Who Am I?
Producer • Writer
I was born and raised in Hong Kong until I turned fifteen when my family boarded a plane, leaving the only life I’d ever known. We landed in the City of Angels and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve started my own businesses, served in church ministry, caught the itch of writing and have a heart to help those who have been forgotten by the world.
My claim to fame in the church happened when I created an indie record label with a reputable worship leader that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars, sold tens of thousands of records and used the income generated to help those who lived in extreme poverty.
Gratifying? Yes and no.
I crossed paths with many unique, and often times, forgotten stories of those who chose to overcome overwhelming odds with a relentless hope for something greater. I loved the belief that what I did each day made a difference. I loved the thought that I was living on the edge, most times without a net. I wasn’t talking about what needed to happen to help others, I was really doing it.
I believed all Christian record companies embraced this same mantra, yet discovered as the years passed how the battle between ministry success and self-ambition tugged at an industry that was exploding with unique personalities. After ten years in vocational ministry it all came to an end.
My phone stopped ringing. Life took on a dramatically unexpected road. I was done playing the game of religion. My achievements in ministry quickly vanished. You see, I had become a forgotten story too. I didn’t have to live in poverty. I didn’t have to have some unbelievable story. I was one, of countless, who struggled to find a dirt road where I could walk out my faith differently than simply working within a religious institution. It made me think of God, Jesus Christ, and how the unique stories in the Bible could shape me into what it really meant to follow Christ. In short, I needed to cut through the B.S. in the church so that I could learn how God called me to live in the Church.
I won’t lie. I struggled to find my place. My faith was no longer rooted in just building a church ministry, following religious rules or sacrificing everything for a uniquely gifted leader. And God showed me how I needed to stop being the star at my own pity party. This was s dirt road journey that has required me look honestly at who Christ made me to be. It also caused me to look at the countless other forgotten stories, both in poverty and success, that could shape who God’s created us to be as the Church.
Why am I telling you this?
I believe God has created each one of us for a unique calling — we all have unique or forgotten stories. Some will live out their story in vocational ministry while others walk out their faith in the marketplace. Stories of tragedy and triumph. Stories filled with unanswered questions. Stories that cause us to face the truth about ourselves. Stories that are defined in written biographies with vast achievements or personal journals filled with pain, agony, hopelessness, prayers and dreams that shape their very soul. These forgotten stories are like the parables of Jesus that face challenges in the culture that surrounds us and the religious institutions that struggle to remain relevant.
I believe we are captured by these forgotten stories.
Whether we surf the net on Facebook or talk with friends who embrace different religious views than we do, we are all searching for stories that are authentic and go beyond simply following a checklist of the coveted rules from the Good Book.
These are the stories I feel compelled to share.
Today, I’m a producer, a writer and a disciple who loves to serve those in need. I’ve danced with my Creator in the midst of the hurricane and what I’m finding is that the forgotten stories that surround me bring me closer to an authentic life filled with triumph in the midst of tragedy, humility in the thrill of success and honesty that rips through the religious jargon towards faith that is simple in love.
I never would have thought this would be the life I’ve lived. Strangely enough it is this journey that is shaping me into the man I hope to become.
