Out came the sun...

  "Out came the sun & dried up all the rain"...we're celebrating every minute of sunshine we get lately, though they've been rather rare as rainy season arrived early and in grand form!  As I sat by the window last week watching the rain steadily stream (not lazily drip) from a large hibiscus leaf, I noticed that it was flowing to that leaf from the one above it, which was being supplied by the one above it.  I was reminded of our responsibility to pass on to the next generation what we have learned. We are studying in-depth Paul's second letter to Timothy in which he instructs Timothy to ENTRUST to reliable [people] what has been learned, to FOLLOW the pattern of sound teaching, to PURSUE righteousness.  
     Paul told Timothy to gently instruct those who oppose; I noticed that occasionally the rain rolling off the tin roof would splatter in all directions, but that didn't interrupt the steady flow that faithfully poured from one bright green leaf to the next.  So we must faithfully pour what God has taught us into the next generation, regardless of the outside forces that attempt to splatter our influence in all directions.  We teachers at IER are daily entrusting our hard-earned life lessons, our wisdom gained from experience along with foundational scriptures that have given us sound teaching so that our students are encouraged to pursue righteousness.  We do our part as we are supported and cheered on by all of you who invest in the ministry of IER.  We thank you for pouring yourselves into this ministry this year and encourage you to know that you are changing lives in mighty ways.  

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