My Ideal Person:
I am looking for friends to talk to about life. I enjoy people who are funny, intelligent, and have a passion for living for Christ.

Please describe your faith. How important is your faith to you?
Because I was raised in a Christian home, my faith has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of 8, and have grown in my faith all my life. There have been a few times when I have taken “detours” and most of them have gotten me in trouble. But God is gracious, and never stopped loving me and seeking me, and drawing me back to Him. I have learned to depend on Him so much more these past few years since my divorce. I left a 20-year marriage to a man who claimed to be a Christian, but was emotionally and verbally abusive to me, plus physically abusive to our children. It tore me up and tested my faith to the limit, because I know God hates divorce. But having tried everything else, I finally separated from him in order to salvage what was left of my life, my health, and my relationship with my children. There have been many tough times, emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually, and every other way, but God is faithful and He has kept me and seen that my needs were met. So my faith is my life; without Him, I would be nothing.

Which Scripture verses are most important to you?
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness (Jer. 31:3). Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (I Peter 5:6-7). I love the Psalms (David is so honest). When I was a child, my Mennonite-preacher grandfather lived next door to us for several years. Every morning, my grandparents came for breakfast, and my Grandfather would read from the Scriptures. I loved to hear him read, and it was obvious that he was reading words he loved. He taught me to love God’s word.

Why is a Christian relationship so important to you?
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up …Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:9, 10, 12). Christians need relationships with other Christians to keep them strong in their faith. It takes another Christian to understand where you are coming from as a Christian and why you do the things you do, and don’t do the things you don’t do.

Where did you grow up? Where have you traveled? What are some of your favorite places to visit?
I was born in N. Carolina (an army brat, born at Ft. Bragg), and lived for a time as a child in Memphis, TN. However, I was too young to remember those places. I grew up in a small oil-field town in West Texas called Denver City. I attended college at my parents’ alma mater of Bethel College in N. Newton, KS. Most of my travels have been in the Midwest. I taught one-room school in western Nebraska, and then moved back to Kansas, where I have spent the remainder of my years. We used to go camping in the Rocky Mountains when I was young; Colorado and New Mexico are two places I would like to visit again someday. And I have never been to the coasts (either of them) so I would enjoy seeing what the ocean is like.

What are your favorite activities both at Church and outside?
My favorite thing to do at church is play the piano. Ours is a small rural church, but very friendly and growing. One of my gifts is beautifying the church building with flowers and other decorative touches. I enjoy Sunday School; we are going to start a study of apologetics, which is exciting to me because one of my children has rejected Christianity in favor of paganism and I feel a need to be able to defend my faith. I would love to start a drama team in the future. Outside the church, I enjoy reading, decorating, writing, and working on my house and yard.

What is your day like? Describe your daily routine.
My weeks are full. I put in 12-hour days away from home due to driving time. Only one of my children still lives with me, and the empty nest is looming. My weekdays are pretty full, so I use my weekends to relax and catch up with housework and cooking.

What are some of your personal and spiritual goals?
For a long time, my only goal was to survive. I am finally beginning to get enough security to feel that I can actually look beyond simple survival to growth and making a new life. My goals may seem tentative, but at least I can feel that I do have a future! My main goal is growing in God’s grace and leaning more and more on Him to direct my ways. I need to continue to work on healthy living, nutrition and exercise. I would like to get back into teaching, as it is something I feel called to, and that God has given me talent to perform. I do teach some, but I would like to do it full-time again. And I would like, God willing, to write Christian novels for young people.