On The Road Again

It's time again to take the road that leads home.

Stepping away from Copan (and the blog) until after the holidays. Merry Christmas!

I'll Take Part Of It With Me

Realized something encouraging today.

Although I sadly suspect I'll eventually leave Central America for good, there's also good news:
Central America will always be with me in various ways wherever I go from here.

Hopping on a plane and waving goodbye to the life I've come to love is something I already dread.
Even the beauty of all that is home for me in the U.S. seems to be missing something this place has.

Luckily, my journey through life has bestowed on me the best of the both worlds.

Dawg In Honduras

Seeing as how I am such a PROUD Georgia Bulldog, you probably won't find it hard to believe that I flip all the way out at the sight of the occasional second-hand UGA shirt or hat in Copan.

Walking into the lunch line at school today, this kid instantly became my new best friend.

Can You Keep A Secret?

I'll admit it, but you're not allowed to tell anyone that my 9th graders (who were my 8th graders last year) are my favorite students out of the three grade levels I teach.

Wait A Minute - A Real Princess?

If you weren't in Copan this week, not only did you miss the opening of the new museum, but also you missed the chance to see the Princess of Japan when she visited and served as ribbon cutter at the opening.

Love

So the well-known 1 Corinthians 13 "Love passage" seems to be following me around. It popped up recently in teachings on marriage delivered by two (unrelated) pastors who've earned a lot of respect from me over the years.

Reading and memorizing the passage has been a first step for me toward cultivating a heart of love.
Also, I recite the passage aloud most days and use it to build up my faith.

Questions about my future remain unanswered in terms of the romantic type of love.
Uncertainty hasn't caused me to fret, though; I am confident God has me covered.

Even when I was a teenager, He reassured me and spoke of a relationship He envisioned for me.
Let me just tell you that He promised the kinds of things that are worth waiting years for!

The Most Wonderful Time

It has turned cold here.
(Cold for us is probably a chilly autumn day for you.)

The effect of cooler temperatures on my skin triggers the internal Christmastime sensation, and I've always loved the way Christmas feels.

Percussionist in the town's Christmas parade.

I think I'm as pleased as ever with my life in Honduras. I also think the moment has come to step away from all this and spend some time with my arms wrapped around everything I hold dear about home.

Like the song says, "Everybody needs a little time away..."

Paparazi

My teenagers have invented a new game.

It's called something like "Spot Mister Joshua at random locations around town, photograph him, and put the pic on the internet."

Holy cow.

Kids Draw The Darndest Things

Allowing students to draw pictures on the back of their test paper has produced at least one piece of artwork that made me grin..

Ode to the story I told the kiddos about my date for the Homecoming Dance in ninth grade
(with a bonus feature in the middle, inspired by my love for mango fruit).

God's Dream

We all know I'm a dreamer, but God also dreams. 

And for some reason this year, it pleased Him to show me something He is dreaming of. 

I can tell you that by our human standards, God's dream seems a bit ambitious. It's only a small thing to Him, though. Nevertheless, I will enjoy seeing how the Lord works out the details to make His dream come true.

Reasons to be in favor of what God dreams up:

All His ways are loving and faithful.

Quite a list of amazing blessings in my life are the result of His plans.

Understanding and wisdom serve as foundations for things He establishes. 

Every time I say yes to Him, I end up glad I did.

Love (aka God) always benefits more than just me, for more than just life on earth, for freedom.