The third step towards lament is the request. The part after I have complained and released all those emotions down to that pen and paper for them to be seen again, by me. After seeing them, acknowledging that pain, struggle, and weakness; then I can change the venting to requesting and asking for something to change. If you have yet to read parts one and two, I encourage you to scroll back...
The Backstory I am embarking on a much needed journey within my own heart, thoughts, and being. It is the process of lamenting. Not just lamenting, but lamenting some far overdue things, and lamenting well. I am welcoming you on the journey with me through this series. The thing about this is that I cannot promise you when the “part 2” will release, because, like I said, this is a...
I feel like Newton’s Rocker (a.k.a. Newton’s cradle). You know, that little contraption that appears on every corporate office desk with the little wires holding a series of floating marbles suspended from a small metal pair of parallel bars, attached to a wooden plaque. When someone is bored, and sees that little contraption, it is built into our minds, to gently pull back one of the...
Yes, today is the day! The day that marks one year! 365 days Three hundred sixty-five days since I packed up three large suitcases and a backpack and moved to the other side of the world. I left my family, my friends, my students, and my church back in the US in order to pursue what I knew the Father was calling me to. I don’t think a week goes by where I do not hear the question...
I was recently asked this question: “How is your relationship with God in a foreign nation being impacted?” Let me first begin by saying that I am a believer in Jesus Christ, a Christian, living in a foreign nation, where there are few others that share my beliefs. I have no doubt that I lost some readers, already, by claiming the previous sentence. However, I also know that some of...
For the last several weeks, I went socially dark. Social media that is. Not halfway, no grey areas, but dark. Deleting all the apps with the exception of email and one that I use to speak with my family. This was not an experiment. This was not because of a trend or due to reading some of those books out there that are all about the statistics of how much time we spend glued to our devices. Nope...
If you have known me long enough, you know that my writing is often extracted moments of my daily life, and the lessons I have learned along the way. This one is no exception. In case you missed the many journal-like posts that proceeded this one, you will need to know one fact. Five months ago, as of yesterday, I picked up my comfortable life in the United States, packed three very large...
I grew up hearing the phrase “the first 100 days” used often when there was a transition of leadership in the White House. These first 100 days were crucial in the new president’s career. The first 100 days would set the tone for the rest of their time in office. When I thought about my first 100 days, here, I found some similarities. Though this is technically written on day...
Sometimes I just want to write, but I have no clear idea or topic in mind. This is one of those times. Can I be honest in this moment? Something actually has me worried. Well, correction, a few things have me worried. I would not say that I am an anxious, fearful, or worried person naturally, but this week, there were a few things that just appeared and forced me to pause. Pause. The first was...
ESL–A term used to say English as a Second Language. Another term often used is TEFL--teaching English as a Foreign Language. In the first two weeks of teaching English to secondary students here in Thailand, I have learned a few tricks that have made this easier. For those of you that did not know, I was a special education teacher for primary-aged students, back in the United States for a...
I have a new journey beginning ahead of me, my adventure that shifted my life to other side of the world, is now shifting back west. Perhaps along the way, I will be blessed to share those real and raw moments as I cross oceans, pursuing the One in control of it all.