Koke’e Beauty And Life Distractions

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There was no cell service at here at Koke’e lookout. Just the beauty of #Kauai.

What’s creating a lot of extra noise in your life that’s robbing you of enjoying the beauty? What in your life is causing chaos and warring against your peace? What seems urgent but isn’t? What’s draining your emotional reserves? What are you spending a lot of time and emotional energy on that really isn’t worth it?

For me, it’s the interwebs. I need to learn to better manage my phone. I’ve implemented some good boundaries but I think I need some more.

I take 24 hours without the internet on Sabbath and that’s always refreshing. I’ve been making sure the internet is not on when I wake up, so it’s not the first thing I check upon rising. This allows me to do my morning uninterrupted. I can tell my brain what to think about and focus on without someone else pulling my attention away. I’m actually writing this now without the internet on. And it’s helpful. I’m trying to get some time at night before bed without it too. Some time to just sit and be still, and be intentionally thankful, although I didn’t do that last night. I also don’t have any e-mail on my phone. I only check my e-mail from my computer. And I’m trying to limit my e-mail checking to twice a day.

It’s almost like having a smart phone in your pocket is giving access to thousands of people to interrupt and steer the course of your day. I wonder if that’s why I feel like I can’t remember things and focus.

I hate admitting this, but it’s true, and I said that the church needs to lead in #vulnerability so here I am. I think we fear being vulnerable because of fear of judgement. But my bet is that if I’m struggling with this, other people are too, and judgement keeps things in the dark, where as vulnerability brings things into the light.

I get addicted to my phone. I’m at the tail end of the #millenial generation. *Ahem* if you’re judging me right now I’ve seen you #boomers with your faces constantly in your smart phone too. :)

Right before I left social media in 2018 I posted a video of a former facebook exec talking about how social media is ENGINEERED to keep us #addicted.

The internet is #supernormalstimuli. It creates the feeling of being “valued” especially if it seems urgent and someone “needs” me. I get frustrated sometimes with the lack of interaction my posts get and I end up searching for a serotonin hit of respect on here. Social media is a prime breeding ground for comparison too.

This is why I wasn’t on social media for 2018. And during that year I got to see who my real friends were. The ones that would still reach out to me even though I wasn’t posting content and reminding them I was there. Guys… that list of friends is REAL small and I’m glad for those few friends. People ask me why they didn’t know we were having a kid. It’s because we didn’t interact for a year and if we did you never asked us how we were.

But social is a necessary in support raising, we’ve got to share the story of the amazing things God is doing in our midst. I’ve just got to learn to manage it instead of living at the extremes of full blown phone addict and monastic recluse. I wasn’t happy as monastic recluse in 2018 either. I’ve really been enjoying being intentional and working at the social aspect of my life. I just need to learn to find my contentment and worth and value in Christ alone.

So how about this? I post this, and I post my proverb in the morning. And I catch up on all the social media things, look at likes, comments, messages. And then I turn it off.

I need to figure out how to turn all notifications off. And only let like my wife’s phone calls come through. I think if I turn wifi and data off I can still get text messages and phone calls. Phone calls… it’s funny that we have smart phones, but I rarely ever us it as a phone.

Can anyone relate to this? ^ Or is it just me. What are your smart phone/internet boundaries?

Trying MEDIUM again.

Just posted this mornings blog to medium.

Just experimenting. Lemme know what you think.  I think this website will be overhauled soon and probably not include a blog.

 

LIKE Our FB Page

Please LIKE our new Jimjessbaker FB page. 

Are blogs still a thing?

Seriously considering getting rid of the blog.

So if you read this thing, and prefer this format over other formats you gotta let me know, otherwise it’s going buh bye.  Seriously… comment on here or message me or e-mail me and let me know.

Website overhaul is coming SOON.

 

Korean Worship Leading and Vulnerability

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This past Thursday I got to lead worship at the @ywamhonolulu Community Meeting.

We have a Korean DTS running right now and I wanted to lead some songs in Korean since all the corporate worship times are in English. One big problem. Although I am Korean I don’t speak Korean.

