Butterz iz fa-mouse

Butters is going to be famous! Well, as famous as a picture like this among thousands like it can be. Isn't he cute? Becca Sue showed me and several others at our Inkling House dinner a website where people have sent funny pix of their cats making weird faces or in weird positions. In this shot it looks like he's got a bit of a go-tee -- he really has an outbreak of kitty-acne -- who knew cats got zits.

I have some better shots of Butters at home-- like when I was trying to toilet train him. :)

He's four years old now! Such a big guy- but not fat. Some of the cats on this website are just grotesque. Butters really is just fluffy - ask my sister. She brushed him for almost two hours last weekend, filling up four brushes full of hair and half a garbage can. That was after a bath that plugged up our tub because of all of his hair. What do you guys think of shaving him? I've never done it because I heard it can mess them up, but I'm getting sorely tempted these days.

Butters has adjusted well to Tre. Tre, of course, has bought him all sorts of little toys to make their bonding sure. My sister even bought him some Organic catnip -- all she got for her troubles was a scratch on her hand and a hyper Butters with eyes as big as saucers.

All in all - Butters is adjusting from his nearly month long abandonment of him -from June 20th to July 14th. He began talking to himself - Lisa claims he'd sit on the porch in front of our house and make all sorts of kitty comments back and forth. He's a long way now from his near break-down. He and Tre are buds and we're all adjusting to life in our new house. We've definately decided to wait at least until spring for a puppy.

My life as Kelly Wilbanks

So, my life as a married woman has paced itself much better than the crescendo that was the end of my single-hood. This is a picture of me on the phone - I'm sure I am making an important call, since I took the time to take a picture with the webcam on my work laptop. Speaking of work - I got a promotion and I am now a full-fledged employee with Key Publishing Group. I found out about that just before I got married - it was great knowing I would be coming back to a secure position and a more substantial paycheck. Oh, and I get health care coverage as well, which was something I gave up at my other job after finding out I had cancer. Fortunately, by God's goodness - I was able to have my medical bills covered by insurance for the month of May -- when I had surgery and am now back on board with Health coverage - hardly missing a beat. God has been able to work miracles for me on that end. I almost have my bills paid off at the Petroff Clinic -- where I got plastic surgery. I have paid off the cost of my biopsy - and now am just waiting for the bill from the doctor who removed my cancer. One bill at a time -- and I've had insurance working with me all this time to cover these bills.
God is good.

This is a picture of Melody and I at Becca Sue's wedding in June - aren't we cute. Speaking of weddings - I'm going to Steve Brock's wedding tonight, I'm in a wedding next weekend - yeah Laura and Rod, and Kim and Daniel are getting married on the last day of the month. I have weddings every weekend for the rest of the summer.

Tre and I have really enjoyed getting settled into our new home. It's so nice to have a house - Butters loves being able to run around. Last Sunday Tre and I walked over to the lot that we thought about purchasing when I was on a house-buying kick. When we last saw it - it had someone squatting in it (living w/o paying rent) - it had a deck with burn marks on it where angry renters had left their mark and a fairly rocky foundation. Now the front part of the house is there, but a new foundation, walls and three levels. I think it's going to look great when it is all done - but, boy had that house been spoiled before.

So, this is me as a Simpson -- what do you think? I couldn't find a button that had freckles - an essential to any recreation of myself. Oh well - I've seen Simpsonized versions of people everywhere and had to do it myself. Well, I better get back to work- my lunch break is almost over and I haven't had a chance to read from my current book Uncle Tom's Cabin. Now, that I've finished the Potter series (in record time mind you - I blew through the entire series in two weeks), I want a little more than lit-candy.

Well, take care and have a great weekend.

Just reconnecting

So, I know I haven't posted in a while, but I think most of you know that life has been pretty full lately. After surgery to remove cancer on my nose, my new job: which has included a trip to New York and LA, a trip to Disneyland and one of my close friend's weddings - my big wedding day came. I've been told it was a real classy wedding and reception and I think this picture say's it all. I'll write more soon, but our lack of internet and being on our honeymoon has made all that a bit difficult. I will write and share photo's of our honeymoon - we had a blast. We went into the deep, dark woods, we went on a jet ski, stayed in a cabin, went to slidewaters and winetasting. It feels like we did it all. It was a wonderful vacation and I got to take it with the man I love. Now, I'm just setting up house and enjoying married life. I'll resurface soon -- I promise.

