A little review

As I was preparing for my most recent newsletter, which will be coming out soon, I was looking through pictures from the last quarter.  I set aside several to use in my newsletter, however, I didn't have enough room.  So, I thought I'd share some here...

Our friend Shoppi sharing at our Ladies' Lunch 

Even Mrs. Naka's granddaughter enjoyed the dessert!

Origami fun- every other month at the nursing home behind our church

AGC rehearsal- Can you find me?!

At our most recent Live Gospel Cafe I got stuck in the office for the first half.
It was fun to listen from behind the singers.
This is one of the ladies who sang.
It was a beautiful night of praise.

During spring break we had a youth retreat at the newest JBC church.
Some of the youth even led the worship time.  Fun times!

Easter Sushi!!!

Yuri has returned!

Believe

Today's word for my lent photo challenge is believe.

Today I was asked by an English student if I believe the stories in the Bible are true.  I replied with a resounding "yes!" and that I would not be a missionary if I did not believe the Bible is true.

In our Bible class this morning we were studying the death and resurrection of Jesus.  We talked about the people around the cross as Jesus was dying and their various reactions.

Mark notes the women who were there, however, he doesn't say much about what they were doing or thinking or saying.  As we discussed the women and their possible reaction, one student mentioned that they must have been very sad and crying and even felt hopeless.  (Luke writes that they were mourning and wailing.)

Then we read the beginning of the next chapter of Mark which includes, in my opinion, one of the most hope-filled statements in the Bible... "He has risen!  He is not here."  Of course, once the shock wore off and Jesus was actually seen alive, hope was restored.

I can barely read those two little sentences without shouting and without a tear of joy appearing in my eye.  I think my heart may even skip a beat when I read them.

He has risen!  He is not here!

When I read those words in my head, they are read loudly and with gusto!

Hope.

Joy.

Indescribable love.

Yes, I do believe the stories in the Bible are true.  The Bible is what my life and faith are built upon.

A Month of Bible

No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough. Psalm 49:7-8

When I read this Psalm this morning, I thought that it was appropriate for the Easter season. No one has enough money or possessions to use as bargaining chips with the Almighty. Nothing I say, do, or give can ransom anyone else's life.

I have to admit, I have tried bargaining with God for the souls of friends. If I do this and this and then pray this prayer, then surely You will save my friend, right God?

Then Easter rolls around and I am reminded that salvation has nothing to do with anything I do, say, or give.

It's about the cross.

It's about the price Jesus paid.

It's about the sacrifice God made.

There is no way to measure the impact, the importance, of the cross, of the price Jesus paid, of the sacrifice God made.

The awe of it brings me to my knees and deepens with each passing moment that I live in awareness of salvation's price.

I've been thinking about that last point, living in awareness of salvation's price. I don't always live in that awareness. But, when I do, it is humbling.

Thank You, Jesus.

A Month of Bible

Then they remembered His words. Luke 24:8

This was the focus of my message yesterday. We talked about our tendency to forget the things we have learned from and about Jesus, especially when we are walking through dark and difficult times. At those times we need to remember, and sometimes remembering requires the help of friends, family, fellow Christians.

We watched a video from a survivor of the Hanshin (Kobe) earthquake 17 years ago as she told her hope story. We talked about how important it is for people in Tohoku to hear such stories so that they can remember Jesus' words.

I was going to post it here, but for some reason it is not showing up on the website right now. The website is: http://hopeforliving.jesus.net/

We all have hope stories to share. I have not been through the same experiences as the people in Tohoku, or even in Kobe, but, I have experienced dark times in which Jesus made Himself very real to me and reminded me of His love. I need to be willing to share my hope stories with others. I need to hear those hope stories from others, too.

Easter basket

I got to preach my first Easter sermon this year. I really felt the importance while I was preparing! It took me quite a long time to write. Thankfully, God is in control!

I talked about new life and talked about various Easter and spring traditions around the world. Most European and Eastern European countries do something with eggs. So, I decided to color eggs for everyone. Since we do not have those nice little Easter egg dying tablets by PAAS, I had to do it the old fashioned way, with food:) There are tons of sites about decorating eggs 'naturally.'

Since red seemed to be a color that many countries used I wanted to make red eggs. I decided to make yellow, too, because I had more confidence in that coming out the right color. I was right!

On the list of things to use for coloring eggs red, red wine was the most easily accessible to me. So, I bought some cheap red wine in a box-that was probably my first mistake. For yellow eggs, I used cumin. I guess I let the eggs soak too long in the wine. They turned out brown with a sandy film. When I rinsed it off, though, they turned into these cool marbled eggs. The yellow ones turned out beautifully.

Everyone kindly took an egg, or two, and some people even ate them. I have been eating the leftovers for breakfast this week! The wine soaked eggs have lovely brown spots on them when peeled!

My kitchen smelled great, though, on Saturday as they were boiling and soaking. It smelled like I was an amazing cook!:)