Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Thailand! I woke up the other morning in pain.  My legs were sore and every movement brought new bursts of agony as I tried to get out of bed.  I grimaced and my was quickly reminded that my face also ached.  Before you feel too concerned for me, you should know that the pain was the result of pleasure. In fact, it was the result of a 12 hour Christmas extravaganza with our children and staff at Faithful Heart. Our lives have been full to overflowing this past month.  And it makes me want to stop and savor it.  Have you ever felt that way? There is so much happening, you cannot digest and process it all.

Yay, Andy, & Zach in the shop milling rice

It makes me want to find time to reflect, especially with the coming of a new year.

This season of our lives, and especially 2018, has been so good.

Every morning I wake up to my two beautiful children, and my beautiful wife, and I drink tea and make breakfast (4 eggs with toast and papaya).

This is the beginning of a good day.

I hop on my scooter, and head to work.  On the way, I drive over a bridge and see the mountains receiving the new morning sunshine and I pray.

Not because I am supposed to or because I am afraid not to but because I am happy (who wouldn't be on a scooter?) and happy people are also grateful people.

Christmas Games!

Biscuit joiner---Thank you Pastor Steve!

Gratitude wants to thank someone.
There is something about the good moments in our lives that reveal just how incredible a gift life is.
And joy loves to share.

Our best moments always involve others.

When I hold my daughter or wrestle with my son or play soccer with our boys here,or tell jokes with our girls...it feels like my life has briefly come into focus.

My fears about myself have faded.
All my insecurities and doubts have been pushed out, as though there just isn't room for them.

And I think, "This is how life should be!"

Joy wants to be shared.  Like a good joke, the more people in on it, the better it is, and the more strongly we experience it.

This is how I often think about what it means to be human:
The enjoyment together of every good thing.

The more time I spend in Thailand, the more I am coming to see that life is a mutual sharing.

Ben is back in the hospital, but he was glad to play Santa.

The games were fierce!

Ezra would not be denied entry.

I find myself thinking less and less about divisions or stratification in my life

(What do you do? What is your title?  Who is the giver?  Who is the receiver?)

Those old structure just don't mean much to me anymore.

Every time I give, I also receive.
Every time I lead, I also follow.
Every time I teach, I also learn.

And there is a wonderful sense of relief and freedom in this.

Suddenly, I am not the rescuer or savior or fixer.

I am a man among friends, journeying together toward healing and wholeness.

The burdens to produce, to fix, to achieve melt away.
And there is a glorious freedom.

That is how this season of my life feels.

I am laying down my self imposed burdens, and learning to enjoy the incredible people I am blessed to do life with.

Special time with special people!

The dramas are always impressive at Faithful Heart.

These guys brought the K-Pop power!

These handsome guys!

This is the most joyful season of my life.
(Footnote: Not the easiest, not the most carefree.)

When was the last time you heard someone say that?

I hesitate to even write it.

We have become almost hesitant to be glad or admit that we are.
And therefore, we become hesitant to share.

But have you noticed how the best moments of our lives are rarely selfish?

In my experience, selfishness usually comes from fear.
And the best cure I have found for fear is joy.
It is hard to be happy and afraid at the same time.

Our joy now is the combination of the things happening around us and the things happening in us.

Taking a little joy to our friends in the hospital.

Suk San Wan Christmas!

Yay's Santa outfit reminds me of the Grinch and brought a lot of smiles

I heard a man share that he kept reading the words of Jesus and realized it wasn't about how to be religious at all but how to be human.

That is the best way to describe our own experience.

It is like watching my daughter learning to use her arms and legs.

We are all still learning how to be human.

There is a lot of flailing and jerking and stumbling and falling, but as you go you realize what an incredible thing it is to be alive.

And then you look around you.

What an incredible, beautiful, complex, creative, inspiring, hilarious, delightful group of people we are all surrounded by!

What an incredible thing it is that each of them is alive!

And that we are alive together.

Great graduates from Faithful Heart and Matt's poor selfie skills.

Lighting candles with our neighbors!

This little squishy brings us so much joy everyday!

In this New Year, I want to embrace all my neighbors.

I want my heart to grow and swell, so they all have a place there.

Because with every inclusion, I find more and more joy.

As I stop trying to fix everything (or everyone) and stop trying to achieve enough to feel worth something, I find there is so much to enjoy in this gift of life together.

May we discover more and more of what it means to be human together. 

Love,

Matt, Audrey, Ezra & Sienna

Ex rode a horse, and Dad was so proud!

It's not always serious in the office :-)

Christmas Dinner with our Staff!

Christmas Lunch with family and friends (we like to eat)