Why Do You Get Up in the Morning?

At about 2:00am last night in the ER I heard a question that has been rolling around in my mind ever since. It was an unlikely setting and an unexpected question. I was eavesdropping, yes eavesdropping, because when you hear something in English you can't help but listen. Besides that we were sitting in close quarters and doing anything to keep ourselves awake. I heard him ask her, a previous acquaintance of his, "What do you get up for in the morning?" In essence, what do you live for? What in your life is worth pressing on for? She didn't answer immediately and he asked, "Is it just selling your art?" And she answered with just a twinge of defensiveness, "Well, I have my teaching, I teach painting." After that the subject was dropped, but my mind dwelt on that.



What do I get up for in the morning? How would I have answered that question? Would I have said that I live to teach my students? Would I have said that I get up because I have a huge to-do list that needs conquering? Would I have said that I don't really know why I get up...it's just something I have to do? Would I have been brave enough to try to explain the true motivation behind my life...would I have been honest enough to admit that sometimes I lose sight of that truth?



Could I explain how my life was given meaning two thousand years ago when a perfect man who was the Son of God died a sinner's death upon rough wood...and that when He did that He saw me? Could I explain that although I was just as lost as everyone born into this dark world a gracious Savior redeemed my pitiful life. He clothed me in His righteousness...a gift that I could never earn or deserve. Would I have the words to say that I live to know Him...that everyday is an opportunity to walk with Him? That the life He leads me on is an adventure...one that is not always certain but is always secure. That I follow His voice and I turn when He tells me to, that my life is not my own. That I am so thankful I have a higher purpose than myself or my dreams. Would he understand that I'm a bond servant by choice to the King of the universe? That my days, hours, minutes, and seconds are for His glory.



I myself am only beginning to understand these truths and beginning to grasp the blessed fact that nothing in this life is because of my adequacy or power...all of it is by His surpassing power, by His mercy, by His strength. Which is truly good news for me.

Depraved Indifference

These are powerful words...life changing actually.

The Least That's Due

Befriended, befriended by the King above all kings
Surrendered, surrendered to the friend above all friends
Invited, invited deep into this mystery
Delighted, delighted by the wonders I have seen
This will be my story
This will be my song
You’ll always be my Savior, Jesus
You will always have my heart
Astounded, astounded that Your gospel beckoned me
Surrounded, surrounded but I’ve never been so free
Determined, determined now to live this life for You
You're so worthy my greatest gift would be the least You’re due"

This is a beautiful song by Matt Redman and when I heard it last month for the first time, it just about brought me to tears. Especially the line, "You're so worthy my greatest gift would be the least You're due." You know, sometimes I get consumed with the weight of sacrifice or the cost of following Jesus. Well...what I consider weight and cost. Recently, I realized the gift I hold out in shaking arms thinking "Lord this is my everything, this is my all, this is the most I can give" that huge (in my eyes) gift, it's the least He is due. How I owe so much more, how I wish I could give so much more. Yet I know He receives my minuscule gift...my life... and He promises to refine, to purify, and to strengthen it until it is a gift fit for a King. What grace, what love.

Mouse...Really?

Being in Thailand I have done many things I never thought I would do or could do, and tonight was another random one.

***

I grew up in the mountains and there were always mice...not a big deal. Sometimes frightening sometimes pitiful they were just a fact of life. Last year about this time we had a creepy Christmas mouse that visited our house for the holidays and terrorized us by jumping on us from the cabinet, eating our food, and taunting us by running around our house while we tried to capture it. Needless to say in the end we were victorious even though a few geckos did die in the process.

***

Fast forward to this year...

Our washing machine has flooded our back room twice, sure the room needed mopping, but sweeping out the water is not my favorite way to spend an evening. After the first time we noticed the hose that drains the washing machine was chewed up and laying on the ground. Our suspicion was that the descendant of last year's Christmas mouse had returned to haunt us. However, we called the landlady and she sent some repair men to fix the problem. Our conversation with them went something like this:

