My parents thought long and hard about what to name me. My maiden name is kind of unusual in the U.S., and they wanted a first name that would sound professional with my last name in case it was ever written across an office door. They settled on Kimberly. Little did they know they would have a daughter with no ambition to take over a company, but it was a nice thought anyway. And definitely better than Daisy, which apparently was also on the list. Fortunately for me, they settled for naming our first dog Daisy instead of me. When it came to choosing my middle name, they opted to pass down my mom's middle name--Joan. Beyond the family connection, I appreciate the name Joan because it reminds me of Joan of Arc. She was a strong woman of faith, and I like to think I have that in common with her.

While my faith is an inherent part of who I am, I am not what most people would consider the "typical" Christian anymore than I am what most people would consider the "typical" woman. I go to church weekly, participate in Bible study groups, and read the Bible daily. Other than these activities, I am far more radical than most believers (or at least most vocal believers). I vote for candidates based on the issues they support rather than the faith they purport to hold. I am anti-death penalty, anti-gun, and anti-hate. I love animals and loathe child abusers. I believe that we should do everything we can to protect innocence and to take an active role in educating ourselves and our posterity. I believe that we are also called to take an active a role in developing and nurturing our relationship with God just as we are to do in developing and nurturing our relationship with other people.

This site was given to me as a gift from one of my most cherished friends. The name, Kimimela, is a Native American word that means "butterfly." Butterflies are symbollic of transformed lives. They are beautiful, delicate, and, in some cases, rare. Like the transcience of a butterfly's life, our words often pass through the air without ever landing. This site is a concrete outlet for me to (hopefully) use words for God's glory and to share my insight into life in the process. I welcome feedback, and I'm interested in hearing from other Christians who are shining some light in the otherwise dark land of Cyberspace. As all of us are to some degree, I am on a quest for a stronger grasp of the truth within the often miry and ever fallen world in which we have each been placed with a definite and unique, though not always obvious, purpose.