On more than one occasion, my kids have come to me first thing in the morning full of grump with their dispositions in a pout. Usually, the first words out of their mouths are, “Daddy left, and he didn’t kiss me”. To that I always reply, “Yes, he did, but you were asleep.” Then they almost always say the same thing, “Well, I didn’t feel him”.
Now, I know my kids are talking about physical touch. They were not awakened, so how could Matt have kissed them? However, the downcast attitude is the longing to emotionally feel the relationship they have with their father.
Feelings are a funny thing aren’t they? We all need to “be in touch with our feelings” some would say. It is true that feelings are God given and benefit us in evaluating situations and relating with others, but they can also deceive us by masking truth in situations or control us in relating with others.
The truth is Matt kisses the kids every morning before he leaves. The truth is also that he loves them unconditionally. These two things are consistent and unchangeable about Matt even if the kids do not choose to realize it or believe it.
Lately, I have been struggling with “feeling” God. What I “feel” right now is loneliness, weariness & doubt not the unchanging consistency of the love that I know God has for me. So, the question is…how do I keep myself from getting in a “grump” and my “disposition in a pout”? Well…I guess I make a choice. I make the choice to focus on truth.
What truths do I know about my heavenly Father?
1. Lie - I am alone; He has forgotten me. Truth - He will never leave me.
2. Lie - I have to always be strong. I do not have the strength to continue. Truth - When I am weary, I can rest in Him. He will carry me. He is my eternal source of strength.
3. Lie – Maybe God changed His mind. Maybe He will not provide. Truth – God is unwavering. He has a perfect plan. He keeps his promises.
He speaks truth to me (and to you) every time we read His Word and pray. “Well, I don’t feel Him.” I say to myself. Too Bad…truth is truth…I may feel different right now or tomorrow, but the truth of my standing with God and God’s love for me is the same today, tomorrow and the day after that…and yes, the day after that….
How do you feel today? Now…what is the truth?
AT
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Resting at the Center of the Potter’s Wheel
After the Potter throws the clay onto the wheel, the spinning begins.
I am sure at this point I am sure that the clay realizes that being on the wheel is not all that it thought it would be! As we would say, the clay’s world goes spinning out of control. What the clay must realize is that the spinning, though out of the clay’s control, is never out of the Potter’s control.
As the wheel spins the Potter pours water onto the clay. This is done to allow the Potter’s hands to “slide” over the clay. Without it the clay would stick to the Potter’s hands and the clay would be ripped to shreds. The water serves as a sort of grace. Often I hear people say that they want to feel the Potter’s hand in their life. What these people mean is that they want to see the results of the hand of the Potter in their life. Without the grace that the Potter offers to us as a free gift, we would be destroyed.
After applying a generous amount of water to the clay, the Potter places His hands on the clay and presses it into the center of His wheel. We all want to find the Potter’s wheel (read will) for our lives. Even on the wheel, the clay must be moved to the center of the wheel.
Have you ever had one of those days? One of those days where you can see in one of your children that they so desire to do right but somehow wrong choices continue to creep in on them? Every time they turn around they are “running into” the boundaries that have been set for them. They are constantly hearing “Don’t do that!” or “Don’t touch that!” When this happens in our family I think it helps to call them to me and sit together for a minute. When I hold them tight and tell them that I recognize that they are having a rough day and love them despite the choices that they are making, we both leave that embrace changed for the better. The child’s attitude usually improves and they are encouraged from within to do right.
In the same way the clay needs to be “hugged” into the center of the wheel by the Potter. Once covered by a generous helping of grace, the clay finds itself running into the potter’s hand at every turn. No matter the inner desire of the clay to obey, and conform to the Potter’s wishes, the clay finds itself running into the boundaries the potter has lovingly set for it through the use of His hands.
Romans 7:17-19 (New International Version)
17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
When the clay submits and allows the Potter to “hug” it into the center of His wheel, the clay no longer runs into the Potter’s hands.
In what area of your life are you running into the Potter’s hand? Are you allowing Him to hold you and whisper to you of the love that He has for you? Today allow Him to hug you into the center of His perfect will for you.
