Merry CHRISTmas from Honduras!

Blessed Christmas greetings to all of you, from 6A in Honduras! :)

Below: Enjoying our "colour day" (no uniform) and wearing Christmas colours.

Students' creative crafts.

(All I did was give them cardboard and paint!) :)

My Christmas display to remind us of the real purpose of Christmas. We joyfully and reverently remember how God sent Christ to earth for the redemption of our sins. Our class had an amazing month of special Christmas activities / focuses in Bible class.

Prayer for direction

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"© Abbey of Gethsemani

Brrrr.....

Chilly! It's been rather chilly here this week....Christy, the mittens and hat you made me are working wonderfully, during the day and at night.

The coolness is kind of fun....it makes me think of Canada!

thought for the day

"Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on His sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by His righteousness. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation..."

~ John Wycliffe

Crazy Canadian Celebrations.... :)

Canadians.
When you take us out of our original country, crazy things can happen!

As usual, our little band of 12 celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving together.

This year's pre-dinner project?

Building an igloo (out of styrofoam!) :)
Complete with people (look at the clothes), a penguin slide, and Canadian icons (including Smarties!)

I can't say I would have thought of it, but we sure did have fun!!! :)

Waiting for the Lord

I read this today and it encouraged me in my desire to really trust God in all the plans for the future!

VERSE: Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. -- Psalm 27:14

THOUGHT: If there is anything we don't like to do, it's wait. Maybe that is why God is so interested in us learning to do it! There is something purifying about remaining strong in tough times and remaining faithful when ill winds blow. So God gives us times ofwaiting to see if our search is really for him or merely for something new or easy.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I know you have waited for me so many times --for me to show my faith, repent of my sins, grow in holiness, come to you in prayer, act more mature, give to those who cannot return my care ... Help me as I wait for you to show me the way with my decisions, to act to relieve my need, and to reveal your presence in my loneliness. I really do seek you with all my heart.
In Jesus'name I pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20061018

CANADIAN GIRL :)

Please meet my roommate, Sarah. She is a gem! She is also a Canadian wanna-be. :)

In honour of Canadian Thanksgiving this past Monday, she dressed in every piece of Canadian clothing I own, including the socks (all compliments of my precious Canadian friends!).
Oh, and did I mention she wore it to school (at least for the first little while)?! ;)

Life and joy is truly increased exponentially through friendships!

pictures!

Learning in action!
We've had a wonderful first seven weeks (time goes fast)!






Who says learning can't be fun?!
(more to come...hopefully I'll be with the "blogging" a bit more these days!)






Above science pictures: biome box projects, using careful observations and detailed descriptions, and making cell cookies to learn cell parts / functions.

Summer memories :)

How can you not be encouraged by these beautiful ladies?! What a wonderful visit I had with them this summer (and Tish - MIA). ;)

glimpse of God

"In a world consumed with thoughts of itself, filled with people impressed with each other, having disconnected with the only One worthy of praise, it's time we return to Theology 101 and sit silently in His presence. It's time we catch a fresh glimpse of Him who, alone, is awesome yea, incomprehensible."

Charles Swindoll, Day by Day

Camp-out!

Last Friday we had our Open House for the parents. After many hours of meeting parents and speaking Spanish, I was beat (as were my buddies).

We decided to drink tea, lay on the floor of my apartment, and tell hilarious stories!

:) Oh fun times!

Relationships

Relationships are the foundation of growth, of healing, and of community.
Today I was blessed to be able to develop deeper relationships with the boys at the Micah Project (see http://www.micahcentral.org/ for more details). These are really special guys, and it is wonderful to watch their lives being totally transformed by the love of Christ!!!

Good thing I had lots of experience with teenage guys with all the brothers I have! :) I'm excited to see how God will use this experience also for his glory!

Introducing....

MY NEW CUTIES!

Introducing...the 6A class of 2006-2007. :)

So special, so sweet, and so much potential....

