Best of 2014

Any year when a new baby arrives is a great year.  Welcoming our daughter, Hadley, into the world this past October was the best moment of 2014.  She was born in the morning, so by the time everything had quieted down after lunch, Jill, the baby and I all took naps while we watched my beloved Texas Longhorns football team get whipped by the Baylor Bears.  Even though the Horns lost, watching football with my baby girl asleep on my chest was an incredible moment.  

Other highlights from 2014:

Visiting Jinja, Uganda.  Our team was an amazing group of people, and we truly encountered family when we lived with and served beside the people connected to the Amani Baby Cottage.  Everybody was united by the vision of Christ-like love and care we offered to orphans together.  I'm so thankful that my job includes trips like this.

Helping Our Interns Listen to God’s Call.  During their exit interviews, all of our summer interns shared their deep gratitude for our church, our community, and the ministry we’re called to do in Jesus’ name.  At least three of our summer interns from this past year are all considering (or actively pursuing) a call to vocational ministry, which gives me great joy.

The First Bike Ride of the Season.  A friend of mine and I rode through Palisade in the spring, surrounded by slowly-greening fields and the first fruit buds in the trees.  After my accident two summers ago, I felt even more gratitude for the ability to ride and enjoy this amazing valley God has entrusted to us.

Sabbatical Grant: Getting the news that we had received the Lily Endowment Grant for Tom’s sabbatical was so incredible.  A whole year of hard work and revision after revision paid off.  Praise God!

Besides great events and experiences, there were more than a few great books from 2014.

John Ortberg’s Soul Keeping.  (Spiritual/Devotional) Rarely has a book come along at such a timely intersection in my life – a high-intensity season in ministry combined with a renewed sense of personal need for Jesus.  If you haven’t read Soul Keeping yet, you’re missing out what I consider to be the most essential book of 2014.

Smith Henderson's Fourth of July Creek. (Fiction) Henderson's debut novel tells the story of a ragged, alcoholic social worker patrolling the back country of Montana during the 1980s.  It can be an intense book, especially when the main character's family begins to fall apart.  But the backstory of redemption combined with a heavy reminder of Jesus' heart for the poor and neglected make a powerful mix. 

Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow (Non-fiction) A fascinating psychological study of how our brains work quickly to solve minor problems, and how bigger problems take much more of our attention and focus.

True Detective (TV Show) Everyone who was on the plane with me to Uganda this summer heard me raving about this show; I binge-watched all of Season 1 during our long, long flights.  Matthew Mcconaughey and Woody Harrelson bring their absolute best to their portrayals of two Louisiana cops investigating a brutal murder.  It can be graphic and bleak, and yet, I've never seen a TV show quite like it.

I hope 2014 finishes well for you and those you love.

Shalom,

Travis