William Turns 12 Today!!

How did the time go by so fast?  I know this is what all moms say, but, seriously, I can't believe that next year I am going to have a teenager!!

I am so proud of William.  For almost a year now, he has been asking us to make up a challenge for him for his 12th birthday.  He is an avid reader and has read several books about boys in Australia and Africa that have to go through "rites of passage" before they are considered a "man".  He wants his teenage years to be a time of growth, significance and preparation for "manhood". 

Over the past year, as Matt and I have listened to William talk, we have been compiling a list of things that William himself has said.  We presented the below list to William this morning.  He is thrilled to have goals for the next year.  They are not in any order of importance.  I was amazed; however, as I began typing them that the list does cover all kinds of different areas from practical, to character and spiritual. 

Join us as we pray for him this year as well as into his teenage/transition years. 

13 Things To Do Before I Turn 13:

1.Read a book on survival skills/Camp out and apply the skills I have learned

2.Memorize: Micah 6:8 along with our Family Mission Statement

3.Learn to Cook: make a meal plan; grocery list; and prepare meals for a month

4.Memorize the Roman Road and try to share it with at least one person

5.Read the Old Testament

6.Keep a weekly Journal

7.Make a list of at least 13 questions I have about God, life, the Bible, etc.

8.Make a list of all the things I want to start praying about in a wife

9.Memorize a chapter of Scripture

10.Make a list of character goals I have for my teenage years

11.Make a list of places I want to go and/or things I want to do in my teenage years

12.Create a stewardship challenge for myself and begin implementing it

13.Make a list of ministry/service ideas; begin volunteering in one of the areas

 

     

Now is the Time to Cling to HIM

Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'"  John 20:17

Confession:  I am not a hugger.  It has taken me quite a bit of time to get used to all the kissing and hugging that Central Asian and Middle Eastern cultures like to do.  Now it would seem that the practice is popular with Europeans and South Africans, too.  Praise the Father for my Australian and German friends...they are a bit more hands off! ;)

Today as I was reading, I was struck by the phrase in John 20:17 "stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended..."  Yes, I confess as a non-hugger that perhaps in the past I skimmed right over this part of the verse and in my mind thought, "ya people stop being so clingy!".   I tend to focus more on the second half of the verse that says go and tell the brethren this...  However, today when I read this, it occurred to me that Mary was not to cling to Jesus at that moment, but now that He is ascended she is/we ARE to cling to Him.  Very interesting; isn't it?   AT



 

God is ALWAYS the Subject

I do not pretend to be a good writer.  I think a have said countless times over the last 5 years of maintaining this blog that I wish God would allow me to quit this task.  However, evidently, there are words that HE would like for me to continue to write.  There is nothing more compelling, convicting or comforting than His words.  I write out of obedience, but mostly because I need to journal and read what He is trying to teach ME.  It is very humbling to share it with you, but also an honor.  I truly believe the WORDS are powerful. 

It would seem the Language Arts life of 5th and 6th grades is all about diagramming and labeling sentences/words.  We have gotten in such a routine of doing this that I am constantly pointing out adverbs, linking verbs, interjections, prepositions, and so forth in everything we say and read.  This exercise has me contemplating "grammar" in the Bible.  I know that there are many translations and that unless you read in the original languages you cannot have the full grasp of the grammar.  However,  one thing seems very clear:  God is always the subject.


I heard somewhere along the way that the Bible is a "love story" for us.   I do believe that is true, but recently I have been wondering if I have placed too much emphasis on the "for us" part.  The Bible is.  That is a complete sentence.  The "for us" is simply a prepositional phrase. 

Don't get me wrong, we are HIS people and therefore dearly loved.  He gave His life for us and is even now extending His great and merciful patience towards humanity.  In His profound wisdom and love, He inspired men to write down His words to us.  In His sovereignty and power He has preserved His word so that it is perfect and complete.  His Word is living, relevant and still touching the hearts of those that read it, meditate on it and hide it in their hearts.  We should look at all things through the scope of His Word.
 

All that being said, I think that it is important to remember that HE is the subject.  I know that often when I read His Word I am looking for "what applies to me"; "what does He want to say to me".  Perhaps my reading needs to change.  Maybe I should read His word asking, "Tell me more about you Father.  What can I learn about YOU?"  Conceivably, in doing this I will learn more deeply how I can apply His Word to myself. 