I love children!

(I've been so excited to share this picture but all week I couldn't get it to load!)

Full Heart

It is amazing how one's heart can continue to expand, even after it seems that you have reached the limits. "How can a heart be so full?" was the question I asked myself as I walked away from the buses today.
Today was our first day of school. I have 21 new 6th grade faces which I already treasure deeply. However, after school I also got to hug and chat and reunite with my previous students (now in 7th and 8th grade). What a blessing!! Thank you, Lord, for granting me this opportunity and sharing these precious children with me!

Garbage

Toxic fumes, unbelievable mountains of waste, circling buzzards, and a steady stream of dump trucks.
Images flood my mind as I reflect on my first trip to the city’s only dump.
But what sticks with me most is the eyes: the eyes of the people who call this work and/or home. Some are filled with desperation and anxiety, others with contempt. Certain eyes reflect thoughtfulness and determination while others are glazed over due to the toxic yellow glue they inhale. The eyes are what speak to my heart.

There are also young eyes that shine with hope and excitement. These are the eyes of the 70 children who live and work in the dump that have been given a chance...they go to school! It doesn't matter that most of their schooling was done under trees in a soccer field; they are learning to read, write, and think beyond the dump.
The Micah Project has started a small school for the children. Most parents are resistant to letting their children go to school since it means they miss work. Thankfully, parents of 70 of the approximately 300 have been allowed to come. Some parents actually are paid so they will let child go to school.

This is an incredible ministry and I'm excited to see the effects it is already having on these beautiful children of God.

"Tegucigalpa's city dump is an enormous land fill that covers acres of mountainous land about six kilometers outside the city limits. Trash trucks and other vehicles arrive in a steady stream from sunrise to after sunset, bringing the city's daily refuse to the ever growing mountain of trash.
"But a mound of trash is not the only thing that is constantly growing at the city dump. Daily, more people call the dump home...1,200 people at last count. These are the poorest of the poor, those who can't even scrape up enough capital to sell candy or clothing in the cities bustling outdoor market. The dump is poverty's last stop, it shows human misery in its starkest form. The people fight with the buzzards to locate the 'best' trash. Such a thing would be hard to believe, except for the pictures that don't lie."
(Micah Project, City Dump Ministry, Life in Tegucigalpa's City Dump)


Below is the link to the Micah Project's dump ministry information. The Micah project is a very visionary non-profit organization that started this ministry. The pictures and summaries are very touching!
http://www.micahcentral.org/dumpintro.htm
Please note: the children's profile section has not been updated for some time, but it is still worth checking out!

Picture - Big smiles from two boys about the gloves they were given. Normally the children sort through the garbage without gloves.
** I tried to include pictures of a class and of the dump, but for some reason I wasn't able to upload them. Maybe later.

The Battle is the Lord's

I read 2 Chronicles 20 a few mornings ago and it inspired me. God truly is amazing, and it glorifies him when we cry out to him!!!

Battle scene: the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah.

"Alarmed, Jesoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him" (vs. 3-4) .

Then Jesosphaphat prayed, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you....[We] will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us....O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (vs 6, 9b, 12).

"This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's....You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' Jesoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jersualem fell down in worship before the LORD" (vs.15b, 17-18).

(emphasis shown is mine)

Back in Honduras

By the way.... I'm back in Honduras now. A number of people were wondering....I've been here since July 26th. Currently I'm taking more Spanish classes, and next Friday we start in our classrooms.

:) Theresa.

Faith

"Pilgrimage of faith [:] It involves miscalculations, thrills and hardships, long periods of waiting and long periods of simply truding. No matter how thoroughly I prepare, make precautions, and try to eliminate risk, I never succeed. Always there are times of whiteout, when I can see nothing and avalanches roar down around me."
~ Philip Yancey

I dare say in addition that the "whiteouts" and the "avalanches" of life remind us sharply of the awesome and fearful God we serve. They often cause an open heart to run to God's outstretched, protecting arms.
T.S.

