The story of us..

I read my sister-in-laws blog and loved that she wrote a history about how she met her husband and I remembered I wrote one a while back. This is the perfect place to share it...

Kaleb and I in Willmar, MN on September 26, 2009

Jenni's perspective :)

If I am going to tell our story, I have to go back & talk about one person, Mollie Clark. This girl, WOW! She is the reason Kaleb and I found each other. Mollie is the kind of person you just NEED to know. In a short time, from March 2009 – May 2009 we got to know one another. My life at this time was a rollercoaster. I was in school and working ALL the time. Mollie came into my life and filled a place in my heart. God sent her to me to help me.

Mollie and Kaleb, September 24, 2009

Mollie had been planning a trip to WY to visit her friend and my former classmate, Kyle Fritz. Kyle works on wind turbines in WY. Little did I know, Mollie was on the lookout for me. God used her to do a wonderful work in my life. She texted me while she was away, telling me that she had met someone for me. And that Kyle was his boss and he is fun and extremely nice. She snuck and took a picture of him and sent it to me (See attached picture). Mollie told me he was really cool and he wanted to know me. She gave me his number. I was hesitant at first to call or text someone I had never actually met in person. I waited a week and texted him saying. “Hi. Mollie told me she met a cool guy”. We texted back and forth all summer (2009).We also added each other on the wondrous Facebook.

Kaleb and I November 2009

Both of us were too shy to call the other. SO guess who swooped in again and worked her magic? MOLLIE CLARK! On August 18, 2009 Mollie called Kyle and asked to talk to Kaleb and then blabbed on about needing his email address and then she shoved the phone in my face, while wearing a mischievous grin. I was forced to say hello, but at the time I did not know who was on the other end. Kaleb and I talked for an hour that night. From that day forward we talked at least once a day. After my birthday (August 27, 2009) Kaleb told me he wanted to fly to MN and meet me in person. I told him I would love that!!!Kaleb came to MN on September 24, 2009!!! I picked him up at the airport with my sister, and our friend Devyn.
 We spent the next 7 months long distance. He lived in Evanston, Wyoming and I lived in Willmar, MN. I flew to his neck of the woods in November.  I flew again in December.

Salt Lake City, December 2009

Driving to Ikea to hang out and shop... December 2009

Getting ready for a fun day in Saly Lake City.. December 2009

January 2009, MN

Then in January, Kaleb and I were both missing each other terribly and Kaleb flew to MN for a quick 3 day trip. It ended up raining that weekend which for MN is just strange. So all of the snow we had turned to weird slush and Kaleb wasn't even able to meet my parents because they were snowed/slushed in at their house in the country.That same month of January, Kaleb saw that there was a job opening in MN, but both of us did not feel any peace about Kaleb moving in the middle of the winter. It would be too hard to find a place for him to live and driving would not be very safe. So we waited and prayed... Kaleb and I planned out a trip in March. Kaleb came to MN and met my family and hung out for 5 days. Then he flew home. I flew to Utah a few days later. That was a hilarious trip. The airline lost my bag and I had to meet his parents in day old clothes and no make-up. It was not how I pictured it but God blessed our time together. We had a great time hanging out. We went to Vegas and hung out with Kalebs family. We also went and saw the Hoover Dam which was an incredible experience. I love being a tourist!!!

Hoover Dam, March 2010

Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2010

Hanging with Brad and Angelina, Vegas wax museum, March 2010

 . Then in April the EXACT same job opportunity that Kaleb had overlooked in January, opened up again. And Kaleb applied and got the job! I was over joyed and just couldn't believe it. God was providing us with everything we needed to be together. Kaleb moved here April 18, 2010. 

Kaleb has moved to MN!! I love him for sacrificing for me!

May, 2010

Driving up a Mountain!! In Utah, May, 2010

I LOVE YOU!!

I loved the shirt I am wearing in the photo. It was a friends' shirt!

Family shoot after Landon got home.

In  May of 2010, 2 things happened...

1. We went to Utah to see Kaleb's brother Landon. It was the first time Kaleb had seen him in 2 years. He went to serve his LDS mission and was not allowed to see family. So Kaleb was SUPER excited for this trip!

Valleyfair, theme park, July 2010, the top of the ferris wheel

At a Kellie Pickler Concert begining of July 2010

All countried up for the concert!! SO FUN!!

Trying to model. ha.

My sister, Kiah, Kaleb and Jenni

 The end thing that happened in July-----> Kaleb was sneaky and he asked my dad for his blessing to ask me for my hand in marriage. My dad's exact words were, "which daughter" .. Kaleb said that freaked him out a little. Leave it to my dad to be such a jokester. Kaleb had the ring a week later or so. And then he collaborated with my family. He wanted to propose on top of the waterfall in Redwood Falls, MN. It is a fun place we found and we also have a thing for waterfalls; especially me. I find waterfalls to be such a powerful example of God's wonder. The first weekend, Kaleb tried to get me to go to the park, BUT I was not feeling good. So he backed off. Little did I know what I was turning down. He has told me he didn't want me to remember my proposal as a day when I was forced to go to a park even though I was sick. So he waited. The following weekend, he tried on Saturday, while my mom was having a garage sale. It ended up being a weird weather day. It was nice and hot and then BOOM all of a sudden it downpoured and continues to randomly shower down intense rain every so often. My sister Kiah and Kaleb both tried to get me to go to the waterfall park. I distinctly remember thinking and saying, why on earth would we want to go to a park on a rainy day??? They backed off and we didn't go. It is funny to me because hind sight really is 20/20. I had no idea what was going on. I was clueless as to the GIANT surprise about to happen. The following day was July, 11, 2010, it was beautiful. We went to church and right away my sister and Kaleb started talking about the waterfall park. Ya see, they planned it out perfectly because their reasonign for going to the park was this: Kiah had not been there and she really wanted to go. This was true and so it worked to be so adament about getting to that waterfall. So we grabbed water bottles and the camera, put our tennis shoes on and took off for Redwood, Falls. Kaleb proposed on top of the waterfall. It was wonderful. There was even a crowd of people (random park visitors) who were watching. They cheered and clapped! It was a beautiful moment.

