the list of 17

Yesterday my good friend, Cole Rempel, told me about this 'list of 17' that his brother told him about that will assist in the pursuit of a wonderful spouse and I really like it...so I want to introduce it to whatever random people stumble across this. We all have qualities that we look for when we are on this roller coaster of a search for our 'one true love' in pursuit of our own unique happily ever after. The truth is, this earth is full of incredible people with whom we are remarkably compatible. Unfortunately, we only get to meet a very small fraction of those amazing people so we have to do the very best that we can with the opportunities we have to fall in love. For me personally, it takes a lot for me to fall in love but when I fall, I fall hard. So this 'list of 17' is really good for me because it helps me to be sure that I fall in love with the best kind of man for me. Okay, I'll get on with it...

The test is simple. You list 17 of the most important qualities that you wish to find in a spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/etc. in order from the most important to the least important. Then as you pursue new relationships (or evaluate your current one) you see how well they fit your standards and expectations...on paper...simple statements...no wiggle room for justification or excuses for 'blind' love. If they have 9 or more of the qualities you list, then you could probably spend the rest of your life with them and be perfectly happy. It doesn't seem like very many but as I made my list and went back to my previous relationships, few of them even got close. We all have room for improvement so nobody will get the perfect 17 but it leaves room to learn and grow together to EXCEED each other's expectations. Now that is a beautiful thing. I hope to be able to know when I get married that my husband is capable of developing all of the qualities I look for...which leads me to MY list!

This is what I came up with.

1. Very respectful of me (women in general).
2. Excites and challenges me.
3. Makes me feel safe and secure.
4. Can read/understand me without always needing words.
5. Temple worthy/loves the Lord.
6. Accepting of my imperfections.
7. Makes me want to be better.
8. Loves me unconditionally.
9. Loves my family.
10. GREAT with kids.
11. Good sense of humor.

12. Appreciative of others.

13. Feet firm on the ground.

14. Cares about health/fitness/hygiene.

15. Loves himself.

16. Gentle/mild tempered.

17. Fits my lifestyle.

So yeah, that's me. There are many other small things that are much less important but these are my big things. Now you should try! Even if you're already married, make a list and see how well your spouse fits! Don't do anything crazy if they fail...haha but look for ways to improve your marriage and see those qualities in your spouse because I believe that any two people who truly love each other and love the Lord can have remarkable happiness throughout their lives together. I'm only 20 years old and I am not too experienced in the 'real life' department but I know what I want, as unrealistic as it may seem sometimes, and I will get as close as I can to receiving all that I want.

I believe that everyone deserves the very best of everything so if you find that you aren't satisfied with something in your life, talk to God about it and maybe make a list. We are capable of much more than we can even comprehend. I love this life that I have been given no matter how hard it may be sometimes and I have promised myself that I will do the best that I can with it. Please do the same. You deserve it.

There's my two cents.

 Here's a lovely party picture of me on my 20th birthday a couple days ago with my super cute niece. :)