happy day, my dear
happy birthday, my dear.
28 years have been lived, 9 of them with me knowing you.
more than all, you’ve added to my life.
to others, you always bring laughter. joy. faith.
in 28 short years, your fragile bones and weakness have changed lives, been seen by more than a million and have drawn eyes to see that you live for something bigger than yourself.
you’re not reminded enough, that no one has shown me God more than you, has changed my life more than you, has driven me more crazy than you. in the good, and the bad.
your 28 years are indescribably valuable.
your life has indescribable worth.
happy birthday, my dear. i’m glad we enter year 29 together.
love,
your wifey
Trace Paniagua
April 16, 2014 at 1:09 pm
This is lovely. Happy birthday, Ian. God bless you both abundantly.
Christy
April 16, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Happy Birthday Ian! God bless you on this day and may you see many more miraculous milestones in your life this year.
Christy, Texas
Astrid Strunk
April 16, 2014 at 9:09 pm
Happy Birthday, Ian! Thank you for sharing your life. You are an encouragement in faith and commitment to the Lord to me. I have been reading this blog backwards recently and on some days it feels like reading a devotional. I can grasp the meaning of God’s sovereignty better through the both of you. Looking forward to reading your book and continuing in prayer for you! Love, Astrid (from Germany)
Astrid Strunk
April 16, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Sorry for asking so stupidly, but I thought you were 29? (Please don’t publish this silly question). I guess you will know better. 🙂
Astrid Strunk
April 16, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Sorry for asking so stupidly, but I thought you were 29?
cynthia
April 26, 2014 at 2:21 am
Happy Birthday Ian!!!!
Emily
April 26, 2014 at 3:39 pm
This made my heart so happy! He looks so well! I’m still praying for you both.
Elise Nzoupet
May 10, 2014 at 5:49 pm
I am in awe and so inspired by your testimony of love and faith in God. Though you face many heart-wrenching trials every day you are so fortunate to share such a deep love, care, and respect for each other. I came across your story online when I was doing a search on unconditional love. I was seeking for God to reveal to me how I should respond to a prodigal spouse who had been unfaithful to me and had abandoned his family in order to chase after his own selfish dreams and ambitions. I know that marriage is a covenant for life, meant to reflect Christ’s covenant with His Church, which is unbreakable regardless of His people’s flaws and shortcomings; however, sometimes the wounds of betrayal and rejection from a spouse who no longer loves me, and the memories of ill treatment in the past, threaten to blind me to God’s will that I continue demonstrating unconditional love to the very person who has hurt me most. I am truly encouraged by your story that reflects such a resolve to remain committed to each other even when things become so extremely difficult and your suffering is relentless. It inspires me to never give up on my husband who has been blinded by the enemy and fallen into his trap of lies and deceptions. With God, all things are possible and in Him there is always hope of healing and restoration. That is precisely what He came to the earth to reveal to mankind. I am praying for the two of you. Pray for me and my family as well. We are all together in this glorious family of God!
Elise Nzoupet
May 10, 2014 at 5:52 pm
I am in awe and so inspired by your testimony of love and faith in God. Though you face many heart-wrenching trials every day you are so fortunate to share such a deep love, care, and respect for each other. I came across your story online when I was doing a search on unconditional love. I was seeking for God to reveal to me how I should respond to a prodigal spouse who had been unfaithful to me and had abandoned his family in order to chase after his own selfish dreams and ambitions. I know that marriage is a covenant for life, meant to reflect Christ’s covenant with His Church, which is unbreakable regardless of His people’s flaws and shortcomings; however, sometimes the wounds of betrayal and rejection from a spouse who no longer loves me, and the memories of ill treatment in the past, threaten to blind me to God’s will that I continue demonstrating unconditional love to the very person who has hurt me most. I am truly encouraged by your story that reflects such a resolve to remain committed to each other even when things become so extremely difficult and your suffering is relentless. It inspires me to never give up on my husband who has been blinded by the enemy and fallen into his trap of lies and deceptions. With God, all things are possible and in Him there is always hope of healing and restoration. That is precisely what He came to the earth to reveal to mankind. I am praying for the two of you. Pray for me and my family as well. We are all together in this glorious family of God!
Elise Nzoupet
May 12, 2014 at 6:53 pm
I am in awe and so inspired by your testimony of love and faith in God. Though you face many heart-wrenching trials every day you are so fortunate to share such a deep love, care, and respect for each other. I came across your story online when I was doing a search on unconditional love. I was seeking for God to reveal to me how I should respond to a prodigal spouse who had been unfaithful to me and had abandoned his family in order to chase after his own selfish dreams and ambitions. I know that marriage is a covenant for life, meant to reflect Christ’s covenant with His Church, which is unbreakable regardless of His people’s flaws and shortcomings; however, sometimes the wounds of betrayal and rejection from a spouse who no longer loves me, and the memories of ill treatment in the past, threaten to blind me to God’s will that I continue demonstrating unconditional love to the very person who has hurt me most. I am truly encouraged by your story that reflects such a resolve to remain committed to each other even when things become so extremely difficult and your suffering is relentless. It inspires me to never give up on my husband who has been blinded by the enemy and fallen into his trap of lies and deceptions. With God, all things are possible and in Him there is always hope of healing and restoration. That is precisely what He came to the earth to reveal to mankind. I am praying for the two of you. Pray for me and my family as well. We are all together in this glorious family of God!
Elise Nzoupet
May 12, 2014 at 6:53 pm
I am in awe and so inspired by your testimony of love and faith in God. Though you face many heart-wrenching trials every day you are so fortunate to share such a deep love, care, and respect for each other. I came across your story online when I was doing a search on unconditional love. I was seeking for God to reveal to me how I should respond to a prodigal spouse who had been unfaithful to me and had abandoned his family in order to chase after his own selfish dreams and ambitions. I know that marriage is a covenant for life, meant to reflect Christ’s covenant with His Church, which is unbreakable regardless of His people’s flaws and shortcomings; however, sometimes the wounds of betrayal and rejection from a spouse who no longer loves me, and the memories of ill treatment in the past, threaten to blind me to God’s will that I continue demonstrating unconditional love to the very person who has hurt me most. I am truly encouraged by your story that reflects such a resolve to remain committed to each other even when things become so extremely difficult and your suffering is relentless. It inspires me to never give up on my husband who has been blinded by the enemy and fallen into his trap of lies and deceptions. With God, all things are possible and in Him there is always hope of healing and restoration. That is precisely what He came to the earth to reveal to mankind. I am praying for the two of you. Pray for me and my family as well. We are all together in this glorious family of God!