Slow Down

New York was crazy. I wish I'd been in a better place health wise. I got my stitches out on Thursday afternoon and then flew to NY early the next morning. I had a pretty ugly skin graft going through various stages of healing while I was there. It was a dark purple for the majority of my time in New York. I forgot about it for the most part, until a kind New Yorker would say, "Hey miss - you got something on your nose!"

I did get to do some touristy things while I was there -- I shopped on Canal Street, and went to the top of the Empire State Building, got lost on the Subway -- asked the New York fire department for directions when I got lost.

We ate at some really fine restaurants - and it was all paid for, which was really nice. Fortunately, there was a guy on the trip who'd never experienced New York before; unfortunately he was a guy :) It would have been nice to see more of New York, but didn't want to cause any weirdness -- no carriage rides through Times Square etc... :P

Times Square was amazing all lit up -- Another thing I was amazed at was all the cheap shopping, maybe the women I was with just knew where to shop, but I was impressed by all the deals.

I feel like I haven’t had a moment to breathe in all of this. There has been so much transition and there will be so much transition for the next couple of months. Sometimes I feel I can hardly breathe from the weight of it all.

Tre and I have been moving our stuff to our new house. I think he was shocked by all my books - I'm shocked by all my books. He's living there now and I'll be joining him in 38 days. It's such a short distance away and is compounded by the fact that I'm in a wedding in 2 1/2 weeks and I'll be going to LA between now and then for 10 days.

Life is not slowing down -- please pray that I can stay afloat.

It's over!

Hey everybody, this is Tre. Kelly's taking some time to recuperate, so I posted an update over on my blog for all you who can't wait. Enjoy!

MY KRAZY LIFE

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged. Mostly, that's because I feel like I've been surviving my life for the last couple of months and haven't really had the time or energy to engage in reflecting or updating anyone about my life. So, now I have a lot to share. Tré posted a blog earlier today and he decided to share the news via bullet points, so I'll do the same. There is good news and some bad news so stay with me.

1. First, some good news. Some of you know that I've been looking for a new job. Well, after several weeks of debating the timing of this transition with my impending wedding, and then several more weeks of searching, sending out my resumé, and interviewing -- I landed a really great job. I'm going to start a full-time paid internship at Classic Style Magazine as their new Public Relations Intern. In fact, they are flying me out to New York on May 11th to help with a trade show to get my feet wet in the business. I'm really excited for all the potential this job contains and the joy of being able to work in a job that's more in-line with my skill-set.

2. Now, some bad news. This new job is fantastic and a great opportunity, but because it is an internship it's technically a temporary position and does not provide health insurance. The job is definately worth it (have you seen The Pursuit of Happyness?), but the lack of health insurance has become a larger concern recently. I found out on Tuesday, the same day I accepted the internship, that I have skin cancer on my nose. I have had a scratch on the side of my nose for almost eight months and I asked my doctor to take a biopsy of it a couple of weeks ago. After the fact, I felt a little dumb -- a small chunk of my nose was sitting in a jar on the counter and the doctor was telling me I probably picked at it too much and hadn't given it time to heal. I was pretty sure that was the case and I was actually a bit surprised to find out that I have skin cancer. I have basil skin cancer - which is actually a pretty easy cancer to manage. They have a treatment called Mohs (spelling?) where they cut out a small section of the area where the cancer is concentrated and test to see if any of the cancer cells are outside of the circumferance of their sample. If there are cancer cells outside the circle - the doctor takes off a bit more -- until there aren't any cancer cells left. This kind of cancer doesn't go very deep so it should be fairly easy to remove. I have surgery scheduled for Thursday, May 3rd - so you can pray I'm not left too butchered. Fortunately, the editor of the magazine where I'll be working is a makeup artist -- so if I do get butchered, he's offered his services :).

