This is the column I wrote for last week:
I had a conversation with Mike Chung during a Timothy teachers’ meeting whether to do something special for the Father’s Day. We were mourning over the fact that there is always a huge hype over Mother's Day but we seem to just skim over Father's day without much celebration. Every Mother’s Day has been filled with special events and the church even sells special corsages for mothers. But we, the fathers, do not get anything special on Father’s days. As the conversation went on, I began to think about how the children usually do not appreciate their dads as much as their moms, especially when they are young. Perhaps one of the reasons is that the children see and receive more tangible love from their mothers. Mothers in general, are more closely involved with children's life whereas fathers tend to be less involved in their kids' life because of work schedule and other obligations. However, we know fathers have a very important role of bringing security and stability to their families. These are the situations that I see in many families but certainly do not apply to every family. So don’t be offended if you are a mother or a father who’s totally different from what I described above.

As i think back to my childhood, I remember my mom always being around. She was there to send me off to school in the morning, cook me a warm meal, dressed me in proper attire until i was old enough to take care of myself. Disciplining can spanking were almost exclusively done by mom except for a couple times when i got into major trouble and dad had to step in with a stronger force. However, as I entered middle school, I started to notice my dad being more involved in my life. I am not so sure whether he was intentionally doing it but my dad came into my life at a critical time when I needed him the most. Being a typical middle child did not help as I was going through the teenage years. I always felt incompetent in everything and felt like I didn’t get enough love and attention when my siblings were always the focal point of our family.
Whether my dad was being intentional or not didn’t really matter because he was able to embrace my longing to receive more love. He was exceptionally encouraging to me, or at least I felt like it. He not only talked about love, he went over and beyond in my opinion to carry out his love for me and my family. I simply cannot get into all the details in this short writing, but I have so many good memories of my dad within the first 2 years of my middle school years when our relationship was taken up to a whole new level. It has never been the same ever since. As I realized how much this man love me and cares for me, I not only became a good son, my attitude towards life and myself completely changed.
As I get older and became a father, I am appreciating the sacrifice and love my father poured upon my life even more. I pray and hope that I can show the kind of love that my father showed me to my own kids. It will be a true challenge but a worthy one because I want my kids to have the same love and respect for me as their father that I have for my own father.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
June 23, 2013

One of the celebrity chefs well known to Food Network viewers is getting a lot of negative attention these days.  It’s Paula Dean, known as the “Queen of Southern Cooking.”  From what I understand, a lawsuit was brought against her and her brother by a former manager of the Savannah, GA restaurant the siblings co-own.   The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment and racial discrimination, and Paula Dean admitted to using racial slurs and tolerating racial jokes in the restaurant in the past.   Since the news broke, she has come under fire from the public as well as many of her endorsers.  The Food Network, where she began her career, has decided not to renew her contract after 11 successful years, and major companies like Smithfield Foods, Walmart, Target, and a diabetes drug company have already severed their ties with Paula Dean. 
Her lawyer has issued a statement saying that her admittance of using a racial epithet in a time in American history when America’s South still had segregated schools and restaurants should not be interpreted as her condoning any form of racism or discrimination.  Paula herself has appeared on several talk shows and released online videos begging for forgiveness from her highly disappointed fans.  While some fans have remained loyal and are standing by her, the damage is already done, and her image and brand have definitely been tainted beyond repair.   Only time will tell whether the American people will eventually forgive Paula Dean or whether another network will give her a new show.  Whether that happens or not Paula Dean will have to live with the consequences of her past actions for the rest of her life.
While what Paula Dean did cannot be taken lightly or brushed away, we all know that she is not the only person who has used offensive slurs or other discriminatory comments about people of a different gender, race, nationality, religion, political view, and so on.  Many people get away with saying things even more offensive than what she has said.  The difference, however,  is that she is a highly public figure, and along with the public spotlight and celebrity status comes a much higher level of scrutiny.  One cannot enjoy privilege without responsibility. 
When the alleged incidents occurred, Paula Dean probably had absolutely no idea that one day she was going to be hosting a cooking show seen by millions of people and become a household name.  Had she had even the slightest hint that she was going to become that famous and visible, she certainly would have exercised better judgment.   Many people say and do things that are hurtful and evil because they think they will get away with it.  They think nobody will find out, and for the most part, that is the case, at least during their lifetime.  The Bible tells us, however, that every one of us, not just famous chefs, movie stars, or athletes, will one day be judged for our actions, as stated in Hebrews 4:13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”    It may be too late for Paula Dean, but it’s still not too late for you and me.    David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).  May this be our earnest prayer each day so that we will not be put to shame when our lives are laid bare before the eyes of Jesus Christ.

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
June 30, 2013