Nice repairmen: "Badikadk akd akdj kadlk."
Me: {I don't recognize those words but I'm sure it has to be another way to ask what's wrong with the washing machine...maybe it's Northern Thai.} "Naam auk." (Translation: water comes out.)
Nice repairmen: "Aldkajdfk akdlfakd lakdjie." (Translation: Yeah, the hose came out of the wall...that makes water come on the floor.)
Me: "Chi, dia khit waa... sat kin." (Yes, I see that but I think the hose is eaten by an animal.)
Nice repairmen: "Nuu." (Translation: mouse)
Me: "Chi." (Yes.)
Nice repairmen: "Khray auck kadl?" (Translation: Which one of you pulled the hose out of the wall?)
Me: "May mii khray." (We didn't do it. )
Nice repairmen: "Pen luuk." (Translation: It must have been your child.)
Me: {Should I explain that we don't have children?... No...} Pause...
Nice repairmen: "Ban haa pen array?" (Translation: What is actually wrong with the machine?)
Me: "Naam auck." (Haven't we established the fact that the water comes out, flooding this room?)
Nice repairmen: "Akdjfad daklkdj idaokjf?" (Translation: So there isn't anything wrong with the machine?"
Me: (Other than the fact that the. water. comes. out. no.)
Nice repairmen: Look at us strangely, stick the hose back into the wall and say goodbye. As they are walking out the door we heard them commenting about us. "Dalok lee dii jai." (Translation: They were funny and nice.)
Us: Did we really just have that conversation, and how stupid do we feel right now?

***

The liquid sloshing around our feet after the next time we did laundry confirmed that yes, merely sticking the hose back in the wall was not super helpful.

***

Then tonight...we get home from Bible Study and my roommate asks, "Did one of you put an apple behind the washing machine?" Answer: "Of course, we love to store apples behind the washing machine." We all go look behind the machine and yes there is an almost half eaten apple sitting behind the washer next the troublesome hose. The thoughts start rolling from there. "How in the world did an apple get behind there?" "Did we have one on the table in the other room and did a mouse really dribble the it all the way in here to its favorite entrance point?" "How big is this thing anyway?" After a little while of being completely disgusted by the thought of what must have happened...we came up with a plan.

***

Plan A:
Put peanut butter and mouse poison on the little edge inside a plastic water bottle.
Jam the water bottle into the hole the washing machine hose keeps getting knocked out of.
Place paint bucket behind the water bottle to help keep it in place.
Hope that what...? The mouse eats the poison and dies in our wall? The water bottle stays in place? I don't know. I'm not sure what to do about the hose which is now almost entirely eaten by whatever this hungry creature is. Maybe we'll just call the super helpful repairmen again...it was such fun the first time around...

Doi Inthanon

November 26th. The day after we made thankful turkeys with our kids. The day after we gathered together with an unlikely assortment of people to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. The day we spent on a special trip with Nida, the 4th grade Thai teacher and her family. She invited us to travel to Doi Inthanon, the mountain on which she and her husband grew up and still call home. We had a wonderful day visiting waterfalls, pagodas, villages, and the highest spot in Thailand. We thoroughly enjoyed a picnic at the base of a waterfall, seeing the little shop in her cousin's village where they weave beautiful creations, and buying fresh vegetables from a local stand. We are so thankful to have been able to spend the day with these friends and feel privileged to be given a glimpse into the land they call home.

These are just a few memories from the day. Click on the picture to enlarge the pictures.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving...what a beautiful concept...such a necessary one at that. It is all too easy to get caught up in what is not going right (like when it is nearly impossible to find potatoes in the city of Chiang Mai, or when it's 9:00 at night and the propane runs out only half-way through the Thanksgiving preparation for the next day and the washing machine simultaneously floods the back room again) and dwell on how life is hard and the narrow way we desire to tread is sometimes difficult to discern.

In teaching my kids this week about thankfulness I would ask them throughout the day, "What are you thankful for?" They would reply with different things but one of my girl's favorite replies was "I am thankful for ALL TOGETHER." Reminding me that everything the Lord allows in our lives is for our good, and every good and perfect gift is from above. One of the Hope International School board members was here for a visit last week and during a meeting with him reviewing the past year my boss uttered words of wisdom. He said, "It was a blessing to have been beaten so severely." Replaying those words over in my mind I see how true they are. Last year would I have called our trials a blessing? No way. Thinking about it now can I see how the Lord used that time to grow us, strengthen us, and bond us together? Yes, it is clear to see His hand throughout those dark nights.

