12 years on...

I've posted this for the last two years (originally written in 2010), and repost it today as the 27th March is the 12th Anniversary of this event.
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It's been 10 years since the disastrous events of my honeymoon and in that time I've told this story plenty of times, but have never actually sat down to write it out. I thought that since it's now 10 years since my diagnosis I would take the time to write out what happened to my wife and me on what was supposed to be a celebration of our new marriage...
So here goes... 

Megan and I were married on the 18th March, 2000 having been together since 1994. Megan was 15 when we started going out at The Salvation Army's Music Camp and I was 17. We've been together ever since. The weather on that mid-March Saturday was a scorching 35 degrees. The men in the bridal party had been out playing golf the day before and we all got sunburnt. So I was feeling a little tired as a result, and so the night before the wedding I had gone to bed early. I remember my sister-in-law, Kate, had made the boys lunch - lasagne... yum! But strangely, I didn't eat it all. Anyone who knows me well will realise that "leftovers" is a swear word to me! Nothing get's left on my plate! Still, it was my wedding day... Everything went well. We declared our love for one another, signed the marriage register, exchanged rings and were off for our reception. Again, though, at the reception I didn't eat all of my dinner. A little strange for this to happen twice in one day, but hey it was my wedding day! This was a unique occasion...

Worshiping Well

Over the last few years I've had the privilege to watch my wife's giftings as a worship leader blossom. She is a wonderful woman of God and leads people right up to the throne of God since it's a place she knows very well. She loves to worship and she loves to lead others in worship.

Another gift I have seen her begin to use is the ability to resource other worship leaders. After a little bit of encouragement she has begun a new blog entitled "worshipingwell' to broaden her horizons and share these wonderful gifts to a wider audience. I would encourage you to bookmark this site and return to it regularly as I'm sure there'll be a lot to come that will benefit you.
http://worshipingwell.wordpress.com

Entering the Darkness of God

Today was a Retreat Day at the School for Officer Training at Booth College, with our guests for the day being Colonels Wayne and Robyn Maxwell. Robyn referred to Numbers 8:1-4 and the creation of the golden lampstands used in the tabernacle for worship. It made me think of the Most Holy Place in both the Tabernacle and later the Temple. I imagine that this would have been a very dark place, but paradoxically the place where God was symbolically “closest” to his people. I imagine the High Priest entering behind the curtain, having meticulously prepared everything required on the Day of Atonement, ready to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The sound of the bells on his linen robes gently tinkling but also letting others outside know that he was still alive (entering God’s holy presence was dangerous work). They were ready to pull on the rope attached to the High Priest’s leg if they heard the sound of his dead body crashing to the floor with a sound somewhat like an old telephone falling off the kitchen bench.