Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”~Luke 2:19

Well, 2017 is nearly over, and it has been quite a whirlwind. Every year, I strive to write some kind of retrospective on the year. Sometimes it makes an appearance in a Christmas letter, and other times it ends up being a blog post (which have declined in frequency in general in 2017—sorry!) to be shared online.

Where to begin? We have been witness to incredible blessings in 2017. God gave us the incredible joy of watching our daughter grow and explore this beautiful world. Sylvia’s birth and growth have definitely shifted our daily rhythms. We explore more, and we try to savor the little things a bit more than we probably have in the past. It has been amazing to see this little girl grow and learn and gaze upon the world with wide-eyed wonder, and fill her little heart with love, goodness, and discovery. She really brings out the best in everyone she comes in contact with, and that is a beautiful gift.

We were on the move a lot this year as well. Sylvia now has 26 states under her belt, she has explored five national parks, and has been on 30 flights. She (and we) have been diligent to be outside together for an average of an hour a day, and we go on almost daily walks together. There’s a 3.3 mile loop near our house that has become our walking/running circuit when we are home, so I guess we are always ready for a 5K walk/run. ;) I also worked to be more disciplined about taking vacation this year (I’m terrible at it but improving), and we were able to see some amazing sights during our travels; including sunrise in Glacier National Park. Sylvia also dipped her feet in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during her first year of life too! One of my biggest joys with Sylvia this year had to be walking into our garden together, picking tomatoes off the vine, and sitting in our yard and eating them. Often the most joyful moments are the simple ones.

I finished a one year program for nonprofit leaders at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in May, and was invited back to campus this past fall to contribute to the learning of the incoming class.  I also accepted an invitation to become a member of Forbes Coaches Council and have contributed to a handful of articles online. In addition, we are continuing to expand our impact at Nuru. It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since Jake and I first met up to discuss his idea for addressing extreme poverty in some of the toughest places on earth, and, thanks to your support, Nuru is now in three countries and has gone from an idea to an organization benefitting more than 120,000 people.

Jamie started back to work at Healthworks in February after her maternity leave. She’s an incredibly gifted and compassionate aquatic rehabilitation therapist, and it is a delight to see her serve so many and help people improve their wellbeing as she works with them in the pool. She has continued serving as a Congressional District Leader for the ONE Campaign (Bono’s poverty fighting advocacy organization) and during the ONE Summit this February worlds collided as she introduced the keynote for the event, Jake Harriman, CEO and Founder of Nuru International! When she’s not fighting poverty or improving lives at Healthworks, she’s caring so sweetly for our little girl!

Our hearts have been so full this year. My mind is flooded with details around memories throughout the year that I just can’t fit into a short letter. There has been so much goodness we have been able to savor, so much to be grateful to God for. Our friendship with you sits at the top of that list. We have been so privileged to have wonderful people like you in our life; praying for us, encouraging us, laughing with us, and shaping new memories with us.

My prayer is that 2018 will find each of us celebrating the little blessings that make appearances in our lives each day, and that we will grow in our gratitude, our generosity, and our care for one another. May we each do our part to love well in a world that could use more love, more grace, and more peace. And, like Mary in the Gospels, may each of us treasure up the stories and memories we are sharing and creating, pondering them in our hearts.

Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!

Reflection and Video: Silent Night Sung By Moriah and Clint Lawson

Earlier today, thanks to social media (namely Facebook), I was able to watch and enjoy the vocals, guitar and mandolin of a couple of members of my tribe as they posted a video of themselves singing Silent Night on YouTube. To me, it seems like a really great piece to post as Christmas is fast approaching.

This afternoon, Jamie and I were in Lake Floyd when I listened to the video. As I listened to Clint and Moriah sing, many memories from our tribe's ceremonial grounds came flooding back to my mind. All of us were kids back then, and it really makes me proud of Moriah and Clint that they have continued to develop their talents and that they are sharing with others too. Clint and Moriah used to bring their instruments to our land in western Maryland, and we would laugh a lot, take part in ancient traditions, and then stay up late talking about Jesus and singing Five Iron Frenzy, Jewel, and No Doubt, along with older bluegrass music and of course traditional Shawnee songs and hymns.