While His hand is with us through trying times His hand is still with us during the times of calm. During those moments when you think, "I'm in the right place." Like this afternoon, when my newest student came home with us before we headed out to meet her parents at our boss's home for Thanksgiving dinner. We had to throw together our mashed potatoes (cooked at school since the propane ran out), green bean casserole, and bread. In the midst of the hurry I noticed her gazing at our miniature nativity resting on our coffee table. As we sat in the glow of our little Christmas tree, by the look of wonder on her face I would guess the first she had ever seen, I was reminded of a Mary of long ago who sat at the feet of Jesus in the flesh amid the hustle and bustle. As we sat at the feet of a small figurine intended to remind us of the baby who was born to save us, I knew there was nowhere else I would rather be than sitting with her sharing about Christ by reenacting the Christmas story with the little figures.

How thankful am I that He came, that He suffered and died for us, and that today He calls us to to follow Him and be saved. How thankful I am that He is with us in the midst of our everyday difficulties granting us strength. How thankful I am that He is gifting us everyday with His presence, goodness, mercy, and peace.

School of Promise Video

This is the fantastic new School of Promise promotion video. I hope it gives you a glimpse of the mission and vision of Hope International Schools and the School of Promise. I hope you enjoy seeing the beautiful faces of the students and hearing from some of the teachers.

Photo Shoot

Our talented Miss Brittany took some great photos of our students for several projects including Christmas gifts for each child's family. I thought I'd share with you these beautiful faces and just ask that you would pray for them if you think about it. Pray for their families, their understanding of the Gospel, their education, their soft hearts, their dreams, their futures.

She is very athletic…

She is super artistic…

She loves to dance…

He loves to be funny…

She loves to help…

She is a thinker…

One Thousand Gifts

One Thousand Gifts...

I just wanted to share with you this idea I got from a blog by a woman named Ann Voskamp.

"When gratitude is bound by circumstances, lives are bound to bitterness."
~Ann Voskamp

Hence the endeavor to create a list of one thousand gifts from the Lord that you are thankful for, everything from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Please check out her encouraging blog and read her thoughts on thankfulness. Just click the picture below to get started.

A Sample of Gifts on My List...

1. Small, warm brown hands slipping unexpectedly and quietly into mine.

13. New music in a language I understand after months of listening to the same thing.

14. Hot triple berry muffins fresh from the new gift of an oven with sweet hot coffee.

38. Bible study with godly women who speak with different accents, claim different places as home, but all love the same Lord who has brought us to this land.

52. My precious princesses, who twirl and spin not caring who is watching.
58. Conversations with random strangers that encourage and brighten my day.

"Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks
to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting."
Psalm 106:1

Orphan Sunday

Orphan Sunday... what does that mean?

The point of orphan Sunday is to bring awareness to the plight of the orphans around the world. I have no eloquent words to share the hearts of the orphans I have come to love and I have no great wisdom or solutions on how to rescue them all, yet in this tiny way that I can I would like to remind you that they are here. I would like to tell you how beautiful they are, how their hearts are dying to be loved, I would like to remind you that they have walked through greater pain than anyone should ever have to know. I want you to hear their cries. Some, some have been rescued yet many, too many are still out there. Still trying to make it on their own, still working to pay for their parent's debts, still washing their own laundry by hand in the dark of the morning. They are still going to school to become monks because where else would they be fed and clothed. They are still kept out of school because they have lice and there is no one to treat them. Babies still lie on hot concrete bridges with a plastic bottle for a pillow while their "guardian" begs money. Still they don't have a momma to cuddle them and a daddy to protect them or someone to teach them about the Lord. Still.

I just want you to know. The knowledge of suffering children is heavy and it's heartbreaking. But I think that the Lord sometimes us allows us a glimpse of His pain and suffering on behalf of these little ones whom He desperately loves so that we can act on their behalf. Something should be done...someone should stand up...will it be you?

Please know that I don't claim to have this figured out, its a question I struggle with just about every day. I think the problem comes when we cease that struggle, when the least of these slip out of our minds and out of our hearts and we just do nothing.

I thought I would post some links to blogs from women who daily love orphans and teach them about the Lord. I hope you enjoy hearing from these women who are an encouragement to me.

http://www.lauraleighparker.com/2010/11/orphan-cr/ - A momma of seven...four of whom are adopted... and her views on orphan Sunday.

http://www.lauraleighparker.com/2010/10/one-girl/ - Info on the sponsorship program for the beautiful girls from Breanna's house who have captured my heart.

