Thursday, September 29, 2022

Here's to 10 Years of Memories!

Hello, friends!

Today is Megan and my anniversary! 10 years ago today, we got married in St. Louis, and it's been a whirlwind of a ride since then. 

Since 10 is a nice, round number, I thought it'd be fun to highlight my top 10 moments from marriage, one from each year.

2012: Our wedding. We were engaged in April, so we had about 6 months to put everything together. I remember us painting tree branches we found in the park for centerpieces. I remember being so nervous because I was going to try to play my guitar at the beginning of the wedding. I remember Megan looking amazing walking down the aisle, thinking I might cry, but then getting overcome with excitement and thinking, "this is so cool!" I remember a multinational feast for our reception and a Kelly Clarkson flash mob. It was pretty great.


2013 - Branson. A few days after Urbana, we decided to take a vacation to Branson, MO. I remember us getting tricked into listening to a timeshare presentation because we stopped at a place that said, "Free Popcorn." I remember Megan being so mad when the presenter insinuated that we "sell" Jesus and the look of dread on the presenter's face when she realized that she'd blown it. I remember watching Chinese acrobats in a half full theater. It was pretty great.

(Note: This second photo is from our trip to Memphis that was way better but also didn't include the timeshare story I really wanted to share.) =0). 

2014 - Cambodia. We led a group of students on a global project to Cambodia that summer. I remember lok lak and steamed buns. I remember tuk tuks and treating traffic like a river. I remember leading together and trying to manage everything, feeling overwhelmed but also thankful for the breakthroughs. I remember the fun and the drama we had as a team. 


2015 - Ezra. I remember you telling me to go back to sleep because this was going to take a while. I remember walking with one foot on the curb and one foot on the street because we thought it would bring Ezra along faster. I remember how my number one job was to make sure we stuck to the birth plan. I remember our nurse who stuck with us, even after her shift was over. I remember the US beating Japans 5-1 in the Women's World Cup Final. I remember all the nurses coming to visit because they didn't see too many natural births and thought Megan was an all-star. I remember seeing Ezra's hemangioma and mentally preparing a game plan for how to get him the Paralympics in case his leg needed to be cut off. That was a pretty good day. 

2016 - Vegas for Thanksgiving. I remember the cousins having matching pajamas. I remember going to a Celine Dion concert. I don't remember how much money I won or lost playing Blackjack...


2017 - Thaliea. I remember how quick this labor felt compared to Ezra. I remember trying to get you into the tub at the birthing center before it was too late. I remember wondering why this one time was so much quicker. I remember being smitten with both mother and daughter. 

2018 - Moving. I remember how we couldn't quite fit everything into the truck, so we had to leave some stuff for Danny. I remember all the friends and family who came to help us pack up and leave. I remember having friends in Omaha ready to greet us when we arrived. I remember eating really good Burmese food from a church fundraiser. I remember getting to our house with the moving truck before Megan and Aunt Judi came with the van, and the house keys, so I had to introduce myself to our neighbors by asking if I could use their bathroom. 

2019 - Jonah. I remember getting my mind prepared for switching from "man to man" to "zone defense." I remember the sense of peace around our biological family being complete. I remember cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving and totally messing up the rolls because yeast and I don't get along. I remember being really tired that week. 

2020 - Pandemic. I remember wiping down our groceries when they arrived via InstaCart. I remember trying to navigate work schedules with childcare schedules. I remember feeling like we turned a corner after the initial stress and how Megan and I communicated and partnered well.



2021 - Elders. I remember late nights working with other church folk to get a policy in place. I remember the pride I felt when our pastor asked Megan to be an Elder. I remember feeling like there was a shift in our family as we grew in our ownership of our church. 

(Note: this photo isn't of an Elders meeting but our pastor did give us a gift certificate, which we are using on this date, so it kind of counts...) =0). 


