Introducing the Paul and Collette Blog

Yay for starting something new as a couple! Collette and I will be using this blog to keep our families and friend updated in a more personal and meaningful way off of social media, though you can expect links on social media to this content.

The beginning of our story goes like this. Collette will start and then I'll give a little more.

My experience in this adventure with Paul Pulsipher has been unlike any I have ever had. I ignored the first prompting I felt to fill out my dating profile on FB dating app. I have not the best opinion of dating apps. It feels like another way to be rejected or hurt. Nothing beats person to person relationships. Then in February I followed through. Trying to be brave and trust the Lord would not let me be hurt or taken advantage of as I have had experience in the past. In truth I have been called to bare a pretty heavy cross that has tested my faith and trust in a God that could ever love such a daughter as myself and have me go through what was placed upon me that no one should ever have to experience if they are a good disciple of Christ. But despite all this I have seen the hand of the Lord to rise me out of the ashes and make more out of me than I ever could on my own. So I filled out my FB dating profile and followed the spirit who I hearted and who I “X” said 'no thank you' to. Paul Pulsipher's profile touched my heart and I felt the Spirit say he was good and I was ok to press the heart, not expecting this outcome. Then he responded and were matched up. His message was upfront and forthcoming. I was stunned and a bit panicked that this stranger said yes, he wanted to meet up (in a sense ASAP). Felt so overwhelmed and unsure. I prayed about it, talked to trusted people and decided meeting in a public place was wise during the following Sat. morning. I prayed and asked angels to assist me and protect me. I had only what FB had to say about Paul Pulsipher to go on. (“What was I getting myself into?”) (Sigh). I didn’t expect to find anyone on this app. Honestly I would have rather found him at church. But we don’t attend the same ward, even if we did, not sure I would have pursued him because in the single adult wards you don’t know who is taken and who is not, it is very overwhelming and confusing. This is not the way I thought things would play out. It feels overwhelming, but good. I am grateful for the spirit and angels are assisting in this. So I can stay on the covenant path and see where God will take me. I am at his mercy. I seek for his grace and love daily.

Upon getting his request to meet up. I freaked out. Sought help from trusted friends and in prayer. In a moment with the spirit was the strongest, Lorraine his first wife came and said I could trust him. That he would see me through non-judgmental eyes. That he would see me as I am and be respectful of me. That I had nothing to fear. He was a good, kind man. He would treat me gently and respectfully. He was a man who honored the Lord with all he does. He had grown up and learned a lot during their time together before her passing.

Our first meeting, Feb 29, was us talking and sipping soda at Culvers for about an hour and a half. Conversation flowed freely as we got to know each other. As nervous as I was, it felt safe to be myself. I could tell he loved the Lord and had a testimony. That was refreshing that he didn’t put the things of the world above the Lord. Too often the guys I have gone on dates loved things over the gospel. For those men I was too “Molly Mormon” for them. With Paul Pulsipher I felt honored for my conviction in the truth of the Gospel and of Christ. His meeting for a podcast episode got moved up unexpectedly so our time was cut short. I didn’t know if it would go anywhere, but I was proud of myself for trying and being brave.

Then Wednesday night (3/11/20) he invited me over to play his roommate's VR game. After playing for a while, we got talking and we discovered that with both of us being empaths, we were able to establish a connection between each other that was unlike anything either of us had experienced before. He accepted my request to take things slow, which we both thought was going to work out fine. Little did we know that the Lord and Lorraine had other plans from the other side. We were able to discuss things in our relationship that most people don't end up getting to until near engagement very quickly because of how open and honest and safe we felt being vulnerable around each other. We kept saying “if” our relationship progressed to the temple... and then Paul felt Lorraine tell him to stop saying “if” and start saying “when”. I felt it was right as well and we were therefore able to starting talking about getting engaged and a lot of other things that need to be discussed before marriage.

Now from Paul: When we traveled down to Colorado on the weekend of the 28th of March, I was expecting simply to surprise the heck out of my parents and have them meet Collette in person. It was a wonderful visit and we had a great time with some music, she enjoyed my parents kindness and hospitality and looking at pictures of my childhood. That's where things went in a direction I didn't anticipate. There was a picture of Confluence Lake in all the photos and I realized right away that I wanted to take to see the place because of how beautiful it is there. Collette is in her element in nature so we went out on the island and gazebo where we got some time alone to talk about more matters pertaining to our future. While she was sitting up on the side railing of the gazebo and I was looking into her gorgeous eyes, the Holy Ghost gave a very quick but clear jab into my mind saying “DO IT NOW!” My first thoughts were, "wait, what?! I don't have a ring! I haven't asked her dad for permission yet!"

She saw the nearly incredulous look on my face at what I had just felt, not knowing what the matter was as I said “I need to double and triple check something”. She immediately prayed out loud that whatever the Spirit was guiding me to do, that I would have the discernment to know what to do. Her prayers feel magical to me. I felt the clarity and peace of what the Spirit was asking me to do and I searched without success for at least a placeholder since I didn't have a ring yet. I had already practiced the ASL version of what I had planned to say to her. so I decisively stepped back and began to sign what I had planned for. She gave me a confident “yes” and we had quite the special few moments just to feel the spirit of the occasion. Those trees in those pictures below were where I carved our initials, never guessing, when I was 18, that those trees and that bench as a part of my Eagle Project would play a part in Collette and I.

On Conference weekend, April 4th, in between sessions, I took her up to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon a few days after asking her father for permission to do so and did a more culturally proper proposal with the ring.

We are head-over-heals in love, she “checks all my boxes” and I “check all of hers” so it really was a match literally made in Heaven, since Lorraine and the Lord have been involved in making us happen. Both Lorraine and Collette have my heart forever and the three of us are looking forward to rocking this world with the Spirit of God like never before when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ returns.