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 […]
Sleep Apnea Part 2
In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Yesterday, I went in for another evaluation. This was a little bit more sophisticated because four different doctors were there to analyze me (they were all ranging from an ENT to an oral surgery). The whole consultation literally took about […]
A Letter from My Son
In Josiah’s Christian school, they had the 4th graders write a letter to their pastors for Clergy Appreciation Month. Hmm… what will Josiah do since his father is the pastor of the church that he attends? Will he address the letter as, “Dear Dad” or “Dear Pastor”? When I first read the letter, it made […]
The Ten Faces of Innovation
Awhile back, a member in our church got a book for me to read. It was a business book written by the founders of IDEO. I just finished it on my flight back to Ann Arbor. The book talks about strategies that drive creativity throughout an organization and the people that are needed to make […]
Clergy Appreciation Finale
What a night! Christina and I just came back from a night out together that was completely planned out by 3 small groups in our church. Supposedly, small groups were paired up together to “adopt” a pastor and their families to show their love during the Clergy Appreciation Month. Various groups and people have already […]
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 […]
DEE-TROIT
Yesterday our family spent some time going to the Pistons game. I was able to get some $10 tickets – God always provides 🙂 It was quite an experience for the kids! With all the lights, music and crazy giveaways, the kids were soaking it all up. When Josiah was younger, I took him to […]
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 […]
Countdown to Season 6
I was just thinking… The Encarta World English Dictionary defines, “anticipation” as, “the feeling of looking forward, usually excitedly or eagerly, to something that is going to happen.” Mondays will be packed with action again – watch the trailer Why does the world know how to build anticipation better than the Church? What would happen […]
It’s More Than A Race
Awhile back, I shared about a father-son relationship that inspired me. Rick Hoyt, who has cerebral palsy, with his dad, Dick Hoyt ran nearly 1,000 marathons and triathlons over 27 years. Wow! You have to read their testimony for yourself… click here
Kapsowar’s Project Update 2
I got an update from Dr. Steve regarding the mortuary project and I wanted to share it with all of you. It seems like things are on track. If they can have it built by the time our married couples’ missions team goes out in December, then it will be an extra blessing. Once again, […]
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 […]