At Attention

Psalm 93:1 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded himself with strength. I have three sons aged 10, 8 and 4. I’m often struggling to get their attention to eat, wash or change. But I’ve discovered this amazing tool from my childhood called Taekwondo. Specifically, the boys love martial arts so much, that whenever I call attention (or “charyut!!”) they’ll drop whatever they’re doing and stand in line faster than the Von Trapp Family Singers. There’s something so powerful about standing at attention, prepared and totally focused on the task at hand. In ancient Hebrew times, this posture was represented by the concept of girding up ones loins. Long, flowing tunics wouldn’t allow for heavy labor or battle, so men would hoist the fabric up, wrap the cloth around their loins, and tie a knot for stability. It felt somewhat like a diaper, but the output was anything but baby-like. You can get a sense visually from this Huff Post article. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gird-your-loins_n_5941448 Well in today’s verse I feel like God is reminding us that he is not only really strong, not only really majestic, but also standing at attention. Sometimes I know that God is omnipotent, but forget that he’s not too busy to care intently about my trials. He sits behind the door, waiting expectantly for me to knock. He has girded up his loins, totally at attention, just waiting for the opportunity to jump into battle on my behalf… to breathe his love and strength into the circumstances of my life. Lord, thank you for caring. Thank you for standing at attention. I lift up my friends and family who are mourning loss, struggling with sickness and facing financial impossibility. I pray your peace and covering over them. In your son’s name, Amen.

Raising Successful People

Luke 17:1 “It is impossible that no offenses should come.” The other night, I overheard Elaine having an interesting conversation and later found out it was with Esther Wojcicki, the author of “How to Raise Successful People.” In addition to being an award winning educator, Esther has also raised three really successful people. Janet is a Fulbright-winning anthropologist, Anne co-founded 23andMe and Susan currently serves as CEO of Youtube. As if she hadn’t done enough, at the age of 80 Esther started a peer to peer edutainment app called Tract, and given her credentials I thought it’d be worth trying out with the boys. We logged in and watched a video on prehistoric sea creatures, at the end of which, the host asked viewers who would win in a showdown, the megalodon or the giant mosasaur. Kyan chose the megalodon, while Luke chose the mosasaur, and they both vehemently defended their positions. The ensuing debate led to raised voices, insults hurled and tears shed as Kyan drove Luke to start sobbing. I sat the boys down and explained to them that we are designed to be in communion with each other. Loving each other means treating each other as an extension of ourselves, and when we work together in that state we are so much more powerful. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. “You guys have a lot of complementary skills that can help each other with your next startup. And you’re going to use that for the Kingdom, so of course the enemy wants to split you apart. There’s a great author named John Bevere who talks about this in his book The Bait of Satan. The enemy often splits us apart by sparking the spirit of offense. It’s bound to happen, but the key is how we react to it. Perhaps this time Kyan you could have been a bit more gentle in your words, and Luke remember that if you remember God loves you, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says.” They nodded and agreed. But they still disagreed about the prehistoric sea battle. Lord, thank you that you give us the tools to rise above the spirit of offense. True love conquers all. And if we’re filled with your love then we can not help but be united with those around us. Thank you for the reminder that truly successful people are defined by love, not by the world. In your son’s name, Amen.

Like A Tree

Psalm 92:12 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” During the course of our quarantine, the Singapore government kindly decreased the required prison term from 21 days to 14. We checked out of our hotel and came home yesterday. It feels like God just added an extra week onto my life, and man does sure feel good! I welcomed the creature comforts of a home-cooked meal and the extravagance of basic laundry. But this morning I realized that what I looked forward to most was some good ol’ quiet time with the big guy out in nature. This morning at MacRitchie Reservoir I found myself staring at one of my favorite trees and I found myself meditating on the importance of endurance. In the world of venture capital, we are taught to spot and nurture fast-growing sprouts. I believe God honors speed and intensity, but to make a lasting impact one must endure the test of time like these trees that live thousands of years. I have seen so many startups and VC firms grow incredibly quickly, only to whither like the multitude of saplings that never truly take root. Lord, I pray that you would make me like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season. The world moves faster and faster, and I seem to get busier and busier… to the point that an extra week seems to have added a lifetime to my days. But I commit to creating space for you, because aligning with your perspective allows me to stand the test of time with an eternal view. I love you. In your son’s name, Amen.