Father, I ask that you be the Subject always in my life!  AT   

Greece Trip 2013

We love the life that the Father has given us.  What an adventure!!  We are so often in amazement at the opportunities that are before us.  Our family was overjoyed to be given the privilege to attend a week long conference just outside of Athens, Greece.  The resort was amazing.  The day tour of the ancient ruins is indescribable.  It was a "once in a life time trip" to be sure.  The highlight of the week hands down, was the privilege to serve the amazing group of expats at the conference.  We loved listening to their testimonies, the passion for their work and their dedication to the Father.  Many of them live in hard places, yet they have so much joy.  The kids even ministered to William and Grace through their words and actions all week.  I'll be honest, I have truly been struggling to "find my way" in the UAE.  I believe our family has been in a grieving time.  It was good to get away and gain back some perspective.  I know that God is more interested in my holiness and growing me than He is in my happiness.  He has us here for a reason.  We need to be serving Him no matter where we are.  We can't keep looking back, replaying the "what ifs" and wondering how long we will be here.  It felt good that at the end of the trip to Greece that we were all saying, "I'm ready to go home."  I know that may sound strange, but all 4 of us have come to a place where we are ready to call the UAE home.  Time away was fun, but we were ready to go home and begin serving with our whole hearts in our new country.  We will always love Turkey.  We are thankful for modern technologies and the ability to stay in touch with our friends.  We are thankful for the Turks here that we are getting to know and that we are trusting the Father will bring our way.  GOD sees the whole puzzle.  Thank you Greece for a time of refreshment and renewing of the mind!  We know you have bad history with the Turks, but you helped us end our grieving for that precious country!  AT        

 

What kind of a fisherman am I?

Fishing takes ALOT of patients!  I have watched people come day after day to our beach and not catch a thing.  Men come out early in the morning, stay most of the day and often leave with  very little.  Some will say, "Oh there is nothing in these waters worth catching."  OR "The waters are too difficult to fish." However, the other day, a man caught a whopper of a fish.  I am not a fish person so I do not know what kind it was, but people gathered, all listened to the story of the adventure of catching it and many changed their minds about the waters.  You can probably guess what happened the next day....YES, the jetty was full of men giving it a go again.  Perhaps today would be their day, maybe the waters are not too hard, maybe there is something worth catching. 

 

What about me?  How do I view the fishing I've been called to do?  Just because a people or culture are different than I am or appear to be crude or harsh, do I say, "There is nothing worth catching."?  Is that how God views people?  Just because I am not seeing my line tug, my basket full and my cooler stocked, does that mean that the waters are too difficult to fish?  Did God promise it would be easy?

 

My cousin is an avid fisherman.  I am so impressed with his dedication and abilities.  He recently posted on Facebook a video of people that have "invented" a new way of fishing.  In essence with their invention a person can "deep sea" fish from shore.  They freeze a small bait fish in a "bullet shaped" tube and then shoot it out of an airgun.  It goes into deeper waters and when you catch something you have the challenge of hauling it all the way onto the beach.  It is a different mindset, a different challenge...a different approach....BUT it works!         

 

Have I been in such a hurry to evangelize that I've shaken searching fish off the hooks?  Have I been so caught up in how things have been done before that I cannot embrace a new strategy?  Am I so involved in my own "world" of what I think that I am capable of doing that I forget that I am just the "bait"/tool the Great Fisherman is using for HIS glory?

 

David Brainerd a missionary to the Native Americans once said, "O God, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am."  Let that be so of me as well.  I am not a great fisherman, but let me be faithful.  Let me be one who tells of HIS excellent greatness!!  AT  

Impressions

In "western" culture, for decades now there has been great emphasis and educational campaigns placed on "no littering" in the 80s; recycling in the 90s; going "green" in the early 2000s and now the catch phrase is looking at our "carbon footprints".  First of all, let me say, I am all for taking care of our earth.  I think it is very important. However, I believe that we need a mindset shift in our push to "save the earth". We need to look at what we ARE leaving to the next generation not just what we don't want to leave.

Last winter, during a storm at sea,  a large Russian cargo vessel stalled out and was thus washed ashore.  It remained there for months as repair experts tried to get in running; however, it was deemed inoperable.  This summer it has been painstakingly disassembled and piece by piece hauled away by large trucks.          

It is totally gone now, but the "impressions" are there.  I don't mean "physical" impression.  Besides the occasional piece of metal found buried in the sand, no one would ever know by looking at the beach that the monster lay marooned their for months.  However,  the people that live here still say, "I'll meet you where the boat used to be."

When our family has moved from this apartment, what will be said of us?  "We live on the same floor where the Travis family used to live."    "Remember there was a kind American family on floor 18.  We live where they used to."  I do not hope for these things so that the Travis name gets glory.  I pray about what impressions I am making because I know that in a country where Christians are in the minority what I do and say leaves a picture in people's eyes of Believers as a whole.  Right or wrong, often how people see followers of Christ is how they see Christianity as a whole.  What impression do I give as a Christ follower?  Does my impression make people want to know more about my God? 

I may come to their shores looking like a big ugly foreign ship, but in the end what shines through me?  Let it be the Sonlight!!  Let eyes be opened to the wonder of a loving God.  Let their impressions be that they must seek out this ONE that washes away all the things of the past and can restore them to new life.  AT    

 

She is 10!!

What a blessed family we are to have Grace Michell in our lives.  She is learning to bake and cook.  She made her own birthday cake this year.  Her gift was roller blades, which she loves, but it is too hot to use them in this 120 degree weather!!  For now, she is enjoying her ice skating lessons.  Who would have thought....ice and snow in the desert!  Grace's truth theme for herself this year is:  I am beautiful, tender-hearted, gracious, kind and determined to follow God with my whole heart.  We love you Monkey!! AT