Raggedy Lamb

My Mom's 77th Birthday

2011-10-29T22:23:00.000+09:00

My mom celebrated another birthday. Actually, one of my sisters said everyone else was celebrating it, and Mom was wondering who all the people were.

We have a custom. When one of us five girls is not there for a group shot, a stuffed animal sits in our place. This time the two of us who live too far away to attend are there in the photo frames. Sister # 3 is holding my picture (#1). Sister #2 is holding #4's picture and #5's three-year-old son. And next to Mom is Sister #5 with her 15-month old daughter on her lap.

We continue to be thankful and amazed that Mom has not suffered the usual pain that accompanies cancer. Her decline has been gradual, and much slower than the doctors first supposed it would be. She can still eat regular table food, but someone has to feed her. She cannot stand and walk, and since she's always been one to get up and down all the time, I'm sure this is very hard for her. Also, she can no longer use the toilet, so one of my constant prayers is that her caregivers are keeping her clean and dry. The hardest of all is that my mother is pretty much incoherent now. It seems as though nobody understands anything she says.

The last time I visited her was last year for her 76th birthday. I'm sad that I cannot go there and sit with her now, but I am relieved that she is in good hands. And she is in Good Hands, too. She is baptized, and she believes that the One Who died for her on the cross, Jesus the Christ, has taken her punishment for all her sins. And while she is weepy quite a lot these days, soon she will cry no more. Glory be to God.

It's the Little Things

2011-10-21T16:35:00.000+09:00

Here's a short conversation I had the other day.

Me: What music are you playing now?
Girl: We're playing English Fork Songs.

There are times when I really enjoy hearing things I'm sure I'd never hear if I didn't live in Japan!

Just Found This Neat Blog!

2011-09-27T23:50:00.000+09:00

I like it! It's the Book of Concord in written bites!

Has it been five months since I last posted?

2011-09-20T16:38:00.000+09:00

Hello. Long time, no see. No hear. No write. No read.

Only work. Make lesson plans. Drive. Cook. Do laundry. Check homework. Pull weeds. Go to church. Shower. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Of course, it was a real bother to do much with a computer that often had tantrums. Now that I have a spiffy new computer, and a new semester is starting up, maybe I can get back to blogging. I know that there are a few people who look in on me to see what's happening.

Must add "Post on my blog" to my list of perpetual acts.

School Situations

2011-04-17T22:00:00.000+09:00

Some things are settled, and some things are getting there. Since our family is nothing but teachers and students, and we all go to a slew of schools, we’ve been in a kind of limbo ever since the earthquake on March 11. Before I talk about my own family’s situation, let me explain some things in case you’re not familiar with some of Japan’s educational practices.

The Japanese school year begins in April and ends in March. Yes, school goes on (pretty much) the entire year. There are breaks, of course, but for most students even during the breaks there’s a reason to go to school once in a while, and there are usually homework assignments or tests to prepare for because your “job” at this stage in life to be studious and learn as much as you can (while it’s “easy”). So, when the earthquake hit, students were at the end of the school year. Things were coming to a close, students were looking forward to graduation ceremonies and having their spring vacation (the only 2 weeks out of the year that you could really feel FREE from teachers and homework).

Another function of school grounds in many areas is to serve the local community as an evacuation center in case of some emergency. Thus, since most of the evacuation centers were schools, the schools could not continue classes to the end of the school year. Actually, no one was psychologically able to teach or attend classes the first few weeks anyway. While there has already been a start in building temporary housing units for evacuees, there are still a lot of new homeless in school gymnasiums. There have been attempts to put up partitions, so that families can have some sort of privacy from all the others living practically on top of one another. (One TV program showed us how one evacuation center organized themselves into the same neighborhood divisions that existed in their normal neighborhood, so that people could be in proximity to the same people they always live near. It gave them comfort to be near the people they knew and could talk with freely.)

Ceremonies are a common and frequent part of Japanese culture. Unfortunately, many schools decided to cancel graduation ceremonies. A lot of schools did not cancel, and there were programs on TV showing us the scenes of the graduation ceremony going on with all the evacuees sitting on the gym floor in the background partaking in the milestones of students whose living situations and future plans were now altered drastically. Especially poignant scenes were of parents receiving the graduation certificates of their deceased children. Every graduation ceremony has speeches. There’s the principal’s talk, the student selected to represent the graduating class reading his or her message to the principal, and a parent of one of the graduating students giving thanks to the teachers. Almost all of them tried hard not to break down for this year’s message was atypical: how do you give an inspirational message of a wonderful future in the middle of death and destruction? You cannot say the things you usually say. The things that are usually said would be rather trite this year.

No sooner did the scenes of graduation finish, then we saw scenes of parents with children starting school for the first time. So many of them had already prepared, and now their preparations were for naught. People from all around the country began sending in their children’s old school bags, uniforms, gym clothes, and other supplies, so that not only brand new students, but any student who was in need, would have everything necessary to resume as normal a student life as possible in the upcoming school year. I was amazed at their efficiency in gathering and distributing it all.

So, where are we now? Maybe it would be easier if I went person by person.

Ai goes to a public high school in a town next to Sendai. Last week she went to school almost everyday, but she attended her club activity for the most part. She has two more days of club only then the official school year will begin on the 21^st of April. That’s about 2 weeks later than usual.

Makoto goes to a public high school in Sendai. He will start classes on the 22^nd. That’s also about 2 weeks later than usual.

Yuko goes to a public university in a town next to Sendai. I’m still not sure of the exact starting date, but I think it will be around the end of the first week of May. That’s about one month later than usual. (Note: Most educational institutions beyond high school have no classes for two months in the summer and two months in the spring.)

My husband teaches at three different universities. Two are in Sendai, and I believe they are both beginning at the same time as Yuko’s university. One is in Ishinomaki, and that school will begin the last week of May.

I teach at five different schools. My high school class begins this week, and my junior high school class begins next week. One university will begin the at the end of the first week in May, another (the same one my husband’s at in Ishinomaki) will begin the last week of May, and the Ishinomaki Red Cross Nursing School will begin some time in June. On March 29^th, I learned that all of the staff and students at the Ishinomaki Red Cross Nursing School are alive and well. When I spoke with one of the teachers there by phone, I was on the verge of bursting out in tears of relief. I didn't realize I was so scared until I heard from her. The building is still standing, but the first floor was completely destroyed by the tsunami. They have to find some new facility (perhaps at the Red Cross Hospital itself, or at the other university in town where I also teach once a week.

Things are moving along, and it won’t be much longer before we have our school routines in place. Once again, because all of this earthquake-tsunami-nuclear stuff happened when it did, our household of teachers and students truly were not nearly as bothered or stressed as the majority of people who could not take time off from their vocations even when everything was a living hell. Our hearts still feel so much pain because there was not much we could do at that time to lessen their burdens.

Lunch with My LLL Sendai Friends!

2011-04-05T11:17:00.000+09:00

April 4th (Monday)

This morning I got a phone call from a friend (MK) I haven’t seen for about 3 years. And she said that another friend (KI), who I haven’t seen but once or twice since she moved about 15 years ago, was in town, let’s do lunch. I was sure it was a joke, and yet I knew it wasn’t…. since people wouldn't normally make such jokes when you're dealing with the aftermath of the fourth worst earthquake in recent history. So we figured out where to meet, and about an hour before our meeting time, she called again and said she found another friend (YS) to join us.

Talk about excited! Twenty years ago, I was the one to start a La Leche League group here in Sendai. In those days, there were only a handful of LLL groups in all Japan, and in Sendai there were almost no breastfeeding support groups at all. KI was one of the first women that met me through a lecture I gave at a community center, and through her I learned about an alternative kindergarten her sons went to. Megumi joined Kangaroo Kindergarten, and KI joined LLL Sendai. We got to know each other really well. Through word of mouth LLL Sendai began to grow and MK joined. KI and MK became LLL Leaders at the same time, and soon after that YS joined LLL. In addition to our monthly meetings, we held weekly play group times so we could have a chance to just hang out with the kids at various mother/baby-friendly spots around town.

Though we all lived in the same city, we all live quite different lives and are scattered about so that our paths would hardly ever cross. And, of course, you know how it is, you take care of your own family, associate with the people involved in whatever schools or activities your kids are in while they're growing up. And, in Japan, even your kids may not all go to the same schools! Then, too, all of us left LLL behind us since we all were employed outside the home as well.

What a sharing time it was. I mean, first you want to just look at everybody and be happy that you can see one another again! And then you all are surprised that everyone “hasn’t changed a bit!” (Except for the reading glasses that the two younger ones pulled out of their bags to read the menu!) Then everyone takes turns talking about … the earthquake, the tsunami, the aftermath, comparing experiences … and try to catch up on how old the kids are, what they’re doing, etc. It was such a strange, yet natural time.

And, for those in the States that might still need some reassurance when I tell them my family is fine, here are a few the things my friends (and their families) have gone through.

MK: She lives about a 15-minute drive from me. She lives in what the Japanese call a danchi, a suburban residential area on the outskirts of a bigger city. She has her own home, and her first two college-age children are living in Tokyo. She works as a Care Manager in a nursing home on the edge of the center of Sendai city. During the actual 3/11 earthquake, she was at work. During the earthquake there was one resident who was completely oblivious to this huge shaking going on, insisting that she had to go to the toilet right NOW. (I won’t go into all the rest of that, but you can guess…) So, for MK the past 3 weeks have been spent working at the nursing home, with the child-like elderly not understanding why there are only 2 meals a day, and why this and why that. Even the staff has been getting more irritable, since they, too, don’t have much to eat, plus have to deal with getting to and from work, standing in lines to buy 5 items of food (for whatever number of people are at home waiting for them to bring home something to eat), having to stand in lines of 2 liters of water per person per household, and not having electricity (for 2 weeks), running water (for 2.5 weeks), city gas (for 3 weeks). She couldn’t believe that our electricity came back on (and has stayed on all the time) within 48 hours. Her kids in Tokyo couldn’t find any food in the stores in Tokyo, so they contacted her (not sure how) and asked her to send them something to eat. She didn’t have anything to send them, but told them that at least in Tokyo they could find restaurants. They were told to go get at least one real meal at a family restaurant each day. Last week, MK went by bus to Tokyo to see them for a few days. And to finally take a bath.

