eugene cho

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 • 12:01 am 23

Ladies: Don’t give up on your dream man.

I have a word of encouragement for all the female readers and subscribers of my blog.

Spring is here. Hopefully that’s good news on the Vitamin D front and for general energy and outdoor activities.

But then there’s the other kind of ‘Spring Fever’ and crazy stuff like “ring by spring”. Depending on your perspective, some of it might feel like a downer. For example:

Some of your girlfriends are posting pictures of their latest excursions with their boyfriends; Some friends are changing their facebook statuses to ‘In a relationship’ or ‘Married’ or ‘I’m hot and you’re not.’

Whatever the deal, it’s time to take a moment to get perspective.

Just when you lost all hope on the charisma, charm, and chivalry of single men and considered giving up on your dream dude…

there is hope!

As much as folks want to knock online services Read the rest of this entry »

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Monday, May 21, 2012 • 8:12 pm 72

Dear Pastor Charles Worley: We condemn your words of hatred and cruelty. Repent!

No matter where you stand on the issue of gay marriage, there are some boundaries of human decency that should never be crossed.

Never.

Even in the name of free speech, some boundaries should never be crossed. Pastor Terry Jones crossed that line in burning the Koran and making a global media spectacle. Pastor Wiley Drake crossed that line in suggesting that he was praying for the death of President Obama. And then, of course, there are the folks of Westboro Baptist Church. 

But this…?!#@

Wow, this takes the prize for the most idiotic, insane, stupid, asinine, cruel, ungodly, foul, inexcusable, heinous, and disgusting comments by any person – let alone someone that calls himself a pastor and shepherd. Read the rest of this entry »

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Monday, May 21, 2012 • 1:45 pm 0

The greatest grandpa hoopster of all time. Uncle Drew is living my dream.

Amazing. Inspiring…and umm, hilarious video.

This is Kyrie Irving – the 2011 #1 draft choice and NBA rookie of the year. He had a phenomenal season and he’s a legit point guard and baller.

Apparently, he also has a career in acting. He’s also only 20 years old but playing the part of a older grandpa that I’d estimate around 67 years old.

“Uncle Drew” is living out my dream!

Did you have a dream when you were younger? Mine all revolved around sports.

  • Shortstop for the SF Giants
  • Point guard for the Golden State Warriors
  • Power hitter for the USA Volleyball Team
  • Fencing champion in the Olympics

To this day, I still daydream and try to play hoops…which is why I’ve ruptured and completed severed both of my Achilleses muscles.[What's the plural form of one Achilles? Anyone?]
Read the rest of this entry »

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Friday, May 18, 2012 • 12:01 am 27

I am a pastor and I am fashionable. Don’t hate me because I’m a fashionable pastor.

Have you heard of Pastor Fashion?

Yes, this is real. For realz. Fo shizzle.

Granted, at first view, I didn’t think it was real but some smart satire or at least  some sort of bad church version of Punked. And then you realize it’s real and then, you don’t know if you should laugh or cry or repent or pray or go shopping or all of the above.

Honestly, I’m not trying to be a hater. The creator of Pastor Fashion, Pastor Ed Young, seems to be a great guy and a fabulous leader but I’m just not feeling it.

But maybe you are.

What do you think?

Here’s the vision of Pastor Fashion: Read the rest of this entry »

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 • 12:01 am 19

When girls bully girls and women bully women.

First of all, if it’s not clear by my name or by the facial hair on my face, I’m not a girl.

Now that we’ve got that cleared up, you might be wondering why I’m writing a post entitled, “When girls bully girls and women bully women.”

I’m doing so because it’s causing…

great pain and damage.

Bullying happens in many places and happens in both genders. By writing about girls and women, I’m not implying that it happens only among girls or women because that would simply not be true but what I’m discovered as a pastor is that more women than men (by far) are negatively impacted by the bullying they’ve encountered in their younger years as an adolescent, teenager, or even as a college student. Read the rest of this entry »

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Friday, May 11, 2012 • 5:00 am 18

When a parent cries for their child and comes to the admission that they can’t fix everything.

It’s been couple weeks since my last post. I’ve been meaning to write numerous posts – all incredible and brilliant posts (in my mind at least). I start but can never finish. It’s just been that kind of time where my heart and mind has wandered to other places.