So I had to enlist the help of some friends.

When we were here in 2012 my friend @jneylee translated To The One by @harvestbashta into Korean. I love this tune because of it’s syncopated melody, but it sounds even cooler in Korean.

I’m grateful for the interwebs. Jane graciously relearned the song and sent me a recording so I could share it with Laura and the Korean students who joined us. One day Jane and I are going to record this song together which is a little difficult right now because she’s living in Turkey.

@se_laura_kr translated at the last community meeting for Danny Lehmann. And I reached out to her after, asking if she sang because I knew I was up to lead the following Thursday and wanted to do some of it in Korean.

Laura is amazing. She was raised in Sweden, her parents are missionaries there. So she’s trilingual AT LEAST. (Laura do you speak more languages?) Swedish, Korean and English. She’s serving as the translator here for the Korean DTS.

She faces the struggle that a lot of MK (missionary kids) do though. Living life as a 3rd culture kid.

I wonder if international adoptees count as 3rd culture kids too.

I’ve never talked much about my adoption or my Korean-ness or un-Korean-ness. I wondered sometimes why God made me Asian, but I think it’s making a bit more sense now as I living in Hawaii.

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I really believe that the church should be leading the way in vulnerability.

If you’re a follower of Jesus and you think the church should be doing something, that’s your open door for YOU to go ahead and do it. Lead the way. Don’t wait for someone else to take ownership of your good idea. We need you to lead us.

So maybe soon I’ll get brave and share my story. Until then I’ll say its so strange to have a son that looks like me. It’s the first person I’ve ever been able to mirror. And I may be tearing up as I write this.

Momentum and Leaving People Behind

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Preach @daveramsey!

I’ve been thinking about MOMENTUM recently. And the reality is if you are GROWING that means you’re leaving some people behind. That sounds harsh but I think it’s reality.

Growth is a process of moving FROM something TO something new and better.

Your friends and family get to make the choice if they are journeying with you. And they are welcome to at anytime.

But don’t let others put a damper on the momentum you’re making.

One day the train may leave the station for good. Every thing has a window of opportunity.

A rising tide lifts all boats so I think as we grow we inspire others to grow too but some people are just stuck.

When they see change is possible they get scared and dig in instead of moving forward.

Guys, good and healthy things grow and growth means change and change is rarely comfortable.

Surround yourself with high caliber people who are ready to roll. We have big tasks ahead that require INTENSITY to achieve.

What are some characteristics of high caliber people comment and let me know and tag someone that needs to hear this.

He Wouldn’t Give Up

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“He just wouldn’t give up.”

I heard Doyle half shouting half speaking to Captain.

Doyle was talking about our friend Alex and my family was sitting in earshot of this conversation outside of coffee bean.

We just finished lunch with Alex and Aubrey and were finishing our first time hanging out together with coffee.

Doyle came over and danced around emphatically telling us that he got work now because his ankle was healed.

I’m not sure if you saw the video testimony I shared of Doyle. But Alex prayed for Doyle in McDonalds a couple weeks ago and Jesus healed Doyle’s ankle completely. He walked in with a serious limp and a walking stick which he had had for the past year and left with no pain.

I preached this morning and pointed out that Jesus doesn’t send his disciples out to pray for the sick but sends them out to heal the sick. Interesting.

So Jesus literally restored Doyle through a physical miracle which allows Him to work again.

And the exclamation was that Alex didn’t give up.

As I overheard that I knew it was significant.

Is that what people exclaim when they think of our lives? They didn’t give up.

Alex prayed 3 times for Doyle’s ankle. Doyle was ready to go when it felt a little better the first time but Alex persisted that Jesus wanted to heal him completely and kept praying.

Did you know Jesus Himself had to pray for a man more than once to be completely healed? Check out Mark 8:22-25

Man if Jesus has to pray more than once for healing than maybe I might have to pray a few times too.

What have we given up on? What are we settling for because we are unwilling to contend anymore. What breakthroughs and victories were we so close to, but tapped out?