KI: She’s the friend that sent me a care package because she imagined we were having as hard a time as her son was. Her first son works in Sendai, and actually he was working in one of his company’s office near the coast. (I think she said Onnagawa, but there was so much talking back and forth that I’m not sure now exactly which town it was.) There was one quick earthquake two days before the 9.0 hit, and since everyone in this part of Japan has been expecting the Big one any year now, his office established on that day precisely where to go to higher ground if/when the Big one comes. Little did they know that 2 days later, their escape plan would be implemented and be successful. KI’s son’s apartment is in the northern part of Sendai, which was not so badly damaged, and he still had his car. So, he and two of his colleagues drove bit by bit over the roads that were still just barely serviceable. What usually would be a 2-hour drive, took 2 days. There were too many people trying to creep away from the coast. Cars would run out of gas, and the people would have to ditch their car and continue on foot. When he got back to his apartment, he learned that it was all blocked off. He wasn’t allowed in it for a few weeks because it needed to pass safety inspections. Rather than go to an evacuation center, he and his friends decided to just live in the car until things got better. So, they would hear that at this place in town you could still buy some take-out food, in that part of town you could find some gas, in another part of town you could go take a bath, and so on. So drive somewhere and park and live and wait it out.
   Once KI knew that her first son was alive and safe, her worries turned to her second son. He was in Indonesia trekking around for a few months before starting his new job. How long and how bad could the tsunami be if/when it reached Indonesia? And, where exactly was he anyway? Since she was in Tokyo, she started her search on the internet. (And she found my son Makoto’s name. How odd.) Anyway, her worries were unnecessary we now know, but at the time….. freak out! But you can’t really freak out, because you have to keep calm.
   KI works at a daycare center and she’s in charge of the O-year-olds (babies you are under the age of one, I mean). Yes, the little babies, too, were very afraid and stressed out. (And I KNOW that they got lots of loving holding from this retired LLL Leader!) I don’t know how many she tends to at a time or how many others are on staff, but it brought to mind how important each person’s vocation is, no matter what. When your world turns topsy-turvy and you don’t know why, all you can do is look to the one in a better position and long for their help. Poor little babies, but she was there for them.

YS: Although I had once approached her about becoming a LLL Leader, she was preparing to begin her career as a hula dance teacher. For about 15 years now, she’s built her dance studio and has become known around town as THE hula teacher in Sendai. And, you can imagine how she knows this person who knows so-and-so who’s related to somebody’s best friend from another part of the country. (And I thought Lutheran circles and LLL circles knew you and everybody else!) So, she was able to fill us in on all the details of anything you wanted to know. Even if you didn’t know you wanted or should want to know it! Her family of 3 lives close to one of the subway stations in Sendai. It’s in a hilly area, and got pretty cracked up, I guess. So, although I couldn’t figure out if or how long she was in an evacuation center, I do know that she had lots of evacuation center stories which the other three of us didn’t have. (I’ll write about evacuation centers in another post later.) I’ll share one story she told.
   There is another hula teacher she knows well who lives in a small rural town on the way from Sendai to Ishinomaki. She and another person in her car (I’m not sure who it was), were driving away from the tsunami, but the tsunami crashed over her car. The car was in the water, but the car was still on the ground. She didn’t even think, but suddenly forced her car door open, grabbed the person in the passenger seat by the arm and pulled her out of the car. They were able to run away, but she lost her home and her car. I don’t know if she went to an evacuation center or not, I suppose she did at first. But, now she’s in a city about an hour north with her husband’s relatives (I think). Even though she lost her house, her dance studio was still standing. (I’m not sure if the studio was near her house or in another location.) It was all muddy inside, but the mirror wall was in perfect condition. And there was a painting on an easel (I don’t know anything about Hawaiian culture, but apparently this picture is akin to a Hawaiian saint or goddess or something.) And the painting also was not damaged, so, of course, she protected the studio. (What can I say: I have friends who don’t think the same way I do.) ;-)
   Now, on to the reason I chose this story to share. This dance teacher, who now has no domicile, wants to begin collecting whatever she can so that people in that area can get back on their feet. THIS is what I have been waiting to hear ever since March 11th. Sitting in my house while being nearly unscathed and witnessing the travesty all around has been just about one of the worst things. I mean, you know how it is, you see some God-awful scene somewhere in the world, and you don’t want to be helpless. You wish you could DO something to help. To make it better. To fix it. To make it GO AWAY! But, most of the time, it’s somewhere else. It’s bad, it’s hell, and it’s not supposed to be that way. You want to stop it and put things right again. But what can you do? Nothing. But look at the TV and be numb with your jaw hanging open and fighting the tears. Or just letting the tears flow freely and not care about wiping them away or that anyone notices you’re crying. So, now YS has my number, and she knows I drive out to Ishinomaki twice a week, and I know that I can start collecting things that people are willing to give away. (I mean, even the evacuation centers will not take used clothing. Everything you donate to the evacuation centers has to be brand new and the packages can never have been opened. I understand their reasoning behind it, but most people have a lot of good things that could be donated to these people who are going to be struggling and suffering for some years to come.)

And that pretty much sums up my lunch outing today. How blessed I am to have such friends. ;-)

MK, Me, KI & YS

Stay or Leave?

2011-03-31T12:13:00.000+09:00

March 31^st (Thursday)

Sorry for the long silence. We have been trying to clean up and normalize our lives a bit since my last post.

Actually, I had been drafting the nuclear issue that ensued after the tsunami hit two plants pretty hard, but it's been an ongoing event. Quite a few people in the States have been wondering how my family is faring, whether we would stay put, what would we do if such and such happened. How do you answer those questions? How do we know, how do we try to disseminate the information coming to us, how, when, what, where, why, and more? I admit I was tempted to go back to my dear Michigan, and several nights I could not sleep. Thoughts flooding my mind of what would it be like to leave our home and mortgage behind. Well, the home we could leave behind, but the mortgage would follow us anyway. What would it be like to live in Jackson again? In, perhaps my mother’s house, where, perhaps, she could come live with us (instead of at my sister's) in her own house, and we would all live happily ever after. Sure. What would it be like to yank my three kids out of their lives here (although they often tease me about if America’s so wonderful, why are we in Japan), and get them situated in U.S. schools where they would have more adjustments than high school students who change schools for their last year or two of high school from one English-speaking school to another English-speaking school. They would manage, but it wouldn’t be without lots of struggles. What would it be like to look for work over there in Michigan, one of the states with a high unemployment rate already? What would it be like to NOT be able to start receiving my Japanese (Koji’s, too) pension? I’ve paid 23 of the 25 required years of premiums, and I’m going to give that up? What would it be like to leave my husband’s parents behind? They are nearly 90 years old, and I can’t imagine they would be eager to leave Japan and start over somewhere else. They need their son so much these days. How could we abandon them?

The what-if list and the what-would-it-be-like lists can go on and on. They are places the mind and heart can lead you far and wide. It is good to think about these things. It is good to know your options. It is good to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. But it is not good to dwell on them and despair. It is not good to look within yourself when you should be looking at Jesus. Let me share something a friend of mine sent me on March 21^st. I’m not sure where she read this, so I’m unable to credit the original source.

Life Thought for the Church: March 20 – Second Sunday in Lent Faith in God’s love for us through Christ brings eternal life (John 3:16). Faith in God’s love for us through Christ brings strength and help for living this life. God will not abandon those for whom He paid such a holy price. This is our hope as we deal with life’s struggles and pains. God’s love is certain no matter what! You can believe it!

This helped me sort out some of my thoughts. I guess, the biggest one being, that there are so many circumstances outside of my control. I don’t believe that all this chaos is God controlling the universe. That’s not what I mean. But, He does allow bad things to happen, and uses even these events to draw people to Himself. C.S. Lewis said in The Problem with Pain, “Pain is God’s megaphone to a dying world.” Wherever I am, I am a little Christ to those around me. (If you ask me, I’m really not a very good one, but that’s another post. And don’t hold your breath waiting for that one!) So here I am until I know otherwise. In any case, all because of the grace of God.

Day Four

2011-03-19T23:05:00.000+09:00

March 14, 2011 (Monday)

Another sunny morning! A sunny day always means we can air out our bedding, so everybody had to be up and moving so we could pick up the futon in the tatami room and drape them over some chairs so that air could circulate and freshen them up. Our tatami room is next to the living room, and it’s also the room where my husband and I sleep. Now, though, all five of us were sleeping wall to wall. Talk about the “family bed!”

The kids got to fetch LOTS of water, and I was able to wash two loads of laundry. It sure took a long time! I had to operate the machine manually since we didn’t have running water, and had to keep dumping pickle buckets of water into the machine every time you turned around! What usually would be a one hour task in which you put the clothes in the machine and push a button and leave the machine to do everything on its own until it calls you with it’s I’m-finished beeps, took nearly four hours. There must be a better way to do this! (Hopefully we’ll have running water again soon so I don’t have to hurt my head thinking how.)

In between dumping buckets, I tried to get our a.m. meal ready. That was a bit easier because I could cook on my IH range top and even use the microwave as usual. But when it came time to wash the dishes, that too, took a lot more time than I was expecting. I was having a hard time remembering which buckets of water were for cooking and which were for washing. We were using water from different sources. The water from one neighbor’s well was not yet clear, but it wasn’t sandy. The water from another neighbor’s spring was a little cloudy, so we didn’t want to use that for cooking. Oh, and we also had river water in the buckets to use for flushing the toilet. It gave me some insight into those times and places where people (usually women) had to go to a community well to secure water for their family. We are so spoiled.

