Alexa PenaVega Says Everything About Husband Carlos PenaVega Was on Her 'No List' When They Met

Alexa PenaVega had sworn off dating actors and musicians before meeting her now-husband Carlos PenaVega — who happens to be both.

The Spy Kids alum, 33, and the Big Time Rush star, 32, met at a Los Angeles bible study after Alexa split from Sean Covel.

"I had come right out of divorce and felt that I needed to realign my life. I wanted a deeper relationship with my faith," she told Fox News in a conversation promoting the memoir she co-wrote with her husband. "I wanted a relationship with God. I wanted to attend Bible study and just dive into my faith. I wasn't looking for any kind of relationship other than the relationship I had with my faith."

In focusing on her Christianity, another door opened for Alexa. Her relationship with Carlos wasn't what she expected. "Instead, I wanted to create an awesome community around me that can hold me accountable," she explained.

"I showed up to Bible study and I met Carlos. I just wanted to be friends … I didn't want anybody in the entertainment industry. No actors, no singers. … He was everything on my no list."

Regardless, a connection formed. Alexa and Carlos married in 2014, combining their last names. "Everything on my no list was everything I never knew I needed. It was the person who could help fill in all the gaps that I was missing in my life. That was Carlos."

The memoir, titled What If Love Is the Point? Living for Jesus in a Self-Consumed World, also dives into the couple's family life in Maui. Alexa and Carlos live in Hawaii with their three children, Ocean King, 5; Kingston James, 3, and Rio Ray, 13 months.

Though Alexa admitted it was initially Carlos' idea to leave Los Angeles, she praised the move as a gift from God.

"Hawaii is loaded with young families who love God and are growing in their faith. Your kids are outdoors all day long. We're not inside on our phones or playing games. We're enjoying nature, getting our feet in the sand, the dirt," she said.

"Kids can be kids. I grew up on a ranch in Florida. We only lived there for a little bit before we moved to California, but some of my best memories are from my time on that ranch," Alexa continue. "The small time that we were there made such a massive impact on me. I always knew that's what I wanted for kids."

In 2020, she told PEOPLE that when they moved, "We immediately felt that weight lifted. We can really recharge here and it's been awesome to have a community that's supportive."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

The PenaVegas can next be seen costarring in Hallmark's Love in the Limelight, which features six new Spanglish songs written by Carlos and premieres Aug. 6.