Photo by Getty It has been a couple of days now and I was debating whether to write some of my thoughts on what happened at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA). At first I wasn’t going to write anything, but then I decided for the sake of reinforcing the values […]
Producing Racist People
Photo by Smart Expressions There was an interesting Newsweek article entitled, “Is Your Kid a Racist?” It caught my attention to say the least. What parent wants to raise their child as a racist? I guess there are probably some but that is for another blog entry. If a parent knew […]
The Greatest Ever
Recently, in light of Michael Jordan’s induction to the NBA’s Hall of Fame, I was reminded of the inspiration Michael Jordan has been to so many people who played and play the game of basketball. It is hard not to get a bit nostalgic, since I grew up in Chicago. I still remember in […]
The 8th Year Anniversary of 9-11
Photo by Derek Jensen It is hard to believe that eight years have passed by since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. It seems like a distant memory. As every year passes by, more people will either get numb to what happened or they will feel distant from […]
Doing the Father’s Will
Photo from Craziestgadgets This morning, I was reminded of this quote from Charles E. Hummel’s book, The Tyranny of the Urgent: “Jesus did not finish all the urgent tasks in Palestine or all the things He would have liked to do, but He did finish the work which God gave Him […]
HMCC Inaugural Celebration in Indonesia
It has been a few days since our Inaugural Sunday Celebration and I had some time to soak in and reflect on what God has been doing here in Indonesia. Here are some of my thoughts: 1) Church planting requires 110% commitment. I have been telling our team that church planting is not for […]
The Impact of One Person
This week has been a sobering week for me – not only in trying to prepare for the Inaugural Sunday Celebration, but more importantly because I attended a funeral service for a woman that I just met once. It is hard to believe that a person that you have only met once can make […]
Internationals Making a Difference
One of the fascinating things that I have been discovering over the years is that there are many international students who come to the States to study. By pastoring on a college campus, I have seen many international students who represent many nations come to the States and then return to their country. In […]
Preview Sunday Celebration
This past Sunday we had our Preview Celebration at the location where we will be holding our church gatherings on Sunday. There was a lot of anticipation building up to the Sunday. In fact, it was a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The team and I were excited because this is why we committed […]
Success Cannot Measure Us
Photo from csuohio.edu We live in such a success oriented culture, not just in the States but even here in Asia. I think it starts when we are young. When we do well in school, in sports, and extra-curricular activities our parents and friends praise us. When we win awards and […]
Back to Preaching
Photo by Barry Dean This Sunday, we are going to have our Preview Sunday Celebration here in Karawaci at 10:30AM. This is the service before the official inaugural launch on September 6th. The team and I are so excited to get things officially started. Even though we have started LIFE groups […]
Challenging the Status Quo
Photo by Sweetliferving I have been amazed at the number of frozen yogurt places that are here in Indonesia. Let’s see… we have: Sour Sally, Sour Mary, Icy Blue, J. Co, Twistberry, Tutti Fruiti, Iceblazz, and the list goes on and on. On one hand, I ask myself, “Why are there […]
A Memorial for a Mother
Photo on Flickr Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a one year remembrance memorial service for a woman who made a huge impact in Indonesia. But more importantly, the impact that she had on her family was truly inspiring. Since this lady was a prominent figure, there were many people […]
The Start of Ramadan 2009
Photo by MLive I was always aware of the importance of Ramadan for Muslims while I was in Ann Arbor, but for some reason it has more significance now that we are out here in Indonesia. Just knowing that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population is a strong reminder that many […]