Back to fixing our A.M. meal (I call it that because we decided we would eat only twice a day until we are sure that we’ll be able to get around and go shopping). I was listening to our emergency radio, and all of a sudden there was a song. It was the fourth day since the earthquake happened, and the radio was always reporting on the earthquake and tsunami horrors. For the first time I cried. A song. I don’t even remember what song it was, but it touched that place in my heart that reminds you that there are depths where no one can go. No one, and sometimes even you yourself dare not go there for fear that what you see deep down there is too much for you to handle. They (who are they?) say that music soothes the soul. I suppose it does, but there are times when I’m listening to Tschaikowsky or Mozart when I have to stop everything I’m doing and just BE in that music. It pierces my heart and makes me yearn for whatever it is that is good to be true and to come now. That’s what happened when I heard that song. I cried and was glad, because it gave me, and not only me (I mused), but all the other listeners as well, hope. Hope that this would soon be over and we could resume our lives in spite of all the damage done.

Then, after finishing the morning dishes, and getting the laundry out to dry, as though I hadn’t even had that tearful moment, I was irked because it started to rain and to feel cold. The weather report said it would turn to snow and continue until the weekend. Oh, that’s just great!

Day Three

2011-03-18T22:42:00.001+09:00

March 13, 2011 (Sunday)

Sunday morning arrived with a long list of things that need doing. And even though the list was long, most things would not get checked off. Usually I try to go to the 9:00 a.m. service at my church (and I rush back home to get lunch for my family), but this day I didn’t go. We did have our pancakes as we tend to do on Sundays. Some frozen blueberries were thawing out right there in the freezer drawer, so we plopped them five per pancake. They tasted really yummy. I think it was the ashes from our outdoor fire that added the right touch. We ate something else, too, but I can’t even remember now (I’m writing this 5 days later) what we had.

The bulk of the morning was spent getting water, and boiling it over and over and over again, so that we all could wash our bodies and shampoo our heads. Not knowing how long we’d have to live like campers, we tried to gather more wood, too. Dad and Ai went up the hill to a neighbor’s house to use their well, and when they came back, they brought Ayumi-chan. She was the cute little granddaughter in the family, and it was our first time to meet her. She told me that she and Ai had already become great friends. When I asked her how old she was, she told me she was six, and that she’d be starting first grade when the calendar turns to the 4 page (in other words, April). After a while, she noticed I was different. She exclaimed, “Oh, an American mother!” Yuko came into the room, and Ayumi announced that she and Ai were friends. Yuko pouted a little and asked if she could be friends, too. Ayumi cheerfully agreed. But then when we said there was one more kid in our family, a big boy, Ayumi quickly said, “Oh, I’m not good at [being friends with] boys!” It was fun having her here. I love how kids are just plain real. They got out our Red Flyer wagon, played games in the yard, and could just have some fun for a few hours. It was like the good old days. ;-)

As it was sunny and clear, it was a good time to finally go upstairs and see what to do about the place. There are four rooms and a toilet closet. The toilet and the hallway were the only places where you could see the floor at all! None of the furniture had fallen over, but some in my room had moved away from the wall. The closet doors in all of the kids’ rooms had been thrown open, and the contents all jumbled and/or tossed into the rooms. The most I could accomplish was to clear a path in my own room so that I could get to the south window where I have a laundry pole set up to dry our laundry indoors when the weather is bad. Then I folded laundry, other clothes that were scattered all about, and untangled hangers. Then it was time for a coffee break!

After our break, I was sitting in the tatami room where we had all of our futon airing out and soaking in the sunshine. If it were a regular Sunday, I probably would have taken my ritual nap. Instead, I read for a while in my Treasury of Daily Prayer, and prayed that those that were worried about us would soon learn that we were fine. Then it was time to do some kitchen work and make sure we would have a decent supper. During that time, I was listening to our emergency radio. The reports were so awful, so much damage done, so many lives lost, so many needing to evacuate, so many, so many, too many! Then I tried to read the newspaper. Yes, the newspaper had been delivered. It was only a few pages, and all the news was about the Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake. As I was taking in the enormity of this disaster, ---

Ai gasped, “The electricity is on!” She was looking at the air conditioner on the east wall of our living room, and we could see the little lights blinking and the vent flaps closing. Oh! We scrambled up, she to try to recharge her cell phone, I mean PHS, and I to turn on my lap top. We shouted out to everyone else. The lap top needs time to warm up, so during that time, I ran all over the house testing switches and feeling happy. Just the day before, my husband had gone out and bought these nice little flashlights that have a strap and clip (like a pen does) so we each could have our own, but now we would be able to save our flashlight power for another time! Turning on my lap top these days usually means my cyber life is beckoning me, so, of course, the first thing to check is whether or not I can get online. Success! THAT means the telephone lines work, and THAT means I can call Megumi! So, I did. And she cried joyful tears of relief. And the phone got passed around. And I was able to let others know via the internet* that we were alive!

*Kudos to Mr. Gore for inventing the Internet!

Day Two

2011-03-17T21:42:00.000+09:00

March 12, 2011 (Saturday)

Hubby was up and ready to go sooner than usual. He still didn’t really know where to go, though. He went to the same spot where he had dropped Makoto off the previous morning, but there was nothing there. When he told me that, my mind started suspecting all kinds of foul possibilities. (But we won’t go there!)

He went (I think to one of our local evacuation spots) to see if he could get directions from someone in Atusya’s neighborhood. Somehow he found Atsuya’s house, and even though they were very worried about their grandfather who lives in a coastal area that was severely hit by the tsunami, his mother told him and his older brother to go with my husband and seek out the head office to see what information they could find about Makoto’s whereabouts. I think they were gone between four and five hours trying to maneuver in traffic that was hardly moving, people carefully creeping along and taking turns yielding to other drivers at intersections where none of the traffic lights were working. (Think back to last night! Driving in those conditions in the pitch blackness of a city full of lights throughout an ordinary night!)

I don’t remember what time Makoto got home, but someone from his workplace brought him home. He was fine. And I could breathe again. (I have to confess that I was a bit forlorn that he didn’t want to hug his mommy.) My boy was okay, and his first words were, “Where’s Dad?” “He’s out looking for you.” “What for?” ARGHHHH Can you tell he’s 17? ;-)

The rest of the day was spent inspecting the house. Dad determined that the foundation was still safe, no gaps or cracks anywhere, no broken windows, and the roof seemed to be fine. The Chair of our neighborhood association was making his rounds, and he was glad to hear that our son was home. My main job was to prioritize perishable food and eat that before it would spoil. The kids gathered firewood. (We can do that since we live in a rural area.) We had to set up a bucket toilet system, and hubby went out to see if he could get any other supplies we might need. We had plenty of water which I had been saving up over the past few years for the BIG earthquake that everyone knew would be coming. And spring was in the air.

Day One (at My House) of The Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake

2011-03-17T01:16:00.000+09:00

March 11, 2011

We (my husband, 16-year-old Ai, and I) had just finished a late lunch. Ai was brushing her teeth and I was getting my things ready to take her (and me) to the dentist. And then the shaking began. It was 2:46 p.m. Japan Standard Time. It was the strongest and longest I had ever felt. Hubby stayed in the kitchen, holding our tall filing cabinet so that it would stay in the little storage area under the staircase. I shouted out for Ai to get to a safe place, and I scrambled under our living room table. Most earthquakes are a quick swaying or a shudder or a jump and might last up to 15 seconds or so (at least that is what the fireman explained at my last Fire Prevention Club ( 防火クラブ ) just the previous Sunday), but this one must have went on for a good three minutes. I wondered if it would never stop.

All over the house you could hear things falling, bouncing and breaking. Not all, but a good number of glasses and dishes fell out of the dish cupboard in the kitchen and crashed into smithereens. When it quieted down, I quickly wiped up some Worcester sauce that had spilled in the kitchen, but in the middle of that task I had to dive back under the table in the living room for repeated rumbles. The following hour was spent picking up the broken glass and cowering under the table. Ai had been hiding in the toilet room on the first floor, but then came and joined me under the living room table.

Around 3:40, we decided Ai and I should get in my car. It would be safer there since nothing could fall on us. So, Ai and I huddled in my car while the man of the house took his car to two different neighbors to check on the great-grandmothers who may have been all alone. (They both seemed to have already been fetched by other of their family members.) And there in the car, Ai and I watched the car TV. We saw the tsunami come into Sendai airport, and I immediately thought that Megumi would have to cancel her plans to fly into Sendai airport in another two weeks. Then we saw more horrors of tsunamis extending far beyond the scope of where we thought the earthquake was really taking place. And I began to be frightened about where Yuko and Makoto were.

By 6:00 p.m., Dad decided it was time to go looking for Makoto. We had no idea where he might be! Dad had dropped him off at a meeting place near Izumi-chuo station at just past 8:00 a.m. It was his first day of a part-time job as one of hands of a team of movers. After reporting to work, he would be told where the moving company would be using him that day. So, we truly had no idea where in town he could have been. I can’t even remember the time slots, but my husband went out three times – once alone, once with Ai, and once with Yuko. He and Yuko returned at 2:00 a.m.

Yuko had come home at 6:30 p.m. She brought home some bottled water, bread and batteries. And in the dark, we three gathered something to eat. I don’t even remember what now. We still had running water, but the electricity went off exactly when the earthquake began and we sat in the candle light at the kitchen table trying to put ourselves in Makoto’s place wondering what he’d do if he were in this place or that. And all we could come up with was that we had no idea how he might do anything at all! It was still possible to send text messages via cell phones, but our family uses PHS. (Oh, we are such a backwards, not-with-it family!) So, we texted Makoto every hour (or maybe it was more), and Yuko sent Megumi an email to let her know that 4 of us were fine. Oh, I felt just awful telling Megumi that we didn’t even know where Makoto was. They are so close, and with her on the other side of the world….. She was quite stressed out for a few days trying to get some news about our happenings.

to be continued...

My Family and I are All Right!

2011-03-17T01:01:00.000+09:00

If you haven't heard by now, Japan had a 9.0 earthquake last week Friday. We live fairly close to the epicenter, but are more inland near the mountains in the northern part of Sendai. We've been able to stay in our own home, and our neighbors have offered to let us share their fresh springs and well water. I will try to post some of our experiences in the next few days, but in the meantime.....

