These are not in any particular order; if they were, perhaps I would have put family worship first.

Music. I especially enjoy classical music. I am currently taking piano and voice lessons, and I play the piano for 2-3 hours each day except on Sunday. I also teach music, and believe that music instruction has salutary effects on the brain development of young children.

Teaching. I have always wanted to be a teacher; I remember one sad day when I was five and none of the other children wanted to play school (with me as the teacher). I was inconsolable. Since that time I have had the opportunity to help a homeschooling mother by teaching some of her children, teach my youngest brother to read, and teach music lessons. I look forward excitedly to the day when I can homeschool my own children.

Theology. My father is a pastor and taught me a lot of theology while I was learning the Westminster Catechisms with him. This was one of the most valuable aspects of my education. Calvin is one of my favourite authors.

Cooking. I am mildly passionate about healthy eating. Like my mother, I take pride in cooking from scratch. (No cream of mushroom soup for us!)

Literature and books. I enjoy reading and took some Great Books courses a few years ago. My mother reads a poem to us every morning at breakfast, and we often read a book in the evening around the dinner table. Jane Austen is another of my favourite authors.

Family worship. This has been a formative influence in my life. I believe family worship is not optional; parents (especially fathers) are responsible for training their children in godliness and this should not be left to others (such as Sunday school teachers or youth pastors). In fact, I think it is better when churches do not have Sunday school, because it always seems to undermine family worship.

Exercise. I run regularly and also enjoy occasional hiking and walks with my family.

I was born into a Christian home and baptized as an infant. For as long as I can remember, I have been trusting in Christ for salvation. At age 12, I became a communicant member of my church. As I vowed at that time, I agree to the doctrines held by the ARP church as "agreeable to and founded on the word of God."

I read and pray on my own in the morning, we have a short Bible reading as a family after breakfast, and a more extended time in the evening which includes singing psalms and praying around.

I have been praying for the spiritual health of my future husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren since I was about four years old.

Principled, goal driven, easy to get along with, organized.

Sometimes I can be a perfectionist, but I know many people who are much more this way than I am. It can be a good thing or a bad thing.

I do not scream when I see a spider or a mouse, but if there is something to catch or chase, I'll ask you to do it if you are there.

My future children's education and upbringing. The primary goal is godliness. I want my children to be well equipped warriors in the kingdom of God, and this would include education in history, languages, music, academic subjects, and practical areas (a calling/career for sons, and knowing how to care for a home and children for daughters).

Biblical living: The Bible should affect the way we conduct ourselves in all parts of life. This does not mean that we are always memorizing Scripture or praying, but that we do our work with God in mind and with an eye to pleasing Him and receiving a reward from Him. This means that we will be diligent, honest, gracious, etc. and people should be able to see that we are different.

Music: I believe that music has profound effects upon people, particularly when they play music themselves. I teach music lessons to young children and it is a great blessing to be able to so effectively enrich their lives.

My church, my parents, and growing up in a Christian home.

A clear conscience.

The ability to speak, sing, and reason; the ability to appreciate and enjoy what God has made and to know and give thanks to Him.

My husband should be:

- Diligent

- Passionate about his calling, with a mission and vision for his life

- Able to lead

- Willing to ask forgiveness

- Not fat

- Able to carry a tune; it would be a plus if you can read music and harmonize, but this is not required

I was courted by a young man for a couple of months in the fall of 2010. We liked each other quite well and I think were well suited to each other, but when a theological difference arose, he responded in a way that seemed immature and reactionary. To us, this was more of a problem than the disagreement itself, which we think was rather minor, though it was difficult to tell exactly what he believed because of how he responded. We considered it a "successful courtship" because we found out, thankfully fairly quickly, that marriage to him would not be a good thing. As my father said, a successful courtship does not always end in marriage; it ends in finding out the right answer.

"If parents look for undirected spontaneity in their young children, all they will get is spontaneous sin." ~ Douglas Wilson

"For it had been better we had never been born; it had been better we had never been betrothed; it had been better we had sat all our days solitary unless our children are to be right with Thee." ~ Robert Rayburn

I teach private piano lessons and Music for Young Children. I currently have a total of about 40 students. I believe in music education and am always working to improve my teaching skills.

I believe that a husband is responsible for providing for the family. Depending on the circumstances, I would like to continue teaching music from home part-time after marriage, but would cut back as needed to focus on my husband, children, and home.

I was born in Halifax, NS. We moved to Greenville, SC for my father to attend seminary and lived there for five years. We spent a year in Moncton, and have now lived in Halifax since 1997. I have travelled (by car) to North and South Carolina, and also out west to Alberta, Idaho, etc. Someday I would like to visit Europe.

My father is the pastor of Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church in Halifax, NS. www.arpnovascotia.com/covenant

I am the first of six children: I have two sisters and three brothers. My youngest brother is 19 years younger than I am. One of my sisters married recently and I am very thankful for my new brother-in-law.

While I would like to remain near my family, I would be willing to relocate, as long as it was close enough to a church that practiced exclusive psalmody and had a focus on family worship rather than "programs."

Courtship: My father will be involved in evaluating any prospective suitors. I am thankful for the protection this gives me. I would prefer to be contacted through my father. (Messages sent through this website go to his e-mail address; or you can search for John Shearouse on Facebook.)

Age: I did not answer the question at the top because I was not completely happy with any of the options. I opine that there are many factors that can put stress on a marriage, such as background, personality, maturity, family, and shared interests; age is only one of them. Ideally, I suppose I would like to marry someone around my age or up to about five years older, but I would be open to marrying someone about 10 or so years older, depending on how suitable they were in other ways. If you are closer to my parents' age than mine, that seems too old to me.

I am not interested in considering marriage with a man who is divorced.

Theological disctinctives: There are some areas where I have strong convictions which I would want my husband to share. This is important because, as a wife, I would be submitting to you (e.g. you would decide which church we would attend). These areas would include:

- Paedobaptism and covenant succession.

- The Regulative Principle of Worship, including Exclusive Psalmody in public worship. (You should hold this view from conviction, not just from tradition.)

- Sabbath observance: There should be church attendance and the whole day should be special. My family has worked on this, and in my future family, I hope to further refine how to keep the whole day focused and joyful.

- Male headship in marriage.

- Tithing.

- Jay Adams' view of "mental illnesses."