3. More good news! Tré and I found a house. In fact, he's going to move in on May 1st -- that's only weeks away! We're looking for someone to stay with him for the month of May and June -to provide accountability for us. The rent will be $200 for the whole month (a pretty good deal for this area) and it would help us out, so let us know if you're interested or know someone who might be. We'll be able to have Butters - my adorable 15lb cat, thanks to the kindness and understanding of our new landlords and the recommendation given to them by the Sticklers. They said you had wonderful things to say about Butters, Molly-- we thank you! The place has a great yard - so Butters will be able to go in and out as he pleases. Hopefully, he'll be smart enough to stay away from all the dogs encompassing our property. Speaking of dogs -- Tré and I really have the puppy bug -- so we're hoping to get one after we move in and our landlords get to know and love Butters.

4. More good news! We got our engagement pictures back and they are wonderful. If you are thinking about getting married and need a photographer, we recommend Jelani. He's starting his business now -- so he still has prices that are workable for brides and grooms on a budget -- check out his site www.jelanimemory.com. Check who's on the home page :)

5. More good news! I found out last week that I get to go to New York to help promote Classic Style magazine. I get to stay there Friday through Monday and take part in a tradeshow. We're going to stay at http://www.theroosevelthotel.com/ - I've never been to New York and I'm really excited to have this opportunity. The only bummer -- and it's a big BUMMER is that I fly out on May 11th -- so I'll miss Tré's birthday and the pampered chef party that Melody Olsen is throwing Tré in Yakima. Tré completely understands - but we're both sad that we don't get to share in that together. Fortunately, I don't need to travel on our wedding day :P

The good news certainly outways the bad news -- and fortunately I'll be able to utilize the insurance provided by Multnomah throughout the month of May. We're not sure what we're going to do about my health insurance after that because Tré's job doesn't provide spousal health insurance -- but I'm sure we'll do something.

The wedding is coming up quick -- less than three months away. We're getting down to the details of things -- we're getting our invitations printed soon and plan to have them in the mail by May 7th~ Time is flying, but I think we're pacing things out well. I'm so glad we're done registering -- on the one hand it's really fun because you get to shoot things with a gun, but on the other hand -- you start feeling really materialistic - remember we need money for our honeymoon fund, so if you really hate shopping... we won't complain :).



Tré really has been a rock through all of this -- he's been caring when I've needed it most. He's been assertive when I really needed to change my work situation, he's been such a consistent support to me. These last few weeks have been really trying for both of us -- and he's been such an incredible rock. Thank you Tré!



This post is freaking long -- Can you tell I'm a writer... but I wanted to show you one more thing. Here is a picture of the ring that Tré and I designed. It turned out beautifully -- and Jelani's camera really shows that off.





Well -- that's all I have time to share for now --take care and please pray for all these new life transitions and for my surgery on May 3rd.

My Future Ring

Here are two wonderful shots of my future wedding ring. Yes -- the image is green. It's a wax molding -- the real ring is ready now though and we're going to pick it up Saturday. I don't get to wear it until the day of, but it's here!

Now that we're engaged all of the crazy planning has begun. Within a week we had a church, a reception site, and a photographer. We have a wedding Coordinator and a Reception Coordinator. I have my dress, shoes, veil, slip -- and other accessories. My girls have their dresses and shoes, we've picked out the tuxes. I've bought the flowergirl dresses and a wedding cake topper.

We have flowers left to figure out (well order -- I know what I want) and wedding decorations. Tre and I both have gotten our rings this week and are going up to the church on Saturday to have a look around and begin working things out with both our wedding and reception coordinator.

Oh, and we start marriage counseling next week. It's been such a whirlwind -- sometimes I feel it's coming to slow, sometimes I feel like I need a break, and sometimes it's not coming quick enough.

People have asked me what's different between then and now. There's a lot of differences between my exhusband and Tre', but as I think about it -- I think the biggest difference between then and now is me.

