John Gunter

Life - Faith - One Bridge

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!!!”.

[Read more…]

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…]

My night in JAIL

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This is the prison I spent Halloween Night in of my senior year in high school
This is the prison I spent Halloween Night in of my senior year in high school.

As I sat in the back of the police car with Kevin, my head was swimming.  My friends Ashton and Peter were seated in the back of another squad car directly in front of us.  Peter’s car was directly behind the one in which Kevin and I were currently “detained”, as the flashing blue lights were bouncing off his windshield.

It was surreal, almost like an out of body experience which I can still recall with crystal clear clarity even to this day.

[Read more…]

On the road again. . . my posts on travel

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(left to right) John Gunter, Patrick Ku, Eugene Kim, and Eric Tai in Las Vegas three nights ago.
(left to right) John Gunter, Patrick Ku, Eugene Kim, and Eric Tai in Las Vegas three nights ago.

On the road again. . .

This week finds me, once again, on the road.  I’ll be covering over 20,000 miles in less than two weeks.  The trip has already taken me through Las Vegas and Atlanta.  As I type this, I am sitting next to my Father digesting a wonderful breakfast which Mom just cooked, feeling a million miles away from Asia.

Las Vegas was a one night stop over joining in the celebration of long-time friend Patrick Ku’s 40th birthday.  A group of around 20 rendezvoused in Vegas for three days of golf, food, and whatever else they can find out there.  Vegas is a weird place, of which could be a few blog posts in and of itself, but I will refrain. [Read more…]

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