How far do your donations to missions go?

How far do your donations to missions go?

How far do your donations to missions go? 

All the way to India this week!
 
Today we’re off to India to teach at Team Leadership College International for two weeks.
 
Not only is your support reaching one of the most overcrowded nations of the world, but you are giving a group of young Indians the opportunity to rise to their destiny. Wow!

When we return to Thailand, we have a stopover at the Bible College in Sriracha.  After that, we’re headed to Hua Hin to prepare for upcoming water baptisms.  While we’re away, Becky Watson is at the helm in Hua Hin over the weekend teaching on prayer.
 
Thanks for helping make it all possible.
 
Aua & Renee Treeyanon

P.S. Need prayer for anything?  Write me and let us know!  We’d love to pray for you.
 

40 Life Lessons For My 40th Birthday

40 Life Lessons For My 40th Birthday

So this is 40! (Yes it’s my birthday.) Since I’ve hit this ‘big milestone’ here are 40 reflections as I enter a new decade.

I hope some of these are useful to you.

  1. Don’t limit yourself by what you see. Your daily attitude is powerful. 
  2. Never underestimate the joy of an hour-long phone call with an old friend, especially if the phone call is unexpected.
  3. Friends really do come and go. Some come back. Some don’t. That’s OK.
  4. Long distance friendships can work – they just take some creativity.
  5. Keep in touch. Call. Text. Facebook message. Tweet. Have coffee. Meet for lunch. Whatever it takes, make the effort to stay connected!
  6. Listen with your eyes. It’s as effective as listening with your ears.
  7. Flowers bring me joy.
  8. Write thank-you notes. It takes so little time and is a great way to let someone know how much you appreciate them. Send one whenever you can.
  9. Learn to use a crockpot, and use it often. With all the meals I cook for groups, this is a lifesaver!
  10. Don’t let negativity get you down. You don’t need it in your life.
  11. You can make a difference or you can make an excuse, but you can’t do both.
  12. People will hurt you. Learn something from it, no matter how small.
  13. Look for the good in others. Always.
  14. Apologize, even if you weren’t wrong. In 40 years’ time, you’ll be happy you maintained your relationships!
  15. Not everyone will like you – keep dreaming and doing stuff anyways!
  16. Positivity is contagious. So choose life!
  17. Pay attention from whom you’re learning. Take advice from people you want to be like.
  18. Put down your phone. Life happens outside of social media.
  19. Multi-tasking isn’t as impressive as it sounds.
  20. Courage is not the absence of fear. 
  21. Buy a really good mascara. I never knew what I was missing until my sister convinced me to try Pur products. Now, to find one I love in Asia!
  22. Get your morning routine figured out. One of the most important parts of my day is my morning routine. Every day, I’m up by 6 am, read my Bible, pray & exercise. By getting up early and taking steps toward my goals, I put myself in the right mindset to be productive and make progress.
  23. Write things down: I always carry around my notebook wherever I am and write in it throughout the day.  It’s amazing the clarity and creativity it produces.
  24. God’s plan is greater than anything I’ve planned. He can take our lives and make something beautiful.
  25. There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. Surround yourself with people that help you grow.
  26. It’s ok to say, “I don’t know”. The older I get the more I realize I have yet to learn so much and in actuality know so little.
  27. If Jesus needed early morning solace with God, how much more do I?
  28. What I do with God’s word determines how much of His plan and future I will experience.
  29. Be willing to give away what you lend. What you lend, will not always come back to you.
  30. Everyone ends up somewhere in life, but few end there on purpose.  We need to purposefully plan.
  31. When we spend our time focusing on what others think about us, we easily forget what God thinks about us.
  32. Regardless of how I feel, God will never leave me nor forsake me.
  33. Consistency and persistence win.  If I just don’t quit – I win.
  34. When things get frustrating, it is okay to take a step back, take a deep breath and start again.
  35. Do not settle in life. You are capable of more. Hard work pays off.
  36. Take care of your personal health. Sometimes you don’t pay enough attention to it.
  37. Go outdoors and experience nature.
  38. It’s easier to take a small action now instead of a big action “someday.”
  39. Successful people read books. Lots of them!
  40. You’ll never be good enough if you don’t define what great is.

If some of these items resonate with you, great; write them down, post them on social media, or share with a friend.

I encourage you to reflect and make a list of your own life lessons. Write them down. It’s amazing how many nuggets of wisdom you’ve learned in your lifetime.

What would you add to this? Comment below and let me know!

Here’s to turning 40!

Renée

P.S. Thanks for all the birthday messages! I love receiving them!

10 Of My Closely Guarded Secrets…

10 Of My Closely Guarded Secrets…

Summers are always a great time of the year: graduations, retreats, mission trips. So much of my formation happened in the summer – and so did a lot of FUN.

People often forget that serving God should be fun. No matter what we do – whether we’re working our jobs, raising our families, growing our businesses, or serving in ministry – His joy is supposed to be our strength.

So much of what’s out there these days lacks personal connection. Most people are simply afraid to really be themselves. I thought I’d have a little fun with this update, put away the polish, and share another side of me and the work we do in order to prove I’m not a robot that stays locked away working all day.

Here are 10 of my own quirks, habits, and closely guarded secrets…

1. I have a HUGE family with plenty of fun relatives! If you’ve ever seen the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” you’ll get an idea of what our family gatherings are like. Loud. Crazy. And I wouldn’t change it for a second.

2. I take a notepad and pen everywhere I go. In the car, by my nightstand, at my desk. You never know when a great idea is going to strike. I’ve filled countless notebooks with sermon ideas, quick prayers, and to-do lists to last me an entire lifetime.

