I recently gave most of my belongings away. I have some stuff here, in Jerusalem, and I have a few special belongings left in various places around the U.S. of A. But the point is, I own very little, and that makes me very happy.

On the other hand, I spent a lot of money on new clothes this summer. They really are cheaper and much better quality in America than they are here. "Dressing the part" helps you act the part, too. When you dress professionally, then somehow, magically, your persona is changed into someone much more efficient than slouchy, jeans-and-a-tshirt you. They've done studies on this, you know. (And it does make me so happy to look in my closet and see all the pretty things to wear.)

I've recently discovered that my 10th grade students really like me. They've told other teachers and the secretary that I'm a good teacher and I explain everything really well in class. (You don't know how much this thrills me!) I've also found out that they watch everyday to see what I'm wearing. Apparently they like my style. How cute is that?

The thing is, the fact that they like my clothes makes me more relatable. There are, of course, many other ways to relate to students. But the point is that those clothes, that can seem so frivolous at times, are actually aiding my ministry somehow.

Please don't misunderstand me. I know there are countless ways to read this. My point is that there is a balance to everything. It is honorable to live with almost nothing to your name, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes God wants us to have things in order to use them for his glory. (I'm trying to figure out how I can convince him that I could really use a new black macbook for his glory.)