oblivious, and Liz's profile photos made it look as though she had red hair instead of brown. I wandered through the entire area looking for her, missing the fact that she called my name several times,” he recalls.
Liz adds, “I was waving like an idiot to get his attention.”
He Passed the Nose Bleed Disaster
On their second date, they had plans to eat at Pie Five and go to the Water Garden, but they were rained out. They ended up going for pizza, and while they were eating, Liz’s nose suddenly began bleeding. She spent fifteen minutes in the restroom
mopping up her face, so she figured Josh had probably gotten up and left. “When I came back, he was sitting there waiting for me, and I knew he was different than most guys I had met.” They ended up talking for over three hours.
Josh and Liz grew close by spending time playing board games, go-carting, paint-balling, going to the arcades, museums, walking around the water gardens, and spending time with the numerous family members. "The main thing that brought us closer was that we talked often, openly, and for long periods of time," she says.
Trying to Be Patient
After dating two months, they were both ready to get married. Consequently, their biggest challenge in their relationship was to be patient. “We both knew that would be moving too quickly if we got married two months into the relationship. That combined with only being able to see each other on the weekends forced us to appreciate our time with each other,” she says.
Recreating Their Second Date
On May 2, 2015, they decided to recreate their rained out second date with the hopes that they would be able to go to the Water Gardens. “And that I wouldn't get a bloody nose,” exclaimed Liz.
They ate lunch at Pie Five—with no nosebleeds—and then they went to the Water Gardens in downtown Fort Worth. “We walked around for a bit and then went down to the loud pool where I was nervous because of my fear of falling. I made it! When we climbed back up to solid ground, I said, "My heart is racing!" Little did I know, so was Joshua's heart. He walked me over to the quiet pool, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I was so shocked, I said, ‘Are you serious?’ His response was, "Uh, Yeah?" Then I said, ‘Yes, of course!’”
They were married at St. Ann Catholic Church in Burleson, TX, on December 19, 2015. Liz says she'll always cherish the moment that she and Josh knelt before the statue of the Virgin Mary during the wedding and asked her to bless their marriage and family.
Advice for Those Seriously Looking for a Spouse
To members and potential members seriously looking for a spouse, Josh recommends two things: “First, you need to trust yourself enough to put who you are in your profile, which takes work. Secondly, be active in your life while you are using CatholicMatch because it will give you more to say.”
Liz adds, “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from trying CatholicMatch. Despite my qualms, I felt secure on the site.”
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