Please consider helping by sending a donation to the site mentioned in this video. I work in Ishinomaki twice a week. One of my classes is at the Ishinomaki Red Cross Nursing School, and this video will give you a glimpse of some of the roads I travel when I go there.

Tonight my family was watching tv and in a scene of the tsunami washing away this part of Ishinomaki, there were two things that were left standing. There was a Statue of Liberty (I have no idea what that was about. It may have been a restaurant?). And the Russian Orthodox Church (which is not the building the Ishinomaki congregation uses anymore) which is of historical significance in this once booming port town in the northeastern part of Japan's main island.

Be not afraid. God will waste not one thing in spite of all that goes on around us.

My Mom and 4/5ths of Her Girls

2011-02-25T15:35:00.000+09:00

My Mom celebrated her 76th birthday on 10-10-10, and here are two pictures of me, 3 of my 4 sisters, and my mom.

While we were arranging ourselves around mom and her chair, someone in the family looking on commented on how we looked just like "Little Women." Well, maybe...

Then some smart aleck relative (which could have been any of us, come to think of it) said he thought we looked more like the "Golden Girls!" And that got us going...

I think I laughed the hardest.

The 2010-2011 School Year is Over!

2011-02-09T08:31:00.000+09:00

My grading is finished. Now I can put away my school books and papers for a few weeks, and get to some serious housework, quilting, blogging and planning the garden. Watch out clutter, here I come!

Coming Up for Air

2011-01-03T17:51:00.000+09:00

Happy New Year!

It's been several months since I've posted anything at all. After spending most of September in bouts of crying about not having been to go be with my dying mother since her battle with cancer began, we decided that it was time for me to go see her as soon as I could. I was looking at my schedule to see how to juggle my classes to get there for Christmas, but my husband said Christmas might be too late. So, I juggled my classes and squeezed in a ten-day visit in October. Her cancer had entered her brain in the latter part of August, and she began living with my first younger sister's family. Although she's not suffering any pain, her life is basically walking to and fro from her bed in the bedroom nearest the livingroom to her chair in the livingroom. We celebrated her 76th birthday on 10-10-10, and I saw relatives that I had not seen since I've come to Japan. (One of my aunts was shocked to see me drinking beer. She still pictured me as an under-age teen, I guess!)

Mom is still about the same as she was when I saw her in October, so I guess I could have gone for Christmas, but... Hindsight is 50/50 they say. And they are right.

After returning from seeing Mom, I never got around to blogging again because I had to catch up with my regular everyday vocations! I'm still not caught up, but wanted to come up for air to let you know that I am still around and hope to be a better blogger in 2011.

How Do You Read the Bible?

2010-09-02T22:07:00.000+09:00

How do you read the Bible? Do you read it as though it's just a literary work, a book of long-ago myths? Do you read it as a manual? Is it a how-to book so that you can attain a life of purpose and personal fullfillment? Do you read it because someone told you that you have to, or God will not come to your aid? Do you read it as a check list? Is it the way that you tally all the good things you have done, and make public what a good person you are? Are you determined to be in the Book of Life because you've read the Bible cover to cover, inside out and have memorized a million verses? Or do you just want to know Jesus and His love for you, and not only you, but the whole world? Here's "What the Bible is Bascially About!"

Five Minutes a Day with Luther

2010-08-25T23:20:00.000+09:00

August 25, 2010
by Pastor Robin Fish

2 Peter 1:5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge.

* * *

Here St. Peter takes up the admonition, that they should demonstrate their faith by good works. Since such great blessing is bestowed upon you through faith (he would say), that you really have all that God is, do this in addition: be diligent, that is to say, not sluggish; in your faith supply moral excellence; that is, let your faith break out before the world, so as to be zealous, busy, powerful, and active, and to do many works; do not let it remain idle and unfruitful. You have a good inheritance and a good field, but see to it that you do not let thistles and weeds grow upon it. Discrimination or knowledge is, in the first place, something which one should manifest in outward conduct, and the morality of faith, in accordance with reason. For we should bridle and check the body, to the end that we may be sober, vigorous, and fitted for good works. We should not torture and mortify ourselves as some famous saints have done. For though God is likewise opposed to the sins that remain in the flesh, yet does He not require that for this reason you should destroy the body. Its viciousness and caprice you should guard against. Still, you are not to ruin or injure the body, but give it its food and refreshment that it may remain sound and in living vigor. In the second place, discrimination, here, means that one should lead life deliberately, and act with discretion in regard to outward things, such as food and things of that sort; that one should not act in these things without thinking, and that he should give his neighbor no provocation.

Holy Father! Thou hast taught me
I should live to Thee alone;
Year by year Thy hand hath brought me
On through dangers oft unknown,
When I wandered, Thou hast found me;
When I doubted, sent me light;
Still Thine arm has been around me,
All my paths were in Thy sight.

Birthday Week

2010-08-12T10:19:00.000+09:00

On August 7th, one of my nieces (also my Goddaughter) celebrated her 18th birthday. When did she grow up? On the 11th, my husband had his big day. For once all of us were home to eat the evening meal together. Cake at 9:00 p.m. was a bit late, but he blew out all 8 of his candles. (I couldn't afford to buy 53 candles. Plus the cake was not even big enough for more than 10. I don't know why Ai put only 8 on the cake, but that's what it was.) On the 15th, another niece will be having her 14th birthday. She spent the early part of her summer vacation on the border of life or death when she had to have emergency brain surgery. She's back home now and recuperating rather well. A wonderful miracle.

But, the birthday I really want to mention belongs to Rifqa Bary. She has been through a very difficult year, and now she has been awarded her freedom. I think of her often, and shall continue to hope and pray that she will be well. God bless her and all the people that helped her arrive safely to see 18.

Lit2Go On iTunes U

2010-08-04T18:13:00.000+09:00

Lit2Go On iTunes U

Bumping into Other Sinners

2010-06-23T21:21:00.000+09:00

An awesome quote from Pastor Weedon's blog:

When the logs from our eyes have been removed through Calvary, we see. We see Jesus on the cross supplied by us, for us. We see ourselves as forgiven sinners. Then, when we bump into another sinner, we are able to help, for love comes sideways. We know the things that contradict Christ and the pain and ruin they work. We want each person we meet to be freed of them, and we are there to help him or her. --Dr. Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons, p. 170.

Jesus' Golden Rule

2010-06-14T23:58:00.000+09:00

Yesterday, Pastor Zeniya, gave us all a punch. Most people in Japan grow up taking care (they're supposed to anyway) not to bother others. Part of it may be due to the crowded living conditions. Some of it is an attempt to protect another person's pride or privacy by not intruding where you may not be welcome.

But Zeniya-sensei asked us, "Did Jesus tell us to not do to others what we do not want them to do to us?" That's the way the Golden Rule is put here in Japan. Don't! Don't bother someone else, then they won't bother you. On the Last Day, is God going to ask us if we held back and "stayed out of it" when dealing with other people. Or is He going to ask us if we reached out to help those in trouble and need. Did we use our possessions, skills and talents to make our neighbors' lives better, or did we think it better to not get involved.

Don't confuse what the culture around us says and think that that's the way Jesus said it.

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12

Pastor spoke a bit about relationships, too, but I was thinking about how some Christians put so much emphasis on having a realtionship with Jesus. Yes, it's true, we do have a relationship with Him. I think all people do, actually, even if they don't realize it. They are either in a good relationship or a bad one. But that aside, the aspect that Pastor was trying to explain is that second most important commandment.

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?"
Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
"The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12: 28-31

Now that we are baptized believers, we are free to reach out to those around us in need. When we see someone in trouble, we can be "little Christs" to our friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and complete strangers. Because Christ died on the cross to set us free from sin, we are free from worrying that we are "bothering" others. Sounds so easy, doesn't it?

Hardly.

Which is easier? Not standing up to a bully on the playground, because if I don't bother him then he won't bother me? Or standing up for someone being bullied, even if it means I'll be beat up by the bully, too? Which one is really loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself? If you were getting beat up by some big bad bully, you wouldn't mind someone coming to your rescue, would you? ;-)

Jesus' golden rule gets you involved in other people's lives. The golden rule of this culture doesn't. I don't remember where I first heard this, but it fits perfectly here. 'God doesn't need your good works, but your neighbor does.'

Presenting the Flotilla Choir

2010-06-04T17:28:00.000+09:00

Listen and pass it on.

HTAtlas Shrugs

Music My Kids Listen to ------- a LOT!

2010-05-05T12:46:00.000+09:00

Today is Children's Day in Japan, so here's in celebration of my kids. (Well, at least the three that are still under this roof.)

Ai's selection:

Makoto's favorite group:

Yuko's stuff:

A Genisis to Revelation Overview in 24 Hours!

2010-04-10T08:25:00.001+09:00

I can't wait! Be sure to check the archives (click the Issues widget on the right side of my page) if staying awake 24 hours straight is too much for you. Or if you have to work as I do.

How Could I Forget?

2010-03-17T23:11:00.000+09:00

It's March 17th! I completely forgot it's St. Patrick's Day today. Not that I actually "celebrate" it, but we always thought it was cool that we were descendants from Ireland (though we were happy to let anyone claim they were Irish, too, if they wanted). We wore green to school and got to pinch anyone that forgot to wear green (without getting in trouble for pinching, too!) My mom always made corned beef and cabbage for supper. (Sorry, Mom. I never liked it. It was such a relief to have that menu only once a year.)

I also forgot to do my Lucky Seven grocery shopping today. Great discounts on the 7th, 17th, and 27th of the month, and I blew it.

Well, I did get to put away our dolls. (Doll's Day, hinamatsuri, was March 3rd.) Cleaned some kitchen cupboards. Get some clutter out for garbage collection. AND talk to one of my sisters in Michigan for nearly an hour! It was a pretty good day.

Except I forgot to wear green. And tomorrow I'll have to do some grocery shopping without today's discounts.

Made it Through Another Examination Hell!