Transition Fun

Things to remember upon returning to Canada after my second year in Honduras:
- The lakes are very cold (compared to the Ocean and Sea surrounding Honduras!)
- Social caution is needed: people in Canada usually don’t greet with the kiss on the check like we do in Honduras! (I had to refrain myself many times!)
- TP can be thrown in the toilet! (I get confused when there isn’t a garbage can near the toilet…and then I remember…)
- The sun is still hot in Canada and I still need sunscreen.
- My family and friends love me no matter how long I’ve been gone! :)

Backpacking!

Backpacking
After classes ended, I worked in my classroom for a few days cleaning, organizing, etc. Then…the real adventure began. I went backpacking in Costa Rica and Panama with two fellow teachers, Krystal and Naomi!

It was sooo fun to be adventuresome and flexible as we journeyed along amidst the local “chicken buses” and the plenteous youth hostels. The general plan was in place, but half of the fun was being spontaneous! :)

Trip highlights:
- Spending a LOT of time with Krystal and Naomi…many deep talks and hysterical laughs!
- Hiking in the tropical rainforest! We saw a tonne of really cool animals and insects. We have such a creative God! (The picture on the right is a sloth - camouflaged).
- Seeing the third most active volcano in the world: Arenal in Costa Rica. Fabulous! (The volcano is in the picture below with Krystal, but it's covered with clouds at the time).
- Swimming in the ocean…always a treat. (Never mind that Krystal and I almost drowned by a terrible rip tide. Yikes!)
- Being totally amazed at how in each step of the way God provided people to “look out” for us (so many locals were suddenly “there for us” in potentially dangerous situations).
-Being “Dutch” and trying to find the best deals in town. He he he.
-Seeing the Panama Canal and the ancient ruins in the city.
-Surfing! It was hard at first, but with determination I was able to get up!

End of the story

Oops…I’ve been a little negligent on the blogging. Sorry! Here’s the story …. backtracking to June and school stuff.

Sleepovers! I had many fabulous opportunities to visit with the families of my students, which often resulted in a sleepover! I love how I have become a part of some of the families here! :)


6th Grade Promotion As the only returning 6th grade teacher, I was in charge of the promotion for our students. My teammates were great helpers, and we put together a beautiful ceremony. Thankfully the many changes we made (anti-tradition) were well accepted.
Hightlight: I said an introduction speech in SPANISH! :)
(PS - this picture is my students doing their favourite activity: making a unity web!)

Last day of School: I cried. My students cried. The parents cried. Happy tears of all the special moments and memories made this year….God blessed us all with a special measure of unity, teamwork, and grace! I am so thankful for this past year, each student, and all of the families. I know God is doing marvelous things in their young lives!

Later this week I’ll catch up on what has been happening SINCE school…(always an adventure or two!) :)

Rest

"We must be wholly at rest that God may work in us; we must yield our will; we must resign our heart; we must give up all our fleshly desires. In short, we must rest from all activities of our own contriving, so that, having God working in us (Heb. 13:21), we may repose [rest] in Him (Heb. 4:9)..."

John Calvin

Phew!

I apologize profusely for the lack of blogs! I need to make sure I do it for 10 minutes a week or something, but the past three weeks have been SOOO full...of everything!

Here are some of the highlights: :)
June 1: Surprise birthday party
My students threw me the most beautiful surprise party ever! Actually, it is the only surprise birthday party I've ever had....which made it even better! (My birthday is June 22, but we're not in school. ) It was sooo sweet because they really did surprise me, and they had planned it ALL on their own, down to the last details of collecting their allowance money and throwing balloons at me! :) We shared a special time together.


