This is the picture I took a year ago in the Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast. The gathering took place super early at 7am. At first, I was thinking that there would probably only be a handful of people since it was so early. A few days before the event, I got an email reminder saying that they were expecting 600+ attendees. I was so surprised, and even more so when I stepped foot into the room. The room was full at 7am. The topic was not about business and investment. It's about God and Faith. Bay Area may be more spiritual than we think.

There were a few speakers that morning. Kirk Perry was the keynote speaker of the prior year and returned to the event with his status updates. His testimony caught my attention and touched my heart.

On our way out, we were given Skip Vaccarello's book: Finding God in Silicon Valley. The book describes authentic faith walks of business leaders and their life stories. Indeed, there is power within community, especially when the like-minded leaders are connected. When we step out and truly listen with our hearts, we would realize that our sky is boarder than we thought and we are not alone in our struggles.

Kirk Perry's interview was also included in the book. I am so touched by his life story.

I like how Kirk highlights the theme of his life story as one with "people reached down and picked me up, even though there was a cost and no benefit to them whatsoever. They saw in me what I didn't see in myself." Yes, may we all find ways to be like the Little League coach, the high school principle, and the restaurant manager in another Kirk Perry's life.

Just like what Pastor Andy Stanley's said: for those who are in the 40's+, we are in a great position to invest in others lives. The 40+ often are in a position with more resources to give. May we take heart in our abundance and being willing to do what those did to Kirk. If you are in the position of able to give, may God guide us to invest in lives who lack of resources. If you are in the position of lacking, may God give you faith that He would provide.

If you are interested in the full talk, here is the link of Kirk's sharing in the 2015 Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9mKnDGibvg. In the talk, Kirk touched on how he responded to the nagging feeling and eventually left his job as the president of P&G in Cincinnati to join Google in California in 2013. He also touched on how he walked through the valley when his then six-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and his own cancer diagnosis in 2015.

Kirk concluded that
◾God is always with you. You just have to keep your eyes open.
◾God cares more about your character than your comfort.
◾God never gives you more than you can handle.
◾God always has a better plan than the one you have for yourself.

May we look up and keep Silicon Valley in our prayers!