Birthday Musings...

There was a time when I thought my life would be all together at the age of 25. Well here I am, almost a decade later, on my birthday, and I am laughing at how things have turned out. One can honestly try to predict what the future may hold but diverting from pre-conceived ideas is not necessarily a bad thing.

Due to work schedules Tess and I won’t be able to celebrate my birthday in person today. But we plan to a bit of this coming weekend. She did give me a call around lunch time to wish me well which was really nice. I miss her.

Instead Mom, Dad, and I did lunch at the Red Deer Buffet and I had my fill of standard Chinese food. Yum. I have to admit that the oatmeal raisin cookies they serve there are really quite good. I think that it is a mission of mine to identify all the places that serve the best oatmeal raisin cookies. I love ‘em.

No birthday cake this year but while window shopping in Bower mall this afternoon I had myself a Cinnaroll to mark the occasion. Again, yum!

No real presents to speak of but my mom pointed out, as my Dad and I stopped by RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) to deposit some money, that Tess and I should be proud that we paid off our wedding with little to no assistance form outside sources. I hadn’t thought about it but she was right and I do feel good about that.

This past year has been full of change. Although truly tough at times, I am glad to report that it has all been good in the end! Now I feel the winds of change blowing again and I think I’m very excited about that. Tess and I have plans and I think they are good plans.

We pray every night that we are led in the right direction and that we fulfill God’s purpose in each of our lives as well as our lives as a couple. Friends, family, and one to love for the rest of my life. What more could a guy ask for on his birthday?

I Surrender All...

Tess and I are still very much overwhelmed by the love that we received from so many people at our wedding. It amazes me that my wife is loved by so many people and we can only hope that we can return the love somehow!

The wedding is a beginning. No matter how special and it was, it still is just that… A beginning. As we look forward to the future, things seem a bit overwhelming. But I think we have bolstered by the tremendous support that our loved ones have given us and also the blessing that God has poured out on us.

I have been thinking about legacy and purpose over the months that I have been here in Alberta especially as it pertains to my family. I know now that any true meaning that my father gained out of his existence was because of dedication to a life of service to God.

I have shared this with my wife and she has thrown her support behind me. In fact her excitement over the prospects of such a focus has encouraged me. I will leave things at that for now, and let events unfold in their proper time.

On the Sabbath evening before our wedding my sister, Addison and I snuck up to the Alberta Conference offices and held an impromptu rehearsal to put together a short version of the song “I Surrender All”. In about an hour we had a sweet little version set up with Addison doing the lead in vocals and me holding up the tail end with a sax solo.




The song has significance to Tess and I because early on in our relationship we made it our theme song. While at that time we jokingly said that the reason was that we were learning how to surrender to each other as a couple, there is now a return to the original connotation of surrendering all to God.


Tess had no idea that we were going to perform the song. Hence the tears. I too choked up myself. It is now probably the most memorable moment for me in our entire wedding.

We can only move forward in life and I do so, my wife at my side, and hope in my heart.