I'm just a different person now than I was then... and I think that's a good thing. I watched the movie "Catch and Release" with Jennifer Garner a couple weeks ago and really connected with a lot of what the main character went through. The basic synopsis of the story was about a woman who's fiance' died two days before their wedding. There is a lot of grief and pain because of that loss, obviously, but as the movie progresses you see that there was more to the woman's fiance' than she knew. You find out, as she does, that her fiance had secrets -- secrets that she would never have found out about without his death.

Her fiance has a large sum of money and a child that he has been secretly paying child-support for. In the end, after things have been resolved - the mother of the child turns to the main character and say's "You didn't have to know about this, you could have had good memories about him and we messed that up for you..." But, that would have been false -- it would have fed the illusion and would have impeded the growth of Jeniffer Garner's character.

I'm honestly glad that I know what I know about my exhusband. I remember thinking that it would have been easier if he'd just died from his cancer -- then at least I'd have good memories of him. Then he could have been my hero instead of my betrayer. But, that's not what I got. I got a difficult, but real dose of reality when I found out my exhusband had cheated on me. That reality -- that truth changed me -- changed me, I think, for the better.

I took a class called "Recovering in Grace" last fall and the instructor talked about absorbing our pain. It's different than relogating it to the side and pushing it away -- absorbing our pain makes us larger people - people who understand how the world really can fall apart. It's been a harrowing experience, but I wouldn't trade that truth for anything.

So, as Tre and I pick colors, decide on rings, and plan out our ceremony -- I have this vantage point -- and it doesn't make things more scary -- it, crazily enough, makes things more solid.

We're Engaged!

On Sunday morning I wrote in my journal: “I have been divorced two years now today, 01/7/07. Each year, the pain of that day lessens and I’m so glad for that. I know this marker is fading in my life, please fill it with new makers, Abba, new anniversaries.”

Sunday afternoon, Melody picked me up at my house to run errands for Scott’s surprise birthday party. Scott turned 30 on Saturday so Melody was planning a surprise party for him at the A-frame, or so I thought. Melody had been sick for the last couple of days so it made sense, at least to me, that we’d be doing errands that late. She and I went to the World Market to get Scott his favorite beer, to the Dollar Store to get some noise makers, and to Burger King to get him a Burger King crown to wear at the party. Our last errand was to get some posters at the church office to decorate the A-frame.

I’d never been to the church offices before. We drove up and I saw a car that looked suspiciously like Tre’s, but Melody diverted my attention quickly. We walked up a flight of stairs to the office, turned a corner, and walked down a dark hallway.

Melody got out her key, but I could see what was awaiting me in through a window next to the door. The room was lit by candles, silk rose petals covered the table, and Tre’ stood in the corner of the room with a dozen roses. I was shocked. Melody got the door opened and I took a few hesitant steps into the room. I think she said I’ll see you later, as Tre’ came over to the door and helped guide me into the room.

“What a Wonderful World,” was playing in the background and Tre’ led my stunned form into a slow dance as I adjusted to the surprise. A basin of water was on the table, along with soaps and perfumes. He sat me down on the chair and took off my shoes and socks.

Nine months earlier, Tre performed a similar move when he told me for the first time that he loved me. He promised to love me as Christ loves the Church – sacrificially and as a servant. He also told me later that night that he’s always planned on proposing to his wife that way… with a toe ring.

When he sat me down, I knew what was coming. Tre’ added hot water to the basin and knelt down in front of me. Just a warning to all you ladies: always shave!  He washed my feet and said some wonderful, private things. He slipped a toe ring on my foot and then reached for a small, box hidden on the table. Tre’ asked if I would marry him and in my head I said, “I will,” but apparently all that came out was a big smile and vigorous nodding.

After hugging and kissing we stood to take communion together. Tre’ served the elements and then we hugged and kissed some more. We held each other close and danced again; it was good to have a time to absorb the moment.

Little did I know that Tre’ was actually stalling. He showed me the office after that and the posters Melody and I were supposed to get. Then we left the office to go to “Scott’s party” at the A-frame.
We walked downstairs and around the corner to the car. We passed by Café Delirium – all the windows were closed except one. I glanced through it and saw people that I knew. I stopped 10 feet away from the door as I realized that we weren’t going to the A-frame. Our engagement wasn’t part of Scott’s party – Scott’s party was a cover for our engagement.

