Skip to main content

Manuel Antonio

With a breathtaking view from our little home, our group of students enjoyed a few days in the lovely beaches of Manuel Antonio. Unfortunately, I did not capture these beaches but I did snap some pictures of the view. The water is as warm as the people on this beach. Many locals speak English with perfection because of the tourist appeal to this destination. I found myself trying to respond in Spanish to English questions. My head was spinning after a bit.
We spend one day on the beach and were caught in a beautiful downpour which soaked us completely through. After the initial squeals of surprise, we all broke down in pure laughter, allowing the rain to take over. In these unforeseen adventures, I find the most joy. The unplanned, magnificently natural events God places in the day to bring us a surprise and a smile. Incredible freedom lies in releasing control and surrendering to the King. May you surrender your day to the Lord, knowing He holds incredible plans in your future.
All my love,
Gennavieve

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hampton Court Palace

Today, I toured Hampton Court Palace, an official historic, royal palace. Following are some of the sights I saw, history I learned, and favorites I enjoyed. The guard chamber of King William III. The magnificent display of 2,871 items of armor and weapons displayed a message that William was a great soldier and peacemaker. William's Presence chamber. Only high-ranking individuals were permitted into this room. William would be distinguished by sitting on a Chair of Estate. Those who entered his presence were required to remove their hats and make three low bows to the King, or even his empty chair. I'm grateful to serve an accessible King, who is with me wherever I go. William's eating room. He was expected to dine here on occasions "in front of persons of good fashion and good appearance," in order to display the sumptuousness of his food and to reassure everyone he was in good health. He was served by three servants on bended knee. William's P...

A Mere Reflection of His Love

C.S. Lewis said, "God always lets us feel the frailty of human love so we'll experience the strength of His." I've become more and more aware of the frailty of my own love. I am limited by sin. Fear and pride cause hurt and disappointment. The failures of my love bring me to my knees, and I realize how desperately grateful I am for God's love. His love is unconditional. His love is sacrificial. His love speaks quietly to the desires of my heart. His love disciplines in a manner which encourages growth. His love removes the stain of sin so I may receive the perfection of His presence. 1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loves us." What a gift!? The small ways humans express love are mere reflections of the love of our Heavenly Father. How he loves us in sunsets, and dances, and pastures filled with flowers are fractions of His heart's expression of love. How he loves us in heartache, and loss, and grieving are bound together by ...

Tutorials

God is faithful. I could really just leave that line on this blog and not write another word. The simple fact of His faithfulness is continuously evident within my experiences in Oxford. On Friday, His faithfulness shone in my meeting with my two tutors, who I met for the very first time. I was extremely nervous going to meet them! The tutorial system in Oxford is unlike any education system in America. It is a one-on-one interaction between student and tutor (professor). In most cases the tutors are experts in the fields being studied, having achieved doctorates and read all of the books on a certain topic, or even being the major author within the field of study itself. For each tutorial, a student is required to prepare a 2,000 word essay and come prepared to defend/discuss their essay. This contrasts the American system, in which we receive information from a lecture in a top down sort of way. Tutorials open the doors for discussion, for dialogue and debate. Tutorials al...