food for fish

chai
__spice
blacktea

One year ago I didn't even know her. One year ago I was struggling with not having a "girlfriend" or better yet a wife. So after struggling with it for a while, I decided to just give up looking, I needed to be content with God, and be genuine with my own problems. But I knew one thing; I wasn't going to just "settle" on the next girl I was "interested" in, that would be injustice to her, and to myself. So I became secure in myself, and secure in my relationship with Jesus. That was last November, this November I'm now happily courting Alexis, even though we are separated by one and half continents and the Atlantic Ocean. Although all odds are against us, we are for God; therefore the odds really are for us. Since the very first time I spoke with Alexis I knew she loved Christ, which for me was extremely important in any girl I would even consider courting, not to mention marry.

I remember one day in March 2003 after Mill Creek young adults, we all went to Apple Bees for some dinner and fun. I remember Alexis was sitting across the table from me, and I couldn't remember her name (she was fairly new to the group), her brother was sitting to the right of me, and another guy from our group was sitting on the left of me. All night I thought she hated me or something, like I was some kind of dirty guy hitting on her (I remember trying not to make eye contact with her, so she wouldn't think I "liked" her). I left Apple Bees that night with out ever thinking anything about her, just that she must not like guys or something. From that day I was very cautious around her. It turns out the guy on my left was giving her signals, that she just didn't appreciate, so she was letting her brother know, but I was receiving those same signals, but didn't know what they meant, and I interpreted them as "who do you think you are?".

A few weeks later we went to Red Robin after MCYA and I again sat across from Alexis, and I found myself talking to her, about God, and Romance, and we got on the subject of "how would you propose?" it was a group conversation, not just the two of us... and I told her this idea. Then it was crazy, I found myself flirting with her, and she flirted back... this was new territory for me, but I wasn't nervous, nor did I ever regret it. For the next three months we get to know each other, we find out we share a lot of different life experiences, some of which are very significant. Then I'm invited on a random trip with Ryan and Alexis to the Grand Coulee Dam area in Eastern Washington, along with Ryan's parents, it was a blast, but at the beginning of the weekend, I had no idea what the end of the weekend would mean.

The rest is history, I find myself more in love with Alexis each day, and I give God all the glory and thanks. The reason we have never kissed is because both of us understand the commitment which comes with physical intimacy (we have held hands, and we have cuddled on occasion). God's amazing role of female-male partnership is to become even more like God, when two become one, it's because God is both male and female, we become one when we are married to become more like God and to share the two distinct roles God plays in our lives. The kiss is just the beginning of this union; it is something very deep and very sacred to both of us.

Thank you Lord, for Alexis, and for those who will guide us into an even deeper God-centered relationship which we can serve others with for you.

PS. Chai Spice black tea is Alexis' favorite tea, and its what I'm drinking right now.