Married in 12

Getting married in 12 days is a pretty exciting place to be in. In less than two weeks, Shannon and I will be pledging our lives to each other. But until then, there's plenty of things to do to bring us to that date!

Until Then
Before the wedding, I've got to pack up and transplant the rest of my stuff (including my computer) into our apartment, finish some work contracts, and finish some projects for church. And somewhere in there comes finishing the wedding preparations, and having one last big Xbox Night with some of the guys (if you want to come, let me know).

Their Questions
One thing I've noticed, is that people always ask Shannon and I one of two questions. Either they ask, "how's the wedding planning?", or "are you nervous?", both of which we find rather strange. As for the wedding planning, we'll be done the wedding arrangements before the day, whether we like it or not. I'm not nervous about marrying Shannon either. If I was nervous, or anxious or unsure, I wouldn't have proposed to her. And if I had any hesitation towards marriage, that would have been long since dealt with during the many months of premarital counseling. So in other words, I'm ready! I'm ready to marry Shannon, and follow the biblical meaning of marriage until death do us part.

Canon Digital Rebel

Well, you can now add me to the long list of owners of the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. Despite my previous problems with Canon, I picked up their new camera anyways. Mostly because I'm hearing everywhere that it's a fantastic camera, and a great deal. In either case, I'm going to be using it a lot, so I'll give my opinions later.

I did, however, get a fantastic package deal. I got a great quote from Henrys, and then took it over to BestBuy where they have a policy of matching any quote, as well as 10% of the difference. So I picked up the camera (with lens), an accessory kit, and an 8GB memory card. I ended up getting a good $200 or so off the price.

Another little tip, if you're looking for some lens hoods for your camera, why pay good money when you can get them for free! LensHoods.co.uk has some for every imaginable lens, that you can print out and assemble for free.

Preparing for Marriage

Mark your calendars for June 2nd!

Marriage preparations are falling a little behind: we still need to find a church to get married in. Our home church, Sequoia, is pretty transient, and meets in a highschool gym. So it's not really an option for a Saturday wedding. So if you know of any good venues in Ottawa, let me know!

But really, the most important aspect of getting ready for marriage, is going extremely well. Premarital counseling. I'd advise any couples to go through it once they're engaged. It will help you build that foundation that will hold your marriage together for the years to come.

With the help of our pastor, Rick Lamothe, we're studying Preparing for Marriage: God's Way.

Shannon and I have had our first session, and are already off to a great start. The book covers everything from interests, faith, communication, finances, to love languages, relationships and commitment.

Pastors, pick up a copy of the book, and go through it with every couple who comes to you wanting to be married.

Lord of the Ring

Shannon and I are engaged to be married!

Some of you are thinking "it's about time". But rather, it was only a matter of time.

I proposed last Monday, and since then have been running around sharing the exciting news with our families.

How I proposed:

The ring came in on Monday morning, so I hurriedly got ready and headed out of the house to prepare everything. First I had to swing by Courtney's work (Shannon's roommate) to pick up her house keys.

Racing down to the St-Laurent mall, I got the ring and some other items, and went over to her house. With about 1.5 hours before Shannon got off of work, I cleaned up a bit around the house, and looked after her puppy so she wouldn't have to worry about it when she got home.

When Shannon came home, she was surprised to find me standing there, with a dozen roses in hand. Getting down on one knee, I proposed then and there. And yes, we were both crying (even Shannon).

Over the next hour or two, we prayed for our engagement, and I gave her a long foot-massage with peppermint foot-massage oil.

Next, off to a delicious steak dinner at Montana's.

Then to see Orpheus Theater's Beauty and the Beast.

And ended the evening with a long chat at Tim Hortons over coffee.

It was a perfect romantic evening.

We're both extremely excited and happy with the start of this new stage in life. I'm really looking forward to marrying and spending the rest of my life with such a wonderful and beautiful sweetheart as Shannon.

Please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this marvelous journey of marriage!

The One Ring

Death of a Camera

My digital camera has finally had it. In fact, it never really did have it... and has always been close to joining that big heap of buggy digital gadgetry.

The Canon Powershot A70 has given me problems right from the start. While its stats were pretty decent when I bought it, it gave me a long and troubling history:

Since purchasing it from BestBuy in 2003, the camera had to be replaced twice, and repaired at least two times (that I have receipts for)... and finally broke again just yesterday... not two weeks after the service plan ended (but two weeks before it was supposed to end, according to what the manager promised me when he convinced me to buy the plan).

I've found that BestBuy's service plan, while persistent, was overpriced and of poor quality. Every time, the Canon was brought in because of purple lines across the photos... and 6 months after they 'fixed' it, the lines would appear again.
So it looks like I'm now without a camera... at least until I can afford a new one... so much for updating my Flickr account.

Cricket

Yesterday morning, at setup before Sequoia's church service, we encountered a very loud and annoying cricket hiding in the back of the gym where the services are held. We felt that it would have been rather inappropriate to have a cricket chirping during Pastor Rick's sermon, and I planned to remedy the situation.

