Thoughts on Life and Living
I grew up as a picky eater. Then I moved to Asia. My eating habits had to change or else I would literally wither away to nothing. Then I met “hotpot”. It is a meal that espouses a wide range of opinions. To some, hotpot is a “meal of the gods”. To others, it is a culinary disaster. This is my story and the “competition” we have created around this unique local food. [Read more…]
If you missed the previous article, you might want to read it first (CLICK HERE). It gives the introduction to this article and the motivation behind it. This article is the final installment of my series “My thoughts on singleness (a series. . . )”. At the end of this article, I would love to hear the thoughts and ideas you have regarding this article.
Here are five of the “best practices” I have learned (mostly the hard way) which have helped me thrive, not merely survive, in singleness.
I have written often on this blog in the area of community (CLICK HERE and HERE for two examples), so I will keep it short here. However, I do seek activities which draw me into community with others. In Atlanta, I played softball on a team of old friends (old both in age and length of friendship with the likes of Pat Ku). Here in Asia, I try to only do stuff like scuba dive and dirt biking with friends with whom I want to spend time.
Side note to marrieds . . .
Well, I think I am FINALLY closing out this series “My thoughts on singleness (a series. . .)” with these next two posts. I honestly thought I would do a post or two on this subject of singleness, but now this will be my 10th over the course of five months. Thanks for being so enthusiastic about this series! I never thought I would enjoy writing on the subject, but this has been the case.
Since I have dealt with the theology, perspectives, principles, benefits, and even heartbreaks of singleness, I thought it might be helpful to jump into some the helpful practices I have adapted (or seen in others) over the years in order to thrive in singleness.
These “practices” are not unique to singleness, as many of them I would be doing, to some measure, even if I were married. However, singleness has both sharpened my intentionality in these areas and also given me the time and resources to do them with greater intensity [Read more…]
Last December, I was sitting in a meeting when I received this message from a friend. . .
Please pray for our church. Some awful stuff has come out about our pastor. It is really upsetting. Pray for him. Pray for our church. Very confusing.
At the break, I checked the internet only to read of adultery and other moral failures. He had left the church and was unrepentant for his actions. My heart broke. Today, I read that it is not only this pastor, but two others from the same city (Orlando, Florida). My heart breaks.
My heart breaks for the many people that follow these men. My heart breaks for their families, their children, their wives. My heart breaks because this is yet another example of churches whom will be marred in internal conflict, while the world around them is in need of the Savior they worship. My heart breaks.
My heart ALSO breaks for these three men.
I am privileged to know and be friends with many wonderful Christian leaders; pastors and organizational leaders of all types. Unfortunately, I have received a call on several occasions [Read more…]
This morning, I work up, got on my motorcycle and drove to McDonald’s for a McMuffin. This is actually what I do EVERY Sunday, at least the ones in which I am in town. I come here (I’m currently typing this in the corner of McDonald’s while beyond cheesy Chinese pop music plays in the background), read the Bible, journal some, catch up on the week’s news (mainly on ESPN.com), pray, blog, and generally just decompress. It really is one of the highlights of each week.
Continuity is a wonderful thing. For me while living in a country which is growing and changing at a breakneck speed, in a working environment where the people around me are constantly shifting, this little bit of continuity of Sundays being “me and God time” has kept me afloat.
It has looked different over the past ten years, as I have shifted cities and work situations several times. At times it has been open park benches and at others it has been tea houses. Since December here, it has been McDonald’s. However, every Sunday I try to get away and just do something similar to what I have just outlined.
As I think more about this subject of continuity, I see it all over the place.
In life, we all value continuity in relationships. [Read more…]