Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Life

Dear Graduate during COVID-19,

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Congratulations! What a momentous occasion that you’ve worked so hard toward. Honestly, hats off to you! I’m sorry though that it had to be in the midst of these crappy circumstances. It really does suck.

But here’s the silver lining in the midst of the interruption and disappointment of COVID-19.

You NOT being able to find that job you’ve worked so hard for might actually be a gift.

A gift?!

Yeah, a gift.

It’s a gift because you’re learning what took me YEARS to figure out…and what many people much older than you STILL don’t know.

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Creating New Habits and Rhythms

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When we left Nashville and moved back to Canada, I was resolved to fix this one thing that had eluded me my entire life.

No matter how hard I tried, I could never figure it out.

Was it that I didn’t care? Or was it just that the pain of changing was greater than the pain of staying the same?

All I knew was that if I didn’t address this one thing, it could potentially lead to the downfall of my marriage, my family, and my ministry.

Before I share this one thing that I’m referring to, I’m curious whether you have something like this in your life? Is there something that—if left unattended—could eventually undermine your life and ministry? Some part of your life that isn’t necessarily an example for others in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity? (1 Timothy 4:12)

Is there something that—if left unattended—could eventually undermine your life and ministry?
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What Hurry Does To Your Soul

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A few weeks back when Christina and I were sabbathing (I’m not sure if it’s a verb, but it should be!), I was reading Soul Keeping by John Ortberg.

Let me share a quick excerpt from the book that floored me. It’s an interaction that John Ortberg had with Dallas Willard, when John was serving at Willow:

Many years later I had moved to Chicago. Entering into a very busy season of ministry, I called Dallas to ask him what I needed to do to stay spiritually healthy. I pictured him sitting in that room as we talked. There was a long pause — with Dallas there was nearly always a long pause — and then he said slowly, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” I quickly wrote that down. Most people take notes with Dallas; I have even seen his wife take notes, which my wife rarely does with me.

“Okay, Dallas,” I responded. “I’ve got that one. Now what other spiritual nuggets do you have for me? I don’t have a lot of time, and I want to get all the spiritual wisdom from you that I can.” 

“There is nothing else,” he said, generously acting as if he did not notice my impatience. “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. – Dallas Willard
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Do you feel hurried?

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Money, Conflict, and Marriage

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A few days ago, my wife and I launched a weekly FB Live show called After Hours with Daniel and Christina Im!! It is an opportunity to connect, to ask your parenting and marriage questions, and to be reminded weekly that we are in this marriage/parenting marathon together! 

This week, we discuss:

  • How knowing your money personality can save you and your spouse a lot of heartache, tears, and frustration
  • How the Enneagram gives you the language to both express how you feel and understand how your spouse is feeling during a conflict
  • And we answer a listener’s question: “What advice do you have for online/long distance dating?”

Watch this inaugural episode, “Money, Conflict, and Marriage,” on our brand new YouTube Channel! (and please subscribe too, since we’re just getting started 😅)

If you want to join us live, be sure to head on over to our Facebook page every Tuesday at 9 PM MT. 

https://youtu.be/nA6c0VPgBu0

How Our Brains React in Crisis

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Yesterday on a podcast, I heard Dr. Henry Cloud share a profound insight on the way our brain reacts during crisis—like the global pandemic that we’re all living through at the moment. Here’s my attempt at a summary and paraphrase.

Generally speaking, our brains make maps about how to do life.

For example, when we are hungry and want to eat a sandwich, our brains have a map that will show us how to get out of our chairs and walk to the fridge. But let’s say, someone rearranged the furniture in your living room over night, and the next time you were hungry, a couch was blocking your way. In this instance, your brain will actually register this as an ERROR according to neuroscientists.

Generally speaking, our brains make maps about how to do life.
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When this happens, your whole system amps up. And for a moment—when your system is really amped up—you lose emotional, spiritual, psychological, and physical functioning and you are thrown off. However, once you recognize that it’s just a couch and that you can walk around it, your body begins to go back to normal. 

Right now, we are living in an ERROR.

Because of this global pandemic, our entire lives are registering on our brains—with red lights twirling around and sirens blasting—ERROR ERROR ERROR.

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