Not sure what to say

On Sunday morning my dad's best friend, my second father, went to the hospital with a heart attack. Monday night, their Monday morning I was skyping with my dad when he got a phone call. At 2AM Jim woke up in heaven.

I am a bit speechless. Jim's daughter and I are the same age. We grew up together. In fact, I don't remember not knowing Susie.

Jim knew everyone in South Dakota, and probably the tri-state region. He could talk to ANYONE. Everyone who knows him knows I am not exaggerating.

Jim loved Jesus and loved people. He would do anything for anyone in need. His heart was as big as the Pacific Ocean.

Jim loved his family and his church family. There were constantly relatives coming and going. Jim loved to tell me, or anyone, about his grandkids, his kids, his wife, his sister, etc. He also loved to talk to and about his church family.

I've never met anyone who didn't love Jim-if there were those who didn't, they probably were too afraid to say anything!

Jim will be missed more than words can express.

"I can only imagine...will I dance for You, Jesus, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine."

I don't think Jim is speechless!

Immobile

As most people who know me know, I like to run. Basically, I like to move. I didn't realize how much I actually move until I became immobile!

On Monday, I fell down the steps into the garage at our apartment building. Thankfully, it was only the last 3 steps. It was a rainy day and my arms were full of laundry I was taking to the laundromat to dry. Thankfully, I had all of that in my arms because it kept me from getting hurt worse.

On Monday, I learned more about the kindness of my neighbors. I am thankful for Mrs. U who came running down the steps as soon as she heard the crash and then contacted my friend, Mrs. S, because she didn't know my contact info. I am thankful for Mrs. S who immediately ran upstairs when I called, first hugged me and then asked me how I was doing. She dropped everything and took me directly to the doctor's office. I am thankful for Mrs. T and her daughter who live next door and brought me dinner last night, who are taking out my garbage for me. I am thankful for Mrs. K, from choir, who lives 3 minutes away and is a nurse, and who stops by each day on her way home from work. She also brings me food and magazines.

Actually, Mrs. T's daughter had the same experience in November on a different stairway. Also, she is studying physical therapy! One of her professors worked in the US for 12 years and is willing to look at my x-rays and then talk to me in English about what I should do.

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the kindness.

Most people also know that I do not do well at asking for help. Well, that has had to change! I even have to ask someone to check my mail for me. It has been raining off and on all week. I am a bit nervous about going down the wet steps on crutches!

I have noticed this unwillingness to ask for help affects my relationship with God, too. As my unwillingness to ask God for help increases, my distance from Him increases, too. He has not moved, I have. I think I know how to do the ministry where He has placed me, so I just keep on going, doing what I've always done, in my own power. I am not surprised when I fall down. But it doesn't always cause me to change my ways. Why is it I always have to end up in a pile at the bottom of the steps in order to wake up and pay attention?

I am thankful for God's goodness and kindness, His patience and His love. As I think about my ankle healing, I realize it is going to take time. For some reason I think my heart should heal overnight. Maybe my heart takes time to heal just as my ankle does...

The Wheels on the Bus

I spent the weekend in a bus. Well, not the whole weekend, but much of it!

On Friday night about 80 of us boarded two buses headed for Sendai. Japan Gospel Festival Mission planned for our trip to be part of the Franklin Graham Festival of Hope over the weekend.
We began our travels in Osaka about 10PM on Friday night. Since Sendai is about 13 hours from Osaka, we spent Friday night on the bus.

This is what I woke up to on Saturday morning, about 6:20AM...


At our morning break we were told that the highway had been closed because of snow. While standing in line for the restroom there was an announcement that the road had been reopened. My friend in line in front of me asked me if I had been praying. :)
Here is what the area looked like as we drove through a little while later...


Because of the road being closed, there was a bit of a traffic jam causing us to arrive a little later than planned. Since we weren't sure if we would get to have a full rehearsal, we sang on the bus!


We did get there just in time for a rehearsal...


After lunch and changing our clothes, we had a workshop with Alfie Silas. She helped us learn a song we were to sing with Kirk Franklin. He came out at the end to check on our progress.


I started to take pictures during the program, but when my friend was asked not to take pictures, I had to stop, too.
These are two of my new friends who sang soprano with me...


Then we headed to dinner...


