The Church’s Blind Spot: Why Character Matters More Than Talent
Writing this post is difficult so that I will lay it out there. I am worried some people may think I am judgmental or imply I am talking about someone. As I don’t want to point fingers at specific people, I aim to keep this post as neutral as possible. So here goes: At church, […]
Ministry Is Not a Marathon—Unless You Run It Right
The title is a handful. I often hear preachers compare ministry to running a marathon, not a 200-meter sprint. You have to look at your spiritual life for the long run. You have to be persistent, disciplined and persevere. As someone who ran a few marathons, I often don’t get what the preachers are trying […]
Thoughts of a 40 something
Being 40s is an interesting season. I am now seeing my girls growing up. I am seeing my parents growing old. And I also realize that I am growing older. The general belief is that younger is better. If you are 30, it is like you are 20. If you are 40, it is like […]
Six months
This is a little celebration for Team Tam. We have been in Tanzania for six months. Truth be told, I never thought we would be able to stay here for this long. In my mind, there is always this lingering feeling that we must leave the country. Maybe they deny our work permits. Or one […]
2024 Reflections
My reflections on 2024.
The easiest way to send money to Tanzania
One of the complex parts of living in Africa is getting money to spend. In most places, you have to pay in cash. I am surprised to see many places in Tanzania starting to accept debit/credit cards. But there are still many things you have to pay in cash. The largest Tanzanian denomination is 10,000 […]
Wrestling between being a father and a minister
My reflections of being a stay-at-home dad and a minister.
Black Water
Of all the triathlons I have done, there is one race I can never forget. It was a Long Course (2 km swim, 50 km bike, and 15 km run) near Huntsville, Ontario. Since it was early in the racing season, I didn’t have time to practice swimming in open water. We started the race […]
Love of God the Father and the Cross of Christ
“Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. […]
How to Abide in Christ During Life’s Storms: Finding Peace Amid Challenges
The above picture is our car’s dead engine. Abiding in Christ is hard work, especially when encountering challenging issues. Two weeks ago, I noticed our car was having some issues. It rattled more than usual, so I brought it in for the mechanic to take a look. He told me that the engine was not […]