May 26
I married my best friend…
I had no idea what I was getting in too…
I thought I understood love…
I tried not to cry…
I cried…
I began to see a glimpse of God’s love for us…
I saw why marriage is something God loves
3 years ago…I married Hailey Solena Trachsel…life has NEVER been the same since, and I’m glad!
Popularity: 52% [?]
May 9
I have loved my mom for as long as I can remember. She’s a great example of what it means to put others first and to (no matter the cost) push for excellence in everything…every time. Mother’s are one of the best inventions ever. Think about it. As least for me, my mom has loved me, cared for me, fed me, cleaned up after me and most of all, made sure my dad didn’t pull crap like this:
Mother’s Day is great. BUT today was the first mother’s day that I not only could celebrate my Mom, but also by honouring my baby’s mamma. My wife has 2 excellent role models her my mother and my mother-in-law and I thank God for giving me such a great wife who is a fantastic mother.
So to all you mother’s out there. And if you have a mom (which you probably do) shame on you for reading my blog on her special day.
Popularity: 63% [?]
Apr 21
After some discussion with some friends, I have decided to start the process of shifting the focus of my blog.
At its inception, my blog was about my life…engaged then married…in university then starting work…no kids…then kids. My wife’s blog (which is not getting more daily hit then mine b/c she’s smarter, prettier and just generally better than me) focuses on our family, our life and everything in between.
In years past, I’ve walked the line between full-time ministry (still hate that term) and working in the corporate world. That said, after much consideration, I have decided to change the focus of this blog. What am I going to talk about? Well…there’s not way I could possibly answer that now, as I am sure a year from now I’d be way off! BUT, I can say this: the blog is going to focus on my life, but more in what I am learning and the stuff that I deal with on a regular basis. Some of the topics I really want to dive into include: “Being Young.” I get asked to often about what it’s like to Be so young and: Married, Have a Kid, Own a Business, etc. My first response is always “Not easily,” giving God the glory for what He has done and continues to do in my life. Pride is a tough thing when your young. The world says “conquer me…then brag about it,” but God’s world says “die to self, live for eternity.” WOW, is that not contradictory! That said, I’m going to kick off the “new focus” with a series called “Being Young” in which I’m going to dive into different areas that I have experienced and what I have learned as a result (both the easy and hard way).
I hope that this new focus will better help me to get into words the lessons I learn daily, and hit the world of blogging from the perspective of a young entrepreneur that also loves Christ.
Popularity: 80% [?]
Apr 12
The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
I saw this on THIS GUY’S blog. Like him, I’ve watched it 3 times now…and cried…3 times. “God is still God, God is still Good.”
Popularity: 87% [?]
Mar 2
The more days/months/years I get under my belt…the more I realize 2 things.
1) I know nothing. It funny how as you get older you realize not only how little you know, but how foolish you were. I had lunch a few weeks back with a good friend, and we talked about that exact thing…how “in our youth” we often count ourselves so much more highly than we ought AND take for granted the wealth of knowledge from those around us.
2) Life is getting busier. I remember years past when the most challenging thing on my “post-work agenda” was whether to play Madden or rock the DVR…not so today. Between growing responsabilies and work and @ home…life is definitely NOT slowing down.
So. Why do I write this? Well the first inclination might be that I haven’t blogged for 20 days, and unlike blogging rockstars like THIS GUY I have…well…left something to be desired…
But more than that…I find myself circling the wagons a little lately. I had a LONG conversation last night with a guy in my small group about the calling of a man to 1st be a good disciple 2nd be a good husband/father and 3rd be a good worker/employee/etc. God doesn’t need your 41st hour @ work. He doesn’t need the 3rd garage in your house or the new surround-sound speaker system…you know what though….He does ASK you to give ALL that you have and follow Him.
As life gets busier…compromising gets easier. Prayer for PS3…Devotions for David Letterman…it’s not that far a jump. Within a matter of days a slip becomes routine and then your “down and out.” One of the disciplines I’ve been pursuing lately is substituting good things for GODLY things. T.V isn’t bad…neither is PS3…but you know what is more that “not bad”….JESUS CHRIST. I want to love Him, live for Him, serve Him, follow Him and Lead people to Him whenever I can…and unfortunately…”busy” is in the way.
So why do I write this? I clearly DON’T have it figured out…
Well, that’s the point. No one does. I’m just a dude trying to live for the only thing worth living for. I get in my own way sometimes, but the Lord is gracious and leads me back to where I know I ought to be.
Thank-you Jesus.
Popularity: 67% [?]
Feb 3
Suffering is a topic that is seldom discussed but always talked about. Meaning: Lots of people talk about suffering…give verses on suffering…tell you how sorry they are about suffering…BUT rarely do we hear from people IN suffering ABOUT their suffering.
For those of you that know me well, you know that my Grandma (or Nana as I call her) has ALS or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” My Nana is an amazing woman.
