ABOUT THis blog…

The purpose of this blog is personal improvement: My own… and hopefully if you draw some inspiration or discipline or meaning from something you read… your personal improvement. I hesitate to use the word Evangelism, but herein are reflections on life, death and Christianity (Wisdom); suggestions to bring your spirituality to life in the home (Family); discussions of minimalism, prayer, and self-discipline (Asceticism); and news, anecdotes or stories with a spiritual or supernatural link (Inspiration).

about the apology…

The first two months of posts for this blog are an apology for Christian spirituality. The Apology isn’t meant to “throw down the gauntlet” and invite argument, but is instead an attempt at articulating my beliefs for my kids, myself, and for posterity. Primarily though, it’s to provide a basis for the mostly Christian spiritual practices that follow. The fundamental concept of the Apology is that the experience of the divine isn’t rational, thus I likely won’t debate or defend the apology in the comments section, but will welcome inquiries or clarifications.

ABOUT ME…

TL;DR: I’m a former soldier, husband and Dad to my daughter (b. 2017) and son (b. 2018). I currently work at a major Canadian bank as a Program Manager. I also sail and play the drums.

Born in Westdale, Hamilton I was baptised Anglican at St Paul’s Anglican Church but attended Grace Anglican Church in Waterdown, Ontario throughout my childhood. Like most adolescents, I bucked the traditions of my parents and was an atheist throughout my teens, identifying most closely with the writing of Friedrich Nietzsche. While at University, I struggled with questions of meaning, and human worth, and was brought back to Christianity by a psychologist who pointed me to Christian mysticism, Maximus the Confessor, and the Desert Fathers.

After graduating from University, I relied heavily on my faith to get me through my extremely challenging formation as an Infantry Officer but didn’t find a church that I liked in Edmonton where I was posted, or a personal routine that inspired me to practice regularly. As a soldier, I developed my self-discipline mentally and physically, but was also an unfettered hedonist (work hard, play hard), which contributed to the end of my first marriage.

I left the military in 2014 newly divorced and unemployed and for the third time in my life, I relied on my faith in the absence of any other meaning. I became a regular parishioner at St Thomas’s Anglican in Toronto but became far more devout upon the arrival of my first child. I was married for the second time about a year after our daughter’s birth and I currently work at a major Canadian bank as a Program Manager. As I’ve written in the blog, the intensity of love I feel for my children and the desire to be the best father, husband and person I can be for the sake of my children, wife, and community, provided the impetus for my spiritual practices and for this blog.

I pray that something you read here gives you consolation, inspiration, or even just something to think about.

Wisedad+…