Christmas 2010

We pray you all enjoyed a very Merry Christmas. Hugs and kisses all around this year!!! Matt, Amy, William & Grace

Blessed Are The Poor

Weekly, I am privileged to attend a ladies' Bible study with national Believers. It is often a stretch with my language ability, but I am learning so much from these women. This week we went to a village to visit some family members of our church's pastor. It was a humbling experience. I truly believe that the Father will judge us by how we treat the poor of the earth. God has given us so many instructions in scripture regarding our responsibility, but He has also made it really clear that it is the poor that understand who He is and will receive their reward in Heaven. This being true, I have to ask myself two important questions: Am I poor? and How am I actively serving the poor around me? The answer to the first question from a monetary standpoint is, no. By some western standards, perhaps, yes, but really the answer is no. We have so much compared to others that I am often embarrassed at times. However, let's look at the question from a heart point of view. Am I poor? Poor is defined as: lacking in specific resources, qualities or substances; inadequate; not sufficient to meet a need. Wow, I would say that is an accurate picture of my heart and life without Christ. In that case yes...yes I am very poor. I think that in the Sermon on the Mount when Christ said, "Blessed are the poor" one of His main points was that if a person thinks he has everything he will not see his true inadequacies and need for a Savior. The second question: How am I actively serving the poor around me? That is a very interesting question. I guess we each have to evaluate our own hearts on that. One might look at the ladies that I fellowship with as having very little. By most standards of the world, that might be a correct assessment. However, these ladies still manage to give of themselves and their resources to the surrounding villages and city homeless. Through the years, Matt & I have watched many church plants try to make a go of it in the US. I think one key mark of the churches that are successful is that they have a plan for serving the poor and reaching beyond themselves. It is our opinion that one of the reasons "inner-city churches" have such a hard time succeeding is because their focus is inward. Yes, we all have needs and struggles...refer back to question #1! However, when we start "looking to the interests of ourselves and not to the interests of others", I think we are no longer useful to the Kingdom and will not be successful in our ventures. I just heard that 6,000 children in the Dallas area registered "as needy" this Holiday Season are still without a gift for Christmas. I am not pointing any fingers at my fellow Texans or even debating the question of true "neediness", but wow, this is a shame and a reminder to us all to again search our hearts and ask ourselves if we were to stand before the Father today would He say that we have been faithful to serve the poor? "He who oppresses the poor taunts His maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him." Pro. 14:31 I have attached a link to Chris Tomlin's song, "O Holy Night" I am moved by the line that says, "His power and glory let the poor proclaim." May I be found among those proclaiming His power and glory! AT

Travis Traditions

I love the Christmas holiday season, but I will admit that for the past few years it has been a difficult time for me. A sweet friend recently reminded me of one of the best ways to help with "Holiday Blues" - make your own traditions. For many years, I cringed at the thought of having traditions. I married into a family that openly admits they are full of traditions. To be honest, at first, it was very difficult to relate to and even to find my place in a family with so many traditions that had to be up-held each year. I think we have all learned a lot through the experience. I do love having traditions at our house, but I think the thing that keeps it at a good balance is that one of our traditions is to come up with something new to do each year! I recognize that traditions are good for a transitional family like ours. William and Grace need concrete things in their lives: things that they can count on and look forward to each year. However, we have tried to think of things to do each year that are not dependant on location, foods, places or things that would be difficult for us to replicate. Our focus has been on things that bring true meaning to what we are trying to celebrate, things that bond us as a family and things that fit within our family purpose statement. One of the big things we do every year is the lighting of the Advent Candles. I posted several blogs last year on this tradition. You can click here to read more if you are interested. One special tradition that the kids love is the opening of Christmas books. I re-wrap the same books year after year and the children open one each night leading up to Christmas Day. Some of the books re-tell the story of the birth of Christ and some of them are simply fictional stories that point to the true meaning of Christmas. This year our new activity was stringing popcorn to decorate our doorways. We have been reading about early Christmas traditions and this was one of them. It is very interesting to see how people around the world and over different generations have remembered the birthday of the Savior. This year we are enjoying being a part of a local body of new believers. They call the holiday, "The Birth Holiday". Being isolated, they know nothing of the commercialized holiday of Santa Clause. Everything they do is focused on remembering that God came in the flesh. They sing a song that the children dance to entitled, Welcome Jesus, Happy Birthday. William and Grace love it. The kids pair up and do their routine at the front of the church each time we sing the song. I would love to hear your holiday traditions. Write as you have time. AT

He's 35!!

Yes, we're hitting mile stones at our house. Matt turned 35 today! It feels like such a strange age...not young anymore and not old either... As Grace said, "You're half way to 40 now!" I told him not to worry he didn't look a day over 42! You may remember that I turned 29 in Hawaii, so come May I have nothing to worry about in the getting old department. Matt was given his favorite game, Monopoly, as a gift from my mother. It was the hit of the day. Matt is ruthlessly teaching the kids to be serious business contenders. They played all afternoon. Matt's dad called at the perfect time. We were lighting candles and singing Happy Birthday. Matt is an amazing man, and I am proud to be his wife. I can't wait to see what the next 35 years look like for him/us. Blessed be His name....the Lord is good! AT