True Love

(Note: I didn't take any of these pictures)

I have been to and played in more weddings than I can count.  Because of this, weddings are frequently more routine than meaningful.  In fact, I can count on one hand those that have really touched me.  Maybe I have become calloused, but I find that in this day in age, most weddings are more of a party than a symbol.  The vows taken frequently end in broken marriages and indescribable pain.  Faithfulness and purity are completely foreign terms.  According to the Bible, weddings are supposed to be a symbol of unity, true love, and self-sacrifice, but what do these words really mean?  All that to say, last weekend's wedding was one of the most beautiful ones I have seen in a long time because it gave me a chance to ponder just that.  And it all started with the bridal entrance....

When everyone's focus is on the bride, I always look at the groom.  Because, while the bride will surely be smiling in her radiant glory, the groom always has an amazing look of anticipation that will turn into pure delight, and then overwhelming love.

Watching Hiro, was no different.  His emotions were so clearly marked that I couldn't help but start thinking about Christ and his Bridegroom, the church.  If a wedding is supposed to symbolize that unity, than how much more love and emotion Christ must have for us.  Though it might seem like I am trivializing God, I can't help but wonder, Does He wait with much anticipation for us?  Does He have a huge smile on His face every time we commune with Him in prayer or worship? 

How is it that God can have such an amazing love His church?  Why is it that he truly rejoices in us,  a group of sinners?  It is hard to grasp, but it is true -- He delights in us and desires us to be unified with Him.

 

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.  (Ephesians 5:21-23)

This truly is a profound mystery.  Hiro's and Sarah's love for one another is just an imperfect symbol of Christ's love for us.  They are human.  They will make mistakes.  They won't always be loving to one another.  But, Christ isn't like that.  His love is truly forever.  It is unconditional.  He DIED for us.  He gave His life for us so that we can live forever with him.  There is no greater love than this.  It is truly  TRUE LOVE. 

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.... ...He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
 Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. (Revelation 22: 17; 20-21)

Sarah's Cake Disaster (or should I say Cake Magic)

Last week was the lovely wedding of a wonderful couple in my church.  Long story short, Sarah was asked to decorate the wedding cake and groom's cake.  It was really supposed to be simple -- three frozen cakes (one chocolate icing /chocolate cake, two whipped cream/white cake) were to arrive the  afternoon before.  They would be stacked and ready for Sarah, who would arrive after school and add a few flowers and decorations. If only it was that easy........

First the UNDECORATED groom's cake looked like this: 

It says "Happy 100th Day of School at KIS"

 Then the "white" stacked cakes looked like this:

...and Sarah's face looked like this!

Instead of two white cakes with whipped cream frosting, one was chocolate with chocolate mousse filling and no frosting.  A kind soul tried to help by frosting the other with plain whipped cream.  Unfortunately, plain whipped cream doesn't hold its shape and soon melted (taking the chocolate mousse with it).  For the next few hours we salvaged the best we could --  scraping off rainbows and drippy whipped cream and using our Iphones to research how to best make stiff whipped cream (plain gelatine works wonders!!)  As Sarah attempted to melt chocolate for the piping design, other church members started to arrive to begin preparations for the reception the next day.  All of the bodies (and stove) in the tiny kitchen started to once again melt the frosting and kept the chocolate from hardening.  Thankfully though we had help as other church members volunteered to run to the store for more cream, patiently spread it when we needed a break, and pray for and encourage us.  Finally around midnight, we left leaving the confections in God's hands and praying that the cake topper wouldn't topple once again or the chocolate apple wouldn't crack for the fourth time...

The next morning, we were very blessed: 

We also came to a very important decision...

...we aren't going to give up our jobs to start a cake decorating business any time soon!

Random news of the day....

So, I found out today that I was one of my elementary school's "Top News"

Click here to see the Japanese article and picture.

I think I should have worn a different sweater though....  I kind of blend into the blackboard ;-)

雪祭り:Hokkaido's Snow Festival

Here is just a preview of my amazing snowy weekend.  To see the entire (okay not the entire, but best hundred or so) photos click here.

Woohoo!!! Maybe I'm not so illiterate after all!

The December Japanese Language Proficiency Tests results arrived today and guess what?  I passed again....  Actually, it would have been really bad if I hadn't passed because it was the same level as the one I passed in July.  I just took it a second time to improve my score.  And I did -- by over 20 points!  Now, I am officially in the "A" range.  Can you tell that I am just slightly excited.  Sometimes I get so frustrated with my Japanese inadequacy -- I often feel SOOO stupid here.  It is nice to know that at least I am learning something ;-)  My new goal is to take the Level 3 test in July -- July 1st to be exact!!  Not exactly the way I was planning on celebrating my birthday, but oh well, I'm sure it will be memorable and worthwhile!  But, I won't improve if I don't study, so back to the books, but I have to finish this really pesky graduate school application first.  Speaking of which...

節分：Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival)

February 3rd was setsubun here in Japan.  Being the last day of winter, it is customary to have a "bean-throwing" ceremony to scare away the evil and wish for luck.  My first experience of the day was when I was handed a bag of "lucky" beans by Mr. Nakamura (the first-year's English teacher) during English class.  Not long after, an oni (demon? devil?  goblin?) showed up to class.  We were supposed to throw the beans at him while shouting "鬼は外！福はうち！”　(roughly translated as "demons out, luck in")  

"lucky" soybeans

The oni stayed long enough for a photo op!

That afternoon, in school lunch, we were given whole sardines and more "lucky" beans -- this time sweetened.  Supposedly, in ancient Japan, it was customary to hang the dead fish outside the entrance of the house to scare away the bad luck.  I can believe it!  The sardines faces were scary enough to keep me away!!!

