4 Keys to Thriving as a Single in a World Full of Couples
“You singles out there, go to the lobby and just find someone to marry.” Someone whom I knew and respected actually said that at a meeting I attended a few years ago. I wish I were kidding. It wasn’t a meeting about marriage or singleness. It wasn’t part of...
From Scratch | An Exercise in Creativity
Good granola is like a party in a bowl. Bad granola? It’s closer to cardboard. In Thailand, I learned to make my own granola—the type that qualifies for the “party in a bowl” description. Not that granola is a Thai thing. I just happened to have some...
The Sacrament of Digging Out Egg Sacks
There was a time when I spent three years in a village in rural Kenya, where I lived and worked at an agricultural training center and orphanage. My season in Kenya had a huge impact on my worldview, on how I now see God, suffering, and poverty. On how I see the...
Pros, Cons, and Solutions for Working Remotely
When I walked into my office—a streetside coffee shop called Brewed Awakenings—I thought something was on fire. Smoke billowed from a little toaster oven in the corner. But none of the staff looked concerned, and guests sipped their morning brew in peace. Turns out,...Abandon Ship!
Today was our last day of diving off Bunaken. The weather was questionable when we left, but the skipper assured us it’s changing for the better, that the weather forecast for the day was only light rain. Connie—my friend visiting from the US—decided not to go...A Change in Perspective
I felt, the other day, what it’s like to fly. I ran off the edge of a mountain and soared, feeling the cold mountain wind directly on my face. After about five minutes, I landed in a tea plantation. Crash-landed, actually. But it didn’t hurt. I just laughed and...Serious Play Case Study
Lize Albertyn-du Toit: Farmer and Small Business Owner When you walk into Lize’s farmhouse, you immediately feel at home. Perhaps it’s the welcoming sound of footsteps on the wooden floors. Maybe it’s the rays of sunlight breaking through the little shutters in the...Seeing with the Heart
“Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry, The Little Prince Rarely do I compare. I’ve seen too much in life to covet what others...Psalm 84
I’ve been meditating on some Psalms recently, and remembered re-writing Ps. 84 into my own words when I lived in Kenya. God, what joy to live in your presence, in fact, to even have You live within me. How I long to have more of You, LORD, to live in a way that...
Afternoon storm over the lagoon on my last afternoon in the area. This is not a reflection of my heart. I have such peace about the journey ahead! . . . #bluethreadlife #tropicalstorm #rainscoming #placencialagoon #belize #myheartislightthough
This is the world’s narrowest Main Street: Placencia Road, the path along the beach in the village. Cannot drive a car here. I’ve walked this path many a time without realizing that its famous for being a road, not merely a sidewalk. And tomorrow, I can say, I once lived on the Placencia Peninsula, home to Placemcia, the village with the narrowest main road in the world. Bye-bye, Placencia. I have some good memories of you. . . . . #bluethreadlife #movingon #blueskies #clouds #orange #placencia #placenciaroad #narroweststreet #itsastreet #noyoucannotdriveit
Anyone who has been to Belize knows that you don’t get to appreciate the beauty of, say, the sunrise (or the beach, or simply enjoy a cup of coffee) without sandflies biting. And when they bite, it itches. A lot. This stuff here has become my saving grace. I keep some at hand most times. If you are planning a trip to Belize, forget the DEET. Pick up some Jungle Oil in Belize. . . . #bluethreadlife #belize #bugs #bugspray #jungleoil #sandflies #sandfliesloveme
“Die oggendstond het goud in die mond.” An Afrikaans idiom declaring that the morning hour is golden. As today’s indeed has been. May your day hold gold. . . #bluethreadlife #5am #caribbean #caribbeansea #belize #blueskies #sunrise #sunrisesaroundtheworld #calmseas #reflection #mayabeach #mayabeachhotel #fishing #fisherman #garifuna #paddlestandup #rowyourboat #crocs #shadesofblue #peace #thisishome #willmissthis #leavingsoon
Creating some headspace before heading into the day, thanking God for the beauty of this place, this time, this ending. . . . #bluethreadlife #belize #morning #morningritual #caribbeansea #centralamerica #caribbean #calmwaters #prayer #headspace #huesofblue #crocs
“Humanity runs on coffee.” ~Unknown I chuckled when I noticed that today’s brew is from the region of Guatemala where I am moving this week. Where I am going, I will not have a shortage of coffee... . . . #bluethreadlife #belize #coffee #singleorigin #lakeatitlan #placencia #placenciabelize #abovegroundscoffee #abovegrounds #mornings #cuppajoe #reflection
Had fun taking Blue Thread Life headshots in the village this morning. Thanks, @chris2swan ! . . #bluethreadlife #belize #blue #headshots #earlymornings #placencia #placenciabelize
Packing. Top left: I managed to get more things in the back of my RAV4 than I thought is possible, hence the . Bottom: Unloaded all the stuff at a spot in Flores, Guatemala, from where it is being taken to Antigua today. Top right: Other boxes were picked up this week by a company that is taking them all the way to Antigua later this week. . . . #bluethreadlife #moving #arewethereyet #belizetoguatemala #diymoving
You can have some of the beauty of my day. There. And you didn’t even have to get up at 5 to see this! There’s plenty of beauty around. Tag me in a comment on one of your photos to show some of the beauty where you are, would you? . . . #bluethreadlife #spectacular #sunrises #sunrisesaroundtheworld #5am #5 :00 #itsabeautifulday #belize #mayabeach #mayabeachhotel #palapa #caribbean #caribbeansea #theskyisonfire #blackandwhite #traveler #travel #travelphotography
Did you try the "good stuff "? @bluethread .life Thank you for tagging us! Please tag us at #RunningWMeats or @runningwmeats to be #featured on our page. #Repost • • • Joined friends for a quick trip to the capital this morning, where we went to the Agricultural Fair. This is one of the banners at a food stall, run by a local meat supply company. This is Kriol for “Give me some of the good stuff,” essentially. . . #bluethreadlife #belize #belmopan #agriculturalshow #runningwbrand #runningw #kriol #givemesome #centralamerica #travel #travelphotography #languages #signs . . #GimmeSomeADiNiceTing #creole #bigsigns #potd #feature #agric2018
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Ps. 5:3 | How can I pray for you today? . . #bluethreadlife #morning #sunrise #itsabeautifulday #powerofpositivity #powerofprayer #psalm5 #belize #mayabeach #mayabeachhotel #caribbean #caribbeansea #sunrises
The wild orchids in my yard are in full bloom. This happens at the end of the dry season. It is as if the harshest circumstances bring out the beauty in the plebeian plants. May that be true for me and you, that suffering produces character. Sounds like Romans 5:3-4 to me! “...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope..." . . . #bluethreadlife #romans5v3and4 #beauty #belize #wildorchids #orchids #mygarden #mygardenflowers #sufferingproducesendurance