And tonight, as I think about those sacred memories and consider the weight of what we celebrate on this Eve of our Savior's birth, I am filled with joy. I'm filled with joy when I think about choirs of angels singing praises as they visited shepherds in distant hills. I am filled with joy when I think about all that Jesus was born into, and all that He redeemed. And, more personally, I am filled with joy when I think about how faithful He has been to me over the years since we were a bunch of Shawnee kids hanging out and talking about Jesus to these times when as "grown-ups" we are still struck by the mystery and majesty that somehow the hopes and fears of all the years were met in Bethlehem in a manger.

Wherever you are, may you find some quiet space tonight to celebrate the wonder of it all, and may we all look forward to a future day when shalom will be restored, and all will be made right in the world. And until that day, may each one of us persevere in seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with the Creator of the universe.

Merry Christmas to all!

Washing Dishes, Serving, and Christmas

My wife and her family are absolutely amazing. There are a number of reasons I could list for why I feel this way, but this little post will be centered on just one of them—doing dishes on Christmas.

For the last three years Jamie and her family have allowed me the privilege of joining them in this long time Reaser tradition. It started when Jamie was in middle school/junior high, and her parents were a little concerned that their daughter might somehow get distracted by all of the gift-giving around Christmas and think the day is really about her.

As a result, Jamie’s mom started looking for opportunities in which they could serve on Christmas day in the local community. In Clarksburg, a group had organized a Christmas dinner where they invited people to come for a meal in a local Methodist church (or have the meal delivered). Jamie and her parents signed themselves up to wash dishes and stay behind the scenes. (Ironically, the first time I went with them the local TV station interviewed Jamie about serving there.)

There is something healing that happens in our souls when we serve and look out for the interests of others instead of just ourselves. I believe that this gesture that flies in the face of what has become a ‘normal’ celebration of Christmas (lots of un-needed gifts, and a mid-afternoon visit to a movie theater). Now, don’t get me wrong, movies are great, and the thought behind most gifts is also wonderful, but they just don’t hold a candle to serving.

Jesus said that He “came not to be served but to serve others…”, and when we serve, we are actually following the example and teaching of Jesus. And what better day to serve than on the day the world celebrates His birth.

As 2013 gets started, I want to encourage you to look for opportunities to serve, and then serve. I believe that serving changes us in a good way. I believe that if we all took a little more time to serve others, our families would be healthier, our neighborhoods would be safer, and our world would be a little brighter. And service doesn’t have to be part of a big event. Often the best opportunities to serve show up in the mundane and the every day.

Here’s to making a fresh commitment to service in 2013!

Our 2012 Christmas Letter

Last year, Jamie and I set a goal of writing a letter toward the end of the year to many friends and family members. Our list keeps getting longer, but we know that there are people we miss, so we thought maybe we could post it on this blog. That being said, here it is.

It’s been quite a year, and there’s so much good stuff to share that it is hard to know where to start, but we wanted to share a little update on 2012 with you!

Jamie started working part time in January at HealthWorks, a rehab and fitness center in Morgantown, WV. In her job there she helps people improve their lives through aquatic rehab, aquatic fitness classes, and even gives some swimming lessons from time to time. Her professors were eager to see her placed as she was one of the top students in her program, and she has such a deep compassion for others, that being able to help people improve their lives is part of her DNA. When she interviewed, she was able to negotiate a full-time job to be a part-time job, and was also able to secure time off so we can continue to travel together.

The majority of both of our families live within a couple of hours of Morgantown, so thankfully we have been able to see family a lot. We have managed to see both of our families about one weekend per month, and, in supplement to those trips, we have also been able to make visits for Thanksgiving as well as for Memorial Day and July 4^th to Lake Floyd. Visiting the lake is like stepping back to a way of community life that has long been forgotten by many in our country—and we love it!

Aside from visits to family, we have been traveling the country sharing Nuru’s story and inviting others to join in our efforts to end extreme poverty through Nuru. This year we have made our way to Columbus, Akron, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, and even a few different locations around West Virginia. We continue to be able to travel together for the most part, and on our most recent trip, we were able to visit Billy’s brother and sister-in-law in California (one day we even took a hike to the Hollywood sign). 

This summer, we traveled together to Kenya to document the growth of Nuru’s work. It was Jamie’s first trip in the developing world, and it was an utterly heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring experience to walk through together. Heart-wrenching, because when you see how desperately some people live, you can’t help but be stirred by it. Awe-inspiring, because we saw family after family who had turned their situation around and who were living a significantly better life because of Nuru’s programs. The trip served to increase our own resolve to continue to work hard so that our global neighbors have access to tools and knowledge to improve their lives and lift themselves out of extreme poverty for good! Here's a recent video from Nuru that shares a more detailed update of how lives are being changed. 