We walked through the front door of the shop and were greeted by over sixty of our close friends. They cheered and then cheered again when Tre’ said, “She said yes!” I didn’t move from my spot for the next two hours. Friends kept coming up to me – friends from all areas and time periods of my life, friends who know my story and are excited for me and for Tre'.

Heidi and Shari made coffee drinks for everyone, while a slideshow played in the background and people played board games and talked. It was beautiful! I am still recovering from the shock and perfection of it all. Everyone was in on it and it made the evening so wonderful. Thank you all so much for keeping this night secret for me.

After it was all over Tre’ showed me all of the emails he sent back and forth about the party. He told me long ago that it would happen right under my nose – and it did. He handed out invitations to the party right in front of me – he even gave me a fake invitation to Scott’s party while everyone else was invited to our surprise engagement party.

We are getting married six months from the night of our engagement 07/07/07. Tre’ said he wanted a six month engagement – no more, no less. So, mark your calendars.

I couldn’t sleep Sunday night and found myself journaling into the wee hours of the morning. At 2:45am this is what I wrote: “Well Lord, you are one for answering prayer. Tre’ proposed to me tonight and he nailed it. He took a day, a marker in my life and redeemed it. You Lord, took a day that left me shattered and broken and brought me healing. I am awake now and cannot sleep. I just wish morning would come.”


  

 
  

Boone

My score on The Which Lost Character Are You Test:


style="font-size:18pt;font-weight:bold;">Boone/>style="font-size:12pt">(You scored 69% kindness, 47% courage, 23% seedy past, and 30% secretiveness!)
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"I know you made a promise. I'm letting you off the hook. Let me go, Jack."

You are Boone. You are kind and brave, with a slightly less checkered past than your fellow survivors. You are an open book, and do not keep secrets from anyone. While your humanitarian efforts are chivalrous, being so trusting and helpful can get you into major trouble...especially when you spend your days hanging around John Locke. Stay away from the manipulative types and you should be winning a Nobel Peace Prize in no time.

Your polar opposite is: &Danielle.
You are similar to: &Jack and &Claire.

Link: The Which Lost Character Are You Test
(OkCupid Free Online Dating)

How many of me are there?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 451 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

I was a cat with loads of life experience

You Were a Cat

You are an independent person who inspires others with your dreams. A calm protector, you will fight when you need to.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

You've Experienced 80% of Life

You have all of the life experience that most adults will ever get. And unless you're already in your 40s, you're probably wise beyond your years.

How Much Life Experience Do You Have?

ENFP

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller! You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

What's Your Personality Type?

Star Wars - How do you say Uhura?

Your results:
You are Uhura

Uhura 100% Chekov 80% Deanna Troi 80% Worf 60% James T. Kirk (Captain) 40% Spock 40% Mr. Scott 40% Mr. Sulu 40% Beverly Crusher 40% Geordi LaForge 40% Will Riker 40% Data 28% Jean-Luc Picard 20% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 20% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 0%

You are a good communicator with a pleasant soft-spoken voice. Also a talented singer.

Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character are you?" quiz...

Things have been a bit busy...

 
Well, it's been over a month and a half since I've posted anything - let's just say things have been busy. The picture above (or to the left - I never know how these things will post) is of my office crew. We're all wearing our new coats purchased by Tim Uthmann my, now former, boss.

Tim got a jacket for all of us and our new director Ian Durias. The transition has been fairly smooth and I could also see the Lord's hand in the timing of it all. Tim and Rachel were scheduled to leave the first week of September for training in Chicago -- they are planning on serving in Italy with a refugee ministry. Rachel has done something similiar to this in Greece, but Italy is a more central location and in need leadership. Anyways, back to that timing thing.

Tim and Rachel were planning on leaving for training, but postponed their travel due to some significant challenges their church is now facing. The net result is that they are now both assistant pastors at The Pearl. Time, they otherwise would not have had, suddenly became available so they can minister to their church body-- it's exciting to see God's hand in that.