June 2: Field Trip to the Children's Cancer Center
My students decided that for their field trip, they'd like to do a service project to the locial hospital to visit the children in the cancer center. I was so encouraged by their enthusiasm and excitement for this event; they were so full of love and compassion! We collected used clothes and shoes, books, crayons, and snack food to share with them. Loaded up with stickers (including on our faces), balloons, and our supplies, we spent the morning reading, sharing, listening, and playing games with the children. Some of my students spent time in the intensive care ward while others spent time with the day-treatment children.
Although it was hard for some of them to see the suffering, it was very special/important to the children there. I was very encouraged by the entire process and look forward to building a long-term relationship between the school and the children's cancer center!

June 8: Visiting my Sponor Child, Victor
This is Victor Moises, my sponsor child at Nueva Esperanza (here with his teacher). It finally worked out for me to go down and meet him and his family. He is a very sweet and bright young four-year-old. :) It was very special to meet his Mom, two sisters, and his brother and to visit their tiny house-shelter. It once again reminded me of the needs in Honduras and of the incredible opportunity I have to share with and encouarge others. I'm excited to spend more time with his family next year! :)

June 11: Choir Concert
I have been part of a staff choir this year, and we held a joint Sunday afternoon concert with the choir from the local Spanish church. It was so fun and beautiful to hear the different music. I love any opportunity to sing! :)))

More on the end of school, 6th grade promotion, etc. later.
:)
Thanks for your patience!

Futbol :)

I love my students to pieces! Part of my "ministry" with them is just hanging out with them: listening, learning, and loving. It has been fun doing things with them after school, like inviting them over to my apartment.

The past two weeks all my boys came over in groups. I taught them how to make homemade pizza, and they LOVED it. ;) They all wanted the recipe. The best part was getting goopy kneading the dough. Super cute.
Great conversation was had by all. As the pizza rose, we had some thrilling matches of futbol (soccer).
It was fun "getting rough and dirty" with them. They were impressed - pretty good, coming from ultimate futbol lovers!

I truly thank God for the relationships that are built. :)

Ready to Hike!

I am pleased to introduce you to my very dearest friends, here! Our bond started as a simple common passion for hiking "our mountain" and developed into a wonderfully refreshing relationship! :)

From top to bottom, left to right:
Betsy, Elisa, Robin
Sarah, Me :)

Sarah is actually only visiting here right now. She worked here last year and was so dear to me! She was at grad school this past year, but is returning...and we're going to share an apartment! I'm super duper excited; she is an absolutely amazing person! So, here you go - some of the key people in my life from this end. :)

Potter's Hand

I have these lyrics beside my bed and have been praying them each night before I go to sleep. It is a beautiful pray of adoration and of surrender....a prayer for direction within God's will.
May the words bless you as well!

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are
held in your hands,
crafted into your perfect plan.
You gently call
me into your presence
guiding me by Your Holy Spirit.
Teach me dear Lord
to live all of my life through Your eyes.
I'm captured by Your holy calling.
Set me apart,
I know you're drawing
me to Yourself.
Lead me Lord I pray

Chorus:
Take me, mould me,
use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me,
lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

"The Potter's Hand" by Darlene Zschech

He First Knew Me

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it - the fact that He know me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me....There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me. "

J. I. Packer, Knowing God
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973, p. 37

Submission

The beautiful,life-giving irony of Christian submission is this:
In Christ, I am actually stronger in weakness than when I am on my own and "doing well."

''Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

1 Peter 5:6-7

Does she really teach?!

I realized I don't have any pictures of or reference to my students on this blog yet! I thought I'd remedy that problem and give you a snapshot into some of the fun things we've done this year! :)
Above: Students preparing for a courtroom debate in which we put Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk" on trial.

** Plays are fantastic for building student confidence and public speaking ability, especially for second language learners. :) Plus they're super, duper fun!
Below Left: Eleni is also ready to act with her cleaning costume for her propoganda technique skit. (Notice the Canadian apron she was borrowing from me - thanks Char!) :)



















Below: Maria Fernanda as a "little pig" in one of the plays my students wrote!

