Photo by Fitness Walking Guide Routine and I have a love-hate relationship. I am an enigma when it comes to routine, structure and order. There is a side of me that desperately cries out for things to be put nicely into “systems.” But there is another side of me that despises […]
The Purpose of Pain
Photo by Photobucket As some of you probably heard by now, the last few months have been some of the most difficult times for me. I have always prided myself in being a person who has a high tolerance for pain. Weakness was not an option. Even though theologically, I know […]
Conference in Chicago 5.20.09
I am currently in Chicago for a Leadership Network conference for Asian-American pastors. It is a small cohort that started back in May 2008 and it will finish out in November 2009. There are some incredible mentors in this cohort. They have all been tested and put through the fire and now their ministry […]
Jakarta Update 5.17.09
Christina and I are in transit right now in Singapore. We are getting ready to board our flight from SIN-NRT-DTW. As I sit here in Singapore’s airport, I am realizing that the last 5 days have been a whirlwind experience. Our times have been filled with meetings with people. Each one of the meetings […]
Jakarta Update 5.16.09
It has been weird here in Karawaci because even though I am getting a few hours of sleep, I feel pretty rested. Maybe it is all the high pace of meetings and trying to get everything done before we leave on Sunday. Early this morning, I was awakened by the Muslim call to prayer. […]
Jakarta Update 5.15.09
It has been great coming out to Indonesia. It is hard to believe in about 55 days we will be here with the whole family. Yesterday, we just reconnected with a few of the UM alumni over dinner. There is nothing better than food, fellowship and good conversation. This morning Christina and I started […]
Reconnecting with Alumni in Singapore 5.13.09
Even though I was struggling a bit with jetlag, I was able to get a few hours of sleep. Christina and I started off the morning by reconnecting with some of the alumni here in Singapore. We went out for brunch and just ended up talking together. We also checked out a retreat center […]
The Infamous Mask
This whole Swine Flu has taken over all of Asia. It is incredible how “fear” can drive people to do anything. After we landed and taxied to the gate, we had to wait in the plane until the quarantine team came and checked everyone to see if anyone had the flu. We literally sat […]
Trip to S.E. Asia 5.11.09
I am getting ready to leave for my trip with Christina to Singapore and Jakarta. We are leaving today. Christina is already packed and I have still yet to pack (what else is new). I don’t know why but for some reason I have never understood the philosophy of packing ahead of time, but […]
Returning to the Grid
It has been about two weeks since I have written in my blog (and Twitter). In the first couple of days, I felt like an addict going through withdrawal symptoms and having a nervous breakdown (half-joking). But it has been good for my soul. The last few months have been one of toughest periods […]
Blog Writing Sabbatical
I have told people that one trait of an effective leader is the ability to communicate. Whether it is through speaking or writing, it really doesn’t matter, just as long as they are communicating. The reason for this is because in the words of the leadership guru, John Maxwell, “Leadership is influence, nothing more […]
Refreshed and Ready to Go
For the last 4 days, I was away with a handful of pastors to challenge and sharpen one another. In fact our group is called, chadad, which is the Hebrew word for “to sharpen.” It can also be translated as, “to be fierce.” This word is used in Proverbs 27:17 where it says, “As […]
Breaking the Routine with CityServe 2009
After being a Christian for some time, it is easy to forget that some of the greatest lessons are the really simple ones. It is easy to take “worship” for granted and just make it about “our songs” and the “preaching” when we gather together on Sundays. It is interesting that the […]
Grad Night 2009
I am getting pumped for the Grad Night tonight. It is always a bitter sweet moment for me. It is exciting that we will be able to commission another class to go and engage the world with the Gospel message. But yet, it will be sad saying bye to many of these […]