John Gunter

Life - Faith - One Bridge

The most important act of the past 500 years (and its effect on me)

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The door where Martin Luther tacked the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 (taken when I studied there in 2006)
The door where Martin Luther tacked the “95 Theses” on October 31, 1517 (taken when I studied there in 2006)

Today is Halloween.  Not unlike most, I have had my share of Halloween revelry over the years.  Friday night, as a matter of fact, the other Americans and several local Asian friends will have our own Halloween party.  Always fun to see the utter confusion of the local people when a small group of foreigners are walking around this city in random costumes.

Today, however, my mind goes back to a faithful day in the sleepy college town of Wittenberg, Germany on this date exactly 496 years ago to the day.  If you are a Christian, this day was one of the most important in history for you.

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Battling for “thankfulness”

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I took this recently in the city in which I live. Nothing to do with this post, but I do like the pic!
I took this recently in the city in which I live. Nothing to do with this post, but I do like the pic!

Maybe it is the rapid pace I have kept the past few months.

Maybe it is the culmination of various stresses and pains which seem to be swimming around me.

Maybe it’s just life and this is the way it is. [Read more…]

7 ways to encourage a friend

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My friend praying with me in the midst of a crowded Starbucks
My friend praying with me in the midst of a crowded Starbucks

As you could infer from my last post, it has been a rough few days of fatigue and “re-entry” into Asia.  Nothing cataclysmically bad, but tough nonetheless.

I just finished meeting with a friend over coffee.  He is a local Asian friend who is a committed follower of Christ and works in finance.  We meet together semi-regularly simply as friends and fellow Christians.  We are the same age, so that is nice for both of us.  He is married to a wonderful woman and has a fun little child.

I entered into the time with my friend tired and depleted.  I exited the time energized and filled with a grateful heart.  My friend has truly and genuinely encouraged me.

Upon driving back to my apartment (where I am now), I keep thinking about all that happened during this short one hour time at Starbucks which has taken my soul from “meh” to “yes!!!”.

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My dangerous cycle of fatigue (and what I am doing to counteract it)

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I took this while out motorbiking a few weeks ago. The weight of fatigue sometimes causes me to tip over like this truck (yes, I am proud of my creativity here!). . .
I took this while out motorbiking a few weeks ago. The weight of fatigue sometimes causes me to tip over like this truck (yes, I am proud of my creativity here!). . .

As I sit down to type this, I am tired.  After three weeks of constant motion, jumping of time zones, meetings, meetings, and more meetings, I am finally back in Asia.  It’s been a great few weeks, but they have been intense in every imaginable way.  As a result, I am fatigued.

I would like to say that this fatigue with which I am currently stricken is unusual.  It is not.

Perhaps my worst habit (some would say addiction) is that of overwork and/or over activity.  This is actually a result of an unhealthy outworking of a wonderful blessing in my life.

You see, I really have enjoyed my jobs and calling over the years.  When you enjoy your vocation, it often does not feel like work.  This is a great thing for me. 

As a result, I am prone to running, running, and more running until I can run no more.  I crash. . .and it is not pretty.

My worst “crash” came about 5 years ago. [Read more…]

Life lessons from my night in JAIL

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This article is the second part of “My night in JAIL”.  If you have not read it, please CLICK HERE to first read it. This article picks up where “My night in JAIL” leaves off.

Red and Andy from "Shawshank Redemption" , one of my favorite movies from around this time.
Red and Andy from “Shawshank Redemption” , one of my favorite movies from around this time.

“The Shawshank Redemption” was one of my favorite movies from around the same period as this story of me going to jail.  I am not alone, as the movie often is ranked as one of the best of all time.

One of the many elements of “The Shawshank Redemption” which makes it a classic is the wisdom passed down as the characters of Andy and Red interpret their situations and meaning in life.  One of my favorite quotes is the following. . .

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

[Read more…]

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