<==Here is a picture of her holding Stella right after she was born. Go check out her blog HERE. God continues to be glorified in and through her and although she cannot talk, her heart speaks volumes to the grace and faithfulness of the Lord. Last week I had the opportunity to visit with her and I continue to be amazed at how she “suffers well.”
I read an article about the recent happenings in the life of Matt Chandler and his family. Matt is the Teaching Pastor @ The Village Church, and is definitely a well-known teacher and leader within the Evangelical Church. Check out this quote from the article…
“Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.”
It makes me truly wonder how anyone…apart from God can “suffer well.” The overwhelming peace it Matt’s responses…the unexplainable joy in the face of my Nana…it comes from Jesus…nothing else. The craziest and most convicting part for me is this:
When I’m having a crappy day. When someone yells at me. When I’m feeling “off.” Praising God is not easy. How much MORE difficult is it to praise him when my life is REALLY off the tracks. The token question that naysayer’s always go to is “Why do bad things happen to good people..?” I understand now more than ever before. It’s not as much about God letting the bad things happen, but rather what He does in and through the “good people.”
Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Whether it’s the depravity in Haiti, a terminal illness, or just a bad say…STILL I will praise the Lord. God remind me of that truth when I forget.
Popularity: 88% [?]
Jan 4
The answer…Hong Kong! I am here for the annual Hong Kong Toy Fair. After a 15 hour flight, I have arrived. The time change is 13 hours difference (so 8am in Toronto is 9pm in Hong Kong).
So as I write this blog, my friends and family are preparing to get their Monday morning going and I am going to bed…Monday night. Just for fun, I checked to see if Monday Night Football was one and unfortunately even MNF is bound by timezones…
I am excited for the stuff I’ll learn and new experiences I will have but DEFINATELY miss my wife and daughter. It’s a weird feeling being this far away. For sure one that forces me to remind myself that I am not in control and that God is soverign.
Pray for me as I adjust to the time change and struggle with missing life in Toronto..
Popularity: 68% [?]
Dec 23
One of my good friends came down to visit me yesterday and today. Travis is a gifted song writer and a loves people and ministry in a way that I could only pray that I might one day.
It was so cool to see him spend time with Stella and have some time with him last night around the dinner table. In addition to being a song writer, Travis attends and teaches at Liberty University in Lynchburg, and leads and serves on various ministry teams there.
Time with Travis is anything but predictable. He’s always talking about his adventures and what God is doing in his life. If you haven’t checked out his music yet, go HERE for the link to a song he wrote that was used as the title track on Charles Billingsley’s latest album. I’ve also posted below a video shot of him conducting the choir at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg to his song, “God of the Ages.” I know the first time (and everytime since) God has stirred in my heart a passionate time of personal worship. Travis is one of the most genuine people I know, and I am thankful for his heart for the Lord and his friendship. God is using this man and I am humbled that he calls me a friend. Praise the Lord for the things He does in our lives and the ministry that He does in and through us!
When Uncle Trav comes to visit…anything can happen!
Popularity: 58% [?]
Dec 1
A line I have heard too often over the past few weeks. So here’s a long update on November (or Movember as some have called it). Here’s a rundown….
1) I got REALLY Sick – ….yes…it was H1N1…and then an pneumonia. I was off work for 2 weeks…it was crazy brutal, Praise the Lord that I’m better…
2) New Job – As of the beginning of November, I started working for a Toy Manufactering company called “Tech4Kids.” I am working on a bunch of different fronts there, but spend most of my time working in North American sales. I still spend 2 days a week working with my dad HERE, but spend most of my time over @ Tech4Kids. It’s a HUGE learning curve and definately a different pace, but it’s for sure fun!
3) Stella – She’s now 6 months…she’s almost crawling…I love her a lot.
4) Church – Hailey and I have really jumped 2 feet into Harvest Oakville this fall. Being back in Oakville has been great. Although we miss a lot of the people in Markham, we are very thankful for our church family @ Harvest Oakville, and have been so blessed by the ministry there!
So there’s a quick run-down of “what’s up.” For those of you that follow me on twitter, I’ve been tweeting up a storm, so most of this stuff is “old news.” That said, with the switch to the new company, I had to go back to Blackberry from my Iphone (HUGE Boo-Urns!) So twittering on “crackberry” is not as sweet as Iphone.
Update Over.
Popularity: 56% [?]
Oct 12
My time in Dallas was different than I expected. I left knowing that I would struggle with being away (missing Hailey and Stella, etc.), but expected that with the craziness of work, I would be able to keep busy enough to get through….well….it was tougher than I thought. I found every spare moment my heart would travel home and would then leave me distracted.
I’m sure that “leaving” becomes more manageable as you do it more, but never (hopefully) becomes easier.
All that said, my time in Dallas was great. Here’s a couple pics from my time there…
The “Old” Texas Stadium from the freeway
And last but not least…1 of 4 Delorean’s used in Back the Future…it was…SWEEET! 
It was a great trip. Met a lot of great people, ate a lot of great food…Go Cowboys!
Popularity: 86% [?]