So, I proceeded to hunt down and enthusiastically chase the insect around the back of the room. After a few moments, I succeeded in my quest of annihilating the creature. Returning triumphantly from squishing the bug, I was heralded by calls of Sir Will, Cricketsbane.

Stall Unstall

That was quite the weekend. We were in Ancaster for a business convention, and stayed behind until about midnight to help pack things up. By the time we went out to the car, it was just past midnight. Turned the key, and nothing happened! The family van has stalled! We called a few friends, and a couple of them even drove back to help us out... we tried boosting the battery, and every other trick we could think of.

So we ended up having to stay in a hotel in Hamilton overnight, after driving for another hour to find a free hotel... since all the ones in the area were booked solid with the Canadian Open golf tournament.

Woke up, and took a taxi out to the car. We sat in there praying that God would look after us... turned the key... and it started!

We then proceeded with rushing home while the engine held out, and arrived back in Ottawa around 4ish pm.

Taking Care

It's been a pretty crazy week... starting with a very long, and very lavish Chinese wedding last Saturday. Shannon and I enjoyed the 10-course meal they served, and then took off at 7am the next morning to go pick up her baby puppy just past Toronto.

We got the dog, and embarked on the adventure of taking him home. And what an adventure it was! The trip took far too long, with frequent stops at rest stations to let the puppy relieve himself (and even then, he messed his cage).

But when we got back to Ottawa, Shannon became sick! I went over there on Monday to look after her and her puppy.

She went to work yesterday, but the sickness came back in the evening, and continued throughout today, keeping her at home.

I hope she's feeling better tomorrow! Being sick really sucks. At least she has me to take care of her ;)

Finite Flickr

I've finally gotten around to getting an account at Flickr. After all, it's the biggest and most successful photo-sharing community around.

It's fast, it's easy, and it has all sorts of tools... like being able to upload directly from your computer or cellphone... or putting a script on your website to display your Flickr photos.

My only complaint, is that they limit free accounts to only 3 photo albums! My photo organizer on my computer has dozens of albums, so how am I supposed to narrow that down to 3? I've more or less decided on Things I See, Things I Love, and Things I Make.

Luckily, Flickr's pro account is only $25 a year, and upgrades this to allow many more features.

Moving Her Here

So, I'm in Chatham right now, helping my gal pack up the rest of her stuff, load it into a truck, and move it on down to Ottawa! She's already found herself a great job, a great apartment, and a great roommate... she's all set.

It will be really great having her live so close too. I'll no longer have to travel for 9 hours just to see my sweetheart! It's definitely a huge step in our relationship, and it allows us to get to know each other on a more regular and realistic level. I'm looking forward to building our relationship even further.

One Wonderful Week(ish)

Wow that was quite a busy week. I was rushing to master the TV series, and get my proposals done for a contract I'm working on. But through all that, I managed to spend a whole bunch of time with Shannon, who was in town visiting.

It was a very productive week for her too! She secured a new job, and a second one, and an apartment, and a roommate.

Not to mention we had a fantastic weekend together. Full of romance, excitement, praising God, and spending time with friends and family. We even took off to Niagara Falls with the family.

It's going to be great having her living here in Ottawa! She's a wonderful sweetheart, with a great passion for Jesus, and I love every moment I spend with her.

When Love Comes to Town

Less than a day from now, my sweetheart, Shannon, is coming to town!

She's here on vacation for over a week. Not only that, but she'll be attending an interview, and looking for an apartment here in town. Please pray that these details will work out. With God's help, they always will.

God has really blessed our relationship so much. I'm looking forward to spending time with her. Getting to know her better, and experiencing life together.

Of course, sometimes we have our challenges; we are different people. But we share our values, faith, and love... and those have always helped us to grow stronger in our relationship.

Those of you who have known me for any length of time, know that I'm serious about leading a God-glorifying relationship with Shannon. Lately I've been reading an interesting book on the matter: "Boundaries in Dating".

hmm, I could write a whole blog on dating and relationships *lol* complete with numerous book recommendations.

God Provides

Wow, God is aware of your needs, and if you have faith in Him, He will never fail to provide. Matthew 6:25-34.

For years, Shannon has had to move around because of school... and each and every time, she's trusted God to help her find an apartment, or a new church, or a job... and God has always provided.

And yesterday afternoon... Jesus did it again. Shannon received an amazing job offer, far above the dreams and expectations we've been praying for. When Jesus provides... HE PROVIDES. With Style. There can be no mistake that something this amazing came from any other source than God.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Back in Town

It's been a couple of weeks, but I'm more or less back in town. (less, until Sunday)

The family started off with a trip down to Florida for a business conference, and then spent the next week traveling around. It was pretty cold, so we unfortunately didn't get much time at the beach. We did go by Gettysburg though, and saw some cool old Civil War stuff.

Then as soon as we got back, I took off for a 9-hour train ride to spent Easter weekend with my girlfriend. It was a loooong ride, but Shannon's more than worth it. I would go a whole lot further than that to see her.

We had a fantastic weekend together, and I even survived meeting her parents!

