Minimum Requirements

    My sister read Redeeming Love. After she read it, she fell in love with the story. She fell in love with the idea of having one person who cared for you no matter what you did. Who loved you no matter where you came form. It inspired her to write a list of "requirements" for a man to have before she would date them. Like my sister, neither of us view dating as "casual". I have a hard time dating someone just to date them. If I am going to date them, it's going to be because I see the potential for a life partner. (Dating and going on a date are two different things to me)

    After my divorce, she has asked and asked for me to read it. I haven't mustered up the courage to do it yet. For some reason I'm afraid. I'll do it one day, I will. But she has encouraged me to write my own list. It didn't take me long to write a few things down. As I am venturing out into dating-hood I am experiencing things I never knew that I wanted and things that I never knew I didn't want. It's always easy to say coming out of my marriage the things that I don't want, so this is definitely a growing list.

*Disclaimer*
1) Don't judge me
2) This is brutally honest
3) In no particular order

Original Date: 1/11/11

• Must believe in God
• Needs to be close with his family
• Enjoy quality time together
• Share some of the same interests
• Have a great sense of humor
• Must be generous
• No history of depression
• Wants children
• Likes to travel -> including day trips
• Clean
• Active -> Plays sports, exercises etc.
• Financially smart, stable and logical
• Is a participant in life, not a bystander
• Cuddler
• Sensitive
• Emotionally strong
• Supportive
• Sarcastic
• Tactful
• Attractive
• Has a career
• Is a dreamer
• Sets goals and achieves them
• Social
• Honest
• Affectionate
• Compassionate/Caring
• Intuitive
• Has integrity
• Loyal
• Good listener
• Protective
• Loves Z
• Gets along with my family
• Appreciates DIVERSE food.

*Edited 1/17/11

• Knows how to cook
• Is a safe driver ->because I am not
• Frank about issues, doesn't beat around the bush. Get's to the point.
• Tender
• Relatively clean language

I can easily justify every single one of these to myself and to whoever I end up choosing or not choosing to marry. There is just no need to do that here. 

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3 Things
1) I am thankful for my dad's sense of humor: he wanted to make grilled cheese today
2) I am thankful my step mom came home safe from Ca
3) I am thankful Z is NOT getting sick, like I thought she was.