Giving Up?

I remember as a child knowing lent had started by the school lunch menu.  Every Friday during lent the school served fish for lunch.  Growing up in a baptist church, I don't remember doing much with Ash Wednesday or lent.  I remember some kids from other church backgrounds gave up things like bubble gum or candy bars.  I never really understood the giving something up idea.

As I have progressed (I hope!) on my faith journey, I have come to understand the importance of the season of lent.  Doing a quick search on the internet produces all kinds of helpful articles about and activities for lent.  Each year I learn something new and enjoy understanding a new aspect.

This year one of the activities in which I am unofficially participating is a photo challenge.  There is one word for each day of lent.

The first few days the words naturally lent themselves to what seemed like obvious pictures, to me.  However, as I continue, I am trying to take my time and to mull over the word before taking a picture.  This has helped me to become more thoughtful in the process and to focus on what the word has to do with lent.

As I have worked through the first nine words, I have felt that the Bible could actually be photographed for every word thus far.  I have tried to find some way to put it into almost every picture.

One thing I love about this process is that each Sunday is the word 'celebrate.'  Even as we focus on the cross, suffering, and sacrifice of Jesus, we take a day out each week to celebrate the resurrection.  What a reminder that in the midst of our trials and sufferings, there is joy!

The cross and resurrection are the center of our faith.  Taking 40 days out of the year to focus on this center is well worth it.

What is God teaching you this lent season?  How are you observing the season?

Path

Place

Remember

Why?

Last week when I was talking with my parents, they were going through all of the activities they have coming up and mentioned a marriage weekend at their church.  They said they were making a list of reasons why they stay together or something like that.  It was fun to hear them come up with things just off the tops of their heads.  Since they didn't write them down, I am supposing they had to start all over again when they actually did get paper out!

Anyway, it started me thinking about them and their marriage.  As one who is inside the family but not married, I am in a unique place, I think, to make a couple of observations.

Just married (or just engaged, I can't remember which!)

25th anniversary trip to New England

I think the number one reason my parents are together and have a successful, in my opinion, marriage is that Jesus is the center of not only their married life, but also their personal lives.  They are each absolutely committed to Jesus, serving Him, following Him, and learning more about Him daily.  By being personally committed to Jesus, they bring that to every part of their lives.  I believe their marriage is thriving because of their commitment to Jesus.

Lake Michigan

40th anniversary celebration

Another reason their marriage is healthy is that they love to laugh.  They enjoy spending time together, and if laughter is involved, then life is all the more enjoyable!  They know how to laugh at themselves, at each other, and at life.  They are not rude in their laughter by scoffing at the other person.  They truly love a good joke or odd comment.  Many evenings, conversations at the dinner table led to fits of laughter, sometimes the laughter that leads to tears and the inability to breathe because of laughing so hard!

The Christmas we were snowed in at my sister's

Working on okonomiyaki with chopsticks

Preparing for the year of the dragon at IKEA Japan

My parents love and respect each other.  They, of course, each do things that annoys the other person, however, they love the whole person and respect the life God has gifted to them.  They have learned how to communicate their love in a way that respects the other's needs and desires.  And, they are just so darn adorable!

Mini golf

Christmas fun

Having been married 47 years, they have not avoided hardships and heartbreaks.  However, they have taken the time to work through their challenges together, with a commitment to God and each other.  It was not always easy, but it was always worth it.

I am grateful for my parents and the example they have shown me.  I have learned much about love, commitment, and laughter from them!  Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Language

I've joined an online community for women who serve overseas.  Mostly I read the blog posts everyone else writes.  It has been good to read thoughts from other women serving overseas.  I have been challenged to think more about my life, ministry, and God.  Each week they choose a theme and people blog about it or contribute art or whatever.  I keep thinking that I will write something sometime.  So, this week I am going to write.  The theme is language.

Karuizawa Japanese Language School

Of course, when I first started to think about language, I thought about learning Japanese.  Learning this language has been one of the hardest, most challenging, most fun, most frustrating things I have done in my life.  And, I am NOT done yet!  I am pretty sure I will never be done learning this language.

Graduation celebration with some of my language teachers

I don't remember when it happened exactly, but I remember sitting in church one Sunday thinking, "Hey, I am understanding some of this sermon!  I am not just listening to pick out the words, but am actually getting the main ideas here!"  SCORE!  I was floored!

I know there are tons more languages than English and Japanese, but it is pretty cool that Jesus understands both of the languages I speak.  He hears me when I call out to Him in either language.

My first Sunday in Japan I remember sitting in church thinking that I had no clue what was going on, but Jesus did.  Now I not only sit in church understanding most of what is going on, but I also preach in this language!

Listening in church still takes much concentration

After I thought about these things for a while, the theme of language started to take me on a different path.  Language is absolutely necessary.  We need to communicate somehow, and language is the vehicle for communication to take place.  When I sit in my apartment by myself, I use language.  I think about what I need to prepare for tomorrow, I listen to music, I watch TV, I read a book.  All of these need language.

When I go to the ocean and sit on the beach, I use language.  I listen to the ocean, the birds, the wind, other people, God.  Different languages, but all needed for communication.

Maui

When I meet my friends or go to work or go to a meeting, more communication happens.  Some communication is non-verbal, which sometimes speaks louder than verbal communication, however, if we want to have conversations, make decisions, make plans, we really need to use verbal communication.  And, there is language again.

Languages are fascinating and amazing.  I am hoping we will keep our languages in heaven and yet be able to understand all the other languages and be able to learn them.  That would be so cool!

I know that learning Japanese has helped deepen my understanding of God as I learn Japanese words and phrases and study the Japanese Bible.  I can't imagine how my understanding would improve if I learned more languages!  Especially Greek and Hebrew!

Anything that deepens my understanding of God is worth the effort and hard work.
(I say this again to myself today to remind me of its truth and importance!)

Talking about things I love in one of my sermons