Multnomah has been rocked twice this semester from the dismissal of Steve Patty to the death of Nurse Ellen. It has not been an easy start, but it has been a binding one. I remember the administration gathering the staff and faculty together for a mid-summer meeting to announce our accreditation. It was said then that the road ahead would not be easy - no one obviously forsaw these circumstances arising, but the call to bind together in prayer for the school. Man, how truly necessary that has been.

In the midst of the rain, there is always at least one umbrella. Tre and I celebrated our six month anniversary. He drove his F150 truck all the way from Lincoln City to spend the afternoon with me. We started by getting a cell phones plan and new phones together. Currently he's the only one with my number, and Scott -who I've been warned might prank call me. Then we went to dinner, walked along the water front, and went and got desert. We exchanged gifts - he got me some cute silver bells -- literally that's what the description said and I got him a framed picture of a couple dancing. After desert Tre said he still had half of my present waiting. So we drove home and I waited inside my house while he set things up.

He came inside and then guided me to the backyard. Out on the concrete porch sat two crystal flutes and a mallot. To those of you who may be thinking, "What the heck?" Let me do some preemptive explaining. The crystal flutes in question have the "Stephanie Inn" emblazoned on the front - they were a gift from the hotel I stayed in on my honeymoon. They are also a reminder of what was - and what will never be. Throwing them away, which I'd thought about doing, was kind of like trying to forget what happened. Giving them away felt like I was passing the bad luck onto someone else. But smashing them, smashing them was the only course of action that just felt right.

And smashing them with Tre felt really right. In Jewish custom after the wedding vows are made an item is crushed beneath the heal of the groom- it represents a complete altering of what was, to what is. So, we smashed the hell out of those crystal flutes. And it felt good. (There was no wedding by the way, just in case you were wondering - it's just a metaphor :P ).

We feel good -- I mean Tre and I -- things are going along on their own merry little pace. Tre always says, "We're the best couple in the world," and it's times like breaking glass together that make me agree. 

What a weekend...

  Kelly Clarkston getting her groove on at her last concert of her tour.

Well it's Friday and I am just about ready to begin a new weekend. The only problem is that I'm still recovering from last weekend. On Thursday night I recieved word that my Dad was being airlifted to Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane, Washington because he'd had another heart attack. This heart attack is to the day (August 3rd) when he was airlifted out of Spokane last summer -- weird. Tre and I left immediately on the seven hour trip. I spoke with my Dad when he arrived at the hospital and he made it sound like everything was fine, later we learned that it wasn't. He's had significant heart damage and the doctors had to shock him four times to get his heart back on track. I saw him the next morning with all sorts of tubes and monitors surrounding him. He's 6'3" and the bed hardly seemed long enough for his huge frame. He seemed to have more pain from his ankelosing spondolitis (a form of arthritus that I've inherited -- thanks Dad) than anything. He left the hospital on Saturday and I haven't heard any word as to his health since. I know he had plans of going back to work yesterday even though his doctor advised him to take at least two weeks off.

After that crazy ordeal I drove over to Seattle to spend time with my Mom and sister. Katie and I have been planning on going to the Kelly Clarkston concert for months (thanks Mom) and were able to sit back and enjoy a fabulous summer concert. Katie got to take some amazing photos with her new camera and even got to shake Kelly Clarkston's hand. I was pretty stoked for her. I've uploaded a few shots she took during the concert -- the pictures make it look as if we were practically on stage with her. I had a great time with my little sister and then drove the rest of the way home the following morning.

 

My beautiful sister Katie and me at the Kelly Clarkston Concert.


In a half an hour I'm driving with Lacey to Lincoln City to visit Tre and relax by the beach. Thank you so much to all of you who prayed for me during last weekend. I don't think the outlook is good for my Dad's health and I imagine more emergency trips to Spokane might be in my future. Please keep my family in your prayers as I know each person in my family is affected differently by my Dad's failing health. Also, on another note -- my Grandma Souza (who will be 87 on Sept. 25th) had a minor heart attack last week as well. She's strong, but no one can beat time. A general prayer for my entire family's health would probably go a long way. 

hmmm...3

Your Seduction Style: Ideal Lover

You seduce people by tapping into their dreams and desires. And because of this sensitivity, you can be the ideal lover for anyone you seek. You are a shapeshifter - bringing romance, adventure, spirituality to relationships. It all depends on who your with, and what their vision of a perfect relationship is.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

hmmm...2

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved. You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

hmmm...