2010-02-07T11:29:00.000+09:00

Last year two of the kids had entrance exams, and this year one. Ai's junior high school recommended her to her first choice high school (public). She also passed both of the exams she took at two other schools (private) in town. There is still one more exam (public) in March, which she will not need to take now that her decision is settled.

Congratulations Ai! But remember, just because you don't HAVE to study for the March exams, doesn't mean you get to goof off, either. (Well, too much anyway.)

1/2 + 1/2 = ?

2010-01-25T22:21:00.000+09:00

Last night ~~Erin~~ Ai had a revelation!

She had been working on her autobiography for school, and was asking us about the reason for naming her ~~Erin.~~ (The reason for crossing out the name, is that I can't tell this story without revealing her real name! Oh dear, I would never make a good spy, would I?)

By the 4th child, we were wondering how we could keep up our custom of having all of the children have one kanji in common. But I also wanted a name that could fit both Japanese and English without being too foreign for relatives in both countries. Ai knew that when we were expecting her we were beginning the preparations to build a house with a view from our lot of a woody hillside. Then, too, my middle name is Lynn, and part of her actual name has a similar sound in it. (To the Japanese ear, that is!) But what she had to ask is which country is her name connected to, and why is that something I always tell her.

And when I told her, you could see from her expression what an impact it had on her. An epiphany moment of sorts. She was so surprised she even cried. Imagine that. What did she discover?

In Japan, a "Half" is a person who is not 100% Japanese. Some people may think it's shortened from the word halfbreed, but I don't think that it is actually. And it's not necessarily a put down, either, though there are people who don't like the term. In fact, when I first encountered it with Megumi, I had heard from someone that they preferred saying "I'm not Half, I'm Double." The idea being that bicultural children grow up with 2 cultures, languages, customs, passports, etc, not 1/2 of them. Then when Nozomi told me that one of her elementary classmated had called her a Half as though it was not a good thing, I assured her that her friend was also a Half. Everybody is half of their mother and half of their father. (I've always wondered how her friend liked my little explanation about that.)

Back to Ai's query. Why do I always remind her that her name means Ireland? Why do I tell people that all of the siblings names are Irish? She's half Japanese and half American, right? Right. And the American part is a mixture of Irish, English and German, mostly Irish.

INSTANT SHOCK !

She never realized until last night. And she cried. Her face was radiantly surprised, and after she wiped her tears, guess what she did? She called her best friend, who.....

..... is also a Half. And while on the phone, she could hear her friend asking her own mother if her Philippine half was only Philippine. Her mother told her that there's some Spanish and German in the mix as well.

1/2 + 1/2 = Double and a Lot More

* Upon writing this, I re-read it, and I doubt anyone will understand it unless you know Japanese, English and the various ways of writing and pronouncing both languages. Oh well, sorry about that if you don't get the marvel of this episode.

Better Late Than Never

2010-01-25T21:38:00.000+09:00

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR

Here's a shot of my four. It was from nearly a year ago!
Hey! January is just about over, and I'm still trying to catch up with 2009!

ただいま！(tadaima = I'm home!)

2009-12-28T10:27:00.003+09:00

Yesterday I became a full member of Sendai Minami Yoshinari Christ Church, a Lutheran Brethren Synod congregation about twenty minutes from my home. It took over twenty years for me to transfer my membership from my former church in Tokyo. What on earth took me so long? My sin. My pride. My shame. I did not want to give them up. Well, I was sorry about them, and I asked for God's forgiveness, but I still imagined that the triune me, myself, and I had to get my act together and convince, if not others, at least myself, that I was truly a real Christian.

Long story. I grew up in the Lutheran tradition, and it was nice. I believed that I needed a Savior, and I said I believed. But, so often my behavior didn't line up. I kept doing things for which afterward put me into despair. My life definitely didn't show any dramatic improvement. If anything, all I could see was someone who desired to do the right things, but never did. A complete moral failure.

In college, I remember asking a campus pastor, "Doesn't God want us to be good?"

"No, Becky, God doesn't want us to be good. He wants us to live with His Holy Spirit in us."

What kind of answer was that? I noted his comment in the margins of my Bible, and remained perplexed as to what he meant for the next 25 years. Maybe he meant that Jesus set us free, so we didn't have to worry about what we did or didn't do? Maybe not?

Another popular phrase, which I thought profound, was on a little desk placard someone gave me. Lord, thank you that there is nothing that together You and I can't do. Or something like that. I liked it because it made me feel like God and I were partners. He was there for me, and I could count on Him to always be there encouraging me as I went along the path of my choosing.

When I was 16 my Mom gave me a Bible for Christmas. I soon started marking it up, highlighting it, underlining and applying its principles to my life. Or maybe it was more like, I'd go looking for phrases that I could claim approved of the ways I thought things should be done. I went to that Bible often, always doing after-the-fact checks that the Bible really did line up with my concept of what God wanted for me.

The more I did that, the more I seemed to go further into despair. What on earth was wrong? I was in the Bible, but none of it seemed to "work" for me. Wasn't my life supposed to be an example to others? Wasn't my Christian life supposed to brings others to Christ? It certainly wasn't doing that! It wasn't even making my life all that satisfying to me! Maybe Christianity wasn't what it claimed to be? Especially since my parents divorced and the family I grew up in was crumbling, and my Japanese fiance's family seemed to have it all together, maybe I was too narrow-minded and arrogant thinking that Christianity was the only way.

So, I started, well not really allowing that all religions are equally valid, but at least not insisting that Christ was the only Way, Truth, and Life..... at least while we are alive on this earth. I didn't really get into other religions, though I did do yoga while pregnant. But I quit that as I started freaking out whenever the yoga instructor would talk in his hypnotic tone about how we were bowing down to Mother earth. I didn't like that.

Then I would meet with Christians who insisted I could not be a Christian because I was baptized when I was only a toddler, and I had to have a "born-again experience," a visible change from my sinful self to my new (sinless?) self. Since I could not point to such an experience, that was proof that I was a false Christian. That put me further into despair and made me mad as well. And, everyone "knows" that Christians are not supposed to get mad, so maybe they had a point there....

So, let's just put this on the shelf and cross the bridge when we get to it. Trouble is, you can't. I couldn't. Even though I had muddled God's Word, it was already there hidden in me. After years of going to church, a strong liturgical church at that, God's Word would come to me time and again. I could refuse to listen, but no matter how much I tried I couldn't keep from hearing it. And one day, it was as though I was put in a corner. Am I going to admit that Jesus is the Truth or is He just a liar?

I'm skipping all over the place here, but to make a long (mundane, too) story short, I got out my old copy of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Two things from his book remain in my mind. One is that in Christianity, all hangs on the person Jesus, and who He is. There are three choices: He is a lunatic, a liar or LORD of Lords. The other thing Lewis said was that it does one no good to stand in the hallway wondering which door to step into. He was referring to all the Christian denominations; one has to be part of a public Christian community, you can't just sit in the hallway and say you are part of the body of Christ.

That's when I realized that I had things all backwards. Jesus called me to follow Him, not for me to lead the way and have Him run along after me. He said that He is the vine and I am a branch; whatever good work I may do is completely because of being connected to Him. Hardly an equal partnership!

It is not necessary that I prove that I am a Christian. That is not what I "have to" do. The only thing needed is for me to believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that He has died in my place. And even believing is not my own accomplishment, that is a gift given me by the power of the Holy Spirit. And now I see what it means that God does not want us merely to be good for goodness's sake. He wants us to belong to Him, to come to Him in repentance, to receive the forgiveness that He offers and to rest in Him. Once that happens, the godly good will come. This is the peace, the eternal life, that we have in Christ. All praise and glory goes to God. It has taken a long time to transfer my church membership, but now that is done. Phew!

Do you believe in angels?

2009-12-11T08:27:00.003+09:00

Every once in a while, the thought of angels comes to my mind. I don't really watch that many movies or television programs, so sometimes I read or hear something about angels that makes me think, "Huh? Where does that idea come from?"

For example, some people have the idea that when babies or children die, they enter heaven and become angels. A friend that used to live in my town, loved angel anything. I think she was the first New Ager I met, and in fact up to the time of meeting her, I had never even heard of New Age. I only remember being surprised that she was so enthralled with angels even though she was not a Christian. Earlier this year, I heard from another one of my friends that her young daughter says she has been hearing angels. So, I have been on the lookout for what it is the Bible tells us about angels. Dr. Ron Rhodes of Reasoning from the Scriptures, spoke about the angels on my favorite radio program!

I went to the On Demand section of Issues, Etc. to download a paper by Dr. Rhodes, "Close Encounters of the Celestial Kind: Evaluating Today's Angel Craze." I am a Lutheran, not a Calvinist, but I think the conclusion the writer gives is worth pasting here:

God's angels act to carry out only God's commands. There's not a single Bible verse that portrays an elect, holy angel of God acting independently from God. Psalm 103:20 makes explicit reference to God's angels "who do his bidding, who obey his word."

Because only God sends angels on our behalf, our focus of attention must ever be on the God who sends them. God's holy angels do not seek praise or worship for the things they do. In fact, they discourage it and point to God as the only one worthy of worship (Rev. 22:9). The apostle Paul flatly condemned the worship of angels in Colossians 2:18. God Himself explicitly commands that only He is to be worshiped (Exod. 20:5-6).

This leads us to the single most important point of this article. In the words of John Calvin, "As God does not make [the angels] ministers of his power and goodness to share his glory with them, so he does not promise us his help through their ministry in order that we should divide our trust between them and him." Indeed, Calvin says, the angels "do lead us away unless they lead us by the hand straight to him, that we may look upon him, call upon him, and proclaim him as our sole helper; unless we regard them as his hands that are moved to no work without his direction; unless they keep us in the one Mediator, Christ, that we may wholly depend upon him, lean upon him, be brought to him, and rest in him.

I'm certain God has some guardian angel(s) around me. (Those incidents could be blog topics for another time!) Yes, I believe in angels, but my faith is in Christ.