2022 - Orlando. I remember the matching shirts. I remember how much I hate roller coasters but how much Megan loves them. I remember getting to watch some really great shows while Megan rode on roller coasters. I remember running but not running through the park on our way to Harry Potter World as soon as it opened. I remember good Jamaican food, good Indian food, and even better company. 


So, here's to (at least) 10 more years of marriage! Every time I preach, I show a phot of our family and say that Megan makes me want to be a better person every day. No truer words have ever been spoken or ever will. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam













Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Special Time...

Hello, friends! 

I was talking to a coworker of mine the other day about how busy life has gotten with school and all the extracurriculars that have started. Ezra is playing soccer and both Ezra and Thaliea are in Cub Scouts. Between the stuff for the kids and our commitments with church, Megan and I have both mentioned how it seems like we have something every night of the week. 

One of the things that I used to do with the kids before they were in school was "Special Time." It usually involved me taking one of the kids to QT to eat a donut and to talk about their day. Then, I'd drop off that kid to pick up the other kid to do the same (Jonah was usually napping). It was great because the kids felt like they got some one on one time, and I got to eat multiple donuts. It really was a win-win. When Ezra started school, it got a lot harder to find time for us to do "Special Time." Now that Thaliea's in school too, she's also missing out. In some ways, it's a definite bummer. 

But, as I was talking to my coworker, I realized something. I'm coaching Ezra's soccer team, which is sort of like our own special time. I'm leading Thaliea's Cub Scout den, which she absolutely loves because to her, that's our special time. On Mondays, when both of the older kids are at school, Jonah and I run errands and such for our own special time. It looks different but it's still something that resembles one-on-one time with each kid. 

We only have 3 kids, compared to the 4 that my parents had, so I'm not sure how they juggled all of it, especially when I think about all the extra-curriculars my siblings and I did. I have also noticed that Ezra is going on more play dates with his friends, which means he clamoring less for "Special Time." I guess that just comes with the times. Still, I'm super thankful for the ways time that I have now to spend with each kid individually. Hopefully, they'll remember our Special Times with fondness and know that I saw them each as their own person and loved them best I could. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam




Thursday, September 15, 2022

Pray for Fall Conference!

Hello, friends! 

InterVarsity Fall Conference has a very special place in my heart. It was at Fall Conference during my Freshman year that I had a major encounter with Jesus and really started my faith journey in a profound way. As a staff, I've seen students have those same profound experiences with Jesus at Fall Conferences. I've had the pleasure of preaching at Fall Conferences and directing Fall Conferences (I'm pretty sure I was much better at the former than I was the latter). 



Fall Conference is special for a number of different reasons. In InterVarsity land, it is often the official "end of NSO season." Much of the invitation that happens during the first few weeks of school is to get students to Fall Conference. It's pretty common for students who attend Fall Conference, especially those who make significant decisions to follow Jesus at Fall Conference, to be committed to the Fellowship for the rest of the year. Added to that, Fall Conference is special because we know that the Holy Spirit moves there. I've seen it with my own eyes. I've experienced it as a student and as a staff. Fall Conference changes lives in a really cool and powerful way. 

Creighton is going to be having its Fall Conference this weekend, from Friday-Saturday. Megan, as interim Area Director for Nebraska, will be helping with conference logistics. I'll be with the kids but we plan on visiting after soccer on Saturday (#GoBlackWidows). 

Would you please be praying for Fall Conference this weekend? Pray for the staff as they lead students. Pray for the students who will be in attendance and for those who are thinking about coming. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move at Fall Conference and that this will be a catalytic moment for the IV chapter. Pray for all the logistics, from travel to housing, to snacks. Pray that the kids (or me) won't miss Megan too much while she's gone. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 


Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Back in Lincoln

Hello, friends!

Last week, after a while summer off, I got to return to Lincoln, Nebraska to hang out with the ACF crew! I'll be heading out there every other week to see the crew, join in on Bible study, and generally be of as much help as possible.

Classes just started a few weeks ago, and everyone is still getting used to their schedules, so Figs (the student leader) wasn't sure if folk would come. However, I had a trick up my sleeve...

