garethhenry.za.net

Gareth is a ridiculously happily married child of God with 2 children. Currently I reside in Springs, Gauteng, South Africa and work as a Business Intelligence Consultant. I spend my spare time talking to God, being ridiculously happily married and playing with my son (my 2nd child is still in the womb). I also play/write music (guitar, keyboard, bass and vocals), play a few games of touch rugby most Sundays and a few games of squash every other week. I have a growing passion for stewardship (stewardship of relationships, finances, body, talents, time, environment) and occasionally like to blog.

About Me pages are often boring and typically contain a short factual list of employment, hobbies and where the person is from. Very broad, very general and often not conveying anything about the person except that they’re employed (or not), have some likes (like everyone) and live somewhere (like everyone).

I was recently asked how I would like to be remembered at my funeral. My answer to that is “As a great child, great husband and great father”. By including how I would like to be remembered one day in my about page I’m firstly conveying that I’m going somewhere. I have a destination, a goal. I’m a visionary or dreamer if you will. The more I meditate on this hope of a legacy and hold it up as a prize in my mind, the more it begins to permeate into my everyday behavior.

Don’t mistake the above to mean I have no career ambitions, or goals related to personal achievements. I do, however they are secondary to child, husband and father. I don’t know yet whether droves of people would say the above at my funeral if I died tomorrow but certainly in my eyes I would say this about myself.

1. I am a true child. By this I mean that I embrace God as the perfect Father who shows me endless Grace, is my biggest encourager, is my provider and protector. The one who disciplines me in love and is always available.

2. I am a true husband. By this I mean that my love for my wife allows me to sacrifice myself in service to my wife. I always hold her in higher regard than myself. I make it my mission to constantly pursue, love, cultivate and captivate my wife.

3. I am a true father. By this I mean that I model my fatherhood after God. I’m a cultivator of my childrens destinies. Since before their births they’ve been in my heart, my affections and my hopes. I desire to model a form of fathering that makes it clear they are loved, important and that I’m always available. On top of that I understand it is my duty to provide discipline and guidance and leave them a legacy to be proud of.

I endeavour to make God central in all my thinking (I have a rather strong dislike for mindless Christians who don’t use the muscle between their ears). It is important to me to love God with every aspect of my being as He was given first place in my heart on the 31st of May 2000 when I became a Christian after months of wanting to commit suicide. In the years since I’ve come to love Him, and allow him to reform my thinking and opinions as we’ve debated many things. I’ve experienced His tangible closeness as well as many supernatural miracles. I owe God my life and it is my deepest desire to know Him more and have it on earth as is in heaven (I.E. no sickness, no hurt, no hunger, no shame, no prejudice).

I’m not sure how this blog will pan out but hopefully it will reflect me.