If you haven’t been to Catalyst, you need to. It truly is an experience and not just an event. This year’s theme is “Tension is Good” and I love the idea of tension. I’ve always found the greatest depth of faith when there is tension.

You may be thinking that this event is “too much production” and “not enough spirituality” but let me push back and say that perhaps you aren’t very teachable. This is an experience where it will make you think whether you agree with what is said or not. It will challenge your theology. The experience will stretch you.

Catalyst Conference East, October 6-8, Atlanta, GA. Register here.

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1. When There Is Tension

You really never know how things will turn out when you are faithful to what God wants you to do. But in the end, it’s always worth it.

Last October Laura and I officially submitted our paperwork to start our adoption process. We felt that God was calling us to adopt a child for a long time, but finally we felt that the time had come to actually start the main process. We really felt that it was a calling rather than a response to not having children of our own yet. Shortly after we completed our home study where a social worker basically does an interview of us and evaluates whether the way we live is consistent to being an adoptive family. We got through the initial process very quickly since Laura already knew the ins-and-outs since that’s what she does at Bethany Christian Services.

Once the home study was done and we got approval from Korea we started to think about how we would ease into telling our families about it. Of course we had mentioned to our families that we were interested and we got those general responses like “oh, that’s a good thing to do” and expected comments like “you should have your own children first.” From the time a home study is completed, families usually have at least a year before receiving a referral (when you are matched with a child and they provide detailed information of the child) so we planned on breaking our families in over the course of the year.

Now I must admit that we did get pressure from our families to have our own children first and both parents started pushing us to get tested to make sure there aren’t issues with getting pregnant. So to appease them we were in the process of going through those tests. We never really thought that there was anything wrong with us, but thought that it just wasn’t time for us since we felt that we were to adopt first. Nevertheless, my tests came back fine and we were in the process of getting Laura tested.

Everything changed on Christmas eve…

Keep reading here: http://www.jasonjeong.com/adoption/

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1. The Adoption Journey

Instead of lavish gifts or restaurant dinners for my 31st birthday, I want to make a difference for 31 families. I want to protect the children of those 31 families from becoming orphans due to extreme poverty and treatable diseases. We can protect them by simply providing them with clean water! The goal is for people to give $31 and raise a total of $3,100 to serve 31 families in Cambodia!

100% of all the money raised will be used towards this water project and all donations are tax deductable through my non-profit, Orphan Epidemic.

Click here to make a donation! And check the progress here!

I’m not arrogant to think that I’m going to end the orphan epidemic by myself, but I’m starting somewhere and doing something. Help me make this a birthday that makes a difference!

Here are some FAQs:

How exactly will the money be used?

The money will go towards two things. The first will be towards building a well and some money will go towards building biosand water filters. Money will NOT be used for travel expenses, administration, or anything internal for Orphan Epidemic. A partner that works at ground level will be helping us with the water projects to avoid any additional costs.

Why Cambodia?

As I have recently been to Cambodia (last fall), I have seen first hand the brokenness of the country (Khmer Rouge being recent history) and of the people. The country uniquely suffers from extreme poverty (including the lack of clean water), insufficient medical care for majority of the country, and social justice issues (it’s a primary location for sex trafficking, brothels, and child labor). But I have also seen many workers with great hope that God will redeem the country and there are great opportunities to show what Christ is all about.

Where can I get more info?

Go checkout the Orphan Epidemic website!

Orphan Epidemic works to prevent children from becoming orphans by addressing the root causes of extreme poverty and treatable diseases. Clean water is an initiative that engages both of these issues.

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“Great leadership is the ability to taste a person’s soul — like a fine bottle of wine.” ~Mike Rawlings, CEO of Pizza Hut

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1. Nugget – Feb 11, 2010
2. Nugget – Sept 22, 2009

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ~James 1:2-4

Too often we settle into that spiritual roller coaster. After that high from a retreat or event our motivation starts to fizzle and then the next thing you know you’re faced with some major obstacles in your life! Where did all energy go? Why am I not passionate anymore? Why am I now faced with these trials? It’s not the emotions fizzing out that is the problem, but it’s the fact that we give up when we face trials soon after.

There is a point at which we all have a decision to make whether to press on and persevere or to just ride the roller coaster to the bottom. When we give up, we miss out on making major break throughs in our faith! What I’m talking about is the decision we’re faced with at the point of perseverance.

How do you keep going when you don’t think you can? It’s not a “let God do everything” or a “do everything yourself” dilema, but it’s both and. You have a to bite down and fight the pain. It’s like trying to hold your breath under water against someone and just when you think you want to go up for air you tell yourself a little longer. That’s not where it ends. At the same time, you have to trust God to lift you up out of the downward spiral. You know, this is just the start of perseverance.

You have to continue beyond where you don’t think you can go any further. You haven’t broken through just yet. You have to make it through the break through point. This is the point where you realize it doesn’t hurt as bad as you thought before. It’s not that your circumstances have really changed. They may or may not have, but what’s happening is that God is developing character. It’s the kind of character that matures you. It’s like a runner’s second wind. Only mature runners know how to develop and use it. It’s only runners who push themselves to that point that understand it. This is stuff God has to have the chance to do something in you.

In order to develop muscle, you have to bust your butt and lift hard. Hard enough to where it hurts because that’s when your muscle tears. But at this point, you can’t tell your muscles to grow and repair itself. You have to leave it up to God.

You will have a spiritual break through, when you persevere through trials. This is bigger than just having the right attitude or the right strength. It’s about God being bigger than the trials you face. It’s about allowing your actions to follow your faith. It’s about God getting the glory when you reach new heights in your faith.

What is it that you have to persevere through right now? Don’t give up. Don’t miss experiencing a break through in your faith.

Today, Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent is the forty days leading up to Easter.

It is a time where Christians prepare themselves through fasting and prayer as Jesus fasted before he was crucified, buried, and resurrected. It is a time to think about the work God is doing in your life. It is a time to reflect on the lives we live.

There are over 145 million orphans in the world. Over 2 million more are orphaned each year because of HIV/AIDS.

You read those numbers and you can’t help but be taken back.  And that’s where it usually ends. Sure you may even think that there’s something you can do about it, but what have you done?

Think about this. Each of those 145 million orphans have a name. They have a face. They have a story. They are real children. Perhaps it’s those very statistics that shock us also de-humanize these orphans. They get lost in the numbers.

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The measure of a great teacher isn’t what he knows; it’s what his students know.

- John C. Maxwell

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I’ve noticed something about my own faith. I’ve noticed that I’ve found faith where there was tension. I found faith in the unanswered questions. I found faith in the face of conflict. I found faith when things didn’t go my way. I found faith in the uncertain future. I found faith struggling with God.  I found faith in the tensions of life.

Then why in the world does it feel like the pursuit of a Christian is to live without conflict? Why are so many prayers filled with fixing something? Why are all the Christian books out there about how to get your life in order? Why is the good Christian life portrayed like to the one who has everything together?

It’s been good to have faith and I’ve found it in the tensions of life. Then in the tension I will remain.

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It’s the freedom that we have in this country that I’m thankful for. That freedom that I enjoy demands my respect for those who fought to make it possible. It’s freedom that all faiths must fight to keep in this country. For what is faith without freedom to choose?

My utmost respect and gratitude go out to the veterans that fought for freedom.

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1. Self(less) Reflection