Over the last couple of days, we went through a pretty interesting time together. It was a little confusing, and some tears were shed, but we ended up redefining our boundaries in the relationship for a more God-pleasing romance. Some of it were things like making sure we have a little time apart each day to spend reading our bibles and praying, even if we've traveled great distances to be together. She'll probably be formally writing about it.

In the end, we've come out stronger than ever... in a deep romance that Jesus is blessing more than we could have imagined.

Counsel Together

When I look closely, I find that many of the wisest and most inspiring counselors I know of, work very closely with their wives. Knowing how to counsel people on your own is great as it is... but think of doing it as a couple. You have twice as much knowledge and wisdom to draw from, and two totally different outlooks on the subject that your counseling on. And most importantly, a good couple often knows what each other are thinking, or where they're headed with their advice.

Just take a look at some of these christian counselors that I've learned from in life. (I only know a few of them personally)

John & Stasi Eldredge... wrote Wild at Heart, and Captivating, and are a constant source of insight and encouragement to many many people.

Dr. James & Mrs. Shirley Dobson... founded and lead the Focus on the Family organization, which has done fantastic things to promote healthy families.

Bill & Creely Wilson... founded Brentwood Baptist Church, now thousands strong, and an active and vibrant church community.

David & Norma-Jean Mainse... founded CTS TV and 100 Huntley Street.

Dr George & Marian Bryniawsky... have been close friends and mentors to my family for years.

Rick & Donna Lamothe... pastor and founders of Sequoia Community Church, and close friends of the family.

It really looks like the greatest and most influencial and life-changing couples work together as a team. And when seeing that, I am so amazingly thrilled at the prospect of changing peoples lives with the help of Shannon. She is already very wise, a strong christian, and a great counselor, and we recently had a chance to counsel someone as a team... to amazing results.

Family News

As you may know, my mom has been fighting cancer for the last year. The cancer had progressed really far, and when they started, it was going to be an extremely difficult case. Here we are, a year later, and after every treatment imaginable... major surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, dieting, vitamins, and holistic medicine.

None of it would have made a difference if it wasn't for the faith of my mom and the family. With lots of earnest prayer and faith, God made all sorts of miracles happen. Right from the start, mom went in with a positive attitude, and love for Jesus in her heart. She recovered from the surgery at a miraculous rate... the radiation and chemotherapy hardly had any side-effects... and despite would-be crippling cancer, she was active and alive.

Today, she got the results from her final CT scan now that her treatments are over.

And she is healed! They haven't found a single trace of cancer in her! God is amazing, and the test results were the final confirmation of his having healed her. Even the doctors were amazed.

Everyone, thank you for your love and prayers over this past year.

Crossing the Distance

Bridging the gap in a long-distance relationship is always difficult thing. Chances are, you probably only get to see your girlfriend once a month... so what do you do in the meantime?

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder" is a load of crap. But thanks to modern technology, there's many ways for you to interact with your significant other... even though you may be miles apart.

The key to success in any relationship is communication. So be sure to make lots of use telephones, email, and instant messaging. The tech-savvy are one-up in this area. Try chatting with a webcam, which allows you to see the person directly. Even use of VoIP can save you a whole lot of money on phone calls in the long run. Perhaps even write a blog together?

Or for the truly insane, there's a plethora of new products out there (most of which are totally creepy, unless that's your thing).

• Cups that alert you when your partner is drinking from their own.
• Pillows that light up with instant messages.
• Shirts that create pressure and warmth when the other one is hugged.
• Robotic pillows that will allow you to actually hug each other (reallllly creepy)
  

Traveling is the only true way to cross the distance. So get on those trains, plains, and automobiles, and get over there to see her first-hand. Shop around on the web to find the best prices.

Maintaining a long-distance relationship is entirely possible. With enough devotion, determination, faith, and a long-term plan to permanently bridge the distance, you are bound successful.

Growing Relationship

Getting into a romantic relationship can be a scary prospect for some people. There is a lot of responsibility and vulnerability involved as you venture deeper into each others lives.

Strive.

Men, we need to set the example as the spiritual leader in our families and relationships. It is our duty to ensure that our wife/girlfriend/children grow strong in faith and wisdom.

Here's a couple of ideas to get you started:

• Pray together
  
• Read the bible together
• Do devotionals together
• Share thoughts, inspirations, and revelations
• Blog/journal together

A relationship that's centered on Jesus is truly a wonderful thing. It will really draw you closer together, and prepare you for the life ahead of you.

And trust me, a great woman will love you all the more for it.

Family Resolutions

New years day, the family got together to do our yearly planning, goal setting, and resolutions.
I definately suggest that all families should do this together with their children.

We put together a whole list of categories, and went around placing personal, and family goals in each section. Ranging from financial, business, and investments, to spiritual, intellectual, and physical.

For some examples, here's a few of my personal goals... to give you ideas, and so you can help keep me accountable!

• practicing my kendo twice a week
• use my camera frequently to practice my photography skills
• read my bible daily, and at least a half-hour of other reading
• blog and/or journal on a regular basis

Just cause it's a week after new years, doesn't mean it's too late to make resolutions. We should always be growing, improving, and setting higher goals for ourselves.