Monthly Archives: June 2024

We’re Going to France!

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2024 Summer Missions Trip TeamWe have some exciting news!

Our family is partnering with S.E.E. (Sports Event Evangelism) to bring the Gospel to the world at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Joining us on our trip are three young people from our church’s youth group, Joyanna, Abigail, and Chayden.

Joshua was part of the S.E.E. team at the 2016 Summer Olympics, so we have been looking forward to this opportunity for several years, especially after the cancellation of the 2020 Olympics.

Our responsibilities will be two-fold. First, we will help the group distribute Gospel booklets in multiple languages and talk to anyone who has the time to stop and go deeper. Second, we will capture photos and videos of the outreach to show what God is doing there.

Please pray for our family and for the rest of our church’s group as we prepare for this ministry later this summer. We will post updates via email and social media. If you would like to subscribe to our family’s email updates, you can do so on the sidebar here on our website.

We will also post details of our trip here on our website, including how we were able to book business class flights for our return trip for less than the cost of economy tickets! You can subscribe to our blog updates on the sidebar as well.

Partner with Us

If you would like to partner with us financially as we take the Gospel to the 2024 Olympics, our expenses will be about $6,600. This includes our flights, our lodging, our meals, and our travel insurance.

Instructions on how to donate to our summer ministry can be found at the following link: Donate to Huangs’ Summer 2024 Missions Trip

Praises and Prayer Requests

Praises

  • God has opened the door for our whole family to participate in this ministry together
  • We have three young people from our church going with us on this missions trip
  • Everyone’s passports have been secured!

Prayer Requests

  • All of the funds to cover our expenses as this is not part of our regular church ministry
  • Preparation of our hearts as we anticipate this ministry
  • Preparation of the hearts of those in France who we will meet and share the Gospel with

How To Earn Multiple Free Flights on Southwest Right Now

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Disclosures: This article includes links to credit cards. If you choose to apply for a credit card through our links, we may or may not receive a referral bonus. Credit cards are not suitable for everyone, however. If you have credit card debt of any kind, are irresponsible with your past or current use of credit cards, are unaware of the risks of using credit cards, or are conscientiously opposed to the use of credit cards, please do not apply for the credit cards mentioned in this article. You are 100% responsible for your own choices regarding the use of any credit cards mentioned here.

We love to fly, and we love to get the most value possible out of our flights. Sometimes this means getting the cheapest flight possible, but not at the expense of comfort and taking our belongings with us (which is why we avoid Spirit, Frontier, and other airlines that have really cheap tickets).

Southwest Plane on the TarmacOne of the ways we do this is by using credit cards offered by airlines. When it comes to travel rewards and benefits, few airline credit cards compare to the Southwest consumer credit cards.

With three distinct options tailored to different travel needs, Southwest offers some of the best credit cards for anyone looking to maximize their travel experiences. For a limited time, these cards are even better because of the incredible sign-up bonuses that are available.

Right now, each of the three Southwest consumer credit cards has an offer for 85,000 bonus points if you spend $3,000 on the card within three months of being approved. This offer is good until June 26, 2024.

With 85,000 points, you can typically book between 2-4 roundtrip award flights within the US. The taxes and fees on award flights are $5.60 per one-way flight ($11.20 for a roundtrip). This does not make award flights 100% free, but that is pretty close!

So why would you want a Southwest credit card?  Let’s take a look at the three consumer cards and why we think these cards are excellent choices for travelers seeking value, flexibility, and exclusive perks.

1. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Annual Fee: $69

Key Benefits:

  • Sign-Up Bonus (until June 26, 2024): Earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 2X Points: Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
  • 1X Points: Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 3,000 Anniversary Points: Receive 3,000 points each year on your cardmember anniversary (worth approximately $42).
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees: Travel abroad without worrying about extra fees.

Why It’s Great for Travel: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers a solid sign-up bonus and ongoing rewards that make earning points easy and straightforward. With no foreign transaction fees, this card is ideal for international travelers. The anniversary points add extra value, helping offset some of the annual fee. Good option if you book one or two roundtrip tickets on Southwest every year.

2. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Annual Fee: $99

Key Benefits:

  • Sign-Up Bonus (until June 26, 2024): Earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 6,000 Anniversary Points: Receive 6,000 points each year on your cardmember anniversary (worth approximately $84).
  • 2X Points: Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
  • 1X Points: Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees: Enjoy fee-free spending abroad.
  • Tier Qualifying Points: Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for every $10,000 spent on the card, up to 15,000 TQPs annually.

