Ministry Monday: The Same Guy

Do you ever feel the pressure to be something your not? You know, you have to act a certain way in this setting compared to another setting. One of my goals in life is to be the same guy no matter where I am or who I am with. No matter if I am preaching on stage or if I am having lunch with a new acquaintance.

Why?

In my past I have been fake. I have lived the double life where you are one person around your Christian friends and another person around your secular friends. I have put on the "I want to impress you with how great I am" face to many times. I am tired of being someone I am not. I want to be honest with myself, my wife, my kids, my ministry, the world.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't want to be the same guy 10 years from now that I am today. I want to look back and see how much I have grown spiritually, emotionally, and hopefully not that much physically. I want to be stretched, pressured, challenged, and drawn to be a better husband, dad, and minister.

To be the same guy I have to know who I am. Who am I?

I am a Husband: Jessica and I will celebrate 9 years of marriage this coming August.

I am a Dad: Patriot and Azlan are wonderful, frustrating, amazing, tiring boys who I have been blessed with.

I am a Minister: No matter what profession I may do I will always be a minister. I can't help it. Today I am a Pastor to babies, kids, students, youth, and their parents.

I am an Entrepreneur: I have 6 business ideas right now that I would love to get off the ground. Capital and leadership are always the issue.

I am Strategic: even games of strategy interest me. why do something on accident?

I love Marketing: there is something about creating a message that is clear, concise, and catchy.

I love Technology: let me live in a physical world and communicate both physically and digitally and I am happy. Let my toys be digital as well.

I love Sports: any sport, any time. If there is competition than I am in. Beware though that I like to win. I like to watch sports but not women's sports. I am not sexist. I just think that women's sports are boring.

I love Signs: once again an affinity to clear, concise, and catchy

I love naming things: coming up with names of products, services, and brands rock my world

I love reading blogs: I subscribe to and read about 75 blogs a day. I don't read the newspaper.

I love people: making friends is very enjoyable but just to sit and watch people at an amusement part is amazing. I am still amazed by choices that people make.

I love fashion: I watch What Not to Wear and like it. I have more shoes than my wife and I get a rush out of finding really creative shirts.

I like to play poker, card games, craps: again the strategy thing comes in to play. It is not about the money.

I like to travel to other countries: I have spent the night in 9 different countries. The United States are the best but there is so much more out there.

I like to sing: that doesn't mean that I will lead worship or should lead worship. That also doesn't mean that I play an instrument.

I don't like Kid's music: Have people not caught on that kids don't even like kid's music. They like good music and most of the time it isn't being sung by other kids.

I don't like driving the speed limit: don't judge. I know you don't like it either.

I don't like puppets: maybe I have seen them done so poorly that I have a bent or maybe they have run their course.

I don't like grammar: I think if you stick around and read this blog you know this.

Today I am 29 and tomorrow I will be 30: I don't know why I am having a hard time with this but I am.


There you have it. That is just a little bit about me. I am OK with who I am. So if you meet me somewhere here in Cincinnati I hope I am this guy and not someone else. If I am then I have not only done wrong to me but I have done you a disservice as well.

Who are you? If you don't know then how can you be the same guy or girl where ever you go? How can you change who you are if you don't know who you are? How can you help someone else change who they are?

Thanks to Jonathan Cliff for starting this process of writing down who he is and inspiring me to do the same.