I am a delinquent blogger! By this point I am quite certain that the only people who follow my blog are my parents. They still read for two reasons: First, they are parents and reading your daughters blog is in the parental contract. Second, I will say to them, "Hey I blogged! You should check it out, please." The fact that they do this refers back to the primary reason
I wish I had some impressive excuse for not blogging, yet I do not! All I have is the pitiful reality that it has been almost three months since I last posted. My life continues to be quite busy, but full! You might be wondering, what has happened in the last three months? Well, in the past three months:
- I completed my first semester as a paid teacher.
- I travelled home for Christmas.
- I was reunited with LEB after approximately 135 days of being apart.
- I returned to Indonesia.
- I celebrated two friend’s birthdays.
- I was stuck in a bus for 7 hours, with two classes of students, while a demonstration blocked the highway.
- I was confined to my neighborhood for over 24 hours due to another local demonstration, related to the first.
- I spent several weekends with dear friends.
- I missed 7 days of work in two weeks.
- I had strep throat for the first time in my life.
I lived! I loved! I laughed! Plus a lot more…
More recently I went on a retreat with my sixth grade students. Seeing students outside the confines of the classroom is always an adventure. You never know what crazy shenanigans will ensue. During the two days that we spent together, in the breathtaking hills of Puncak, I learned a lot about each student. The time, away from class, gave me multiple opportunities to interact with the students both in groups and individually. I am thankful for the bonds that we formed outside the classroom and the positive transfer these bonds have had inside the classroom.
The most significant moment of the retreat came in the form of a conversation with a student. This powerful conversation is summarized in the snippet at the opening. Out of all the activities, why was this the most significant moment? Well you see, God used this conversation to remind me that when confronted with the Truth of the Gospel there will always be a response. No human being can encounter the Truth of the Gospel and not respond in one of two ways. The first response is a realization of the hopeless condition that each of us in without Jesus Christ. This realization leads one to look to Christ, believe in the name of God’s one and only Son and be saved. The second option is to not embrace the Truth of the Gospel and to continue to wander in sin.
Having said this, I am reminded of a favorite quote by Charles Spurgeon, "I take it that the highest proof of Christ’s power is not that He offers salvation, not that He bids you take it if you will, but that when you reject it, when you hate it, when you despise it, He has a power whereby He can change your mind, make you think differently from your former thoughts, and turn you from the error of your ways."
Too often I think that I am the one who responds to God. God reminded me that when confronted with the Truth of the Gospel there is always a response, yet this response does not come from human will. I am convinced that it is a result of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in each life that causes a response. Ultimately it is not man's will that produces salvation, it is God's will. The aforementioned student is an example of God's power to bring a person to the point of repentant brokenness. Thanks be to God for His power to change the heart of this sinner!
So life is calling me back! Be blessed lovelies!
Having said this, I am reminded of a favorite quote by Charles Spurgeon, "I take it that the highest proof of Christ’s power is not that He offers salvation, not that He bids you take it if you will, but that when you reject it, when you hate it, when you despise it, He has a power whereby He can change your mind, make you think differently from your former thoughts, and turn you from the error of your ways."
Too often I think that I am the one who responds to God. God reminded me that when confronted with the Truth of the Gospel there is always a response, yet this response does not come from human will. I am convinced that it is a result of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in each life that causes a response. Ultimately it is not man's will that produces salvation, it is God's will. The aforementioned student is an example of God's power to bring a person to the point of repentant brokenness. Thanks be to God for His power to change the heart of this sinner!
So life is calling me back! Be blessed lovelies!