Right: A plasticine model of an early farming community. This was my first year teaching social studies, and to my surprise, I loved it! It was neat helping the students reenact, experience, and analyze other cultures!

What is school without a pyjama day? My students had fun being cozy as they played a math game, "factor captor," on prime factors.

Olympics: Another fun event (after all the organization) was our Ancient Greek olympics! Good thing I've had some quality experiences in Track and Field! :) The students had a blast and it was fun to have parents join us. Of course, we had to finish with a good, old Tug-Of-War event! :)

Here are two of the pictures of our open house for parents. The students presented one play and two Greek myths. Then each author read their very own fairy tale to small groups of parents while everyone enjoyed home-made Dutch baked goods.

Thanks for joining us for a whirlwind overview in 6A! :)

NEW LIFE

“Through [Christ] you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:21).

Triumphant!
Victorious!!
Risen!!!
Christ, the second Adam, has conquered death, sin, and hell.
He gives us new life, true life.
He is the life-giving Spirit, and therein lays our hope as Christians!

“…[Jesus] breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22b).

Join with Edwin Hatch (1878) in praying:
Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

Our comfort is to know that there is “no guilt in life” and “no fear in death,” but that we stand in the power of the Risen and Reigning Saviour Jesus Christ, our Lord
(In Christ Alone, Townend and Getty, 2002).

What a reason to celebrate and a reason to rejoice!

Good Friday Prayer

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil." Hebrews 2:14

"Father, what can we say?
We feel utterly unworthy in the face of Christ's unspeakable sufferings. We are sorry. It was our sin that brought this to pass. It was we who struck him and spit on him and mocked him. O Father, we are so sorry. We bow ourselves to the dirt and shut the mouths of our small, dark, petty, sinful souls.

"O Father, touch us with a fresh faith that we might believe the incredible. The very pain of Christ that makes us despair is our salvation. Open our fearful hearts to receive the Gospel. Waken dead parts of our hearts that cannot feel what must be felt – that we are loved with the deepest, strongest, purest love in the universe.

"O, grant us to have the power to comprehend with all the saints the height and depth and length and breadth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and may we be filled with all the fullness of God.

"Fight for us, O God, that we not drift numb and blind and foolish into vain and empty excitements. Life is too short, too precious, too painful to waste on worldly bubbles that burst. Heaven is too great, hell is too horrible, eternity is too long that we should putter around on the porch of eternity.

"O God, open our eyes to the vastness of the sufferings of Christ and what they mean for sin and holiness and hope and heaven. We fear our bent to trifling. Make us awake to the weight of glory – the glory of Christ’s incomparable sufferings. In his great and wonderful name, amen."

John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ (Crossway Books: Wheaton, Illinois, 2004), page 72.

"Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

Christ endured torture in every form.
Although we can barely comprehend his suffering, it is necessary to try and reflect upon it.

Hear the jeering, false accusations flying as he is heavily beaten and made the object of ridicule.

Envision the long spikes piercing, pounding Christ’s wrists and feet and the nerves that lie within.

Picture his arms being stretched by the weight of His body hanging from the cross, causing slow, painful shoulder dislocation.

Feel
the
shortness
of
breath; Christ must push his weight up by his feet in order to exhale (to avoid asphyxiation). Each breath involves the body, raw and weary, being rubbed against the wooden cross.

And apart from the physical torment...the crowds mock Him as King of the Jews and many of his friends have already deserted Him.

He will soon undergo the most horrible torture of all; being forsaken by the Heavenly Father. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Our sin put Him there.

“One of our problems with [our] so-called refined sins is that we have become too comfortable with the whole concept of sin. Because we do sin so frequently we learn to coexist with it as long as it doesn’t get too out of control or scandalous. We forget, or perhaps we have never learned, how seriously God regards all sin.