That night, I was invited by one of the elementary school's teachers to visit an actual Bean-throwing ceremony in a Buddhist temple in a neighboring city.  A very long story short, getting there became an adventure when my entire junior high school got involved and my principal tried to send me to one temple when I was actually supposed to be at another one.   Then due to the weather, my train was early (so I missed it) and the next one was late (so I missed the ceremony ;-(   Oh well!  I still made it to dinner at the teacher's house where we ate makizushi (uncut sushi) in silence while facing the "lucky" direction only to finish with a hearty laugh.   Then we all took turns wearing the oni mask and dashing in and out of the front door while throwing beans at one another. 

eating in silence

pretending to be an oni

AAHHH....I was scared away

the littlest oni

It was so nice to have a chance to enjoy a Japanese festival with a family (a rare occurrence for me!) even if I didn't believe a bit of it.  As someone said at church today, "It takes more than dried beans to scare away the devil!"
 

Oh, and as for the makizushi, I found an amazing variety at the convenience store.

Yep, it was roll cake filled with cream and fresh fruit!!

Definitely my kind of sushi!

Snow at School

This past week we were surprised and blessed with several snow flurries at school.  Needless to say, the students and their ALT were equally excited to see it!! 

On Faith...

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.  (Hebrews 11:1)

There's a hidden image.  Can you see it?

Just recently, a friend asked me how I was preparing to leave Japan.  As of this past week, its official – my time in Japan will end with the closing of my contract August 3^rd.  “Its so hard,” I said, “an emotional roller coaster. I'm a very loyal person and I hate letting go.”

Letting go.  Change.  Having faith in God's perfect plan.  Oh, these are the things that I have always struggled with.  I actually find it interesting that God always puts me in situations where I must once again be faced with those three important lessons.  I guess I still haven't learned them!

Ever since I was eight, I felt God leading me to Japan.  The doors didn't open until over 17 years later, but I knew this is where I was supposed to be.  Looking back over the past 3.5 years, I have come to profound realization.  When I came here, I thought that God was bringing me here to be a teacher -- to teach others.   I thought that I would be the one to cause change.  Instead, I have realized that it is I who has had to be changed. I have become the student.  God brought me here to learn lessons – lessons in humility, in trust, in relationships, and in stepping out of my comfort zone.   Lessons that I could have, for some reason only learned here.

But, letting go, oh how hard that is!!   I know without a doubt, that God is calling me back to the USA.  For how long?   I don't know.  As much as I would love to come back here and be part of his plan in Japan, I also realize that He may have a different plan for my life.   Thus, when I ultimately say goodbye, it may be forever!   Although I can't focus on that thought, even now, tears well up in my eyes.  Japan has become my adopted home, and although we don't always see eye-to-eye (and communication isn't exactly a strong point in our relationship :-), I have learned so much from the country and its people – my people!  My students, my teachers, my friends.  Ultimately, I will have to leave them behind trusting that God will finish the work that He has so faithfully started.  He faithfully started.  It has had nothing to do with me.  I should just be so blessed that I was given a chance to be here, even if it was for a short time...

In the meantime, I have to also trust Him about the perfect plan He has for my life.  What is He calling me to do now?  What doors will He open?  Today in church, the pastor was speaking from Psalms 31 about trusting God even when things are challenging or don't go our way.  If we trust in Him, He will lead us into the best plan for our life.  Sometimes, that plan may not be easy (or it may not make sense to us) but in his perfect plan it is the best.  Our perspective and His is oh, so different!  I guess its like looking at the world through a paper tube.  We are blinded from the periphery, whereas God can see everything -- the past, the present, and the future.  I am so blessed that I have a wonderful Heavenly Father to whom I can cling.  He has faithfully lead me this far, I know He will continue to do so.  

On my star is written my New Year's wish ~ to have genuine Faith, Hope, and Love

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24b

Who do you think used a translator?

When I returned to Japan, one of my first projects was grading my first-year students' winter homework -- a three-day English journal about their New Years' holidays.  Needless to say, I got some really entertaining answers thanks to their use of Japanese-English translators.  However, please don't think that I am making fun of my kids.  I can totally relate to their struggle in learning another language.  I too have made some real doozies.  For example, just this last week instead of saying "Japan's Prime Minister," I some how managed to say "shaving my underarms."  (Don't ask me how I managed that one).  But thankfully, I have some very kind friends who are patient with all of my errors, can usually decode what I'm trying to say, and always encourage me to continue in my language study.  It is my hope that my kids can feel the same way about me....  


Anyway, some of my favorite quotes:

"Study also wants to do its best at this tune."

 "I wipe the floor with my mother."

"The circumference of dinner is a lot of seafood."

"Because it was cold in the outside, warm pig juice was eaten."

"So why the shoe fly."

"This is my first trip on a bullet train person today."

"A friend and sweets were eaten."

"I went to the house of a cousin today.  Therefore, I ate a pan.  I was very delicious!"

"The chicken disliked me and therefore I did not eat it this year." 

Florida!

As my plane prepared to land in Tampa to visit my grandparents, I couldn't help but feel joy.  I was home!  Sure, I may not live in Florida anymore (and probably never will given the current circumstances) but there is something about going back to the place where you feel most familiar.  I guess I never realized how much I miss nor did I realize how gorgeous the state really is. 

 

Thanks to my aunt making a wrong turn, I got to see the ocean after all! (Even though it was from the highway)

Orlando at Dusk

My date with Madame Eglantine (I wasn't watching the clock and ended up practicing for hours, literally!)

Aunt Hilda and I decided to buy fireworks for New Years

The grand finale -- Jumbo Purple Rain

Umm... maybe not so jumbo ;-)

Greek food in American sizes (I couldn't even eat half!)

One night I convinced my uncle to take me on a ride on the back of his Harley -- too fun!