Week 1 Day 5

After the lovely art of yesterday, I am going to post some of my own photos, from the past half a year or so, that I think depict anticipation.
Feel free to share any comments about the photos or photos of your own!

Anticipating a new day

Anticipating new life

Anticipating meeting with God
and hearing from Him as we converse

Anticipating guidance for a sermon

Anticipating resting with Jesus

Anticipating creativity

Anticipating a challenge and accomplishment

Sabbath Adventures

Last Monday for my Sabbath I went on a little adventure back to the beach I had visited in May when I last posted.  (If anyone has figured out how to stop time, let me know.  Lots of life has happened since my last post, but trying to catch up is overwhelming, so I am just going to plod on from here.)

So, I went to the beach again.  But, before going to the beach I thought I should try to find something new in the area.  The night before I left I studied my online map of the area looking for parks or other beaches or landmarks or anything that might be interesting.

I found...

A little cove where I could climb on the rocks, sit in the sun, watch the fishing boats go by

 And, not pictured, the kind lady at the hotel who allowed me to park my car for a while as I went exploring through the neighborhood.

The rocks went right out into the water- or the water came right up over the rocks...

Beautiful views from...

The lighthouse!  (I had taken a picture of the whole thing from below, but that pic has disappeared!)

A little cafe on the hill looking down over the bay

 The interior of the cafe was all train themed with signs from old train cars and stations and a model train running around the perimeter of the cafe.  The lady working there told me about the birds soaring around the hills, the quiet life on this little hill, and told me to park my car in their parking lot next time I wanted to come exploring the hills!

The sun was sparkling on the water so beautifully!

There were so many fishing boats out on the water, even people fishing right from the shore.  I am not sure what kind of fish they were catching, but it was obviously a good day for it because I have never seen that many boats and people fishing when I have been to this beach before.

On my last trip to the beach- between May and now!- I found this lovely tea shop in a mall.

Last time I went to the beach I stopped at this mall because I heard they had a nice Starbucks with a terrace.  There is a nice Starbucks, but the terrace is in the food court.  However, as I walked around before going into Starbucks, I found this tea shop with the walls lined with bookshelves.  As much as I love SB, I could not resist this shop!  It was a lovely place to read and reflect.

What adventures does my next Sabbath hold?!

Almost!

Well, I have almost successfully, inadvertently, made it through the month of May with only one post. This was not intentional.  It's just that when I finally sat down in the evenings this month, I just stared for a while and then went to bed.  Stared at the computer.  Started at the TV.  Stared at the sky.  I'm not sure what I was staring at.  Maybe the piles of dishes in my sink.  (Tonight I am avoiding them and writing!)

This has been a long month.  Many great things going on, though... Bible studies, preaching, teaching, music, visits with friends, etc.

Today I took a Sabbath day.  I was doing pretty well at doing this weekly.  However, the past couple of weeks have found me doing too much, and sometimes not prioritizing well.

I went to the beach today.  It was a beautiful day.  I put on sunscreen, sat down with the little lunch I had packed, and started reading my one-day spiritual retreat book.  It was a great lesson on happiness and joy.  I started to write in my journal and remembered that my pen had run out of ink.  I did not have any other pens with me!  So, after a few minutes of prayer, I headed to the water to walk and enjoy spending time in my 'happy place.'

After a couple of steps into the water I noticed this...

And after looking around, saw more!

I don't know much about jellyfish, but was fascinated by them.  I didn't touch any of them, just in case!

Can you see the clear one in the water?

On my way home I stopped by the outlet mall to eat at the Hawaiian hamburger place.  I was too tired by then to do any shopping.  So tired, in fact, that I forgot to get my change out of the vending machine when I bought a water for the drive home!  Guess I got to make someone else's day!

I arrived home to see this...

and this...

I love Sabbath!

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

Another quote

I am sort of on a quote kick.  Here is another one that has had me pondering for a couple of days...


Listen to your life.  See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.  In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace.
~Frederick Buechner



All moments are key moments.

All moments are key moments.

This is written by a man who spent the last years of his life in Nazi prisons.  I would like to learn to live each moment this way.

Sometimes I forget.

Many times I think, "If I can just get through this moment, this hour, this day, then I will make it to another or a new key moment."

I forget to stop and smell the roses.

I forget to greet my neighbor and ask how she is doing.

I don't notice the sunset.

I rush through my classes so that I can get to my to do list.

I don't think I am going to attempt to make this something to which I aspire this year.  Tomorrow.  Yes, tomorrow I am going to listen to my life.  Tomorrow I will focus on the moments rather than the to do list.  I will focus on the faces of those I pass by rather than the light that is about to change to red.  Tomorrow I will notice God's handiwork in the mountains, sky, plants, and people rather than running to my car or staring at at screen.

Now, I will go to sleep in peace, trusting God who knows my tomorrow and will walk through it with me, even when I forget the moments.