“It is not the seriousness of the sin as we view it, but the infinite majesty and sovereignty of the God who gave the commands, that makes our sin a despising of God and His Word….Again, the seriousness of our sin is not simply measured by its consequences, but by the authority of the One who gives the command.”

Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, pages 35-37.

Thankfully, believers have the hope of Easter…. (I will conclude on Sunday!)

Family photo!

Family!
Oh how I love them; let me count the ways....!
1. We love each other for who we are.
2. Laughter is a given. :)
3. All my hysterical habits are understood (and mocked) by them.
4. Each person is so special and has so many neat qualities about him / her.
5. They are all very "amigable" (friendly/personal).
6. My family is open and willing to have an adventure...or should I say, adventure finds our family?!
7. God is acknowledged and praised as the Lord of life!

Notice how I'm the up and coming shortest in my family! ;)

Paupers for Mercy

"Maybe this is the heart of our hang-up, the root of our dilemma. We fluctuate between castigating ourselves and congratulating ourselves because we are deluded into thinking we can save ourselves. We develop a false sense of security from our good works and scrupulous observance of the law. Our halo gets too tight and a carefully-disguised attitude of moral superiority results. Or, we are appalled by our inconsistency, devastated that we haven’t lived up to our lofty expectations of ourselves. The roller coaster ride of elation and depression continues.

Why?

Because we never lay hold of our nothingness before God, and consequently, we never enter into the deepest reality of our relationship with Him. But when we accept ownership of our powerlessness and helplessness, when we acknowledge that we are paupers at the door of God’s mercy, then God can make something beautiful out of us. "

Brennan Manning , The Ragamuffin Gospel (78).
(Underlined emphasis is mine, not the author's).

Joy

Happiness and joy.

Sometimes those words are used synonymously, but the difference is both enormous and vital. It’s been extremely special to see my students struggle through the distinction, first intellectually and now, slowly, in their decisions.

Happiness is so fleeting and usually based on temporal, circumstantial things.
Joy, however….Joy is rooted deep. Rooted securely. It is lasting and priceless, because the object of a Christian’s joy is so incredibly precious! Our deepest joy and satisfaction can come from no other thing than from giving glory to the Almighty God, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour! He alone can give us the refreshment we need and simultaneously receive the glory due His name!

This is why Paul could command us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4a).

Jeremiah condemns Judah’s sin and pleads with her to return to the Lord.
God was appalled at their waywardness:

My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13)

The irony is that the people didn’t have to draw water from broken cisterns.
They didn’t have to dig their own well.
In fact, they didn’t need to use cisterns at all!
They were invited to drink from the living fountain, the unending source of spiritual refreshment!

Now that is joy: following after God as the satisfaction of our souls, drinking deeply from God’s promises and knowing He is faithful.
God alone is the ultimate, refreshing, life-giving water – the source of eternal joy, for His praise and glory!

"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.
Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 4:11-14

The Only God

Slowly savour the grandeur of the only, True God!

...there is a single
and simple
spiritual being,
whom we call God -

eternal,
incomprehensible,
invisible,
unchangeable,
infinite,
almighty;

completely wise,
just,
and good,
and the overflowing source
of all good.

The Belgic Conession, Article 1: The Only God

Details

What a busy week (and coming weekend....). Report cards, extra-curricular activities, Honduran-law requirements of recuperations exams, coordinating surprise baby showers...I feel like there are so many details constantly on my mind!

Details. It made me think of God's creation. SOOO many intricate, tiny, perfectly placed and planned details. Wow!
Creation constanly reminds us of God's power, presence, and upholding nature!

I was blown away when I saw these iguanas upclose while in Roatan. After a saga of events, my family finally made it to this little iguana farm. It is owned by a sister and brother trying to preserve the iguanas, which are eaten by many local people.

What neat creatures. Complex skin patterns, creative design, amazing mobility (able to move rather quickly on land and also to "lay" in the tops of very high trees to sun themselves).

I am thankful that all little details are truly in larger, wiser hands than my own!