Your Love Style is Agape

You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner. Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare. You are willing to sacrfice your world for your sweetie. Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you. For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.

What's Your Love Style?

Friends

 

The following is a writing exercise that I did shortly after my divorce. The women in the picture above were there for me in every way possible. They comforted me, sheltered me, and even fed me sometimes. They reminded me of God's love for me and that he would be and was my perfect husband. They shared their pain with me so that I wouldn't feel like the only one on earth with such heartache. They encouraged love to be the overflow of my heart and not bitterness. They advised me to let God take care of my ex-husband and his choices and not me. They showed me truth in scripture -- places where God's word says he will be a husband, a savior, and a vindicator. They would not let what happened destroy me and made sure that I was drinking deeply of living water. Thank you women of God.

Kelly, a warrior of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

To the maidens of Multnomah Bible College, the faithful in Jesus Christ.

Passion and purity to you from God our Father and the Lord your maker and husband Jesus Christ.

It gives me great joy to write to you, women of the truth, who have obediently responded to the call that God has placed on your life. You are here at Multnomah learning valuable truths and storing up knowledge that will support the foundation of your Christian faith, so that when troubles come you will not be shaken. For beyond the “bubble,” you will face trials of many kinds from those who do not understand your faith and take no part in the covenants developed within your hearts.
Those of you who tend to the seeds of faith developing in your heart will have strong trees of faith that shelter you from the storms that rage and threaten to destroy you. Let the word of the Lord be rooted in your hearts, let its roots be deep and its height a shelter from the heat of the scorching sun.
Many a heart has been broken by love unrequited or rescinded, for those who put their faith in the strength of men will not prosper. Put your faith and hope in Christ –the author of lives and the protector of souls. Do not open your heart to love when it is not yet time, for it is written:

“O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.”

Give your hearts to the Lord, women of faith. Give your heart to the one who formed it and prepared the muscle to beat within your breast. Do not become snared by the pink mist or lusty diamonds, but prepare your hearts and minds for the ministry that the Lord God has called you to in Christ Jesus. Let God be your counselor, your rock, and the one who shields you from the storms. In him, you can take refuge; in him, you will have courage; in him, you will have the victory. Let your last thought at night be of God. Let your first word in the morning be the name of Jesus. Let not even the birds sing before his name is uttered from your lips. God is your husband, for it is written:

“For your maker is your husband—
the Lord almighty is his name.
The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer
He is called the God of all the earth.”

Be in love with Jesus, women of the faith, be his bride, his friend, and his confidant. Leave false relationships and disillusioned ideas of romance behind you. Love is more amazing than anything you have ever known when the Lord, the gardener of your heart, awakens it. He will bring your love to blossom at the right time, for he is your kinsman redeemer. His is the great and mighty God: a father to the orphaned, a husband to the widowed, and a comfort to those in need.
Look to the women of faith recorded in the word of God. These women are witness and attest to your acts of faith both seen and unseen. Look to Deborah, who led a great army for the Lord, or Ruth, who trusted in the God of Israel even though she was only a Moabitess, or Abigail, who was married to a fool, but out of the goodness of the Lord became a bride of King David.
There are so many more women that I would never finish writing were I to name them all. Look to Sarah, Rebecca, Mary, Elizabeth, Dorcas and many other women of the faith who have proven worthy of our Lord. Look to the women of God around you as models for faith and hope in Christ Jesus.

May grace and peace never leave you. May they be garlands around your neck and a fragrance that draws people close to the God that is at work within your hearts. The truth of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, sisters.

Please send this message onto Moody and Biola University that they may also avoid the snares of the evil one and look to Christ first in their lives.

Dear women, keep your eyes on Jesus, Amen.