I will be posting some articles on marriage shortly that I've been working on, so I thought it would be a good thing to first introduce my wife, Roberta. We met in Denver, Colorado at an art show just before Thanksgiving, and we were married the following year on July 10, 1976. It didn't take us long to know we were meant for each other. However, we only saw each other less than 50 times before the actual wedding day, mostly because of the distance we lived from each other. She was finishing her last year of college at Bethany Nazarene Bible College in Oklahoma City, and I was a lonely artist who had just turned 29. How we met is a long story in itself. However, God and Roberta's mother had a lot to do with it. During the time we were apart, we communicated often by phone and mail. There were also a few plane trips in between. After our wedding in Colorado Springs, we went to Yellowstone Park for a honeymoon in my 25' motor home. I had driven it down to Colorado to get married, also to bring her things back to my old home in Bellevue, Washington. Roberta was the prettiest woman I ever dated, and now we've been married 33 years.
We have a daughter named Shannyn, who is married to Jak Kukes and they have given us four beautiful grandchildren. Roberta is an incredible mother and grandmother, always helping whenever she can. She makes a special effort to spend time with each person. And for those special occasions, she has thoughtful gifts and/or cute cards with words of encouragement, love and scriptures personally written to them. Her loved ones are always in her thoughts and prayers.
Roberta is the most loving and considerate person I know, and people warm up to her quickly. She is friendly and outgoing and has a servant's heart that cares about people's needs. My wife is also creative and a great decorator. She loves animals, especially cats. We have two of them and when we got married, I had two dogs. Her ability to communicate and be a servant to others are her gifts, and she is very patient with people. She has a great love and faith for God, and she often prays with people at church, at work and the homes of parents who have children with challenging behavioral problems.
As a wife, she has loved and encouraged me over the years, even through the difficult times. She has been a source of help and comfort when I have felt down. Even through the hard times her love for God has been there. Through the years we have learned to adjust to our individual temperaments, as every couple must. Roberta has supported me on many wild and sometimes foolish ventures, yet together we have seen God's grace and faithfulness. We have opposite personalities which helps compliment and balance us. Yet, there are other times we have had to learn to adjust through love and forgiveness. We have stayed the course with Jesus Christ as our focus. Together we have experienced love, joy and sorrow through many challenging situations and seasons, as well as incredible miracles and financial blessings. Yet the best days are still ahead, as we minister together in Christ's anointing. Everything is working together for His good, and we owe it all to our Heavenly Father's love, grace and mercy.
Like many young married couples, we had many high hopes, dreams and expectations. But it wasn't long before we realized there would also be challenging days (or even years) ahead. We both made many mistakes, and as a result there were consequences for those mistakes. Our marriage has also lacked many things—peace, love, joy and oneness— that many couples would hope to experience and share for the rest of their lives. Yet we had a few brief moments, especially when our daughter was born, but they seldom lasted as long as we would have hoped. Sure, we could have made some changes; hindsight is twenty-twenty once you know all the facts.
There have been many failed dreams and expectations. Mostly, because of our weakness, pride and selfish desires. Also the lack of understanding God's ways, submission to His authority and false concepts. Demons of control and contention have played havoc in our marriage. This is also true in many others marriages that I have seen.
There was also a cross that came later, because of the "calling" given to me, that compounded the problems that already existed in our shaky marriage. And because of that prophetic calling, Satan has done his best to destroy our lives and marriage. He has wanted me to give up and believe that I failed, but I haven't failed. Religion has also effected our marriage. We were both raised in church life and had found comfort in it at times. However, God was moving me away from organized religious teachings and traditions, and that didn't make Roberta happy. And because of strife I wasn't happy either, my spirit and soul within me has nearly died, but the Lord has vowed to me that He would "kiss my spirit and soul alive," in the coming months. We are both in need of God's restoration.
This has not been easy for Roberta either, being married to a man like me, with a prophetic calling. Yet, I am a son, living out the life God planed for me, something neither of us knew or realized when we first got married. But, God has been faithful and so has Roberta. And since moving down here I have gotten to know the Father better. It has also helped Roberta, thanks to Sheldon. Together we (will) share the life God has designed for both of us, making us one in Him.
I'm thankful that God brought Roberta into my life. Being married to her has helped fill in many of the gaps where I was lacking. She has also inspired me and has helped support the man I am, and for that I am grateful. I love her very much and I always will. She has often said, I have a strange way of showing it. And to that I agree, but covenantal love is different than human love. I am a passionate and compassionate man with strong emotional and spiritual feelings, but I will obey God whether my wife, or family and friends likes it or not. The same goes for my flesh as well. (God's approval and our relationship with Him is the most important thing, regardless of our personal feelings.) I don't enjoy hardship, but that is part of The Way, when your following Jesus. We still have so much to learn from each other and from God. I can't imagine what my life would have been without her. I pray for her daily that God would bless her and guide her. I also consider myself a very blessed man.