MT
I am sure at this point I am sure that the clay realizes that being on the wheel is not all that it thought it would be! As we would say, the clay’s world goes spinning out of control. What the clay must realize is that the spinning, though out of the clay’s control, is never out of the Potter’s control.
As the wheel spins the Potter pours water onto the clay. This is done to allow the Potter’s hands to “slide” over the clay. Without it the clay would stick to the Potter’s hands and the clay would be ripped to shreds. The water serves as a sort of grace. Often I hear people say that they want to feel the Potter’s hand in their life. What these people mean is that they want to see the results of the hand of the Potter in their life. Without the grace that the Potter offers to us as a free gift, we would be destroyed.
After applying a generous amount of water to the clay, the Potter places His hands on the clay and presses it into the center of His wheel. We all want to find the Potter’s wheel (read will) for our lives. Even on the wheel, the clay must be moved to the center of the wheel.
Have you ever had one of those days? One of those days where you can see in one of your children that they so desire to do right but somehow wrong choices continue to creep in on them? Every time they turn around they are “running into” the boundaries that have been set for them. They are constantly hearing “Don’t do that!” or “Don’t touch that!” When this happens in our family I think it helps to call them to me and sit together for a minute. When I hold them tight and tell them that I recognize that they are having a rough day and love them despite the choices that they are making, we both leave that embrace changed for the better. The child’s attitude usually improves and they are encouraged from within to do right.
In the same way the clay needs to be “hugged” into the center of the wheel by the Potter. Once covered by a generous helping of grace, the clay finds itself running into the potter’s hand at every turn. No matter the inner desire of the clay to obey, and conform to the Potter’s wishes, the clay finds itself running into the boundaries the potter has lovingly set for it through the use of His hands.
Romans 7:17-19 (New International Version)
17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
When the clay submits and allows the Potter to “hug” it into the center of His wheel, the clay no longer runs into the Potter’s hands.
In what area of your life are you running into the Potter’s hand? Are you allowing Him to hold you and whisper to you of the love that He has for you? Today allow Him to hug you into the center of His perfect will for you.
MT
Monday, June 9, 2008
Walk for Autism
This past weekend our family had the privilege to participate in the 2008 Oklahoma Walk for Autism www.walknowforautism.org/oklahoma We walked in honor of my nephew, Cameron Roberts, as part of the “Caring for Cameron” team.
Toys R Us is the main corporate sponsor for the Walks donating a quarter of a million dollars a year to autism research and hosting walks all over the nation. The next walk is in the Dallas area in 2 weeks if anyone is interested.
Here is a portion of a recent email sent by Autism Speaks:
On Saturday, June 7th, approximately 4,500 people experienced the power of unity and celebrated the wonderful people in our lives affected by autism. The Oklahoma Walk for Autism was a HUGE success. Parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, friends, children, clinicians, teachers, celebrities and dignitaries came together to raise over $168,373 so far.
We love you Cameron. You bring amazing joy to our lives. We are honored to be your godparents, uncle, aunt & cousins. We would walk for you every weekend if that was what you needed!
Bryan & Lori – you do an incredible job with Cameron. Your patience & love is unmatched by anyone we know. You guys are amazing in all that you do...your generosity to us as we perpare to move overseas, your weekly service at your church, your help to the families of the children you weekly do home childcare for, your ministry & sacrifice in the foster care system, your full-time commitment to the defense of our nation...and the list goes on and on. We recoginze that each one of these things is HUGE in itself, and you do them with JOY on top of your caring for Cameron. You are a true example of people that do not focus on themselves, but instead choose to focus on the blessings of life and work to continue to minister to those around you. God has a special hand on your family. We firmly believe your faithfulness will be rewarded. May we all strive to be so selfless.
On Saturday, June 7th, approximately 4,500 people experienced the power of unity and celebrated the wonderful people in our lives affected by autism. The Oklahoma Walk for Autism was a HUGE success. Parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, friends, children, clinicians, teachers, celebrities and dignitaries came together to raise over $168,373 so far.