Why It’s Great for Travel: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card provides more anniversary points than the Plus version, helping offset most of the annual fee. The ability to earn tier qualifying points makes this card an excellent choice for frequent flyers looking to achieve A-List status with Southwest. This is another good option if you book one or two roundtrip tickets on Southwest every year.

3. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Annual Fee: $149

Key Benefits:

  • Sign-Up Bonus (until June 26, 2024): Earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 7,500 Anniversary Points: Receive 7,500 points each year on your cardmember anniversary (worth approximately $105).
  • 2X Points: Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
  • 1X Points: Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • $75 Southwest Travel Credit: Get an annual $75 credit for Southwest travel purchases.
  • Four Upgraded Boardings: Enjoy four upgraded boardings per year, when available.
  • 20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: Get 20% back on in-flight drinks, Wi-Fi, messaging, and movies.

Why It’s Great for Travel: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers the most comprehensive set of benefits among the three cards. The anniversary points, travel credit, and upgraded boarding passes provide significant value for frequent travelers and more than offset the annual fee. This is a great option if you fly with Southwest at least twice a year. Both of us have this card because we fly Southwest so often.

Why Southwest Credit Cards Stand Out for Travel

1. Companion Pass Eligibility: All three Southwest credit cards offer points that count toward earning the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, which allows you to choose one person to fly with you for free (excluding taxes and fees) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight.

If you can get one of Southwest’s business cards and get the signup bonus this year in addition to the 85,000-point offer on one of these consumer cards, you will automatically qualify for the Companion Pass. You can read more about the Companion Pass in this article: The One Travel Deal That Has Saved Us Thousands of Dollars

2. Generous Rewards and Sign-Up Bonuses: As already mentioned, the sign-up bonuses alone can cover multiple flights, providing immediate value.

3. Flexible Redemption Options: Southwest points can be redeemed for flights with no blackout dates, giving you the flexibility to travel when it suits you best. Furthermore, Southwest points never expire, so you don’t have to worry about losing them.

4. No Foreign Transaction Fees: All three cards allow for fee-free spending abroad, making them ideal for international travelers.

5. Annual Benefits: The anniversary points, travel credits, and upgraded boardings provide ongoing value that can easily offset the annual fees.

If you have ever had a Southwest card before, one thing you should remember is that you cannot hold more than one Southwest consumer credit card at a time in your Chase account, and you cannot get a signup bonus on a card if you received a signup bonus on that same card within the last 24 months (even if you have closed the account since then).

Summary

The Southwest consumer credit cards offer a range of benefits that cater to different travel needs and preferences. Whether you choose the Plus, Premier, or Priority card, you can enjoy valuable rewards, exclusive perks, and flexibility that enhance your travel experience.

Right now with the 85,000-point signup bonus, this makes the card a no-brainer for people like us who love to fly. I wish we could take advantage of this offer, but we cannot since we both already have the Priority card. But if you are interested in flying with Southwest and normally spend about $1,000 a month already on a debit card or another credit card, this might be the perfect offer for you!

Embracing Differences in Marriage with Patience and Understanding

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Marriage is a beautiful journey (we like to refer to it as an adventure) of two individuals coming together to share their lives. But just like any relationship, it also comes with its challenges. One of the most common challenges is dealing with differences in how each spouse approaches tasks and situations.

Joshua and Alyssa on the RoofWe discovered this even before we got married since we were friends for several years, but we both have slight differences in the ways that we do many things. It doesn’t help either that we both have strong firstborn personalities, so we both know that our way of doing things is the best way 😉

When your spouse does something differently than how you prefer, it can be tempting to try to change them. This is an ongoing challenge for me, especially.

I have learned, however, that sometimes it can be better to stay quiet and embrace these differences with grace. In view of eternity, some differences are honestly not that big of a deal, like the fact that Alyssa handwashes dishes with the faucet running while I only turn on the water once I’m ready to rinse the dishes.

There often is nothing to gain by asking your spouse to do something differently just because you prefer it that way (and Alyssa washes our dishes most of the time anyway, so she should get to do it the way she wants to!).

How to Embrace Differences with Grace

The Bible offers wisdom on how to handle differences and conflicts in various situations. One such passage is Proverbs 17:27-28: “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.”

Sometimes it’s better not to say anything! There is value in restraint and wisdom in sometimes remaining silent.

Why start a conflict when you could instead accept a small difference and maintain peace and goodwill?

Here are a few advantages of keeping quiet instead of voicing certain preferences.