* Forgive me for not including links to make it easier to find the article on your own. If you like, please use the Issues, Etc. widget to the left to search for the program. Or, if you are interested, let me know and I'll find the program for you.

Now THIS is Real Journalism!

2009-12-05T14:15:00.003+09:00

from The Best Science Blog of 2008

Japanese DRAGnet: Undercover Cover Girl Cops

2009-11-27T09:58:00.005+09:00

Here is the recent attempt at fighting crime in Japan.

Good luck running in high heels.

Nagoya policemen dress in drag to nab purse snatchers

NAGOYA —
An all-male police squad dressed as women has been deployed in Nagoya with the goal of catching attempted purse snatchers. The policemen, dressed in short skirts, stockings, high heels, wigs and carrying designer bags, have been walking the streets of Nagoya since last month in a bid to lure bag snatchers.

One 26-year-old officer said: “It’s cowardly to target women who are weak.” Another 25-year-old policeman admitted that he “panicked” when a male driver propositioned him from his car.

The unit consists of four male officers who are at least 160 cm tall. They all have a black belt in judo, karate or some other martial art. The squad works out of Naka police station which is in the center of Nagoya’s entertainment district.

A spokesman for the police said that the squad has so far failed to nab any would-be thieves.

My Thanksgiving 2009 in Japan

2009-11-26T14:33:00.004+09:00

My college roommate wrote me today:

I don't think you celebrate thanksgiving in Japan. It is Thanksgiving here tomorrow. I am thankful that I met you in college. I remember when you would say it's almost Friday even if it was only Monday.

Me, too. I am very thankful that I met her way back then, too. Funny thing, I don't really remember saying "it's almost Friday." Sometimes I would like to go back, spend a day in my past and know what was said.

Maybe not.

But today it was nice. Very nice to hear from Karen, my college roommate in our sophomore year.

We were sophomores.

That says it right there!

Christmas Cards for Rifqa

2009-11-22T21:35:00.003+09:00

There's a card you can download by clicking the title link above. I think I'll send my own.

Rifqa Bary
c/o Franklin County Child Services
855 W. Mound
Columbus, OH 43223
U.S.A.

HT Pamela Geller

How to Use Styrofoam to Promote a Convenient Lie

2009-11-20T10:55:00.004+09:00

Actually: How to Use Computer Graphics....
Silly me. It wasn't styrofoam afterall.

Crazy about Hazel Nuts!

2009-10-16T21:31:00.003+09:00

Last night Nozomi brought home some bread. Talk about bread! This had bits of chocolate, whole chestnuts, and HAZEL NUTS! Every bite was glorious. Sorry, but I gobbled it all up before I even thought to take a photo to tempt you with. And, how good was it? At nearly $1.00 per slice it was a luxury. (Notice that we don't generally get bread here by the loaf!) But because she gets a 50% discount at her workplace, she spoiled me completely. What a lucky mom I am. God had a really good idea when He thought up those hazel nuts!

Rifqa is Being Sent Back to Ohio

2009-10-14T21:20:00.004+09:00

Today brings some sad news. Rifqa Bary, the 17-year-old Christian girl who ran away from her Muslim family in Ohio, will be sent back to them. Pamela Geller has blogged extensively about the entire case. PLEASE read about it there. I will continue to keep Rifqa in my prayers. That is about all I can do.

Here is one of my favorite hymns. I couldn't find an audio version I liked. The organ pieces sounded too overpowering, and you could not discern the melody (unless you're already familar with the music). When I was Rifqa's age, we sang it at church.(I always thought I'd like it sung at my funeral. And today I am in a type of mourning for this young girl, my sister in Christ.) It's very simple, slow and somber, but with a quiet confidence. This is something hard to grasp: that in the midst of sorrow, Christ gives His people peace.

In Thee Is Gladness

1. In thee is gladness, amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By thee are given the gifts of heaven,
thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls thou makest, our bonds thou breakest;
who trusts thee surely hath built securely,
and stands forever. Alleluia!
Our hearts are pining to see thy shining;
dying or living, to thee are cleaving;
naught can us sever. Alleluia!

2. If God be ours, we fear no powers,
not of earth or sin or death.
God sees and blesses in worst distresses,
and can change them in a breath.
Wherefore the story tell of God's glory
with heart and voices; all heaven rejoices,
singing forever; Alleluia!
We shout for gladness, triumph o'er sadness,
loving and praising, voices still raising
glad hymns forever: Alleluia!

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27

Are My Kids Eligible?

2009-10-13T21:13:00.006+09:00

I often joke that in our family of 6 we have 5 Japanese and 5 Americans. Hmmm? It's this way. Dad and the four children are Japanese. Mom and the four children are American. At least, the children are able to hold dual citizenship in accordance with each country that issues their passports. So, that means they can continue being both US and Japanese citizens in America's view. And Japan states that they must chose one or the other at the age of 22. Figure that one out yourself, I guess.

Anyway, one of the topics we have pondered is: Wouldn't it be something if one of the children became the Prime Minister of Japan, and another the President of the United States, serving at the same time? Goofy talk around the dinner table really.

That is what initially led me to take an interest in Barack Obama's situation. A judge has set a tentative date, January 26, 2010, for his trial. Is he a citizen of the United States of America? What will transpire?

HT BNI

An Unprecedented SurPRIZE!

2009-10-10T18:18:00.005+09:00

I am now completely convinced that the Nobel Peace Prize is meaningless. Whoever thought that anyone would receive an award before achievement of any kind has been made?

Time to Sing & Dance

2009-09-24T14:37:00.002+09:00

I have been spending the past few weeks catching up on projects around the house. Next week my classes begin, so who knows when I'll be able to pay close attention to proper housekeeping again! And this morning I went to get my annual check up and learned that I am now "pre-obese." So, it's time to move my body.

Once upon a time I liked dancing. I really don't like taking walks much, though. What do you think? I live in the middle of rice paddies. Maybe I should go ahead and re-enact some of these fun songs. (At least you'll be spared from hearing or seeing me as I embark my new routine!)

This is from the movie Nozomi brought home last week. It was a cute one.

And, what inspired me to start dancing in the street? At about one-and-a-half minutes into the song above, you'll see the same dancers that were in this one many years ago! Too bad I don't have my tap shoes anymore.

Rifqa's Next Hearing: Sept. 3, 2009

2009-08-22T07:36:00.005+09:00

I made a brief mention in an earlier post of a Sri Lankan girl who ran away from her family in Ohio. She had to leave, because after her Muslim father learned of her conversion to Christianity he is bound by the precepts of Islam to kill her. Honorably.

Pam Geller, on her blog
Atlas Shrugs writes, "Rifqa has been given a reprieve. SHE WILL NOT BE SENT TO OHIO! Praise G-d. She will not be sent back to her terrorized home in Ohio, at least not for now. Next hearing September 3rd at 2:30 p.m."

Rifqa, you remain in my prayers.

27th Wedding Anniversary*

2009-08-19T08:43:00.008+09:00

My husband and I have been married 27 years! It's true. Americans tend to gush, "I love you," give hugs, and publicly compliment their spouse. My dear husband may not say it in words, but he does in his actions. Thank you, for all the sacrifices you make for me and our children. May I, too, be a wife who helps her husband in word and deed.

Tevye and Golda's song is not quite ours, but it comes to my mind from time to time. (Maybe it was this way for my parent-in-law. I don't know.)

Marriage is work. The following episode of Issues, Etc. is about vocation - any vocation - and how God is at work through people to serve their neighbors. New concept: my husband is my neighbor.

* Actually the 19th was our civil ceremony. In Japan, you must marry at the designated city office where you live. First we had to go to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Then we had to go the Japanese city hall. Two days later on the 21st was the day our family and friends came to witness our pledge to each other in the presence of God.

Save your Unsolicited White House Emails

2009-08-17T20:28:00.011+09:00

So the idea was to help the White House keep track of anyone that wasn't in agreement with Barack Obama's "healthcare" plan, be it in an email, or a website or blog, or even casual conversation! Isn't that like ---- uh, tattling? When I first saw that report, I sarcastically thought, hey, I'll just send the White House their own link. I didn't, though. I wasn't willing to have them collect my data (not that they probably don't have it anyway).

But then I learned that there were a lot of people who actually did that. There were even some who tattled on themselves. Cunning, huh? Americans with spunk!

After that there was the question that Major Garrett asked Robert Gibbs: Why are people who have never signed up to receive emails from the White House receiving emails from the White House? Look at Garrett's face? I'm suspicious, too. And Gibbs? Pathetically patronizing a legitimate question.

You would think that these "lawmakers" would know that "there is a right way to collect peoples emails and a wrong way to do it. Collecting solicited emails – good. Collecting unsolicited emails – bad." Read Obama’s Legal Troubles Starting To Grow. Citizen Spy Program – Public Relations Nightmare? And How The Heck Did I Get I Get An Email From David Axelrod? It'sabout the backlash of the White House's fishy directives here.

On Good Faith and Intellectual Honesty

2009-08-16T00:01:00.005+09:00

Today I learned:

Who M. Cherif Bassiouni is:

(from wikipedia)
M. Cherif Bassiouni is a United Nations war crimes expert. He is a Distinguished Research Professor of Law at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago (since 1964) and President of the university's International Human Rights Law Institute (1990-2006; 2007-09).[1] He is also President of the Istituto Superiore Internazionale di Scienze Criminali (International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences) (ISISC) in Siracusa, Italy (since 1988), he was also Dean of ISISC (1976-1988). He was the Secretary General of the International Association of Penal Law (Internationale Association De Droit Penal) (IADP) from 1974-1989, he was the President of the IADP from 1989-2004, and is currently the Honorary President of IADP. He has been a non-resident Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Cairo since 1996, and was a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. in 1972. He was also a Visiting Professor of Law at New York University Law School in 1971, and was a Fulbright-Hays Professor of International Criminal Law at the University of Freiburg, Germany in 1970. In addition, he is a frequent lecturer at universities in the U.S. and abroad. He is also admitted to the practice of law in Illinois, Washington, D.C., the United States Supreme Court, and the Second, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits and the United States Court of Military Appeals. He is also admitted to practice before the Egyptian Supreme Court. He has handled many international cases on extradition and international cooperation in criminal matters, and coordinated major litigation involving multiple parties, including states, on matters involving international law. In 2007, he was awarded the Hague Prize for International Law for his "distinguished contribution in the field of international law". The winner of the Hague Prize is given the honour of selecting the fundamental principal of law on which the Hague Colloquium will be organized.

