Ernie Cecilia

Peter

When I reflect upon you as a person, there are many great traits that come to mind but none more pronounced than your expressed love of and faith in God and your love for Lisa and your entire family.

Your faith in the Lord has been very evident during both the good times and the rough patches in your life. You have often expressed to me how blessed you are but you always recognize the Source of those blessings. During some of the more challenging times in your life, you drew upon your faith in the Lord and were not ashamed to express that verbally and in writing; so that others would benefit from your testimony (Rev 12:11a).

Traits that come to me very quickly are your honesty and integrity. You always conduct yourself, both from a personal and a business perspective, with the utmost level of each of these. You are candid and straightforward but equally considerate in your analyses. You seek the truth. In this regard, you carry generous doses of wisdom and discernment (Prov 3:13) that allow you to see the motives of others and properly decide whether they are genuine.

You are unselfish. I have often witnessed how you place the needs and wants of others ahead of your own. You often put your time and talents out for family and friends, well ahead of your own needs and wants. I have observed this firsthand in how you conduct yourself in your business.

You do not judge a person’s value by their outer shell. For example, I have often witnessed how friendly and considerate you are to the wait staff in a restaurant situation (does that mean we have eaten many meals together?). I have also witnessed this in business situations. After you leave my office for a visit, receptionists, assistants, et al always tell me that it is a pleasure when you come in for a visit. In other words, you look to the inside to see the value of a person.

Finally, you have helped me in framing a proper perspective about what is important in my own life. As you have walked through great challenges and blessings, you have provided a framework for my focus and I very much thank you for that gift – most likely, one that you do not even realize that you gave.

You are a great husband, father, grandfather and friend and it is a privilege for Eileen and me to be counted in that group.

Many blessings on your birthday,

Ernie