I was able to watch the highly touted movie starring Will Smith and his son (his real one). Several reminders that came forth from the movie: 1) I was reminded about the lengths that a parent will go through for their children. It is the father’s love and the father’s heart that will sacrifice everything […]
Various Churches, The Same Message
Today was one of those days where we had a “free” Sunday. Therefore we decided to visit a church that Christina and I used to visit during my seminary years. Yup, for the record – Christina and I (when we were courting) used to sometimes go to church service for our date nights! Back in […]
Finished Packing
I just came back from our last Africa Missions team meeting. We spent some time in prayer and then finished off on our packing. Time has gone by so quickly in the last 2 months. It is hard to believe that we will be taking off for Kenya in about 2 days. Whenever I pack […]
Business and Missions
I was picked up at the airport and I ended up going directly to a meeting with some guys in our church that started up a company called, Rain Capital. It was a bit humbling to be sitting around a table with some UM Business School graduates and a professor at UM’s Ross Business School. […]
Girls Wanting Protection?
Before I clarify on the title of this entry, I need to make some disclaimers: 1) This is just an observation that I made in the context of a personal experience 2) This is a generalization and I know there are people that do not always fit the generalization 3) I am not a sexist […]
Eracism
I remember seeing a car bumper sticker that read, “Eracism.” At first I didn’t get it, but then after some thought, I realized that the driver of the car was promoting the “erasing” or “eradication” of racism that is prevalent in America and across the world. Racism is not just limited to the majority. There […]
Balancing Life
One of the things I enjoy doing when I get back from my missions trips or conferences is to reunite with my family over dinner. I guess it has been an unspoken tradition over the years. Today, I allowed the kids to choose where they wanted to go and eat with dad. I try to […]
Don’t Forget to Vote
Since I will be out of the country next Tuesday, I went into the courthouse today and voted in an absentee ballot. This is a mid-election year, but there is a lot at stake in the State of Michigan. There are many Proposals that are trying to pass this year therefore we have to speak […]
Recommended Shots
I just came back from getting my immunization for my trips out to Vietnam, China and Kenya. Christina went with me because she needed her shots for our Kenya missions trip in December. It was a very illuminating experience to say the least. The health professional that helped us was great. She was very informative […]
The Religion of Football
My heart was torn today because Michigan was playing Northwestern. It is like asking me to choose between Josiah and Elliot. I love them both, even though they are so different. In the same way, I love both Michigan and Northwestern – (honest confession: “I am learning to love them both”). The family and I […]
Doers of the Word
This just happened and I wanted to share God’s blessings with all of you. I think one thing that really encourages a pastor is when their members actively apply God’s Word into their lives. We have been going over Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 5-7 in a series called, “Kingdom Living.” Last week, I talked about […]
Excellence in Everything
I sent out an article to the executive team of our church about the topic of excellence. Then I received an e-mail from one of the leaders in response. Here is a portion of the e-mail (I normally don’t do post other people’s e-mail but I thought it was pretty significant… and I received permission […]
A Disruptive Idea?
I had breakfast with one of the members this morning. We were talking about various topics but one phrase that caught my attention was “disruptive technology.” The internet is a “disruptive technology” because it changed the way we live. The iPod (which is celebrating it 5th year anniversary) is a “disruptive technology” – it has […]
God at Work in Chicago
Yesterday, we had one of our largest attended Sunday Celebration since the inaugural service. The word is spreading and God is moving. We really sensed the Holy Spirit ministering to the people. As we have been covering the “Kingdom Living” series, both in AA and Chicago, I am reminded again about the importance of Ac […]