Who have you given up on? Is it someone you know? Is it yourself?

Be filled with audacious hope as you read this. And don’t let yesterdays discouragements keep you from pressing in today.

If you need a physical healing right now, be healed in Jesus name. Be healed in Jesus name. Be healed in Jesus name.

I want it said of me and you. “They just wouldn’t give up.”

4 Keys For Revival – Danny Lehmann

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Danny Lehmann spoke at community meeting last night and talked about the 4 keys for revival.

1. Extra ordinary prayer
2. Conviction of sin (before you get caught
3. Effective evangelism
4. Social change

He talked about the difference of revival and reformation and shared stories from church history.

I was honored to listen to Danny speak. He taught in my DTS in @ywamnashville in 2003. He has walked with amazing people like Lonnie Frisbee and Keith Green and many more and he helped get @ywamhonolulu to where it is today.

He also spoke to the bible nerd in me and talked about Vishal Mangalwadi.:)

As I listened I wondered who is in our midst that one day we will share their stories of revival and greatness.

He used 2 Chronicles 7:14 as his key text.

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

And here are two quotes from his message.

“If we don’t define what we are praying for we probably aren’t going to get it.”

“The Jesus movement isn’t what we need. We need a Jesus movement times 100.”

Danny thank you for continuing to serve as an inspiration. For blazing a path and shining a light further down the road for us to go. And sharing your wisdom so we avoid straying from the path.

Don’t Stop Dreaming

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Are you living the life you want to? Are you moving towards your desire or just complaining about your current circumstance?
 
As I filled a mop bucket at work I saw this view. I took some time to marvel. I get to live in a beautiful place.
 
This year I’m learning it’s not about what I’m doing now it’s about who I’m becoming. I’m using the long commute and the time to clean to listen to audio books and connect with people. Today as I cleaned I wondered if I would maybe own an organization that would hire a cleaning guy someday. I’d encourage that guy if we did.
 
Don’t stop dreaming. You were created for big things. Don’t stay stuck. Choose to grow. Make the best out of your current circumstance and come up with a plan to move forward. Make whatever you are doing now an investment in your desired future.
 
Take some time to marvel at whatever beauty is around you. It will help you give you perspective.
 
Comment with 5 things you are thankful for. And tag someone that needs to hear this.

Embrace The Controversy

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Share this with someone that needs to hear this today.

Who’s getting after it and is moving and shaking things up and is running into adversity.

Conflict isn’t bad. Managing conflict poorly is though.

@dannylovingonpurpose says “The first goal of conversation: understanding not agreement.”

“When a group of intelligent people come together to talk about issues that matter, it is both natural and productive for disagreement to occur. Resolving those issues is what makes a meeting productive, engaging, even fun. – Patrick Lencioni

Let’s lean in today not avoid or run away. That’s my temptation when conflict arises, to throw in the towel. But that’s what children do. Quit when it gets hard. But today let’s journey together towards understanding.

That means we have to have our reasons thought out and be able to communicate them well. We need to be excellent clarifiers.

Are We Sluggards?

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Proverbs 20:4 Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

Can’t you almost sense the hope turned into disappointment in this #proverb The foolish sluggard is hoping for a miracle, maybe this time God will bless me or I’ll be lucky. And then they get to the field and see nothing and dive into regret and remorse. Blaming everything else.

I believe in miracles. God has gone way above and beyond in my life. I’m glad that I did not get what I deserve. Grace and miracles are real. But so is hard work. And the law of sowing and reaping.

One of my biggest fears is getting to the end of my life knowing I had a lot of great ideas, a lot of could haves that I never executed on.

I don’t like the false pride and cynicism that wells up in my heart when I stay in dream and fantasy mode. Doing is the great equalizer.

I’m so grateful for ALL the blessings from the Lord. Things I had no control over. The grace that fixed the things I mess(ed) up. I wouldn’t be here without it. But I wanna step up my game. Be faithful, prudent and diligent. And partner Gods blessings with human faithfulness and grit to see what we can do as we partner bringing His kingdom to earth.