  1. You Foster Peace and Harmony
    By choosing not to voice every disagreement, you help to maintain a peaceful and harmonious home environment. Even constructive criticism on a regular basis can create tension and conflict, whereas patience and acceptance can strengthen your relationship.
  2. You Encourage Growth and Independence
    Allowing your spouse to handle tasks in their way can encourage their personal growth and independence. It shows trust and respect for their abilities and decisions.
  3. You Build Mutual Respect
    When you accept your spouse’s differences, you build a foundation of mutual respect. This respect fosters a deeper emotional connection and strengthens the bond between you.

Of course, there are times when you should speak up and have a kind-hearted discussion about some differences, especially if those differences significantly impact either of you spiritually, mentally, physically, or financially.

Some of these issues, if not addressed, can lead to misunderstandings or resentment over time. It’s important to find a balance between being patient and addressing significant concerns.

Consistently staying silent can stifle healthy communication. It is crucial to ensure that both partners feel heard and understood in the relationship. You need to learn how to differentiate between matters that need to be discussed and those that are insignificant.

In some cases, what might seem like a minor difference could be a symptom of a larger issue. Ignoring it could lead to more significant problems down the line. Again, discernment must be exercised. The example I gave above about washing the dishes is not a symptom of a larger issue, and it doesn’t impact either of us in a negative way.

When to Speak Up with Grace

While embracing differences with grace is important, there are situations where it is better to speak up…and still use grace.

  1. Matters of Principle or Values
    If the difference touches on core values or principles, it is essential to discuss it. Open communication about fundamental beliefs is crucial for a healthy relationship. Almost anything related to raising kids should be discussed.
  2. Impact on Well-Being
    If your spouse’s actions are affecting their well-being, your well-being, or the well-being of your family, it is necessary to address the issue. But do some soul-searching and praying to make sure you aren’t being selfish!
  3. Repeated Patterns
    If a particular behavior is a recurring source of conflict or stress, it might be time to have a constructive conversation about it. If you tend to get stressed easily over inconsequential things, though, you might want to get additional help and counsel for that.

When speaking up, it’s important to do so with love and respect. Colossians 3:12-14 advises, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”

This passage reminds is addressed to the church, but if you and your spouse are both born-again Christians, you are a brother and sister in Christ and should treat each other as such. Approach your spouse with kindness and love, aiming to build them up rather than to get your way.

Summary

Learning to embrace differences with patience and understanding can foster peace, respect, and deeper connection. This is true of all relationships, but especially in marriage.

More and more often, I have found that I just have a lot of preferences, and just because my wife does something differently does not mean it’s wrong! There are usually multiple good ways to do things. Therefore, expressing my preference is often not necessary.

Remember, however, that there are also legitimate times to speak up and address significant issues. Do not come to these conclusions quickly, though, and try to approach these situations from a biblical perspective.

Embrace the adventure of growing together, accepting your differences, and always striving for unity and love!

Do you tend to express your opinions and preferences more often than necessary in your relationships?

How To Share Life Together Even When You Aren’t Together

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Back when Alyssa and I decided to get married, we determined that we were going to share as much of life together as possible. After all, we looked at marriage as a new adventure that we were going to embark on together, not separately.

But there are times when we must necessarily be apart. For example, during the first few years of marriage, Alyssa worked 30 hours a week at a day job, which meant that every day we were apart while we worked our separate jobs. As far as our ministries are concerned, though, we are committed to doing those together and have found great joy in doing so.

Sometimes we have ministry, family, and other life commitments that require us to be apart for a few days, and this week is one of those times. Nevertheless, we make sure we can still see each other and talk face-to-face on a daily basis.

5-Year Anniversary PoseOne week ago we celebrated our 5-year anniversary, and, more than ever, we want to see each other every day.

We are blessed to live in a time when technology makes it possible for us to see each other live with the touch of a button. Even 15 years ago when we were in high school, it was not this easy to see somebody from a distance.

But this was how we planned our wedding and did our marriage counseling while Alyssa taught on Guam and I lived in Minnesota, and it continues to be the way that we converse every day during those times when we cannot be together in person.

Now that we have children, this is even more important to us because our children only stay young for such a short time, and we want to be able to see them every single day as they grow and develop.

We also want our children to know that we love them and want to spend time with them every single day. Someday when they are adults, we will not have this same expectation of them, especially as they get involved in ministries, jobs, and perhaps even their own families.

