Rio to Florida

So I think another blog is long overdue, especially since I never got to blog about Rio! I did, however, put some pictures up on Facebook....but I saved the best for my faithful followers :D

Drum roll please....I found the most amazing bookstore in a mall in Rio. It was love at first sight....

I was smitten. :) The pictures don't do it justice...Allison had to drag me out of there.

But unfortunately...we had to move on. But first I will show a few more pictures from this mall. I was thoroughly impressed. The top floor had an art gallery that I was not allowed to take pictures of. But it was lovely: including the lighting and the carpet. I was also dragged out of there prematurely. Then we found a store named after me. And then a storefront with this lovely display of books (you'll see in the picture below). And finally we found a lovely and very unique store that I'm not sure how to describe. It had crafty things and stationery paper, but also quirky little office supplies. I loved it!!

So there's a little bit of Rio! Goodbye Rio.

Back to Florida!!! Since I've been here, we almost went through a hurricane! But didn't. We have got quite a bit of rain though. And I must say.....it is pretty hot here :)

So what's going on in my life? I am learning lessons about integrity, obedience, and courage. I got the opportunity to teach the women students in Brazil and I decided to teach on integrity. It was a subject the Lord placed on my heart at the beginning of the term. We studied three people's lives: Abraham, Micaiah, and Ehud. It was refreshing to study, it was a blessing to teach, and now it is a challenge to live out. :) I find myself continually convicted and reminded of my own teaching. Am I living a life of integrity? One definition I found of integrity was to be whole, and complete. When I choose not have integrity, even in the small things, I am incomplete and not living to my full capacity. But I always fall so short.

Then I was studying the life of Joshua, and I was blown away by his obedience and courage:

"And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." Joshua 10:14
"He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses." Joshua 11:15

How I wish Joshua was still alive, so I could watch his life. It was a life of obedience, of years and years of war-tirelessly fighting the battles the Lord told him to fight!

So there's a glimpse into what I am learning about! I hope it blesses you.