Introducing Rachel / Cor Christi ministry / Friendship as a foundation for marriage / Early years in Rachel’s discernment / Life in a ‘spiritual pressure cooker’ / The value of spiritual direction in discerning marriage and vocational discernment / The initial excitement of a relationship exists at the service of a deeper friendship / Sacrificial dimensions of friendship in married life / Freedom in commitment / The temptations to get lost in the day-to-day activity of life