Namely, they have wandered to health issues of one of my children.

While I need to be careful what I share and how I share it (for the sake of honoring my child’s privacy), I thought it would be good – for my own sake – to share a bit of my heart and thoughts when a parent cries for their child and a when a parent comes to the painful admission that he or she just can’t fix everything.

When a parent cries for their child.

You see, I have cried on many occasions over the years. There are times I cry alone. There are times I cry with my wife. There are times I cry with my sick child. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wednesday, April 18, 2012 • 12:15 pm 17

Don’t escape. Sit in this pain. Recommit to the work of peacemaking. [Warning: Graphic Image]

I’ve always wanted to be a photographer but doodling on my phone camera and my new Instagram account will have to suffice for now. But I’ve been particular intrigued by the role of photography in humanitarian and various aspects of global development. This is why I was intrigued by an article that came through my reader about an Afghani photographer named Massoud Hossaini who was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.

I clicked it and saw the image and in a split second, I wished I had NEVER clicked to read the article and of course, the accompanying “award winning” photograph. I wish I had a sudden blue screen, or back stalking on Facebook, or watching my Netflix, or laughing at some idiot on the Fail Blog, or perhaps some  beautiful and heartwarming image of local Africans smiling from ear to ear at their new clean water well…

Tthose were my initial thoughts.

Understand? My thoughts were to escape this reality and pain rather than entering in to better or more deeply understand the story and pain.

If you do click and see the image, what were your first thoughts?

How do you respond to such utter pain?

This image will be now with me forever. While I missed this image when it was first captured on December 6, 2011, it will be with me forever.

So, I warn you…before you click “read more” … know that you will be disturbed. Read the rest of this entry »

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Friday, April 13, 2012 • 12:01 am 19

What Blue Like Jazz teaches us about creating a better story.

Hello people. Eugene Cho the Reviewer is back. You hated my last review of Mark Driscoll’s book, Real Marriage, so I’m trying again with my endeavors to be a world class reviewer and thus, I am writing a review for the movie, Blue Like Jazz, based on Donald Miller‘s book…Blue Like Jazz. Love how those matching titles work.

Let me first say that I have yet to see the film but since we’re living in a day and age where people are inclined to write reviews about books they have yet to read, I say what the heck. As much as I want to say I’ll see the film very soon, I can’t make any promises. Why? I haven’t been to a movie theater in several years. I honestly think that the last movie I saw a movie in the theaters was The Lord of the Rings. Ages ago.

To my defense, I have read the book although it took me several months because my bad reading habit is to pick up at least a dozen books to read at the same time. To Donald’s credit, I mostly read dead people so it’s not to say that I want him to have a short life, it caught my attention enough to pick it up even though I know (and hope) he’s very healthy and in the middle of a long life. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wednesday, April 11, 2012 • 12:01 am 26

Get outside. Be creative. Dream. Create something. The story of 9-year-old Caine Monroy and Caine’s Arcade.

Dear friends, readers, strangers, and blog stalkers: I try to be careful with overly extreme outrageous over-the-top superlatives but the story of Caine’s Arcade and its 9-year-old founder, Caine, might be one of the greatest things I’ve ever read or seen.

This story of not judging a book by its cover was cool, too, but wow…this is amazing. No joke.

First, do yourself a HUGE favor and watch the video. I guarantee it’ll be worth your 11 minutes or I will pay you $2 for your very own “Fun Pass” (this will make sense later). Money back guarantee.

Who is Caine and what is Caine’s Arcade?

Caine Monroy is a 9-year old boy who spent his summer vacation building an elaborate DIY cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store. Read the rest of this entry »

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Saturday, April 7, 2012 • 12:30 am 34

On giving away iPads, pony rides, and gazillion eggs for Easter when the Gospel ought to be enough.

No doubt that Resurrection Sunday or Easter is the most significant event or Sunday for the Church. While it wouldn’t be wise to reduce the story of God’s narrative to one event, the death and resurrection of Christ is undoubtedly, crucial. Our faith and the credibility of the gospel hinges upon the historicity and veracity of the resurrection of Christ. For this reason, Easter is often referred to as the Super Bowl for Christian churches.

As expected, a great amount of time, energy, ideas, and resources are invested into this weekend.

And I get it. And I agree with it – in part.