We love you Cameron. You bring amazing joy to our lives. We are honored to be your godparents, uncle, aunt & cousins. We would walk for you every weekend if that was what you needed!
Bryan & Lori – you do an incredible job with Cameron. Your patience & love is unmatched by anyone we know. You guys are amazing in all that you do...your generosity to us as we perpare to move overseas, your weekly service at your church, your help to the families of the children you weekly do home childcare for, your ministry & sacrifice in the foster care system, your full-time commitment to the defense of our nation...and the list goes on and on. We recoginze that each one of these things is HUGE in itself, and you do them with JOY on top of your caring for Cameron. You are a true example of people that do not focus on themselves, but instead choose to focus on the blessings of life and work to continue to minister to those around you. God has a special hand on your family. We firmly believe your faithfulness will be rewarded. May we all strive to be so selfless.
"...with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippinas 2:3-4
HOW?
Read Romans 15
Lord, forgive me for saying I am not strong enough. You provide the strength. There are so many who have lost and sacrifice so much. I am amazed at how much I have to give when I am not focused on myself.
AT
PS – A special thanks to my brother, Matt Roberts, for providing such wonderful rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in OKC. You made the weekend possible for us. Please know your family was in our hearts as we walked. We know your love for special needs children and your desire to be with the family. There is a part of us that was forever changed by the blessing of having Cannon in our lives.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Bugs, Bugs & Slugs
Summer…‘tis the season for a homeshool unit study on insects! Currently, we are the proud caretakers of one cocoon in a jar, five chrysalises in a butterfly habitat and two slugs in a coffee can. I love nature, and insects truly are a fascinating part of God’s creation. Sure, there are those like mosquitoes that I see no point in, but there are others like rollie-pollies that are just plain fun!
We have all enjoyed watching our caterpillars change into their cocoon stage and chrysalis stages, but today I was staring into the butterfly habitat and thinking of how wonderful it might be to simply wrap myself up into a sleeping bag and wait for change to come. They seem so content, so at peace, so safe, so…..
WHAT IS THIS! It’s creeping in…trying to take over…building a web of lies in my heart – FEAR! It seemed so abrupt when I looked at it in the face, but when I started to evaluate my emotions over the past week, I realized that I was beginning to act and think based on deceitful fear.
As I went outside to feed the slugs, I began wrestling with this in my heart. Why am I allowing Satan, the deceiver, to have control of my life? CONTROL! – Oh, no! You all know I have a hard enough time allowing God to be in control. There is no way I am going to give over my control to Fear, but how do I stop from sliding down this slipper slope?
I popped the top off the coffee can and gently laid in a new piece of lettuce and watched the slugs. Rather nasty insects, but fascinating just the same. Then it hit me…the strange thing about slugs (and any insect) is that no matter how well they are treated they always respond out of fear. If I were to leave the lid off their perfectly wonderful habitat, they would slowly slide away. Why?...They are unable to have a relationship with me…their caretaker. They do not realize that they are probably the best kept slugs in the world! Their decisions and actions are based on an instinctual fearful response.
Early last fall, we had a spider on the front porch. Each evening she would spin a beautiful web. My mother had this wonderful idea to “catch” the web for the kids to study. We sprayed the web with black paint then took a white poster board and gently attached it. It was so neat. The complexity of the web was incredible. It was nothing for the spider to create it; it is what she was designed to do. I realize now that the object of our amazement should not really have been directed towards the web, but instead at the one who created it.
Our Creator holds everything perfectly together. There are things in my life, and I am sure yours, that we simply do not know how they are going to turn out, but I am trusting today in my relationship with my Caretaker, my Creator. Whether I am a beautiful butterfly or a simple moth, a slimy slug or an amazing spider, He has a plan and purpose for me and for you. I will not allow fear to control how I feel, how I act and how I respond. Today I am choosing to TRUST!
No Fear!