Alyssa and Baby Jadon on a Video CallBut right now while they are just little guys, we want to spend every day with them, and we want to spend every day with each other as well.

If you are married, we challenge you to find a way to see your spouse face-to-face every single day, even when you are far apart. We know that a lot of people are resistant to today’s technology, but give some consideration to the benefits that it offers as well.

It is one thing to talk to someone on the phone, and it is another thing to see them while you talk to them. You can use Facetime or Facebook Messenger or Zoom (or perhaps even Skype, haha); we personally use WhatsApp because it’s the best option 😉 But with the accessibility of video calling these days, there are not many reasons not to take advantage of it when talking to your spouse.

We still don’t like to be apart from each other if we can help it, but having the ability to see each other virtually makes it much easier to do the things that we need to do and still go on this adventure of life together every single day.

If you are married, do you make it a priority to see your spouse every day on the days when they are far away?

Majoring on the Minors: Why I Took My Son to The Mall on Wednesday

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As Alyssa walked along the sidewalk, pushing Baby Jocelyn in the stroller, she could hear the screams of her oldest child behind her, but there was nothing she could do about it. She entered the doors of Terminal 1 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and made sure not to turn around and look.

I sat there in the car with my distraught child behind me, wishing that we too were entering that terminal and preparing to board a flight. Baby Jadon loves to fly, and it crushed his little heart to see his mom and sister walk into the airport while we stayed in the car.

Of course, it didn’t make sense to him. Every time we go to the airport, he gets to get out with his car seat and go inside to get his boarding pass. He had flown on over 50 flights before his second birthday, and he already knows the whole process from the time we check our bags until we pick them up on the carousel at our destination.

But this was not one of those times, and there was nothing I could do to stop the tears from pouring down his cheeks as we drove away.

Thankfully, it was only a minute later when he stopped crying to point at the airplanes on the tarmac as we entered the highway once again. He gets excited to see airplanes on the ground and in the air even if he does not get to be a passenger on them.

But I decided that this would be a good time to have some father-son time together and to do something special for him while his mom and sister got the privilege of flying.

So we drove to Mall of America which is just on the opposite side of the interstate from the airport. We drove up to Level 5 in the parking garage, the level where we always park when we go to the mall.

Most of the stores in the mall were not open yet, and the little foot traffic that we found inside was mostly people who were there for the exercise. So we joined them and walked around a couple levels.

We walked around Nickelodeon Universe and stopped for a moment so he could watch the rides that went through their motions with nobody in them. We passed the thousands of Christmas lights that hang from the ceiling on the west side, always a favourite sight for Baby Jadon. We walked around the outside of the Lego store and looked at the many Lego sets on display.

We made sure to go up and down several escalators and one of the elevators because he always likes to do those.

At 10:00am, the stores finally opened, and we went straight to the Lindt store. Our family loves to go there because we like to look around at the many chocolates that they sell, and they often give free samples as well. Sure enough, they offered truffles to us, so we each took one as we continued to look around the store.

Baby Jadon at PaneraWhen we were finished there, we went up to the third level to Panera, and I got my free drink as a Sip Club member. While we waited for them to prepare my drink, we sat down at a table, and Baby Jadon proceeded to open his milk chocolate truffle. He took a bite and exclaimed, “Mmmmm!”

A smile spread across his face, the tears of one hour ago long gone. A moment later he popped the remainder of the candy in his mouth and pushed his wrapper across the table to me.

After he had finished his chocolate, he took mine and started to unwrap it. I did not mind because this little trip was about him, not about me, and I have had plenty of chocolate in my life. Once again he took a small bite out of it to start, but it was not long before the rest of the truffle was in his mouth while I sipped my hibiscus iced tea.

A few minutes later we got up and left the mall. We had a lot of things to do at home, and we both had a nice start to the day.

Together.

As our family grows and our kids grow up, we want them to learn that they can find joy and have fun in the little things. Yes, sometimes we also do the big things like going on weekend trips to see friends and family or to see things like the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. But most of the time, we major on the minors, like stopping at Mall of America to walk around and get a free chocolate sample.

We don’t have to go and buy ice cream or a Lego set or a die-cast car. We don’t have to ride any of the rides at Nickelodeon Universe. We can do small, simple things that cost us a little time but almost no money, and we can make memories that last a lifetime.

Baby Jadon probably won’t remember this trip, but we are laying a foundation for the rest of life. Together we will have a good time while saving money for more important things.

He didn’t get to fly on the airplane this time, but he still got to do something special.

What special things do you do with others that cost nothing or almost nothing?