It’s important and it’s understandable that churches are emphasizing this weekend and investing additional resources. At Quest, we host two services for Good Friday and three services for Easter (one on Saturday with a  service and a feast for the homeless community) and two services on Sunday. Typically, we’ve rented an off-site facility to have our usual only joint church service.

But I digress.

I love the events of Holy Week…

-  the uncomfortable reflections of Good Friday and culminating in the celebration of the Risen Lord. It is truly special. A worthwhile celebration!

But in recent years, there seems to be an increasing trend of using stuff to lure people to church on Easter weekend.  Now, seriously: Read the rest of this entry »

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Friday, April 6, 2012 • 6:00 am 20

how could it possibly be a “good” friday?

pa009086

Good Friday.

Why is it “good?”  How could it possibly be good?

  • In a culture that is ever so quick to get to the product
  • In a culture that is ever so quick to avoid suffering and pain and seek ways to medicate ourselves to avoid pain
  • In a culture that is ever so quick to jump to the bunnies and eggs
  • In a culture that is ever so quick to commercialize, capitalize, and consumerize Read the rest of this entry »

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012 • 11:04 am 23

in memory of shaima alawadi: human, daughter, wife, mother, neighbor, sister, friend

Take a long look.

Stare into her eyes.

Stare and Focus.  You’ll see that she’s not that different than you and I.

This is Shaima Alawadi.

  • She is a human being.
  • She is Iraqi. She is American. She is Iraqi-American.
  • She is a neighbor.
  • She is a daughter.
  • She is a mother…of 5 children.
  • She is a wife.
  • She is a friend.
She is also dead. Murdered.
A brief glimpse of her story: Read the rest of this entry »

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Monday, March 26, 2012 • 10:16 pm 41

don’t judge a book by its cover. don’t judge a person by their weight.

I don’t know how to approach this post in a politically correct way so I’ll just say it. It’s a quasi-post about weight, obesity, and overweight people in society.

There: I said it.

In some ways but especially in the church, it’s one of the “elephants” in the room.

And by that, I’m not try to sound like a jerk or smartarse in any way by the usage of elephant, it’s literally a rare a conversation we host. It’s certainly not something I regularly teach or preach about but I should if I care about my congregation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Saturday, March 17, 2012 • 1:23 pm 63

our response to jason russell should not be that complex

The conversations surrounding the campaign of Kony2012 are complex. They really are. To simplify them only furthers the criticism that some have had with the entire campaign with over-simplification.

Part of the reason why I haven’t written anything about Kony2012 is that I’m still processing what I liked and disliked; agreed or disagreed; the assessment of what was compelling and deterring. There are some important lessons to be learned by all – but especially non-profit organizations – such as the one I recently started, One Day’s Wages. So, my posture has been slow to speak and quick to listen. I’m reading, processing, asking, conversing, and perhaps later, I’ll have some thoughts to share.

But one thing I’d like to make clear is that to reduce the work of Invisible Children to a 30 minute video would be simply unfair – to them, to those that they have sought to come alongside in Uganda, and to all of us. They’ve done some important work since their inception in 2003 and will continue to do important work.

Having said that, I was surprised (to say the least) and saddened to read the “breaking news” of Jason Russell’s detainment and hospitalization yesterday in San Diego. Jason is a co-founder of IC and the narrator of the Kony2012 video. He has also bore the brunt of much criticism during the recent weeks from the entire world.

The conversations surrounding the issues of Kony2012 may indeed be complex but hear this loud and clear, our response to the recent news about Jason Russell ought to be very simple: Read the rest of this entry »

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Friday, March 16, 2012 • 8:25 am 8

“a prayer of blessing to all those hands that put together the ipad that we’re about to enjoy”

At the usual risk of getting more angry emails, I’d like to write something about Apple, Foxconn, and the workers that make up their gadgets and for that matter, the workers that put together all of our gadgets from any and whatever company. This way, you know that this speaks to everyone.  For those that missed it or want a larger overview, the New York Times wrote an incredible piece entitled, “In China, Human Costs are Built into an iPad.”

For gadgeteers, it should be obvious why I’m writing this today:

The new iPad is being released today. 

