Last Tweet

I was shocked this morning to learn that Andrew Breitbart, a conservative commentator and author, had passed away at the age of 43. I recently turned 30, and I found myself using a phrase I'd previously heard my father use:“That's too young.” It's a harsh reminder that each and every one of us is getting older. Each of us, whether we like to admit it or not, has an unknown “expiration date.” We are all blessed with a finite number of days on this earth. Today, Andrew Breitbart's friends, family, followers and even his enemies are remembering the life that he lived, and the impact he made in his short 43 years.

One article I read referenced his last tweet. He had apologized for calling someone a putz. I found myself wondering, what would he have said if he knew this was his last tweet? Personally, I hope for something profound and timeless, but none of us knows which tweet will be our last. Husbands, when you left for work this morning, what were your last words to your wife? To your children? Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Another translation says, “Don't say anything that would hurt another person.”

If today was your last day, how would your life be remembered? Would you be remembered as a good husband and a good father? What would people say when they reminisce about you? Make the most of every moment. Take every opportunity to build up your spouse and encourage your children. Speak life into your family. The decisions we make today, and the words that we say will resonate for eternity.

~ Cameron

Percolating Thoughts

He who finds a wife finds a good thing. (Proverbs 18:22a)

As we embark on this journey together, what better place to start than at the very beginning? Shanté and I met through our College and Career Life Group at church. At first, neither of us had any interest in anything more than friendship. (In fact, she and her sisters ignored me completely at first!) But over time, we became friends, and after many late nights drinking coffee at Tim Hortons, we became best friends.

Over the course of a summer, we fell in love. By November, we were dating. In February, I proposed. What followed was a whirlwind of wedding planning and a roller coaster ride of emotions as two lives – and two families – joined together. Through it all, we saw the hand of God in our lives.

What an amazing adventure it has been! From friends to best friends, newlyweds to parenthood, through hardship, sacrifice, and more blessings than I can count, our story continues to unfold. With each passing day, I find Proverbs 18:22 to be more and more true: I have found a wife, and I have found a good thing, and received favor from the Lord. There is no one I would rather spend the rest of my life with.

Marriage is about living life together. This will not just be a marriage blog, but a life blog. It is my desire that “Reflections of Unity” will both reflect the image of marriage that God laid out in his word, and that it will provide opportunities for reflection, to examine our marriages and make them stronger. Just as God called husband and wife to become one flesh, He wants us to be in unity with His will for our lives. He may not always lead you where you planned to go, but I promise you the results will be far better than you ever imagined.

~ Cameron

“Cameron seems like a great guy.  Too bad he’s such a geek!”  Those were the very first words I muttered to my older sisters about my future husband.  Unaware of the journey ahead, I found myself in a place of enjoying the single life-no one to answer to, no phone calls to be missed, no attachment to any one person.  I had no idea the one person who would change my life forever, was the one man I had just written off.  Wow, was I mistaken!

Don’t get me wrong, Cameron is a MAJOR geek, and proud to be! (Hence the reason, I have no hesitation in telling you so!) But what I was mistaken in had little to do with him.  It had everything to do with what God was doing in my life and in me.  The next several months were a giant whirlwind of events.  All of which cascaded into one pivotal moment-a conversation over a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s.

I’ll never forget that night.  Over the course of the summer, Cameron had become, literally, my best friend.  We had so many similarities yet just as many differences.  But how could I love my best friend? He was like a brother to me. A brother that I had never had.  Yet somehow, some way, the Lord was merging our paths.  I could feel it.  I knew, on that fateful October night in Tim Horton’s, my world was about to change, and would never be the same again.  As we sat across from one another, staring into each other’s eyes, we both knew this was it.  This was the moment we had both been praying for.  We never did drink our coffee….

Here we are, married for 3 and half years.  Instead of conversations over coffee, we find ourselves handing off dirty diapers, chasing a beautiful toddler around our 2 bedroom apartment, and crashing into bed at a time we used to deem the “beginning” of the evening.  I say all this, not to give the illusion that life is not what I expected, but rather so you may know Cameron and I are just like you and your spouse.  We may not have similar backgrounds, marriages, or even family lives. However, we are all human.  We don’t have all the answers.  But we know the one who does!!! :-) I am so excited to be going on this voyage and explore this new territory of “blogging." All the while, having my best friend by my side, going with me!  And I am so thrilled that you have joined us on this journey as we examine, very candidly, the many aspects of marriage and the bumps along the road, in the light and direction of scripture found in God’s Holy Word.  I hope you’re just as excited as we are, because this is going to get crazy!

~Shanté