I still have no idea what is about to happen.. completely clueless that Kaleb has a ring hidden in his pocket!

Walking down to the spot. Remember, I just think it's another day at the waterfall. We climb, we take photos and that's all I thought we were doing..

I am still clueless, I thought we were just posing for pictures for fun!!

BELOW IS THE VIDEO MY SISTER RECORDED OF KALEB PROPOSING!!

I am so thankful to God for bringing Kaleb and I together is such a miraculous way.

 The ring was even more beautiful than I remembered! We had gone shopping to so many places to look for rings. This was the best one!! No stores had anything like it. Now, it seems to be the style everyone is getting. It makes me chuckle to think I loved it and then BOOM all of a sudden it is a ring lots of girls are getting. Kind of a cool thing! :)

I just couldn't believe it! Gosh I love him!

The other part of this story involves myself and Jesus. I haven't told many people this story. But I think it is one that needs to be shared. I spent from age 18-21, being angry. Angry at the world, at God, but mostly I was angry at myself. In January 2009, I had started making efforts to change and talk to God and repent. I read my Bible and I stopped all of my bad behaviors. I quit smoking cigarrettes, dabbling with marijuana and drinking. I wanted my life to be better. I wanted to recognize that Jesus had saved me from hell and from many other things through out my life. I prayed for God to send me a man. A wonderful man that I could love and that would love me. I wanted that so badly. So, I just started making strides in the right direction. It was hard and it came at a price. I lost friends and started getting made fun of and felt lonely. But I knew I had strayed away from what was important. I began searching and getting closer to God. I was enjoying life for the first time in a LONG time. It really hit me how much God loved me and how much He pays attention to everyones pure hearts desires.

 Psalm 37:4  "Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart".

 I felt like I had messed everything up and didn't deserve anything good in my life. I have made so many mistakes. But that is how much God loves us. He pulls us back from the darkness and brings us into amazing light and love. He rewarded me and showed me his love. Even though I am undeserving. I rejected God's love and mercy for several years and turned my back on my Savior. All because I wanted to fit in to this world. A world that hurt me and was dragging me to hell at an alarmingly fast rate. God sent me Mollie and then Kaleb. He brought me everything I ever wanted. All I had done was believe and stay faithful to the best of my human ability. I did that and it changed me forever. I didn't have to be perfect because God doesn't expect perfection. He just wants us to put forth the effort. He sees us trying and rewards us. The Lord is all about the journey each of us take. He wants to be a part of that journey. God meets us where we are and comes along side of US! We don't have to do anything extra special to have God near us. I think many people believe they have to fix themselves before God will want anything to do with them. When that is not the case.I never quite understood my life until I gave it back to Christ. Life seemed confusing and I was hurting and I was dealing with many consequences of my bad actions! I think we often do that. We make choices that create problems and then we blame God and Jesus. It is their fault for not saving us from pain. But a lot of the pain I felt I had brought upon myself. Yes, not everything, but a lot of it. But now I see it completely clearly. 

Life is about Jesus. 

It is about what He did for us on the cross.

 It is about loving others and doing out best to act like Jesus. 

That means avoiding blatant sins, like drinking, smoking, cursing, premarital sex, lying, manipulating, stealing, envy, jealousy, etc. Luke 21:34-36 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” . 

It is about following what the Bible says about LOVE; patience, kindness, goodness, self control etc...It is about leading others to the cross by example.  In the Bible, Jesus says, they will know us by our love. John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”.  

It is about remembering that at any moment all we have to DO is turn to Jesus and believe and ask for forgiveness and we are SAVED. Heaven is that close to us. There is no amount of good deeds on earth that will get us to Heaven. There is no ritual or ceremony that can get us closer to Jesus or closer to Heaven. NOTHING man creates is Holy.

²³ For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. ²⁴ God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

²⁵ Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 

God decides Holiness. And God says anyone with Christ in him is a HOLY PRIEST!! That is all it takes!! WE as believers in Jesus Christ are TEMPLES!! That is an amazing concept to wrap my head around. It makes me feel special and loved. The blood Jesus shed on the cross is for you and me. It is for everyone. No church or human can tell you that you are worthless because Jesus gave HIS LIFE for yours. And He doesn't hold your mistakes against you and he forgives the exact moment we repent. Humans created churches and those churches have flaws. Just because your church tells you something it doesn't always mean that it is the truth. YOU MUST compare the teachings to the Bible and decide for yourself. 

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool". 

Do your research. Do not live on blind faith. Ask God Questions. Ask Him to reveal things to you. Ask Him to help you..Research it. Read the great books that are out there that people have written explaining the Bible. I read that there are 25,000 facts that have been found that prove the Bible is the truth. Those facts are graves, towns, artifacts (like the dead sea scrolls) and many other things.

I read a book "the case for Christ". It is a fabulous book.