School Year 2013 - 2014

Today I took some time to reflect on this past year.  Probably because I was riding the train for a while and well, that is a good time to do some reflecting.  Also the last week or so I have had the question posed to me, asking, "How was your first year as MS principal?
My general answer has been, "Good."  It was a steep learning curve and I have to admit I enjoyed the learning.  I have by no means fully learned everything that needed to be learned, but I believe the 2nd year will start to have some familiarity to it.  There were some difficult things I had to do, but there were some blessings as well. 
During our wrap up meeting for 2013-2014, I asked the teachers if they could come up with 100 blessings they experienced this past year.  I'm sure if I asked for 1000 they may have been able to come up with that many, given some more time.  I have the privilege of posting the sheets where they put the 100 blessings (actually we only had 96) up on my wall in my office.  Every once in while when I'm sitting there reading through emails, or working on some project, I glance up at the list and remember that God blesses us abundantly, daily!  Sometimes I need to be reminded of the blessings, especially when I have to bicycle home in the down pour rain a third time that week, or a student made a bad decision that has costly consequences. 
I am privileged to work at Christian Academy in Japan.  Just getting to know the Leadership Team and being able to collaborate with them has made the year a good one.  The staff that I get to work with, seeing their dedication to the students and presenting that Christian perspective in all their subjects, is a blessing for me to watch.  I also enjoyed getting to know the parents of the Middle School students, seeing their dedication to their child's education.
I have been watching some of the graduation speeches given at various institutions recently.  One piece of advice that was given to graduates was to pursue a job that they love.  I love working in Christian Schools.  For the 32 years I have been an educator, I have worked in Christian schools and I believe it is truly what God has called and is calling me to do.  I love my job and enjoy the students and adults I work with. 
I also love the country that I am living in presently.  It is an interesting country with interesting culture.  Sometimes I think about the fact that less than 1% of the people in Japan are Christian.  That number 1% seems so small, but I also rejoice with the fact that 1% also means about one to two million Japanese are Christians.  They need prayer as they deal with various issues as Christians in a Japanese culture.  They, also with foreign missionaries are God's messengers to spread the Gospel to their Japanese neighbors. 
Yes, School year 2013-2014 has been a good year.