3. I love waking up to the smell of coffee brewing – nothing says good morning better. But truth be told, I don’t actually like coffee.  In fact, I can’t stand coffee in any shape or form.  

4. I loved climbing trees when I was little … in addition to building forts in woodpiles, and swimming at the creek. 

5. I feel happiest when I’m living in my passion. And two of my biggest passions are sharing the gospel and spending time with family. 

6. If I could get rid of just one thing – it would be the need for sleep. I’m always wishing for more hours in the day.

7. I like the small-town life. I grew up on our family farm in Ponteix, SK.  Although I live in the city now, there’s nothing like the wide-open spaces and fresh air that only the prairies can provide. 

8. I guard my emotions like a hawk. It’s incredibly hard to break through my shell but I’m eternally grateful to the people who have. 

9. I’m really good at waking up early without an alarm.  I grew up on the farm, getting up early doing chores before going to school. And I liked it.  The early-morning hours are my favorite time of day.  That being said, I crave sleep and my bed by 8:30 p.m. at night!

10. I think ‘Being Yourself’ is one of the biggest keys to living a Godly life. When you’re honest about yourself and who you are, it gives you a starting point to let God in.

Okay, I’m headed back work but I’d love to hear a bit about you! Here’s to summer fun. 

Have a great week!
Renée

 

Looking Ahead and 3 Personal Goals for 2019 (Can You Relate?)

Looking Ahead and 3 Personal Goals for 2019 (Can You Relate?)

If you’re anything like me, goal-setting is a mixed bag. There are a lot of good goal-setting frameworks out there, but they’re also easy to get tired of.

One of the things I’ve done recently to set better goals is write down all of my one year goals and then rank the top 4. Then, I ask myself 4 follow-up questions for each goal. I write this down in a journal (and on my computer for easy reference) so I can access it quickly.

Here are the 4 follow-up questions as well as a few of my own personal goals for the coming year:

1. Why do you want to accomplish this goal?

2. What is the pain you will feel if you don’t accomplish this goal?

3. What is the pleasure you’ll get from accomplishing this goal?

4. How will accomplishing this goal contribute to others?

Now, without any further ado here are some of my goals for the coming year:

#1. Make exercise and healthy eating part of my lifestyle

Why? Ministry is very demanding on every front: spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically. But I am more than my ministry in the same way that you are more than just your job. 

To that end, I’ve found that I just don’t have a lot left in the tank at the end of the day. I don’t want to give my loved ones the “leftovers” of my day so I’m really committed to making exercise and healthy eating a part of my lifestyle. 

That means I work out to videos four to five days per week. These workouts don’t require expensive gym equipment, and I can do them almost anywhere which is especially great because of the travel we do.

When it comes to food, I’m cutting down on iced tea and upping my fruits and veggies.  It may sound simple, but I know the difference it makes in my energy levels! So I’m stickin’ to it!

#2. Make our family an example family.

Why?  Because not enough families are winning in life.  We have an awesome family and I want to take the time to really foster the relationship between Aua & I and our children.  

In a country where minor wives are common and fatherless families abound, I want our family to be one that people can look to and emulate.

Aua already has ‘Daddy dates’ with the kids one night weekly.  He spends one on one time with one of our children that night.  But now we’re upping our game.  We’re starting family night.  This will happen Monday nights.  Others are welcome to join us, but we’re carving out this time so the kids know – it’s time for our family to spend together growing as a family. 

#3. Make our marriage stronger

Why?  Life can get busy.  If we don’t decide what we’ll focus on, what is urgent will take precedent over what’s important.

I’ve made lots of excuses over the years for not carving out enough time for our marriage.  You’ve probably heard some of them:  We don’t have a sitter.  We’re just so busy.  There isn’t enough time.  We spend enough time together as it is.  And the list goes on.

But 2019 will be different. This may sound like a small goal for you, but it’s actually a big one.  In 2019, I will go out for a meal or coffee or a movie (basically a date with Aua) the first Sunday of each month.  Now my secret’s out – I’d best go tell Aua!

So, those are some of my goals for the upcoming year. I hope the 4 questions I shared earlier add value to your goal-setting process. On that note, I’d love to hear some of your goals for the coming year.

Question: Do you have any goals for the upcoming year, or a particular method to goal setting? Comment below and let me know.

It’s Our Anniversary!

It’s Our Anniversary!

This week, Aua and I celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary.  (Which is an accomplishment considering the average American marriage ends before its’ 9th year!)

Today I’d like to share with you 14 things I’ve learned from 14 years of marriage that I hope will inspire you. Here’s to the next 14 years of bliss.

Hope you find these useful:

1. Learn to listen. Often the best communicators are the best listeners.

2. How we interact with one another is a reflection of our maturity.

3. Smile! Your smile changes everything –  it costs you nothing, and you can give it to anyone.

4. Offense is poison. Forgive and get better.

5. Treat people the way you’d like to be treated.

6. Potential is useless unless you do something with it.

7. Success is progressive, not immediate.  It’s daily acts of faithfulness that get results.

8. Crisis doesn’t build community, it reveals it.

9. As a man thinks, so he is. Change your thinking, change your life.

10. Instead of complaining about something, find a way to make change happen.

11. If we don’t quit – we win!

12. How you handle the wilderness determines how you receive your inheritance.

13. Life has no rewind button. Replaying yesterday causes us to miss out on today’s possibilities.

14. Be thankful, and express it often!

Thanks for being part of our family and letting us be part of yours.
Renée