Grey clouds and drizzling rain likely filled the skies on the day I, Mary Tilden, was born. People throughout the West Coast seem to all understand the pervasive downcast weather of Seattle, Washington – my birth city. Those who lived in the Pacific Northwest were oblivious to the frequent rainfalls, as was I for the first 12 years of my childhood. But when my father’s company moved him and his family down to California, I felt the first blast of heat from true sunshine.

I have since lived in the dazzling sunshine of the greater Sacramento Valley. After I graduated high school, I attended California Baptist University (i.e. CBU) in Riverside, CA. Some CBU students – whom I shall refrain from naming – illustrated to me how a young believer of Jesus Christ should behave. I watched them with awe, striving to copy them, but seemingly never able to achieve their degree of happiness and peace. Life would later reveal to me what was stealing my peace.

Graduating from CBU in the year 2009, I felt stuck back in my family home – unable to find a job. Shortly after my mental illness was diagnosed and treated, a church member pushed me to apply at the local drug store. Even though I begrudgingly applied a couple days later, thinking I would never land the position, God was gracious and provided me with the job. The woman who helped me land the job would remain a friend to me throughout the years.

After the local drug store changed ownership, I began dating online. Throughout my years at the job, I had saved a decent sum of change, so I joined several dating websites. I talked to several men online but only ended up going on two “first dates.” The first one I would like to forget. But the second one had me over-the-moon giddy with happiness. Alexander Truong waltzed into my life and asked for my hand in marriage six months later, finalizing his vows a mere 18 months after our first date. On May 6^th 2024, Alex and I hit the seven-year mark of marriage.

Alex and I chose to remain in the greater Sacramento Area, staying close to my father (and mother, before she passed away). My church family, stationed at First Baptist Church of Winters, welcomed Alex with open arms. Once they learned of his technical abilities, he was quickly enrolled into the sound booth for choir practice and Sunday morning services. FBC Winters sermons can be found on YouTube.

As for my personal likes and loves, I have changed much throughout the years. I now love the sun, as opposed to the rain. I no longer wish to sing and dance in front of large audiences, but I would rather spend a quiet evening with a friend or two. I used to read all types of classical literature and modern fiction, but I am learning to find moderation in my daily chores and downtime. One thing remained the same throughout the years, I love the color of emerald green.