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/ - Stories from a woman in Africa (a couple years younger than me) who is momma to thirteen precious girls.

http://www.incourage.me/2010/11/a-christmas-card-drive-of-epic-proportions.html - A practical way to love some wonderful Compassion children in Ecuador.

My Cup Runneth Over

It's November, Thanksgiving and Christmas are on their way. Cooler weather is here, I'm freezing in 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This week I'm pretty sure the earth stopped spinning when my students wanted the fan on because they were hot and I wanted it off because I was too cold. I never thought that day would come.

In this, my favorite time of year as I walked through my days this week I just kept thinking, "My cup runneth over." Here are just a couple reasons why...

During FUN Reading (a time where after I read a story or two the kids all pick books and read for awhile) one of my girls brought me the book, The Day the World Went Wacky." In it a little boy asks why there are bad things in the world and the story explains about Adam and Eve and how they sinned and because of that the world is in sin. It shows that is the reason for pain and suffering. It explains that Christ died to heal the world and give everyone an eternal home. I started reading in English and explaining a bit in Thai because I thought it was important. By the end of the story all of my kids were sitting around me listening intently. Which while I almost always have one or two ask me to read more to them I never end up with them all listening to a story. I prayed that the words they heard made sense and were planted in their hearts. Finishing the story made us late to meet the other classes for a group activity and as we rushed down the hall one of my girls (from a Buddhist family) slipped her hand into mine and said, "I know a song about following Jesus." She softly sang a song that our staff sings in the mornings about walking in the path of Jesus. I pray that she chooses that path for her own life.

Yesterday, my kiddos got a special ice cream treat. They've been working on earning it for several months and they were super excited. So, after the Bible lesson I broke out the ice cream. As they sat at their desks all pushed together with their hands folded nicely waiting quietly I asked who wanted to pray. One of my little girls raised her hand and everyone closed their eyes and bowed their heads. And she prayed...in English..."Thank you God for ice cream. Thank you Miss Emily ten oh yeahs (what they had to earn to get their treat). Thank you God for today, for our milk, and for each other. Amen." Precious.

My new student is a beautiful sweet child who loves to hear Bible stories, who shares heartbreaking stories about her family, and who braves riding in the scary car with three foreign teachers so that she is able to come to school. After school she is a princess twirling and dancing. One of my other students pretends to be the prince, bows low and takes the princesses hand. Then they all burst out laughing. The story continues with make believe princesses and I'm thankful. I pray that these girls know how beautiful they are and that they are daughters of the heavenly King. I pray that their fairy tales are not clouded by the harsh realities they have faced and continue to face. I pray they continue to twirl and laugh and smile with dimples and that they know how loved they are.

As I behold the faces of these children the Lord has given me I wonder, how did I get so blessed?

Jealous Kind

When we share this land with visitors we always show them temples. Why? Because they are an integral part of this culture, because there is one on nearly every corner, and because they make it real. Real that these are people, real people, who pray to a god who cannot hear and plead forgiveness from a god who is not able to redeem. Every time I see hands clutching lotus blossoms for an offering or eyes closed with heads bowed to the floor I know this person doesn't know. They don't know the truth, the hope of Christ and the salvation bought for them through His blood. Please pray that this country would be released from the power of the deception of the enemy. Please pray that they would know the truth and that the truth would set them free.

As I daily pass these temples the words play repeatedly in my mind, "Built another temple to a stranger." The song by Jars of Clay depicts a person (even a Christian) who allows idols in their life, who sets their course to run into danger, who is unfaithful to the Lord. All the while the Lord is jealous in His love for that person...waiting for them to come to Him. The heart of so many cries, "I'd rather feel the pain all too familiar than be broken by a lover I don't understand." Sometimes, it is just too scary to step into the unknown love of the Lord and sometimes we choose to stay seeped in our pain because it is inside of our comfort zone.

We often allow even establish idols in our lives "one hundred other lovers one hundred other alters, if I should slow my pace and finally subject myself to grace and love that shames the wise, betrays the heart's deceit and lies and breaks the back of foolish pride." While we stray and set various things in our lives higher than the Lord, He jealously desires us to come back to Him. No matter how many times we dangerously set up idols or walk away, He is always ready to receive us with grace and love that mortal men just can't understand. To receive His grace and love means that we have to admit we have been deceived and believed lies and that our pride has separated us from Christ. But He is always ready to receive us...when we turn away from our idols, when they turn away, He is waiting.



