You Asked And He Answered ~ Part One

A few days ago I invited you to ask my husband anything and you sure did!

You're a nosy bunch, did you know that?

Just kidding ;-)

I loved that you had so many questions for him and he couldn't wait to answer them. But because there were so many, he's going to break it down into different posts.

And without further ado...

~ Part One ~

Dawn from Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy : Ian seems to be so strong in his faith...how do you keep the faith in really hard times?

LOVE this question – I actually get asked this a lot and to be honest, the answer has always seemed so apparent to me. I keep my faith during the really hard times (and those have happened, believe me… in the extreme!) because I learned from an amazing teacher years ago that it’s the hard times that define your faith. I mean, think of it, a flashlight shining in the daytime doesn’t distinguish itself, but the light that shines in the darkness is the one that people are drawn to. Scripturally, this lesson is best revealed in 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 by Paul, who many people are not aware suffered from a very painful eye disease. He had been so blessed by his salvation on the road to Damascus but that, along with his inherent prideful personality, also tempted him to become arrogant time and again, so he learned to recognize this hardship as a blessing, a way of maintaining his daily reliance on Christ which was his true source of strength. Because I think it’s important, I’ll share that passage here…

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Note that Paul says he was “given” a thorn, not “cursed with”…. because he understood that because of our own weaknesses and egos, it’s the hardships and difficulties that bring us closer to God. Accordingly, our own “understanding” and pride is the main source of division and distance from our Father. I could go on much longer about this topic, it’s probably the one that closest to my heart, but I’ll leave it there for now. If you want to know more, I'm open to discussing.

Now since I was so long-winded with that question, I’ll knock off a few quick ones to offer some relief….


Thanks Dawn!

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Abby from Murdock's Mama asked:

What do you do for a living?

Office job – Executive Assistant and Corporate Trainer

Part Time Job – Professional Magician, former clown, Cookie Monster, and Barney the dinosaur (shudder!)

24/7 Job - Dad, lucky husband to Kate

Do you do anything to annoy Kate on purpose? [Be honest! :]

Absolutely, many things… because (referring to my first answer) I understand that I am Kate’s thorn, in place to keep her sense of humour (humor for you Yankees), patience, and silliness in good health.

What kind of vehicles do you own?

One van (very used), 3 bikes, 1 tricycle, one horse-sized dog (not yet strong enough to travel to MN... sorry)

If you could move anywhere...where would you go?

North or South Carolina

Do you like M&M's as much as Kate? Which ones are your favorite?

Nope, not a fan of M&M’s cause as Kate always says, I’m a Smartie… or was that smarta$$

Thanks Abby!

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CrayonWrangler from Coloring Outside The Lines asked:

What does Kate's hair look like in the morning?

Amazingly, phenomenally, perfect. It has never been lost on me that I have been incredibly blessed with a wife that wakes up every morning looking stunning. Favourite thing to wake up to.

What is the first adjective that comes to your mind when you think of your marriage?

“Worthwhile”

What is your favorite food?

Ribs (made by me) covered in Tony Roma’s sauce

Other than her HAWTNESS, what made you fall in love with Kate?

Kate was my playground (at least, that was my original answer, but I have been told that all you lovely ladies will be plagued with despicable thoughts re: that description so I will be elaborate). I loved that Kate and I were playmates (wait, that may not be any better...). OK.... by example, we went on picnics to feed squirrels and sat by the water drinking a mini-bottle of champagne. We snuck into movies. We laughed, baked, cuddled, went for impulsive drives to Niagara Falls. We caused psychological damage to teenagers in a wax museum of famous criminals. (imagine me pretending to be a wax statue in a staged electrical chair and then suddenly coming to life as two teenage girls examined the "life-like" dummy.) Together, we were silly, mischievous, daring, passionate, fun-loving, impulsive. Like children running around slides and swings, we ran around the climbing equipment of our life. Or as I originally put it, Kate was my playground.

Thanks CrayonWrangler!

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Thanks for playing along, Ian :-) Can't wait for Part 2.