John Gunter

Life - Faith - One Bridge

Listening to God in the midst of discouragement

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This article is a continuation of the one I posted last week, “Fear only talks to those who listen”.  If you have not read that one, please CLICK HERE.

I took this during my last trip to Thailand
I took this during my last trip to Thailand

Recently, I was talking with a close local Asian Christian brother.  He lives in a different city than I do, yet we see each other fairly often.  We met for coffee and to talk about life and work.

My friend is a man of courage and integrity.  He is a great father and husband.  He is intelligent and a graduate of one of the best universities in this country.  He is a man who is doing amazing work in serving and helping many people through the love and message of the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

My friend’s impact is far and wide.  I’m not speaking in hyperbole here; he really is a man of incredible integrity and impact on a very large scale.

My friend, though, is very discouraged.  There was actually no need to share this with me, as I could see it in his eyes as we interacted in a meeting of peers earlier in the week.

As a result of several stresses converging upon him at the same time, discouragement has set upon him like a lead x-ray vest (yes, I have been injured far too many times if this is the word picture that comes to mind!).  This discouragement has caused him to doubt himself, his calling, and some of the great works he has started which are legitimately helping many people in many ways. 

As I was thinking about fear last week (click here for the article), this conversation has me thinking about discouragement in much the same way.  As is the case with fear, discouragement grips us all from time to time.  Though I feel empathy for my friend who is currently stuck in this season of discouragement, this is not what concerned me most about our conversation.

I am most concerned that my friend is now allowing his discouragement [Read more…]

2 encounters; 4 life values gained

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Howard Hendricks lecturing at DTS. . .
Howard Hendricks lecturing at DTS. . .

As I wrote a few weeks ago, Howard Hendricks has now passed into eternity.  Most do not know his name; however, I will never be the same from my two encounters with him.

Some of my purpose in writing this blog is to simply process life and think through important values in a more intentional way.  This is one of those cases.

Though I never met Howard Hendricks personally, he has helped form several of my most valued life priorities.

“Leadership with a purpose”

From early on, I seemed to demonstrate qualities and characteristics of leadership.  It had mainly been demonstrated in athletics and academics up until that point.  I enjoyed leadership.  As a young follower of Christ Jesus, Howard Hendricks taught me the value of “leadership with a purpose”.

I completed his series of lectures on the topic and had a vision for being a part of leadership within the church of Christ.  He gave me a heart to impact the world around me with the Gospel, not merely cash leadership in for selfish gain.

Howard Hendricks gave me a vision for behind the scenes leadership and its massive value.  In this world of celebrity Christian leaders, Howard Hendricks was content to be in the background, building [Read more…]

“Fear only talks to those who listen”- the nonsensical nature of fear

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Subway riding, music by Leagues, and thoughts on fear. . .
Subway riding, music by Leagues, and thoughts on fear. . .

Riding on the subway this morning, I was listening to a new album which I recently downloaded.  As strange as it sounds, I often have some of my most relaxing and thought provoking times while listening to music, by myself, and in public transportation scenarios.  This time was no different.

A line from the song “Friendly Fire” by Leagues caught my attention.

“Fear only talks to those who listen”

This line stopped me dead in the midst of my fluttering thoughts and prayers, as the train raced through the black of the underground tunnel we were in.  The issue of fear has been on my mind since that moment.

Fear is a part of all of our lives.  We learn it early.  It can be good.  It keeps us from running out in the middle of traffic or from touching a hot stove.  Sometimes fear is good, but most of the time it is toxic.

Fear cripples us from moving out in faith and in life.  It keeps us from making career moves that would be a better fit, both for ourselves and the world around us.  Fear keeps us from having conversations with loved ones that we know we need to have.  Fear keeps us from taking needed risks in order

[Read more…]

My personal “Asian renaissance” (what I like about life over here)

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(Left) The subway that is directly beside by apartment; (Right) One example of the big billboards. . . the building to the right is where I used to live.
(L) The subway that is directly beside by apartment; (R) One example of the big billboards (the building to the right is where I used to live)

As I type this post, I am sitting in a bustling coffee/teahouse.  There are people all around me consuming all types and varieties of colorful beverages.  Outside, window shoppers are meandering along the fairly crowded street, with bikes and mopeds jostling for real estate.  The weather is reasonably nice (we always have gray skies, but today is a brighter, clearer version of gray than usual). I love the hustle and bustle of Asia!

There are times when I struggle with living in Asia.  The cultural stresses, climate challenges, and culinary differences just kind of pile up and weigh me down.  Today is not one of those days.  As a matter of fact, this week has been a kind of personal “Asian renaissance” for me.  I have been all over the city for the past week with visitors from Atlanta.  It has been a time where I have been able to simple enjoy some of the quirky, fun, and different aspects of living in Asia.  Here are a few:

  • Big, goofy billboards (and bright, city lights) – Don’t know why, but I love gigantic, even obnoxious, billboards.  Throw in high-rise buildings lined with bright, gaudy lights everywhere, and you have a visual buffet around every corner.  This is the case with most sections of this city.  Definitely one of the distinctive characteristics of cities in Asia and it is a fun aspect which I like.
  • Lack of a fashion standard – We in America tend to care much about outward [Read more…]

Four indicators I have lived in Asia a LONG, LONG time

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My first program group I came to Asia with in 1999 (Drew Johnson, Summer Owens, Pat Ku, Meagan Vinson, and Melody Harris.
My first program group I came to Asia with in 1999 (Drew Johnson, Summer Owens, Pat Ku, Meagan Vinson, and Melody Harris.

Last night, I had dinner with a group that was visiting my city from Atlanta. Though I only passingly knew two of them prior to this week, I had a great time with the entire group. As always, it is fun to see Asia through the eyes of those who visit here for the first time.

We had a meal, I showed them around some of the city, helped communicate with their hotel regarding their check out plans this morning, bid them farewell, and then drove back to my apartment 45 minutes away.

On the drive back, things seemed to be in slow motion as I thought about and processed my life here. I live in a massive Asian mega-city. There are more than 2,000 buildings over 20 stories high. I can’t even imagine how many buildings over 5 stories high there are here.

As I drove, it hit me that I had been driving all day in this city (which dwarfs New York in many ways) and I had not looked at a map all day. Not once.

Bottom line. . . I have been here a long, long time. This morning, [Read more…]

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