P.S. If you watch this video on the small screen the quality is okay, but if you watch it on the large screen the quality is pretty poor. I apologize for that. Hope you get a glimpse anyway.

Psalm 103:1-5

Snapshots of Dani's Visit!

About fifteen days ago I counted down the hours until my friend Dani was to arrive at Chiang Mai International Airport. I was super excited for her visit and had a really great time while she was here! This is the friend who when I was about nine invited me to a "ball" at my house, the start of a fantastic friendship which has been a huge blessing to me for the last fourteen years. This is the friend who has understood, encouraged, and laughed with me during some good times and bad. In our younger days, we would get a Wal-mart cake and just eat it off the platter with our two forks. We would play dress-up and run around the forest barefoot in winter pretending to be orphans. We took road trips together, travelled to Europe together, and spent countless holidays together. Now we are all grown up, she is married, and we live on different continents but she is the type of friend that when we get together things are just the same as they were when we were young. The twelve days she spent here created so many new memories. I'll always remember when we...

Travelled to Holland...well the Holland in the Royal Flora anyway

Took a bazillion pictures at the Huai Nam Dang National Forest

Sipped lattes at Coffee in Love

Spent the morning in Chinatown...in Thailand

Took a short road trip with Khruu Ooy including a stop at the WWII Memorial Bridge

Shared some of my favorite foods

Drank chocolate milk at one of the four auto mechanic shops we spent time at

Climbed up the waterfall and weren't sure how to get down

Visited temples

Consumed several Starbucks beverages (thanks for that!)

Rode that elephant

Spent time with my roommates

Allowed fish to eat our feet

Braved flying through the jungle on zip lines

Shopped at Walking Street

Thank you for visiting friend! I had a wonderful time, I'm thankful for the laughs, the conversations, and the memories.

Children of Light

Our school this year is super small...which I love. One of my favorite things about the smallness of the school is the close knit group of students that has been created. We have thirteen students and it isn't uncommon to see sweet scenes such as the following:

The fifth grade boy racing a first grade girl...

The fourth grade girl giving a piggy-back ride to a first grade girl...

Brother and sister laughing together...

Girls from every grade being silly together...



The whole school chasing some poor frogs around the pond area...

These pictures represent to me something beautiful...life lived together. Not caring about the distinctions of age, or economic class, or religion. One of my prayers for these precious students is "for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." Ephesians 5:8-10

I pray that in living life together with us they may desire to come out of the darkness that claims their country, into the Light of our loving Father. I pray that together we would all learn what is pleasing to the Lord that we may glorify Him.

In His Steps

Have you ever read the book In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon? It is the story of the courageous people of a church who take the pledge to not make any decision or take any action for a year without first asking, "What would Jesus do?" And yes, I know the WWJD craze that swept through Christian circles years ago. But seriously, what would happen if the businessmen, teachers, engineers, construction workers in churches seriously made this pledge and stuck to it? One of the main premises of this book is the idea that following Christ should cost something. The idea that many Christians live a life of faith as long as it is convenient to them, as long as it turns a blind eye to their pet sins or somewhat questionable lifestyles or business practices. The question of: if following Christ became inconvenient, if it became painful, if it caused physical material loss...what would you choose? Would you choose to walk away? Or would you choose to walk in His steps?

Sheldon uses 1 Peter 2:21 as the basis for his book. The thought that Jesus is our example and that in doing the right thing He often chose the hard thing, the thing which people did not understand, or the thing for which He was ridiculed. Should our lives not reflect His, as He is our example? "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps."

The following two quotes from the book have given me much to think about.

"The bishop found his heart sinking within him as he faced this fact: that men would give money who would not think of giving themselves. And the money they gave did not represent any real sacrifice because they did not miss it. They gave what was easiest to give, what hurt them the least. Where did the sacrifice come in? Was this following Jesus? Was this going with Him all the way?"

"...If our definition of being a Christian is simply to enjoy the privileges of worship, be generous at no expense to ourselves, have a good easy time surrounded by pleasant friends and by comfortable things, live respectably, and at the same time avoid the world's great stress of sin and trouble because it is too painful, if this is our definition of Christianity, then surely we are a long way from following the steps of Him who trod the way with tears of anguish for a lost humanity; who sweat as it were great drops of blood; who cried out on the upreared cross, 'My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me'?"

