rustling grass

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The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matt 13:44

 

The heroes finished their third exhibition for Journey Quest called Field Study where they studied the thirty acres behind Journey.  They created an audio tour and website filled with their research content.

As parents, siblings, grandparents and friends were led by the heroes, the audio tour complemented the in-person guiding. At home we invited families to look over the website with the heroes and ask questions.  We invite you to do the same and consider the treasure we have found in our field.

As you consider, we invite you to listen to one of the worship songs the heroes learned during this session.  Appropriately named, This is My Father’s World

reminded us of who was passing by as we heard the rustling grass. May we all remember.

//Dr. T//

 

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practice honor

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Honor one another.  (Romans 12:10)

To begin every Friday at Journey Academy, we engage in a spiritual practice called the Honor Circle.  My colleague Eun Sub Cho started this practice when I was previously at the Wonder Academy.  Each week, we have an honoree and three initial honorers.  Early in the year, I explained that honor could look like something you’re thankful for in this person, a gift that you notice this person has or something you like about this person.  All those pour out honor. Then we pray prayers of thanksgiving for the honoree. 

Today, I extended the honor circle based on the photo above of my daughter, recently returned from Air Force Basic Training and Technical School.  She is saluting my mother, an Air Force veteran and nurse.  Lily is following in my mom’s footsteps. And the first thing she did when she returned home was to head to grandma’s house to salute and honor her.  I told the heroes that we can honor someone by trying to imitate their example.  I encouraged them as they noted honorable things in the people around them to try to imitate their friends and family.  

In the ELS honor circle, heroes told Ella that:

  • She never gives up when she gets stuck.
  • Her joy makes me feel joyful.
  • She is loving toward others.
  • Her excitement for writing is inspiring.
  • She works really hard at studio maintenance.

She said it felt good that people who work with her every day saw this.

We even honor each of our hero talk presenters, recognizing the gift that they bring our community.  Last week, we honored Jason Sasso who gave a hero talk on learning about gravity.

And I believe this type of school culture is transformative. They receive this honor and they move into their Core Skills where they meet with success and failure. Honor can sustain when heroes face challenges.  Stella told me she was stuck on her math in Dreambox.  When I reminded her that heroes had honored her sticking with it, she stuck with it.  Through sticking with it, she overcame the obstacle.

John Mark Comer of Bridgetown Church calls us to Create a Community of Honor in a Culture of Contempt. This was one of most challenging and inspiring sermons that I have listened to in the past year.  And I am accepting his challenge.  I want Journey to be a community of honor for heroes, for guides, for parents, for our surrounding community.  

Please consider joining us.

//Dr. T//

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clap their hands

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all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)

It was a spectacular week to be learning outside.

Nora perched; trees clapping behind her as she documented leaf rubbings in her hero’s notebook.

Listening to Robert Frost tell us through poetry that “nothing gold can stay,” we employed a range of perspectives to see our world.

Over the past two weeks we debuted t-shirts** designed by the heroes during their tribe-building quest.

Myla was the lead designer for the Elementary Studio version. While Lola was the lead designer for the Early Learning Studio version modeled by Asa below.

The prophet Isaiah describes the coming of Christ in the fifty fifth chapter and the trees clapping in response to His arrival.  It suggests trees will become so much more in the presence of the Messiah.  It suggests the rocks in the hills will become so much more as they sing the praise of the Anointed One in in their midst.

And I want to suggest that just like the trees and rocks around Journey Academy, each of us want to be changed by the presence of Jesus through our journeys as heroes.

May we all become so much more in His presence.

//Dr. T//

**stay tuned for more information about purchasing these hero designed shirts next week for Christmas.

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