Apparently, Sendai is famous for 牛タン-grilled cow tongue! Thanks to Joyce Schrepel, I have tried this before.
I was fine with eating the things that were ordered until the sushi came out. I decided that I would let the others enjoy that!

The salad was delicious!


Saturday night we stayed in a hotel near Sendai station. In the morning after breakfast, Qsai, Aichan and I went for a walk. It was a really beautiful morning.


Then we returned to the hotel for a time of worship before we got back on the bus to return to Osaka.


We took a different route home. It was a lovely drive through the mountains and along the Sea of Japan.


I enjoyed the weekend! Lots of singing and praising, talking and laughing, plus I got a whole book read!

Shifting Sand

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting here at my kotatsu working on my sermon for Sunday. I looked out the window and saw this...

I got up looked out for a while, took a couple of pictures, and then sat back down to keep studying.

About a half an hour later I looked up again and this is what I saw...

Again, I got up looked outside, took a couple of pictures and then sat back down.

Then, half an hour later it was back to this!

As I think about my heart in the past few months, I feel like it has shifted back and forth like the weather that day. My heart looks like the stormy sky one minute and then moves into the stillness of a bright, sunny day. Sometimes it shifts so quickly I feel like I am getting whiplash.

Oh, how I wish I could be more consistent!

A Month of Love, Day 28

Yesterday after meeting with some friends for brunch, lunch and fellowship, I went shopping for some birthday presents. Since we meet in Namba, I went shopping at Namba Parks. I was happy to be inside since it was cold and windy!

When I entered one of my favorite stores, this is the first thing that caught my eye.

The first person I thought of when I saw this tea pot and cup was my grandma Reed. I don't know if she actually liked purple pansies, but in my memories of her she does! Soon after having that thought, I thought of Grandma Benton. I don't know if she actually liked purple pansies or not, either, but I know that she also loved flowers.

Both of my grandmothers loved flowers. They had lovely gardens full of flowers and enjoyed the beautiful world that God has created. I suspect some of my love for nature comes from my grandmothers' influence!

A Month of Love, Day 24

Today has been a lovely day! First, it didn't rain! I feel like rainy season has started way too early this year.

Second, I had a great English Bible study time today. My friend shared about how God is answering her prayers. She is learning that He doesn't always answer right away. Sometimes we have to ask several times. Sometimes we have to ask many times. And, His answers usually come in unexpected ways. She was beaming as she shared how God arranged her day yesterday and because of that new schedule, a prayer was answered for her relationship with a coworker.

God loves to surprise us! It is such a blessing to get to experience God's blessings through His blessings to others. (Was that too confusing of a sentence?!)

Third, today was AGC. I love getting to sing with these ladies! Today two new ladies joined our circle. Also, today was my day to lead the warm up. I showed them how I learn Japanese songs by adding actions. They kindly followed along and learned a bit more about my way of thinking through the actions I attached to the words!

Oh, and fourth, my neighbor stopped by and brought me some 'butaman' - steamed rolls with pork inside- just because she remembered that I like them! I was glad I had made cookies a couple of nights ago so had something to share with her, too!

A Month of Love, Day 21

Yesterday we had our quarterly area prayer meeting. Pastors and missionaries from the Kyoto/Nara/Osaka area gather for prayer and fellowship. We had a special addition yesterday as the Stollers, Carol, and Amber joined us, too.

After the morning of prayer we usually go out for lunch. This time Mrs. Yuzawa had made reservations at an Italian restaurant. After we were all seated she said that she wanted our help to 'toss' her husband. (You know, like they do to coaches when they win the Japan Series!) Next week is his birthday. In Japan the 70th birthday is a big deal. But, last year for Yuzawa Sensei's 70th birthday the celebration didn't work out, so we got to do it this year!

We didn't actually toss Yuzawa Sensei! But we did sing happy birthday, twice.

After the meal, Carol, Amber and I joined Mr. and Mrs. Yuzawa for a stroll through the park across the street from the restaurant. I have been to the park before-in May when the red azaleas were in full bloom. Because the winter has been cold, the plum blossoms have not quite opened up yet. So, we walked around the garden using our imaginations, but also enjoying the other beauties of nature.

All throughout the day I caught glimpses of Mr. and Mrs. Yuzawa's love for each other. It was fun to see!