The qualifications of practicing law in New York, according to a comment on the
best thread I read today:

Whenever I see a post or story regarding an attorney of the Muslim faith, I am reminded of a paradoxical story concerning constitutional law and the qualifications to practice law here in New York (all other states have similiar rules). The background: a number of organizations and individuals representing a "class" of law students and law graduates challenged the constitutionality of New York's system for screening applicants for admission to the New York Bar. Note that this was the late 1960's and the big concern at the time was Communism, but it is still relevant today. Most noticeable was their issue with two questions the applicant was given on the questionnaire:

"26. (a) Have you ever organized or helped to organize or become a member of any organization or group of persons which, during the period of your membership or association, you knew was advocating or teaching that the government of the United States or any state or any political subdivision thereof should be overthrown or overturned by force, violence or any unlawful means? _____ If your answer is in the affirmative, state the facts below. [401 U.S. 154, 165]

"(b) If your answer to (a) is in the affirmative, did you, during the period of such membership or association, have the specific intent to further the aims of such organization or group of persons to overthrow or overturn the government of the United States or any state or any political subdivision thereof by force, violence or any unlawful means?

"27. (a) Is there any reason why you cannot take and subscribe to an oath or affirmation that you will support the constitutions of the United States and of the State of New York? If there is, please explain.

"(b) Can you conscientiously, and do you, affirm that you are, without any mental reservation, loyal to and ready to support the Constitution of the United States?" _______.

The Supreme Court ruled in LAW STUDENTS RESEARCH COUNCIL v. WADMOND, 401 U.S. 154 (1971), that New York's Rule that an applicant furnish proof that he "believes in the form of government of the United States and is loyal to such government," is not constitutionally invalid in light of appellees' construction that the Rule places no burden of proof on the applicant, that the "form of government" and the "government" refer solely to the Constitution, and that "belief" and "loyalty" mean no more than willingness to take the constitutional oath and ability to do so in good faith. Pp. 161-164. They also found that the challenged items on the modified questionnaire are not constitutionally invalid, as one is precisely tailored to conform to this Court's decisions on organizational membership and association, and the other is merely supportive of appellees' task of ascertaining the applicant's good faith in taking the constitutional oath. Pp. 164-166.

To quickly summarize the Supreme Courts ruling and New York's requirements to practice law:
1. You must believe in and be loyal to the form of government of the United State;
2. That form of government refers to the Constitution;
3. You must take an oath to that effect;
4. That oath must be made in good faith;
5. Your good faith may be determined by your organizational membership and associations.

In light of the SCOTUS [Supreme Court of the United States] ruling, one can legitimately ask the question: how is it possible for any Muslim to practice law in the United States? Has any attempt been made to disbar attorneys (especially CAIR's) who have shown a preference for sharia or have associated with or supported any number of Islamic organizations devoted to the destruction of the US and the Constitution?

How to do good to someone who opposes you. Luke 6:35.

Go and read for yourself about
An Exchange with an Islamic Scholar. Robert Spencer is good at what he does.

Honor killinghas come to America. Rifqa, you are in my prayers.

Obama's "Health Care" - One of the Things that Bothers Me

2009-08-12T10:07:00.005+09:00

It doesn't seem to be much about health. And the care doesn't sound very impressive, either. (.....thinking of my mom and her cancer.....)

'Death Panels' in Oregon?
Ethel C. Fenig

Perhaps former Governor Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) was referring to the tragic predicament of Barbara Wagner of Oregon when she wrote how she feared for the fate of her Down Syndrome son under "Obama's 'Death Panels.' "

Susan Donaldson James of ABC News reports on the letter Ms. Wagner received from the Oregon Health Plan in response to a $4000 a month drug her doctor prescribed after her lung cancer, long in remission, returned..

the insurance company refused to pay.

What the Oregon Health Plan did agree to cover, however, were drugs for a physician-assisted death. Those drugs would cost about $50.

Hmmmm, let's do the math. Yep, a one time prescription of $50 sure is cheaper than $4000 a month for who knows how many months to keep a 64 year old woman alive. So the Oregon "Death Panel" graciously offered suicide pills. Or doctor assisted murder.

But Ms. Wagner had an understandably different reaction.

"It was horrible," Wagner told ABCNews.com. "I got a letter in the mail that basically said if you want to take the pills, we will help you get that from the doctor and we will stand there and watch you die. But we won't give you the medication to live."

Ah, but Ms. Wagner wanted to live. And she didn't care what the Oregon "Death Panel" - uhm, Oregon Health Plan decided. And her situation is not unique.

But a 1998 study from Georgetown University's Center for Clinical Bioethics found a strong link between cost-cutting pressures on physicians and their willingness to prescribe lethal drugs to patients -- were it legal to do so.

The study warns that there must be "a sobering degree of caution in legalizing [assisted death] in a medical care environment that is characterized by increasing pressure on physicians to control the cost of care."

Cancer drugs can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 a month. The cost of lethal medication, on the other hand, is about $35 to $50.

So Sarah Palin's "death panels" aren't as quite off the mark as those afflicted by Palin Derangement Syndrome and mocking her seem to think. Apparently they're called Centers for Bioethics and people are sincerely grappling with these issues. The issues are deep, the problems are complex. And alas there are no easy answers. But let's keep the Barbara Wagners in mind. For one day, a loved one may be in the same predicament. Or you.

HT
American Thinker

Jesus Chuckled?

2009-08-10T23:41:00.010+09:00

The book has been on my Books-I-Should-Read-Someday list. Below are a few excerpts that popped out at me, and made me think that maybe I never will get around to reading this book afterall.

Chuckling in the Shack
Andrew Walker, who has lectured on the theology of The Shack at King’s College, London, writes here about his personal view of the book.
.....

I've tried very hard to like The Shack, especially having read some of the nonsense that its traducers have written about it. The claims by some evangelicals, for example, that the book is riddled with heresies are simply wrong. William Young, the author, may be unorthodox, but he is not on the whole heterodox. In my view, the book is more personal catharsis and therapy than Christian doctrine, despite Young's claim that he wrote it as a testament of his religious beliefs for his children and grandchildren.

It must seem churlish of me to criticise a book which hundreds if not thousands of people claim has changed their lives. At the very least, you'd think I could have the decency to acknowledge that The Shack has brought Christian ideas out of the ghetto and into the heart of the secular marketplace. And yet, despite these caveats, I cannot quite shake off my irritation with the book. I'll begin with a small issue that has snowballed in my mind to become a river I cannot cross. The word "cross" brings me to Jesus, and after a snippet of theology and a snatch of scripture, I'll show why I had trouble at The Shack.

We learn about God's love for the world and are able to love him in return by grasping the fact that the incarnation of His Son had serious consequences for Jesus as well as for us. He assumed our flesh so we could be restored to our own good selves, but in taking into his divine person our human nature and sharing it with his own, he became a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief". For us, restoration entailed reconciliation with God; but for Jesus it entailed death on a Roman gibbet.

This Son of God become Son of Man is at his most poignant and vulnerable in the Garden of Gethsemane when, afraid of dying and in great distress, he calls on his heavenly Father to rescue him from his anticipated torture. His prayer is in a language that touches our hearts; he addresses his Father as "Abba", an Aramaic term of intimacy close to the English word "daddy", but closer still to the French tu. But we also have a foretaste of the vulnerable and frail humanity of Jesus from the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept". While a holy God demands our obedience and earns our respect, a weeping Jesus commands our love and wins our loyalty.

By contrast, in The Shack, Jesus seems to be done with weeping. We learn in the shortest trope of the novel that "Jesus chuckled". This chuckling Jesus chortles and giggles his way through the book, but it is hard to believe that like the first disciples we would give up our lives and follow him, let alone love him.

.....

The trouble for me with the tittering Trinity is best demonstrated by the Jesus character in The Shack. He does not resonate with the Jesus who wept in the Gospel. With St Thomas, I am prepared to call Jesus "Lord and God", but the Jesus of The Shack is another matter. When he is out fishing with Mack, he rebuts his suggestion that he could use his power to catch fish with a surprising reply. "'What would be the fun in that then, eh?' He looked up and grinned." At this point, I am compelled irreverently to call Young's Jesus a "chucklehead" – not a divine title, admittedly, not even a surrogate for a "holy fool", but according to most dictionaries, "a stupid person or a dolt".

Read the whole articlehere.

HT: 92nd & State

A Summer Delight! - Yaki Nasu (Japanese Deep Fried Eggplant)

2009-08-07T15:11:00.011+09:00

Yeah! It's finally really SUMMER TIME for me! So along with summer, comes time to spend cooking s-l-o-w food. Thanks go to Nozomi for taking the photos.

Step 1

Wash the eggplant and cut according to the size you like. These eggplants were a bit smaller than the usual Japanese variety. I cut them in half and then made three slice marks in the skin side. Not sure that it matters much, but it may help lessen the cooking time. It does add a bit of a decoration, though, to have the cuttings.

Step 2

Fry in your tempura vat until they look just right.

Let them drain and cool off for a bit.

Step 3
Dip in soy sauce with grated ginger or garlic. Sooooo good.

The Swine Flu Again - It's Kind of Like Recycling

2009-07-22T17:12:00.009+09:00

No, the vaccine itself is not what's recycled. It's the whole rigmarole. In the late 1970s it was pretty much limited to America; thirty years later it extends to the entire globe! Of course, we should be following healthy hygiene - washing hands after using the toilet and before eating, to name the most obvious. But am I the only one that thinks with every change of the season, some new "fatal disease" will put an end to a large number of the world population is going a bit extreme?

