Hope On The Borderline

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter January 14th, 2025 Being in the Present Living in the present moment takes intentionality.I think, as humans, we have the inclination to focus on the future and the past more than the current moment we are in. Although it is natural to be retrospective—to learn from and reminisce on the past—it also prospers us in many areas to look forward with goals and visions. The problem lies in when we become fixated on what was or overly consumed with...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter December 31st, 2025 It's been 14 years since we made the commitment to 'Forever and a Day'. With it has come the best- and some of the hardest-years and 1000’s of memories made. Today we celebrate our love, commitment and family. I’m so grateful for marrying the man I did, first he intrigued me, then he captivated me. Together we have grown, changed and supported one another in life’s ebbs and flows, in our dreams and in our visions. I’m...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter December 31st, 2025 2025, I’m grateful for what you’ve taught me. My personal reflections on 2025 As a parent, it’s natural to notice the growth in our children—when they outgrow their first outfit, share their first smile, or speak their first words. Everything is seen. Every milestone is celebrated. And yet, we often don’t take notice of our own growth. This year, I actively chose to put myself back on the flame—to no longer allow myself to...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter December 17th, 2025 Wrap It Up Over the past four days, I’ve been going nonstop with Christmas shopping and wrapping gifts. Just as I wrapped up the last gift sitting in my living room, my phone buzzed with a message that more deliveries had arrived. Buying for all of GAP staff, students, and visitors (43 people this year!) is no small task. It requires wishlists, organization, budgeting, and time. The wrapping itself is a significant part of...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter December 10th, 2025 Press Pause Pause (verb): A way to stay intentional amidst a season where everything feels a bit rushed, a little too busy or unorganized, and just slightly “too much.” (definition my own) Ways to pause this season: Press pause on your day and your to do list. Focus on one thing and do it well or do it until you complete it. Pause to have that conversation you’ve been putting off. Pause to look at your child in the eyes...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter December 3rd, 2025 Our family is built different. But isn’t every family? Judah was born in a small Aboriginal town in Australia, and I come from a homeschooling family in Ohio. Min Min Soe is from Burma and is already a husband, father—and now making us grandparents! Zz will tell you she’s from Bangkok and is Thai. Who knows what Sirichai will say? We live in our own house on a big property with 30 people, surrounded by four languages. I...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter November 26th, 2025 Letting Go with Thanks It’s likely many of you have heard of Marie Kondo and her method of letting go of objects, clutter, and memorabilia—she encourages people to thank it for serving you and then release it. “Have gratitude for the things you're discarding. By giving gratitude, you're giving closure to the relationship with that object, and by doing so, it becomes a lot easier to let go.” Marie Kondo I was thinking about...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter November 19th, 2025 Building Strength Today I’ve been focused on some areas I’m weak in. Some physical weaknesses.Some mothering weaknesses—patience. I just wanted to focus on how I even became weak in these areas. Sickness during pregnancy.Apathy toward rebuilding strength postpartum.Little moments of instant gratification shaping my habits. As I focused on these weaknesses through a conversation with Judah and then during a phone call with...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter November 12th, 2025 Maybe it was never meant to be held to my chest... This is the time of year for pulling out all our special things — the better dishes, the fancy serving trays, and the shiny cutlery — pulling out all the stops: bringing out our traditional recipes, sparkly clothing, and dusting off our going-out shoes. There is a time for special and a time for sacred. But today, I was feeling like sometimes we just safeguard things by...

Hope on the Borderline: The Tana Family Newsletter November 25th, 2025 Never, Ever, Could I Have Imagined What I Was Actually Saying Yes To… When I pressed “send” on my last letter, Lifting My Voice, I thought I was simply following through on a promise to write. Instead, God was preparing me to sing again. I haven’t led worship in a number of years, and I’ve felt nervous for a while now. At the beginning of 2025, I told myself and Cha Mu Taw (Cha Cha), our GAP worship leader, that I would...