Many ask how I met Steve.  Everybody gets giddy when I say “it was a blind date”.  Yes it was my first blind date and last… and finally he became the man I married!

That blind date I remember so clearly. I arrived 30 minutes late in Les Souffle and he was cool and collected.  He was smoking his cigar and having scotch — and I thought, “He isn’t my type”.  On the other hand, I had a cold  so I was sneezing and blowing my nose throughout the dinner date … (Not very attractive, ey).   It was a double blind date because we each brought a friend who we tried to pair as well.  It was a tense night, because we were all getting to know each other.  The night ended in suspense.  I wondered if I will hear from him again.  But Steve did call and we got to know each other more through more dates.

When we met he was 28, working as a stock broker and starting a Fund Portfolio Management Company.  I was a 22-year-old working student.  We became friends for 6 years before we tied the knot.  Our marriage is a gift from the Lord… It’s a journey of faith.   We waited for seven years before God gave us children.  The journey also made us grow as a couple especially when God led my husband, Steve, into government service. Now, we are parents, and together we are learning how to raise our children to love God and our neighbors.

Today he celebrates his 44th birthday. I want to honor Steve,  my husband, friend, and the father of my children.

Strength – You have been my strength, my source of security.  Your love has allowed me to bloom to be the woman I am today.  You have always given me freedom to express my gifts and you encourage me to be my best. Your prayers for me have covered my weak points.  You have provided for me and our children. When I feel insecure, you remind me that God is all we need… Thank you Steve for being my strength.

Truth– You have always spoken truth and you avoid sugar-coating the truth. You say what needs to be heard because of love.  You have also encouraged me because you love God’s Word.  You desire God’s truth and want to obey Him.  I am so blessed that you are after God’s heart.  I am a very fortunate wife because you are honest to admit your mistakes and you never found it hard to say “I’m sorry”.

Empathy – God has given you a heart for people.  Your passion to serve the helpless and bring some light to the hopeless has fueled my own desire to serve others. When you host those medical missions and bring hope to people with challenges on health,  it energizes you.  When you are able to help someone get an opportunity out of difficulty, I see gladness on your face. It is your joy to see other people happy.

Visionary– The more I know you, Steve… the more I understand that you are a man focused on one vision — To make God the Center. You want God to be the center of our marriage, the center of our family, the center of your service, the center of everything.  When God is at the center of everything, then all things will fall in its proper place.  We have seen that in our lives. Even in the midst of the storms, because God is at the center, there is great peace. Your vision for Sarangani is God-centered Prosperity — Our declaration is, “Without God we can do nothing”.

Excellence – One thing about you, Steve, is that you like things done excellently.  You have patience to train and develop leaders to be more efficient, to think outside the box, and to go beyond. You are not over bearing but you command respect.  Even at home, you are patient with us.  We know that you want us to do things with eager hearts and to do things well. I thank God that you have that virtue because this sets as a good example to our children.  You are a great adviser to all your siblings and to me on achieving our goals and reaching are full potential.  God is to be praised for giving us someone like you.

Over all, I want to say “I love you”.  You are such a good and faithful husband to me… Thank you for taking care of me and our children. You are the man who continues to hold my heart.  We love you dearly, babe.