AT
“And which of you by being anxious (fearful) can add a single cubit to his life’s span?...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (and a relationship with Him); and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:27, 33-34 (parenthesis I added)
PS: Don’t email me and tell me I need a dog. This I already know! ; )
We have all enjoyed watching our caterpillars change into their cocoon stage and chrysalis stages, but today I was staring into the butterfly habitat and thinking of how wonderful it might be to simply wrap myself up into a sleeping bag and wait for change to come. They seem so content, so at peace, so safe, so…..
WHAT IS THIS! It’s creeping in…trying to take over…building a web of lies in my heart – FEAR! It seemed so abrupt when I looked at it in the face, but when I started to evaluate my emotions over the past week, I realized that I was beginning to act and think based on deceitful fear.
As I went outside to feed the slugs, I began wrestling with this in my heart. Why am I allowing Satan, the deceiver, to have control of my life? CONTROL! – Oh, no! You all know I have a hard enough time allowing God to be in control. There is no way I am going to give over my control to Fear, but how do I stop from sliding down this slipper slope?
I popped the top off the coffee can and gently laid in a new piece of lettuce and watched the slugs. Rather nasty insects, but fascinating just the same. Then it hit me…the strange thing about slugs (and any insect) is that no matter how well they are treated they always respond out of fear. If I were to leave the lid off their perfectly wonderful habitat, they would slowly slide away. Why?...They are unable to have a relationship with me…their caretaker. They do not realize that they are probably the best kept slugs in the world! Their decisions and actions are based on an instinctual fearful response.
Early last fall, we had a spider on the front porch. Each evening she would spin a beautiful web. My mother had this wonderful idea to “catch” the web for the kids to study. We sprayed the web with black paint then took a white poster board and gently attached it. It was so neat. The complexity of the web was incredible. It was nothing for the spider to create it; it is what she was designed to do. I realize now that the object of our amazement should not really have been directed towards the web, but instead at the one who created it.
Our Creator holds everything perfectly together. There are things in my life, and I am sure yours, that we simply do not know how they are going to turn out, but I am trusting today in my relationship with my Caretaker, my Creator. Whether I am a beautiful butterfly or a simple moth, a slimy slug or an amazing spider, He has a plan and purpose for me and for you. I will not allow fear to control how I feel, how I act and how I respond. Today I am choosing to TRUST!
No Fear!
AT
“And which of you by being anxious (fearful) can add a single cubit to his life’s span?...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (and a relationship with Him); and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:27, 33-34 (parenthesis I added)
PS: Don’t email me and tell me I need a dog. This I already know! ; )
Getting onto the Potter’s Wheel
As the potter painstakingly works the bubbles out of the clay he determines the malleability of the clay. That is, what is the consistency of the clay? If it is too soft, it will not possess the rigidity to stand as He works it on the wheel and it will result in a “blob”. If it is too hard, it will not yield to His hand as He works it and will become brittle.
In order to get the correct consistency the potter often has to combine clay that is soft with some that is too hard. By wedging them together they become a piece of clay that is the perfect consistency. In the same way, God often brings others into our lives to temper in areas of our lives. By working in accordance we temper one another to a usable form in the hand of the Potter. A great example of this is the way the Potter often combines married couples.
Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
After the Potter decides that the air bubbles are completely eliminated, the fun part begins…or so thinks the clay.
The Potter at this point carries the clay to the wheel where He promptly throws the clay onto the wheel. Not places, puts or sets. The potter forcefully “plunks” the clay onto the wheel. Without this force, the clay would roll off of the wheel as soon as it begins spinning.
Often when I ask a friend how his work is going he says, “Boy I’m just getting slammed!” Good!! At least he’s on the wheel.
In what areas do you need to be sensitive to the potter trying to change your consistency by bringing someone into your life? In what areas are you slammed right now? Have you thanked the Potter today for where He is working in your life?
MT
In order to get the correct consistency the potter often has to combine clay that is soft with some that is too hard. By wedging them together they become a piece of clay that is the perfect consistency. In the same way, God often brings others into our lives to temper in areas of our lives. By working in accordance we temper one another to a usable form in the hand of the Potter. A great example of this is the way the Potter often combines married couples.
Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
After the Potter decides that the air bubbles are completely eliminated, the fun part begins…or so thinks the clay.
The Potter at this point carries the clay to the wheel where He promptly throws the clay onto the wheel. Not places, puts or sets. The potter forcefully “plunks” the clay onto the wheel. Without this force, the clay would roll off of the wheel as soon as it begins spinning.
Often when I ask a friend how his work is going he says, “Boy I’m just getting slammed!” Good!! At least he’s on the wheel.
In what areas do you need to be sensitive to the potter trying to change your consistency by bringing someone into your life? In what areas are you slammed right now? Have you thanked the Potter today for where He is working in your life?
MT
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Back To The Potter's House
In my last entry I talked about some of the process of clay moving from a raw for m to the potter’s wheel. The last step was the potter placing the clay on the shelf to shrivel and dry.
After watching the next step, the outside viewer would say that the drying time seems pointless. Once the clay has dried, the potter rehydrates it with fresh clean water. Prior to the “drying”, the clay was full of impure and dirty water. The potter wants to use his water to refresh the clay beyond what it was before the drying so that it will be usable. This is done by crushing the clay and putting the pieces into a container and filling the container with water. Again the clay waits. At this point the clay might look around and see the potter working a piece of clay on the wheel and wonders, “Why does he get to be on the wheel and I have to sit here in this bucket?” What the clay fails to recognize is that the clay on the wheel went through the same process and is just in a different place in its journey with the potter.
Once the clay has been rehydrated, it is worked by the potter in a process called wedging. Wedging involves pressure and movement of the clay in ways that to the clay I am sure are very uncomfortable. This is done to remove all of the air bubbles from the clay that would mar the piece if not done. This marring could be done in two ways. First, the clay might not respond correctly to the hands of the potter while on the wheel. The second scenario is even worse. Having been completed and placed in the fire to harden into a useful piece, the air in the pocket would expand as the piece heats and shatter the area of the piece, or worse yet, maybe the entire piece. Because of this possibility the potter works carefully and continuously to remove any bubbles that exist.
You may be wondering where the bubbles come from. To explain this we have to understand what clay is. Clay is essentially rotten mud. Decaying compost. As the organic matter decomposes gas pockets are created.
What stage are you in? Often I find areas of my life in different stages. Are you longing to be filled with living water? Are you looking around, seeing those close to you on the wheel and wishing to be there too?
The world that we live in, and the enemy, constantly communicate to us that we are dirt and unworthy. The next time that this is whispered into the deepest part of your heart, remember that we are called to not only be dirt, but mud…and rotten mud at that.
MT
After watching the next step, the outside viewer would say that the drying time seems pointless. Once the clay has dried, the potter rehydrates it with fresh clean water. Prior to the “drying”, the clay was full of impure and dirty water. The potter wants to use his water to refresh the clay beyond what it was before the drying so that it will be usable. This is done by crushing the clay and putting the pieces into a container and filling the container with water. Again the clay waits. At this point the clay might look around and see the potter working a piece of clay on the wheel and wonders, “Why does he get to be on the wheel and I have to sit here in this bucket?” What the clay fails to recognize is that the clay on the wheel went through the same process and is just in a different place in its journey with the potter.
Once the clay has been rehydrated, it is worked by the potter in a process called wedging. Wedging involves pressure and movement of the clay in ways that to the clay I am sure are very uncomfortable. This is done to remove all of the air bubbles from the clay that would mar the piece if not done. This marring could be done in two ways. First, the clay might not respond correctly to the hands of the potter while on the wheel. The second scenario is even worse. Having been completed and placed in the fire to harden into a useful piece, the air in the pocket would expand as the piece heats and shatter the area of the piece, or worse yet, maybe the entire piece. Because of this possibility the potter works carefully and continuously to remove any bubbles that exist.
You may be wondering where the bubbles come from. To explain this we have to understand what clay is. Clay is essentially rotten mud. Decaying compost. As the organic matter decomposes gas pockets are created.
What stage are you in? Often I find areas of my life in different stages. Are you longing to be filled with living water? Are you looking around, seeing those close to you on the wheel and wishing to be there too?