Free food.

That's right, I'm not above a little bribery. Dinner was on me and we got the best fried chicken in Lincoln. It was fun to catch up with folk, get to know them more, and to a little planning for the year to come. One student joked, "maybe we should just do Bible study here every week." She was a little taken aback when I said, "Sure!" =0).

I'm looking forward to this year with ACF. It's always fun getting together with students and connecting with Asian American students is always a joy. My hope is that I'll be able to cast vision for the crew to be more than just an insular Bible study but a real missional force in Nebraska. I'll buy as much fried chicken as it takes to make that a reality.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Find Your People!

Hello, friends! 

On Sunday, I had the honor of preaching at Bridge Church again. We're currently going through a sermon series called "Find Your People" based on a book by Jenny Allen. 

It was a lot of fun to put together this sermon. There were a few changes to the schedule that needed to be made that actually ended up with me combining two different sermons. I still managed to keep it under 30 minutes though. =0). 

As I've been preaching at church more and more, I've been heartened by the kind words that various folk from church have given me. I really enjoy preaching and it's good to know that other folk don't mind me preaching either. One of the comments that has come up on more than one occasion is that I do a good job of taking complex ideas and making them simple and easy to understand. I can't say that I'm doing that intentionally, but I'll take it, for sure! 

Enjoy this week's sermon! If you're ever away from your local church and are in the area, stop on by Bridge! I think we're pretty great. 



Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Tabling!!!

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday, Megan drove to Hasting, NE (about 2.5 hours away) to do some tabling with Zack, a student leader at the InterVarsity group there. All said and done, she said it was a great time! Zack is an RA (Residential Advisor) so he knew everyone who came by. There were some folk who were really excited about joining the Bible study and it seems like there's some real momentum there! 


There are many reasons I love my wife, but one of them is how welcoming she is to people. Tabling is a great example of that. Megan knows exactly how to make people feel welcomed and engaged, with just a short conversation. She's also a great trainer and developer, so I'm sure that Zack learned a thing or two about how to table well. 

During the start of the school year, tabling is one of the most common and best ways to meet students on campus. I love tabling because of the random encounters that lead to lifelong friendships and even life change. The prospect of a free cup or some candy may be all that's needed for a student to feel welcomed into a community and can even be the first step towards a student following Jesus! 

Friends, right now, tabling is happening all over the Central Region. Staff like Megan and students like Zack are meeting students, new and old, in random, chance encounters on campus. Would you please pray with me that these encounters would lead to something more? Pray that students tabling would be bold in their invitations and grow in love for strangers they may not know. Pray that students walking by would have their curiosity stoked. Pray that this would be the first step towards a great school year for these InterVarsity chapters. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

The most wonderful time of the year!

Hello, friends! 

You know what song I have had stuck in my head all day? This one (you're welcome...). =0). 

After a very long, and a very full summer, Omaha Public Schools started today. For Ezra, who's now a second grader, it's a chance to see old friends and get back to the thing he loves most in the world, playing soccer during recess. 

For Thaliea, it's a different story. She's in kindergarten this year, which means a new school and MUCH longer days. Thankfully, she has the same kindergarten teacher that Ezra has, so there's some familiarity there. Given that she can be a little nervous entering new places, we're hopeful that today will be a good day for her. 

Having 2 of the 3 kids in school all day is a new experience for us. I'm sure Jonah isn't going to mind having some alone time with Meg and me during the days he's not in daycare. For me, since Wednesdays are a work day anyway, things have felt mostly normal. Monday (our Sabbath), when it's just Jonah and me, may be when the newness of the situation hits me. For now, I'm just glad that the kids are in school and we haven't gotten any calls about needing to pick up anyone. 

Please be praying for us as we enter a new season of transition. Pray that the kids will enjoy their new classrooms and be leaders of kindness. Pray that Jonah won't get too lonely without his big sister around. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam