Photo by Pixar Let me first start off and say that if you have not watched the movie UP and you are planning on watching it soon, then you want to stop reading this post (this is a spoiler alert). I don’t know about you but […]
Alumni Rippling Out the Vision
I have been so encouraged by many of our alumni in recent years, especially the international ones. Whenever I travel around the world and make some stops in Asia, it is always a blessing to reconnect with them in their “home turf.” In many ways, it brings a sense of fulfillment for me to […]
Hope Restored
Photo by Everyday Necessities We live in a world where hope is so desperately needed. There is a longing and an ache in the hearts of humans to live with hope. It has been said, “A person can live 40 days without food… 3 days without water… 5 minutes without air, […]
Midway Point in Life
Photo by Strength For Today Today I celebrated my 40 year birthday. I was trying really hard to allow it to slip under the radar, but to no avail because Christina threw a big 40th B-Day party with some people in church the other day. It was humbling, not only to […]
The Need for One Another
Photo by Tehilla Music According to the Myers-Briggs personality tests, I am labeled as a ENTJ. People have recommended that another person who knows you well to take the test on your behalf. Christina took the test and answered the questions as if she was trying to describe me. I don’t […]
Setbacks and Obstacles
Photo by Stanley Bronstein Life sometimes gets frustrating when there are unending setbacks. It is like taking a step forward and then realizing that you are two steps back. This can easily produce discouragement, pessimism, despair, and apathy. Recently, I have been experiencing a wide range of emotions. With our departure […]
The Simplicity of Life
Photo by Michael Flippo Our family has been in the “get-rid-of-things-that-we-don’t-need” mode as we have been trying to pack for our one-year move to Indonesia. It is incredible to see all the “stuff” that a person can accumulate over a period of time. Several weeks ago, I went through my closet. […]
20th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre
AP Photo by Jeff Widener This picture will be forever etched in people’s minds. It was a powerful statement made by an unknown person, who stood up against the tanks that rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing to dismantle the pro-democracy gatherings. Tiananmen Square was known as the epicenter of the […]
Exercise and Mood
Christina has always been an advocate about exercise. She has even tried to convince me about the correlation between exercise and mood. She constantly reminds me of the importance of exercise – not only does she want me to live a long time, but she always references my mood and attitude […]
Celebrating 13 Years
Photo by Mississippi Family Law Today I am celebrating 13 years of marriage with Christina. It has been quite an adventure with all its ups and downs. It is hard to believe that after 3 kids and doing ministry together that we are still trying our best to grow in love […]
Delayed Gratification and Faith
First watch this quick video by Joachim de Posada. He gives an interesting principle that is really a biblical principle which can be applied in all areas of life and it can really transform your life. What did you think of the video? What an interesting experiment, huh? I […]
40 Days and Counting
It is hard to believe that our departure date for Jakarta is approaching so quickly – July 7th, 2009. It just seems like yesterday that Christina and I were praying about whether to take this step of faith to plant our first international church. Things have moved along so quickly within […]
The Bad and the Wasted Life
Photo by Mary’s Comfort There was a quote that I read this morning that spoke to me. Phillips Brooks, a clergyman and author in the 19th century said, “Bad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life he is leading, with the thoughts he […]
Cynicism in the Ministry
Photo by Newswise The famous evangelist D. L. Moody was often noted to have prayed the prayer, “Lord, keep me from ever losing the wonder.” I have always wondered (no pun intended) what causes a person in ministry to lose the sense of wonder. Do you remember the last time you […]