After my mother became very ill when I was young, she decided to do something dramatic to re-center herself: she didn’t talk for a week. During that time, she did a lot of self-reflection and praying. It was a self-imposed “silent retreat”. She emerged from that week transformed. Yes, she was still sick, but she
Category: Spiritual
‘Grace Isn’t Performance-Based’
I’m writing about something spiritual. If you’re not into that and don’t read this post, I won’t be insulted. It’s cool. As I wrote previously, I went to see Hillsong United Friday night, and it was so awesome. I’ve been playing some of their videos online and recently came upon an interesting clip. In it,
Hillsong United and Mercy
Last night, I went to see Hillsong United, who were in town on their U.S. tour. It was so awesome to be up front, right near the stage, jumping, singing and dancing (for only $40, I might add). A key part of the evening happened actually before they started the music. A few of the
Stroke Rehab, Hope and Freedom
A meeting last week sticks out in my mind. A memory about grit and hope. It was with a friend who is recovering from a massive stroke and heart attack. He was in a coma for a month. He was CEO of one of my investments many years ago. He is extremely wealthy, at one
A Passover Meal for Gentiles?
I wrote a few days ago about Passover and how it’s an important story about freedom and one that I wanted to share with my children (more here). Though I’m not Jewish, the “feast of freedom” and its recounting of sacrifice and emancipation is a story that my family, in a smaller way, experienced. In
‘Feast of Freedom’ (and, Why Freedom Isn’t Free)
You hear a lot as a VC. Often, conversations turn to family backgrounds. Very often, founders talk about their families’ past journeys for, and towards, freedom: “My father’s family bribed their way out of Poland when the borders closed. They eventually made it out of Europe. My Dad returned to fight as a member of