God, the Provider of all Things Good

Sorry I haven’t been blogging much lately. Work has been busy as we’ve been short-staffed with vacations so I haven’ had much time to blog from work. And, Catherine and I have been very busy the past few weeks with several events gone and arriving in the near future. But, it seems that all of these events have or will have come to show me how perpetually good God is to me/us. It’s great how God uses celebrations, friends, events, and smiles to show his His inherent goodness, compassion, joy and love for our lives.

June 15th – this was Noah’s first day with his new babysitter. Noah’s old sitters were moving and had planned to spend the summer together so this put us in a mad-dash to find an alternate place for Noah. Though we had a few options, we found a great sitter named Stephanie who came with a great reputation from a friend of a friend. Noah has been enjoying his time there and has a few play-mates close to his age. God answered our prayers and found a suitable daycare provider for Noah and we feel blessed to have someone put so much effort into caring for our pride and joy.

June 26th - our landlord allowed us to put a new shower in our bathroom. Although cleanliness was not possible for 24 hours or so as the caulking died from the installation of our new 3-piece shower cap, we are now without moldy, dirty, 30-year old tiles and rusty fixtures. We were scared that the mold from the tiles & walls would somehow affect Noah during his bi-nightly bath time. So, luckily, our landlord more than welcomed the new shower and within 2 weeks we had it all cleaned up. I believe this was a small token of God’s appreciation for Catherine and I being so patient with buying our own home. We’ve been discussing buying our first home for a few weeks, but it seems that we’re just not quite financially there yet. Although we’re not necessarily happy with our current shelter, replacing the shower was definitely the biggest issue we had with staying there. But, now that it’s taken care of, we’re just a tiny bit more comfortable with the circumstance. Now onto removing the carpet…

June 30th - we celebrated my 26th birthday with a trip to Crystal Palace (took Noah on some rides), dinner at my favorite restaurant (MexiCali Rosa’s), had a BBQ with the guys in the band for supper, and capped the night off by scarfing down a DQ cake with Greg and Reanne at our house. It was nice to have a relaxing day (despite the rain) hanging out with friends, having good food, and spending a day with Catherine and Noah. I thank God for everything he provides me with. Good friends, good food, good health, a son with a million dollar smile that makes me smile even bigger, and a wife who loves me unconditionally. As a gift, Catherine got us tickets for the Halifax Rock Fest with Chickenfoot, Finger 11, Our Lady Peace, and Sloan as we as a hotel room to crash at for the night. Can’t wait.

July 2nd - Catherine and I had a romantic dinner for our 4th wedding anniversary atLe Chateau a Pape and went to movie which was funny funny funny. I’ve been so blessed to have Catherine in my life and things only get better with age. I love her so much and she’s crazy good to me. The last 4 years have had many ups and downs, but I couldn’t be more in love with a best friend. I’m sappy.

July 11th – although I, admittedly, am not a big fan of Paul McCartney (or the Beatles for that matter), I absolutely recognize Paul’s (and the Beatles’) epic role and contribution and pop & rock music. So, I’m going to see Paul McCartney play at the Halifax Commons this Saturday with a friend from Calgary (who I’ve previously mentioned in this blog). I can safely say I may be more excited to see Brendan than I am McCartney, but I’m also keeping my expectations low so musical legend Sir Paul can rock my socks off. I can’t wait. I thank God for long-lasting friendships. Even though I haven’t seen Brendan in over 4 years and thousands of kilometers separate us, God still binds us together through our love of music and using our gifts to glorify God. Brendan is an uber-talented keyboard player and musician and although I don’t get to steal him for a Sunday morning to play at church, I’m glad just to spend 28 hours with him and I’m sure we’ll enjoy every minute together.

July 18th – Catherine’s sister, Angela, is getting married and I get to host the bachelor party on the 16th for her fiancé, Josh, and his brother/buddies from Calgary. Not only am I excited for an evening of paintball and the pub, but I’m excited to have a brother-in-law. Not just because he’s a great guy (loves the Lord), but because he’s a die-hard Flames fan. What else could anyone ask for? I’ve been asked to provide all the music for the wedding (I’m just playing/arranging, not singing) which is fun, but I’m also looking forward to the time with family and friends. I’m glad that God has found someone for Angela and that Joshua and I get along so well. I pray God will bless them in their marriage and continue to help them grow in Him as they seek His purpose for their lives together.

So, even though I’m not where I want to be musically or maybe even spiritually, God is still working in my life, in the lives of others around me, and is still blessing me and using me despite of me. That’s how good God is. He loves us no matter who we are or what we do. He continues to bless us in our impatience, our bad attitudes, and in disobedience. God’s compassion and love for us makes me want to love and serve him even more than I already do.

I encourage you to look at the things that surround your life and thank God for them. Whether its something as small as a new shower wall or something as big as the smile of a child, God is all around you and is blessing you. That’s a great thing. Do not take for granted the things you are provided with on a daily basis. No matter how dirty, moldy, broken, shoddy, shiny, grumpy, or exuberant it is, thank God for it. He is our Jehovah-Jirah, our provider of all things good.