The world that we live in, and the enemy, constantly communicate to us that we are dirt and unworthy. The next time that this is whispered into the deepest part of your heart, remember that we are called to not only be dirt, but mud…and rotten mud at that.
MT
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Family Purpose Statement
We exist to glorify God and exhibit integrity through our relationships with one another, our service to others and our witness to those that need to know Christ.
Several years ago we were challenged to come up with a family purpose statement. The point of the exercise was to determine what we wanted our family make-up to be. It helps us to line up our priorities, evaluate our unity and determine if we are following our Travis family calling.
Glorify God – We believe that mankind was created for one purpose and that is to give HIM glory. Who we are and everything we do should point to Him. We do not exist to seek after our own pleasure or desires. When our purpose is to glorify Him, our desires align with His plan and the joys of life are found in giving Him praise.
Exhibit Integrity – Life is full of choices. We will each face times when it would be easier to opt out of completely doing the right thing. Most of those times the reality is no one will ever know. We have heard it said that integrity is what you do when no one is looking and is established in the moments when a person suffers through making the right choices in the secret places of their life.
Our Relationships with One Another – We strive to make family a priority. Ministry begins in the home. How can we minister to others if we are not loving and serving each other? We try to foster a team atmosphere. We all need each other. Each member brings something special to the picture. We are the same people at home as we are in public.
Our Service to Others – Although we place a high priority on our immediate family unit, we also strive to focus on the reality that we need to be strong not to serve ourselves, but to make us more effective in serving others. There will be times when God provides the spontaneous opportunities for us to “give a cup of cold water” in His name, but we have found it important that we are involved in specific ministries where we can daily/weekly/etc. serve and see a marked difference over times.
Our Witness to those that Need to Know Christ – Every member of our family, including our children, know that sharing Christ with the world around us is the calling of all believers. They expect that we will share our story as we go. Whether at the doctor’s office, the grocery store or the park, we all pray for opportunities to proclaim Him. It is a regular occurrence that one of us begins to share and the others prayerfully stand to the side. What a joy it is as parents now that William looks at people with a desire to share and has people on his “witnessing” list. May we all look at the world with this promise of hope!
MT & AT
Several years ago we were challenged to come up with a family purpose statement. The point of the exercise was to determine what we wanted our family make-up to be. It helps us to line up our priorities, evaluate our unity and determine if we are following our Travis family calling.
Glorify God – We believe that mankind was created for one purpose and that is to give HIM glory. Who we are and everything we do should point to Him. We do not exist to seek after our own pleasure or desires. When our purpose is to glorify Him, our desires align with His plan and the joys of life are found in giving Him praise.
Exhibit Integrity – Life is full of choices. We will each face times when it would be easier to opt out of completely doing the right thing. Most of those times the reality is no one will ever know. We have heard it said that integrity is what you do when no one is looking and is established in the moments when a person suffers through making the right choices in the secret places of their life.
Our Relationships with One Another – We strive to make family a priority. Ministry begins in the home. How can we minister to others if we are not loving and serving each other? We try to foster a team atmosphere. We all need each other. Each member brings something special to the picture. We are the same people at home as we are in public.
Our Service to Others – Although we place a high priority on our immediate family unit, we also strive to focus on the reality that we need to be strong not to serve ourselves, but to make us more effective in serving others. There will be times when God provides the spontaneous opportunities for us to “give a cup of cold water” in His name, but we have found it important that we are involved in specific ministries where we can daily/weekly/etc. serve and see a marked difference over times.
Our Witness to those that Need to Know Christ – Every member of our family, including our children, know that sharing Christ with the world around us is the calling of all believers. They expect that we will share our story as we go. Whether at the doctor’s office, the grocery store or the park, we all pray for opportunities to proclaim Him. It is a regular occurrence that one of us begins to share and the others prayerfully stand to the side. What a joy it is as parents now that William looks at people with a desire to share and has people on his “witnessing” list. May we all look at the world with this promise of hope!
MT & AT
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