And as the year progresses, we feel as though each day is filled with sacred purpose as we learn how to better care for each other as well as how to better love our neighbor, particularly our neighbors who live in desperation. Jamie and I have both always been a little "granola," but we find ourselves striving to live more and more simply. We have both been very dedicated to our faith, but this year, we have an incredible sense of gratitude as we have seen such a robust cross-section of God’s beautiful world and the wonderful people He has made in His image, and to whom He extends love and mercy beyond comprehension.

And as we approach the celebration of Christmas, we are filled with gratitude for you, and the very special place you have in our life. May this holiday season find you filled, with faith, hope, and love.

Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy the photo too! J

Serving For The Holidays

It was a little after noon, when I hopped in the car with Jamie and her parents and we made our way to the First United Methodist Church of Clarksburg.  Jamie had invited me into a tradition that had been part of her family since she was in middle school.  Each year, her family drives into town on Christmas day, not to take gifts to another relatives house, but to serve people behind the scenes.

We showed up and were given aprons and our charge—clean dishes until they were all done. “Why were the dishes dirty?” you might ask.  Well, they were dirty because the church had prepared over 1000 meals to be distributed throughout the county, and also enjoyed in the meeting hall of the church.  It was pretty amazing, and reminded me of serving  in a kitchen with my Dutch and American missionary friends one year in Amsterdam, but that is another story.

It was really special being able to give to benefit others as we worked on Christmas day.  It felt really refreshing to serve, and I hope that it is a tradition we can continue in coming years.   It is far to easy to make the holidays about us, about the presents we get, about the quality of the presents we give, or about other things that really have minimal lasting benefit, but there is something really special that happens in us as well as in others when we get out of our comfort zones and serve. 

Every time I spend time with Jamie and her family, I’m simply amazed at the way Christ shines through them in both subtle and profound ways, and I find myself learning and growing in my love for Him as well as for those around me. 

As I scrubbed out pots and pans, I thought about the generosity of the church for opening its doors to provide this service.  I thought about the 1279 people who had meals delivered to their homes by volunteers.  I thought about the volunteers who were driving around town with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and pumpkin pie and a little smile came on my face as I thought about lonely people who were greeted by a smiling face and a meal on Christmas day.  If only we would see more love of our neighbor, then maybe this world would be a much more beautiful and safe place for all.  

Happy Holidays From Nuru!

Happy Holidays From Nuru (Full Version) from Nuru International on Vimeo.

This holiday season is different for the people of Kuria, Kenya. Seven thousand people are beginning to experience a life filled with choices and opportunities. It's really hard to believe that just a little over two years ago, Nuru International sent it's first team on the ground to begin working toward a sustainable and scalable solution to ending the greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation, and now there is hope where once there was despair and desperation. It's hard to believe that things you and I take for granted, like being able to afford to send their young ones to elementary school or having enough food for everyone in one's family to eat, are being experienced by many people in Kuria, Kenya for the first time this holiday season.

Together, we have witnessed change that has quickly moved from a handful of people to literally thousands. It is absolutely amazing to think that Nuru has had such a transforming impact so quickly, but there is still much more work to be done. A spark has caught flame, and candles are being lit. Lives are being changed, person by person, and family by family. People are stepping up and spreading hope, light, and Nuru.

This year, as you begin your Christmas shopping, will you consider making a contribution to Nuru? Three families have stepped forward to match donations that come in during the the month of December. This is a great time to double your impact and contribute to lasting change for people you may never meet, but who could benefit greatly from your generosity. Thanks for considering giving a special gift to Nuru's work this month.

Christmas Presence

I hope you are with family and friends during the holidays, and I hope you can savor every moment. We have been given so much. Today we celebrate a baby being born halfway around the world in a small middle eastern town. Kind of crazy when you think about the impact that little baby has.

And kind of crazy when you think about this. According to the theme of the story, that little baby came into the world as a sign of the great LOVE the CREATOR of the universe has for us. He came into the world to be WITH people. God WITH us.

So today, as you read this message that I am writing and you are reading on a computer screen, I want you to do something that sometimes I feel like we've forgotten. I want you to be WITH people. Laugh with them, cry with them, open presents with them. Let your mind and your heart be there with them. The best present is your PRESENCE.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and that you savor the time you have with the people around you. In a world that seems to be running at an ever increasing pace, perhaps that's the best gift of all.

Merry Christmas!