Soul Surfer

Just watched a movie called Soul Surfer, about the life and loves of Bethany Hamilton. She was just a teen when in a shark attack she lost her arm while surfing. But against all odds, she becomes a pro surfer and discovers that surfing is not the most important thing in life but Love is. And God is Love. Such a feel-good movie. Highly recommended! And it made me miss the beaches of Cambodia soo much!! And the beach kids :)

Thanksgiving

You are unchangeable and yet You change all things... You are my God, my Life, my Holy Delight, but is this enough to say of You? Can any man say enough when he speaks of You? Yet woe betide those who are silent about You! For even those gifted with speech cannot find words to describe You.

- The Confessions of St. Augustine

Thank you, God, for family.

Thank you, God, for the beauty of Fall.

Thank you, God, for life that is found in the person of Jesus. Life that is free and exuberant. 

Thank You

A couple days ago, I got an email from a parent of two of my students. I'm not going to lie, it feels really good to be recognized and appreciated! And yes, I do give myself a little pat on the back. But more than that, it reminded me that even though I'm thousands of miles from my kids, even though it was just a year of my life, that God is still working in their lives long after I leave.


Dear Teacher Camille,
Just a note to say that as you will be aware, the children are back to school tomorrow.


They had a good holiday break, and are both looking forward to getting back to all the fun of school life.


I think they will benefit greatly from having had a good guide, (like you)
in their first year in Grade 1.


So, wherever you are; good luck, and be assured that you made a difference to Sarick and Reesa. A difference that will reflect in their life for many years to come.


Thank you
Richard Politz

Thank You, God, for allowing me to dip my little fingers in the giant plan of Yours.

Treasure

A few days ago, I was struggling through some things and kept inquiring of God and my close friends: What should I do? How can I make this better? Who can I turn to?


My dear and wise friend, Hyelee, instead inquired of me: What instead is the best way to glorify GOD? In my stress and haste in settling back into Canada and community, I had forgotten one important ingredient. The most important thing: God.


Not just a man-centered God that is my genie in a bottle, doling out advice and blessings at my request, but a Splendorous Entity that exists with or without us. The words I just read a few minutes before (in John Piper's book, God Is The Gospel) pierce my heart: 


But the Bible teaches that the best and final gift of God's love is the enjoyment of God's beauty... Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at the cost of His Son, He enables you to enjoy making much of Him forever? ... We are willing to be God-centered, it seems, as long as God is man-centered.


Today, while reading the Bible, I cam upon one of my favorite verses:

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Matthew 13:44 (New International Version)

God delights in me delighting in Him. So I strive to do what I think is right and with actions that I think are noble or that God might be pleased with, forgetting that my greatest delight is simply delighting in Him. Simply Him. To quote a famous line from John Piper (again! I don't know why I have so many JP quotes today): God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. What a relief! God isn't just a solution to my problems. He isn't someone to appease so that I get what I want. But I actually find delight and satisfaction in sitting and resting and looking at Him. Life isn't about seeking out and enjoying the blessings. Life is about enjoying the Blesser. 


This treasure in life that I've been seeking and stressing out about.. I've found it. It isn't in having a 5-year plan. It isn't in relationships and a good community. It isn't even in doing good, going to a Third World country and being like Mother Teresa. All those are good and noble things to have. But the treasure isn't the field. It's the treasure itself. It's God Himself.

Life International School

Crazy Prayers

Do you ever pray some stupid prayers? I do. Two summer ago, I prayed that God would never let me fall in love. We all know how stupid that was. But that I want to talk about here is not stupid prayers but crazy prayers. Last year, I prayed a crazy prayer: That God would take me to the nations and that I would go wherever He led me - no matter how far (or near). Sometimes when we pray crazy prayers we forget about them or we forget that God is real. And if the prayer aligns with God's will that He can and will answer it in crazy ways and at crazy times. That's the difference between a crazy prayer and a stupid prayer. 


The problem is that when He does answer a crazy prayer, I find myself complaining. Like so: Lord, why is this road so long and so challenging? Why is change so hard? Why can't I stay with friends and family where it is comfortable and get a snazzy job and just be able to hang out with people all the time? Lord, how is it that life can never be the same again?


And then I realized that that's what I signed up for when I prayed my crazy prayer. I knew what I was getting into when I prayed that. And then I remind myself that He has given me so much more. He has given of Himself to me.


Yes, life will never be the same again. Because life is an adventure with Him. He can and He will take me far and high and low. But most importantly, He will take me closer - closer to His heart and nearer to His presence. He might bring me temporarily away from friends, family and familiarity. But what I gain in return is priceless. I get to grow closer and closer to the Almighty God and Father who loves relentlessly. And I trust that He will provide the rest in His time. He will provide community, finances, and maybe one day, I'll even fall in love ;)


So how has adjusting back to life in Canada been so far? Tough, isolating and emotional. But I trust that He will provide what I need. And what He does not provide, He knows I do not need. I trust because has He ever let me down? No. 

5 days

My laptop has been on a slow trek downhill since I've embarked on my journey across the world. It is close to it's final breaths and as such my blog posts about the adventures travelling within Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore have been delayed. 


However, I thought it more urgent to tell the world wide web that I will be home in 5 days. It would have been a 365 day cycle back to Toronto's Pearson International Airport by that time. See you all soon.


The adventure, however, never really ends. God has more in store apparently. I am usually the last to know of course.