Parks

I love the park just up the road from me.  I has lovely tree-lined walking paths, a water fountain, and lots of friendly people.  I often run through the park on my morning runs, however, during the summer I run exclusively in the park so that I can drink water without having to carry it.

Over the summer this year I discovered there is a group of people who do radio exercises every morning at 6:30.  I have joined them and really enjoy it.  Many of the participants walk the paths before the exercises start.  Although, now that it is getting cooler and the sun doesn't rise so early, many are waiting until after exercises to walk.  That is when I have started running, too, actually!

I love running past people and greeting them.  Now that I have joined the exercise time, people know I can speak Japanese and have lived here for quite some time.  I think that gives them more of a willingness to greet me.

One of the men who has lived in the area the longest said that the park used to be a pond and a plum tree orchard.  There is a pond in the park now, but it is in a different location!  I am not sure how they moved the pond, but they did.  There are ducks that winter in the pond and a pheasant who makes his presence known every once in a while.

A couple of mornings ago the clouds turned pink as the sun was rising and the full moon was setting. It was really beautiful, and impossible to capture with a camera.  But, I wrote this haiku as I was walking home...

early morning sun
full moon swallowed by pink clouds
jogging in the park

Come visit and I will take you to meet my new friends at the park!

My background

Today I am thankful for the opportunity I had to grow up in South Dakota.  The small town I grew up in was a great place to grow up!  When we were in elementary school, we rode our bikes to school, to our friends' houses, even downtown.  And, in the summer, we rode them to the swimming pool!  When it was too snowy to ride bikes we walked or our parents drove us.  It never took longer than 7 minutes to get to a friend's house, except the ones who lived out in the country.  When we went to those friends' houses, there was always adventure to be had, in the barn or the shelter belt or the grain wagon.

When I was growing up there were 4 elementary schools in town.  We had the great advantage of very small class sizes!  (Now there is one elementary school and the other schools have been completely re-vamped.  My school is now a church.  Another school is an apartment building.  And the other one is an art studio.  The fourth school is the Catholic school which is still in use!)

My friends and I started babysitting when we were in junior high school- what were those moms thinking?!  I guess since it is such a small town, they figured they or a neighbor could get there to help very quickly.  And, neighbors were always willing to help.

There are two lakes just outside of town where I learned to swim in the seaweed and skip rocks.  Our family spent hours walking or biking around the lake, picnicking, playing whiffle ball, and throwing rocks into the lake.  We even camped a couple of times.  Those were not the best experiences.  Suffice it to say, our family, tents and thunderstorms seem to make it into the same sentence when describing those experiences.

Because our school was small, we all had to participate in as many activities as we could manage so there would be enough people for each team.  I had the privilege to participate in band, basketball, track, declam, and tennis at school.  We were also involved in piano lessons, 4-H, church, and just about anything else we could find to do.

Growing up in a small town gave me the opportunity to have a huge variety of experiences in a low pressure environment which helped me make wise decisions once I left.  I didn't leave because I hated living there; I left because God had other plans for me.  Just because I left definitely does not mean that I am ungrateful or was unhappy!

Thank you, Lord, for Madison, South Dakota!

Beauty of Nature

I know I go on about nature and post pictures of nature often.  I do because it is one of the main ways I connect with God.  When I am in nature, surrounded by nature, I feel closer to God, like He is walking with me.  I enjoy chatting with God as we walk, run, or sit together in His beautiful creation.

Here are a few pictures I took while wandering around Horizon Village in Chiang Mai.  (I highly recommend Horizon if you are going to Chiang Mai!)

Sunset over the canal

Sunset over the pond

Arch over a different pond

Looking up into a palm tree

Trees in front of our seminar building-
obviously not completely natural!  They grow naturally,
just formed by humans.

Some pretty red flowers

Ballerina

Fish gathering for food

Sunset another night

Lotus flower in the pond by our breakfast location

Growing in the trees

Camels having a fest

Sunrise from our balcony

Here and There, Part 1

I have spent a bit of time over the past month in airplanes and fighting jet lag.  These travels have all included fun, work, times of refreshment, and times of study.

Every summer our missionaries in Japan gather for a time of study and refreshment.  This year we went to a beautiful beach location.

Enjoying the beach, sun, and ocean!

I enjoyed our times of worship and study as a mission family.  We studied Moses and his leadership.  We sang and praised.  It was refreshing!

Singing together

We also spent some time enjoying nature, the beach and mountains, two of my favorites!

Our hiking adventure took a muddy turn after about 300 meters.  We crossed a river several times so were able to rinse off as we went along.  The waterfall was pretty but not as grand as we were expecting.  Of course, the river was not at the end of the hike, so we went home muddy!

Really, the waterfall is just down the hill!

Time for water and a snack

The waterfall

Our muddy legs at the end of the hike.
They had been worse than this at times!

We made it!

Our last morning God woke me up early as I had asked so that I could see the sunrise over the ocean. Beautiful!

I am thankful for this annual time of worship, study, and refreshment!