Millions upon millions will be sold. In fact, all the pre-sale inventory was sold out several days ago. The first person – globally – lined up a full week before the sale of the iPad. Every store will have droves of lines circled around the corner. It’s on everyone’s wish list – admitted or not admitted – perhaps with the exception of Bill Gates. I will confess that I’m also tempted to upgrade the original iPad that was gifted me couple years ago.

Globalization is complex.

Anyone that says otherwise is incapable of anything beyond simple thinking. It’s incredibly complex. Read the rest of this entry »

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Saturday, February 18, 2012 • 4:30 am 137

a conversation about prayer with president barack obama

Unless it’s Justin Bieber I don’t get star-struck, but I have to admit, it was pretty cool to meet President Barack Obama earlier this month. During his visit to Seattle on the weekend of February 16, I had the opportunity and privilege to attend one of the events he was speaking at. Specifically, it was an event at Boeing Everett to celebrate the work of American workers, Boeing, and the culmination of the work of the Dreamliner 787.

Light to the World.

As you know. I don’t run in these circles.  Sitting in a special section with dignitaries and politicians including mayors, various council members, business bigwigs and the Washington governor was awkward to say the least.  How I got invited to this event is a little unclear but over the past couple years, I’ve been building relationships with the White House via their Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. It’s also from a commitment I’ve had – as a Christian, a pastor, and a leader – to be a light to the World and not just merely light to the Light. Translation: As we serve and love the church, we must also look outward and engage the larger culture. Folks notice and when opportunities arise, they sometimes ask for input and involvement or just merely your presence and that’s what happened.

Because of this theology and ecclesiology Read the rest of this entry »

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Friday, February 10, 2012 • 8:25 am 14

model leaves victoria’s secret to honor God, her husband…and be a better role model

Have you heard this story? Yes, its’ true: I’m talking about Victoria’s Secret models on my blog. [gulp]

In light of some recent posts I’ve written, “Media and Commercials: Women are Objects to be Objectified and Exploited for Consumption” and “The Dangers of Being a Woman”, this is a relevant and compelling read and discussion.

Truth be told, I don’t quite know what to make of modeling to begin with which is why I personally left modeling years ago. ;)

For one Victoria Secret’s model, Kylie Bisutti, she’s decided – in response to her convictions as a follower of Christ – to no longer model lingerie and leave Victoria’s Secret altogether:

“For all of you that were looking for me in the Victorias Secret runway show this year, I wasn’t in it. I have decided not to model lingerie because I personally feel that I am not honoring God or my husband by doing it. My marriage is very important & with divorce rates rising I want to do everything I can to protect my marriage and be respectful to my husband. God graciously gave me this marriage and this life and my desire is to live a Godly faithful life, I don’t however judge others for what they do. Everyone is convicted on different levels.”

Compelling stuff but the part of the story that got me was about her 8-year-old cousin: Read the rest of this entry »

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012 • 4:00 am 37

pete hoekstra and cultural intelligence: why it matters to the church

Ugh.

Did you see Michigan Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra’s political campaign ad during the Super Bowl?

As you read in my previous post, I had some choice words about Go Daddy, Teleflora and other companies that continue to objectify and exploit women but I hadn’t seen Hoekstra’s ad.

Well, I just saw it…and I almost vomited in my mouth. Almost. Those chicken wings I consumed during the Super Bowl wanted to come back up. Check it out: Read the rest of this entry »

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stuff, connect, info

one day’s wages | video

my tweets

  • 18 climbers. 1 BIG mountain. 14,411 feet. All to raise $14,411 for ODW's clean water projects. Boom -> bit.ly/Lakijm 13 hours ago
  • One of my daughters left me this note that deeply blessed me. Thank you, Lord, for the privilege I have to be a father. http://t.co/MEgwUcN3 14 hours ago
  • When on top, people want a piece of you. When you hit bottom, people want a piece of you. Be wise who gets a piece of you. 19 hours ago
  • "What is your vocation, not just your profession; What is your calling, not just your career..." - Dr. Cornel West 1 day ago
  • "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." - Romans12.2 1 day ago
  • Dear men: Don't be enslaved. "'The Demise of Guys': How video games and porn are ruining a generation." bit.ly/LDwAn2 1 day ago
  • Dear Ladies: Please don't give up on your dream man! - bit.ly/LreAG9 #LaughterHeals #ThereIsHope 2 days ago
  • "When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. 2 days ago

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