A new day dawning...

A new day dawning...
the sun rises and sets each day, evening stars appear, seasons change.
I stand in awe of how God orchestrates this universe, this earth, and the details of my life. 

A new season changing...

Autumn brings brilliant colors in leaves, crisp air, bonfires, and the best of hot drinks.

God delights in our enjoying His good gifts - the little things.

So it is for me a new season...
after taking a year to stand back and wait (waiting did not involve doing nothing - I was busy writing and coming alongside churches and ministries and I still get to do this.)

My new season, tailored for me, is time with students and teachers at Oakbrook:

Coaching middle school girls volleyball,

Teaching God's Word to 6th & 7th graders,

Facilitating the learning & studying of World History, and

steering a team to cultivate a teaching of Biblical worldview and foster an atmosphere of God's grace.

God orchestrates it all. 

Be encouraged that a new day is dawning, God is faithful in every season.

Summer Reads

I love the smell of a book, the breeze off of the ocean, and stepping into someone else's world across the ocean or at a different time in history...

My summer reading list includes:

Read aloud to my son The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, then we watched the movie. 

This was certainly a good introduction to a horrific act in history through the eyes of the innocent.

My prayer is that my children know and learn so that they are 

not indifferent when history begins to repeat itself (like it did in Rwanda). Reading these types of books together is a great time for answering those questions of curiosity...

Just finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - the life of Louie Zampirni! Have to say it took me a while on this one...BUT it was well worth the read and once I finally got halfway through the book I couldn't put it down. Such a testament of God's grace from beginning to end!

My love for education has me reading The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner. This book has me thinking, rethinking, and of course creating ways in my head of how teaching can be done differently and more effective for our children! Each summer I try to read at least one book on ministry & one education. I like to weave my thoughts together on the two!

Picking up Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to fight terrorism and build nations...one school at a time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

I am banking on loving this one so much that I continue on into his book that follows Stones into Schools.  I will update by summer's end!

**I know that budgets are tight...so I want you to know that each of these are available at your local library (in the United States).

first of summer days

The first of our summer days have my heart bursting with joy...my daughter is with her daddy on another continent loving on children and exploring some of God's incredible creations...

My son and I are holding down the fort...building bonfires, serving teachers, winning baseball championships, having time with friends on the lake, playing scrabble, and adding mystery ingredients to our basket for dessert (our family version of the Food Network's Chopped!

And during his down time, he's busy making videos...of himself!

We continue to learn more and more of God's faithfulness, recognize the gifts of "ordinary" in each day, and remind one another - through Scripture, a prayer, or a song of how much our Savior loves us! Yes, all of God's World is our classroom!

Life in Mercyville...so thankful it's where my family resides.