Trampoline!!

   We got a giant trampoline!!! Yesterday some good friends came over bringing their trampoline we were going to buy. It was a gorgeous day! The sun was shining. It was warm and simply delightful to be outside! We set up the trampoline early in the day and were soon bouncing for joy on it!!! So fun!
   Ever since I was nine I have wanted a giant trampoline. And now we have one!!!

 So much fun!!!

 Yay!

 

Go, Tiffy, go!!!

 

Awesome!

   The well loved trampoline is now even more loved! We are going to enjoy our new addition to our yard!

God is With Us!

    Last night was incredible. A team of four people from Bethel Church in California came over to our house: Amy, Elizabeth, Nathan, and Emanuel. God was with us! We spent 5 hours talking, laughing, praying, and worshiping. During dinner I enjoyed finding more about them. Emanuel gave us some lessons in German. And each shared funny or interesting stories. After eating and cleaning up the dishes we had some worship together. The presence of God was so strong. We sang and danced, clapped our hands and shouted, laughed and prayed as we enjoyed God in worship.
    It's been a while since I've seen that much freedom in worship. It's been a while since the presence of God was so strong. I feel refreshed and renewed. I could use that kind of worship every day. Thank you Jesus for sending this team to Japan at this time! It is fun to see that God is moving! I pray that during the next week that they are here God would move in miraculous ways! That they would take God's presence where ever they go!

Coming Before Kings

      If the emperor of Japan invited you to see him, offered to pay for transportation, and would provide you with an extravagant room to live in during your visit, I would think that you would take the offer. Now if he asked you to visit, you knew that there would be no language barrier, you had heard that he was the nicest person in the world, and he not only would let you simply see him but he wanted to become good friends, you would definitely go! Would you wait for him to ask you twice in order to accept such an incredible invite? No!

     So with an earthly ruler the above would be true, but with the heavenly King it seems that sometimes we almost want Him to beg us to come to Him. We've been invited to come to God, we've been given the opportunity of becoming best friends, even children of Him! And yet sometimes we're slow to accept His offer to begin to know Him. Sometimes we're slow to accept the invitation to visit Him anytime. Sometimes we don't take the opportunity to learn to trust Him completely, to give Him our cares and fears, to learn to hear His voice and follow His guidance. Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) says:

Because of Christ and our faith in him,
we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.

We already have the invite to come into His presence any time. We shouldn't wait for God to invite us again. Let's take the promise and go to Him everyday!

Thoughts about 'my' kids...

One of 'my' kids

    Yesterday we finished the last English class for this Japanese school year! We will now take three weeks off for spring break! When I finish a season, whether short or long, I often find myself comparing what it's like now with what it was like when I began. Thinking of 'my' kids in the English classes on Tuesday I can see a lot of change. I started regularly doing this class with Tiffy and Dad over two years ago. Many of the kids we've watched change throughout the full two years, but several kids have jumped in only a year or 6 months ago.
    I've grown in love and endurance over the last two years. I remember that when I began so many little things that the kids did would irritate or frustrate me. Now many of the issues have disappeared while others just don't bother me any more. I remember one little girl that I used to teach, she was shy, afraid to make mistakes, and hardly would do anything. I'd try to get her to repeat a sentence or word and sometimes she just wouldn't do it. Week after week I was like "oh boy, let's try this class again" wondering if I'd have any success in teaching her English. Several months went by. We added some more students and soon I found that she was learning. She was talking. When I looked into her eyes I no longer saw that look like a hurting puppy. She knew we loved her. That's been such an encouragement!
    One of the boys used to be practically obsessed with bones and skeletons. Every week he would have a skeleton or skull design on his clothes. He would often bring a toy skeleton with him to class. He was shy and walked like someone who got picked on regularly. With Dad's influence and guidance he has now turned to more healthy natural things like rocks and fossils. Instead of having a dark slightly creepy feel he is now bright and cheerful. He seems to have turned from an obsession with skeletons and bones to a healthy interest in fossils and rocks. I loved seeing him laughing and playing with some of the other boys in the class yesterday. I truly have seen an amazing change in his life. I pray that God would continue to change him and draw him to Himself.
    We try to love the kids every time we see them, try to influence them for good, and bring the Holy Spirit with us. We try to bring a different realm, a higher level of loving relationships than they've seen. We try to show them another way, hoping that they will be hungry for and want it for themselves. We plant the seeds of love and the Kingdom of God, then God will take the seeds and helps them grow.

kidswow.com

What Am I Supposed to Be Doing?

    "So what am I supposed to be doing, God?" I asked. "Should I be witnessing to my neighbors? Or praying and worshiping four times a week? Should I be gathering with other friends to seek you and hear your voice? Should I be traveling around the world trying to show your love? Maybe I should get a job and make some money for future ministry?... What should I be doing, God?"
    One day I read a verse which helped clarify my mission on earth.  Second Corinthians 5:18-19 says:

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.

   God has given us this one job of reconciling people back to Him. It's so simple! Whether I'm teaching, preaching, evangelizing, taking care of kids or the elderly, praying, talking to friends, or giving advice my purpose in all should be to bring people closer to God. My words and actions should draw people up rather than pull them down.
   God wants His people to come into His loving arms. He wants His children to come back. And we each have a part in His wonderful plan to reconcile mankind to Himself!