The call to follow in Christ's steps is not an easy one, and when I truly examine my own life I see the selfish desire to give, but not to the point where I lack. To serve, but not to the point of exhaustion. To go, but not go to the "worst" places. To love, but not to the point where it breaks my heart. To surrender my will but clench just a little thread of desire in my closed fist. I see how pitiful my efforts really are...and yet I'm reminded that the mighty God who created the universe and holds it together, daily reaches down into my life and meets with me in a personal way. His word says, "The God of peace...equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever." (Hebrews 13:21) What a relief that it is God who equips and works in us, we just have to step out in obedience to His call to follow in His steps.

I've had to ask myself the following questions this week. Is this step/action/word/choice following the pattern of Jesus or it is at its root selfish? Am I considering the consequences to myself more highly than the heart of Jesus? Am I half-heartedly doing what I know appears right when I know in my heart that God is asking for much more? Do I hesitate to act because I'm concerned for my comfort? Am I like Lot's wife looking back at all I've left not quite willing to face the uncertain future?

Walking daily in Christ's steps requires a brutal honest look at ourselves. It entails absolute, swift obedience. It demands total surrender. It necessitates risk. It bears a high cost. BUT "We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and merciful." (James 5:11)

On Beauty in the Ordinary

Today struck me with the beautifulness of life. Kind of. It's a Wednesday which means it I am at school earlier than I need to be because one of my roommates has monitoring duty. That happens on Mondays and Wednesdays, I love those days. They allow me to grab my Bible, journal, and prayer list and head to "my" bench (which I discovered today I'm pretty sure I share with a mouse). The space that has heard my prayers for the people I love, the space that has seen my tears, and the place where I gaze into the sky knowing that my God is out there and is listening. As I pray I see the huge green trees, the blue sky sometimes angry sometimes calm, and the rooftops of the nearby houses that remind me I'm not in the States anymore. I hear the children chattering in a language I don't claim as my own. I walk down the stairs to pray with our team to the beat of Thai music from the community loudspeaker. I sing praise songs in two languages. As I'm walking back to my bench for the remaining fifteen minutes or so until the official start of the school day, I pause to be still for the national anthem/king's song that is played over the loudspeakers every morning. All motion stops for those minutes and then the hustle and bustle starts up again.

As I travel to the cafeteria for snack time I stop for a conversation with one of the Thai teachers. A conversation switching between Thai and English sharing hearts across cultures. In the cafeteria I discover our cook frying chicken and she asks if I'd like to help. I wash my hands and then pick up slimy raw chicken pieces and roll them in bread crumbs. Khruu Ooy comes in and sits for awhile asking Joy to make som tam with lunch. As Khruu Ooy speeds off on the motorcycle to buy the ingredients for the papaya salad I'm summoned to a meeting. A meeting with a generous Australian woman who has come to teach us some of her plentiful knowledge gathered from decades of teaching children just learning English.

Upstairs in the heat of our teacher room our boss creates some visuals for class which he is now teaching. As he struggles with our finicky laminater, paper cutter that doesn't cut straight, and the everlasting problem of the necessary fan blowing papers in every direction we laugh. It's terrible but we laugh, and good man that he is, he laughs with us. At one point he comments on how the laminater sounds like a whole colony of insects being slaughtered. The day is not yet over. There is still dinner with a Thai friend, some more lesson planning/preparation for tomorrow, and blessed sleep on the horizon.

Today...is beautiful. Beautiful because of the unfamiliar becoming familiar. Beautiful because of friendships created through intentionality and hard work. Beautiful because of the peace in the lack of comfort. Beautiful because of shared struggles. Beautiful because God in His grace has redeemed us and called us His own. Beautiful God has brought us together here to learn how to love Him and love each other. Beautiful.

Funny Story

After eating lunch at school everyone does their own dishes. Teaching responsibility: yes... making less work for our cook: yes... sanitary: maybe not. However, my girls often end up playing in the water more than they wash their dishes, such was the case today. I teasingly told one of my girls to "move it" because she was playing with bubbles and we were all waiting behind her to wash our dishes. Amy (the 2nd grade teacher) started singing, "I like to move it move it." My little first grader started singing "I like to move it move it" while bobbing her head. Too funny.

Bringing Light

"The brave who focus on all things good and all things beauty and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to the all the world.”

~One Thousand Gifts, A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

May the joy

on their faces

bring you joy

and encourage you.

They are already changing the world one smile at a time.