a busy time...

I haven't posted in a while because it's been that end-times busy season around here. I'm happy to say my finals are graded, and my grades are in. What you might have missed:

-Argentina inaugurated its first elected female president...they're calling it "sequel K" because she is the wife of the former president. I think this is really her second term, but just first officially.

-my first graders are still really weirded out when anyone mentions the word "kissing" (see video below)

-I decided what I'm going to do for summer break...run (after visiting g-pa in England). My plan is to try and visit national parks in the south of Argentina, run on some trails, camp, and enjoy Mighty Creation. If anyone wants to join me, you are more than welcome to come down. That would be excellent actually.

I'm going to point out, I can do this going off and running through grand Creation because I'm a teacher and I have summer break. I'm not an investment banker. Meaning, not like I could be an investment banker because that requires smart people, but I've made the decision in my life, as cliche as it is, that I am going to work so that I can live, but I will not live to work. There are other priorities than making the bling. I get criticized for this attitude and decisions that are made as a result of it: "oh, you're lazy, or you've really lost your motivation in life or you are just pissing around in South America". Whatever would be said, it's fine with me.

I wouldn't be here in Argentina, away from the friendships I value a great deal, where I'm always on guard not to be taken advantage of, run over in the street, void of numerous comforts (cereal aisles, Wake Forest basketball..), earning $6,000 a year (which is comfortable without hesitation here) if I wasn't strongly convicted to be here.

The point is, I desire to live intentionally in such a way that my energies and abilities are put towards serving God and serving others as a result of adherence to Him...which means making decisions that will rub against my native cultural ideals and expectations. Why? Because I have recognized my authority to be the Lord and His approval, not culture and its expectations and its awarding of "success". I recognize that this is often easily said, but often hard to do. I would say that only by God's grace and His comfort am I able.

so sorry for that rambling, it just popped in my mind, so I thought I'd share.