Back to School Blessings

Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Proverbs 16:16-17

How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.

As a former teacher I have always loved back-to-school sales no matter how early they start in the summer. It makes me start thinking of fall, planning ahead to new beginnings, new learning, new growth, and another year's worth of new adventures. I guess that as a teacher there are always two beginnings to every year: September, the beginning of the academic year, and January when everyone celebrates the beginning of a new calendar year. But for most teachers, I would guess that September is a time of greater focus and anticipation.

This year during back-to-school sales, my dear teacher-friend Amanda is not getting ready to return to her classroom here in MN as she has in the past, but is gearing up to leave soon as a missionary and teacher to Budapest, Hungary. She has chosen to hear God's call as He speaks to us in the two verses above, to go make disciples through the ministry of education. Our family is honored to stand along side Amanda as she prepares to go and to join her in this journey through pray while she is in Hungary. As she makes her final preparations, she is hosting a virtual back-to-school sale of her own to raise funds. I invite you to stop by her blog, View from A Ferris Wheel to offer support, prayers, and encouragement, and to learn about what God is doing in Hungary!