The following clips are from a U.S. television program called, Sixty Minutes on the swine flu vaccine debacle in the late 1970s.

HT Dr. Mercola

Grandma's Cancer - July Update

2009-07-21T14:49:00.003+09:00

Was it back in February I first posted that my mom has cancer? The doctors told her it was stage four lung cancer, that she'd undergo radiation and chemotherapy to help her deal with pain and in perhaps 6-12 months call in hospice.

I have four younger sisters, so to keep track of who's who, I'll use the nicknames my late father used for us when we were growing up. #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5. Original, huh? (I'm #1 for those who don't already know that.)

Back to the update. As soon as #2 and #5 learned of Grandma's condition, they put their heads together to be sure that alternating weeks each of them would be able to take care of Grandma. Every Wednesday she would go for treatment, and then return to either #2's home/family for a week or her own home with #5 keeping daily watch on her reactions to the treatments. #4, along with two of her own four children and the girlfriend of one of those children, drove from one end of the state to the other to spend a week at #5's and spend time with Grandma.

The only thing #1 has been able to do is call weekly and have fun heart-to-heart chats with Grandma. I had been hoping to go in August and spend the month with Grandma (and my daughter Megumi, too, of course!), but unfortunately I will not be able to go afterall.

Sorry, back to the update! When all of this began, in fact, the only reason Grandma learned of the cancer at all, she felt a terrble pain in her left foot. Apparently, the cancer had spread throughout her body and the bones in her foot simply crumbled. They gave her a "boot," and she was able to keep mobile. She was also told that she would have to gain weight before beginning treatments. She tried to, but I'm not certain that she gained much. Anyway, treatments began.

While she lost all of her hair, she never suffered any nausea or pain at all! The chemo did tire her, but usually a day of rest was all she needed to feel like she could get up and do things she normally did. During the past month of phone calls, she kept telling me that her doctor said that the cancer was GONE! At least the cancer that had spread throughout her body. The growth in her lung, which is where they suppose the cancer originated, was half the size it initially was in February. She was given hope that she wouldn't have to return to the doctor for three whole months! False hope, that is.

At this point, she is stopping the radiation and the chemotherapy and is beginning a new treatment. #2 gave me the details (which I still might not be giving you correctly here*): Every three weeks Grandma will go in to receive a B 12 shot in her left arm (question for Grandma/doctor - why left? maybe because the cancer is in the left lung?), a bag of a new drug (question for Grandma/doctor - name of medicine?), and everyday she has to take one dose of folic acid (at the exact same time every day! Don't forget and don't take two!) This will continue for three months. Then the doctors will do more tests to see what's what.

So that's the way things are at the moment. One of the things Grandma said, "The bad thing about getting better is people don't come around and ask you how you're doing so much anymore." I had to laugh, but it added a poignancy to my own inability to get over the ocean to spend the summer with her. I was going to help her and #3 sort through her photos.

But it'll be okay. At least thus far our prayers that she not have to endure the pain have been answered. Thank you, Lord, for that.

*corrections from #2-5 are more than welcome!

My Girls Used to Talk from Dawn to Dusk,

2009-07-14T17:35:00.003+09:00

but this little one outdoes them all!

Grace and Peace

2009-07-12T15:23:00.004+09:00

Today's writing in the Treasury of Daily Prayer:

Grace and peace – these two words embrace the whole of Christianity. Grace forgives sin, and peace stills the conscience. The two devils who plague us are sin and conscience, the power of the Law the sting of sin
(1 Cor. 15:56). But Christ has conquered these two monsters and trodden them underfoot, both in this age and in the age to come. The world does not know this, therefore it cannot teach anything sure about how to overcome sin, conscience, and death. Only Christians have this kind of teaching and are equipped and armed with it, so that they can overcome sin, despair, and eternal death. It is a teaching that is given only by God; it does not proceed from free will, nor was it invented by human reason or wisdom.

These two words, “grace” and “peace,” contain a summary of all of Christianity. Grace contains the forgiveness of sins, a joyful peace, and a quiet conscience. But peace is impossible unless sin has first been forgiven, for the Law accuses and terrifies the conscience on account of sin. And the sin that the conscience feels cannot be removed by pilgrimages, vigils, labors, efforts, vows, or any other works; in fact, sin is increased by works. The more we work and sweat to extricate ourselves from sin, the worse off we are. For there is no way to remove sin except by grace… Because the world does not understand this doctrine, it neither can nor will tolerate it. It brags about free will, about our powers, about our works – all these as means by which to earn and attain grace and peace, that is, the forgiveness of sins and a joyful conscience. But the conscience cannot be quiet and joyful unless it has peace though the grace, that is, through the forgiveness of sins promised in Christ…. Therefore your bones and mine will know no rest until we hear the Word of grace and cling to it firmly and faithfully.

~Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 26

A Mother's Sacrifice

2009-07-10T08:47:00.002+09:00

All mothers make sacrfices of one kind or another. When I saw this one at Robert Spencer's site, I could not believe it. What an entirely different way of thinking. I am speechless. I shouldn't be, though, so I'll post it here.

Does Giving your Heart to Jesus Save You?

2009-06-23T22:59:00.003+09:00

Devotional writing for June 22nd in the Treasury of Daily Prayer.

"I just want you to know from the beginning, sir, that I am a believer, " [the young Pastor Fridfeldt] said [to the older pastor]....
"So you are a believer, I'm glad to hear that. What do you believe in?"
Fridfeldt stared dumbfounded at his superior....
"But, sir, I am simply saying that I am a believer."
"Yes, I hear that, my boy. But what is it that you believe in?"
Fridfeldt was almost speechless.
"But don't you know, sir, what it means to be a believer?"
"That is a word which can stand for things that differ greatly, my boy. I ask only what it is that you believe in."
"In Jesus, of course," answered Fridfeldt, raising his voice. "I mean - I mean that I have given him my heart."
"Do you consider that something to give him?"
By this time, Fridfeldt was almost in tears.
"But sir, if you do not give your heart to Jesus, you cannot be saved."
"You are right, my boy. And it is just as true that, if you think you are saved because you give Jesus your heart, you will not be saved. You see, my boy," he continued reassuringly, as he continued to look at the young pastor's face, in which uncertainty and resentment were shown in a struggle for the upper hand, "it is one thing to choose Jesus as one's Lord and Savior, to give him one's heart and commit oneself to him, and that he now accepts one into his little flock; it is a very different thing to believe on him as a Redeemer of sinners, of whom one is chief. One does not choose a Redeemer for oneself, you understand, nor give one's heart to him. The heart is a rusty old can on a junk heap. A fine birthday gift, indeed! But a wonderful Lord passes by, and has mercy on the wretched tin can, sticks his walking cane through it, and rescues it from the junk pile and takes it home with him. That is how it is."
~Bo Giertz, The Hammer of God

Grief Struck

2009-06-06T10:03:00.004+09:00

This story is a sad one. While I don't agree with the concept of paying tribute to this bereaved couple, I am overwhelmed by the grief and despair that must have experienced. Mingled with the sorrow of the circumstances of their son's disability and the sacrifices the parents made to care for him, is that they didn't know or didn't believe that there was One to Whom they could lean on. Whenever I hear of these kinds of stories, where people no longer have hope to live, these first part of Isaiah 53 runs through my head: Surely He has borne our griefs.

May the Lord have mercy on all who no longer have hope to carry on in this world.

Tributes pour in for Japanese mother who leapt to death with husband, dead sonFriday 05th June,

LONDON —

The Putticks committed suicide together on Sunday evening by leaping off a 160-meter-high cliff face on Britain’s south coast. They were carrying a rucksack which contained the body of their son, who died from meningitis on Friday.

Kazumi, 44, and Neil, 34, decided to end their lives at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, which is a notorious suicide spot. What makes this case highly unusual is that it involved a family.

Some have speculated that it has echoes of “shinju,” the Japanese tradition of group suicide in which those bound together by love choose to remain together in death.

Friends and family are said to be shocked at the news. Some believe the couple were so devastated at the death of the son, whom they doted upon and supported continuously, that they decided life was no longer worth living.

Neil and Kazumi first met at university in Britain and married 12 years ago. They started their married life in a picturesque Wiltshire village, about 150 kilometers west of London.

Neighbors have described them as happily married and doting parents to Samuel who was born five years ago.

Then, in 2005, their idyllic life came to an end when Kazumi and Samuel were involved in a car accident which was not their fault. Kazumi broke her legs in the accident but her son, then 18 months old, suffered serious spinal injuries during the crash.

Using compensation money, the family moved into a bigger home nearby which was kitted out with equipment to make it easier for Samuel to live.

Both Neil and Kazumi gave up their jobs to look after Samuel, as well as receiving daily visits from nurses. Huddy recalls that the couple effectively ‘‘retreated’’ in order to focus everything on their son and providing him with round-the-clock care.

Samuel was unable to breathe unaided and had to be fed with oxygen. Samuel, whose mental capacity was not affected by the accident, got about in a wheelchair which he directed by blowing through an air tube. The injury was so rare that there had been no documented case of it in children.

In 2006, Neil wrote on a website, which was raising money for Samuel, ‘‘He was a normal, healthy active boy before, but because of someone’s careless driving, he is now as he is.’’

‘‘We are so very proud of how he has survived, who he now is and how he continues to smile and be so damn strong in spite of everything. He is simply amazing.’’

In January, he wrote, ‘‘As a family we live life now, but I wait for the day that Sam does not have to go through the medical procedures he has to go through every day to keep him alive.’’

‘‘I wait for the day that I hear that there has been a breakthrough.’’

But the family’s world was to come shattering around them on May 26 when Samuel was taken ill with meningitis. They had only recently returned from a two-week trip to Japan to see Kazumi’s parents.

The illness took hold very quickly and on Friday doctors at the local hospital said that there was nothing that they could any more to help Samuel.

Kazumi and Neil were allowed to take their son home to die and he passed away that evening.

It was then on the Sunday that the couple decided to drive to Beachy Head, along with Samuel’s body, and take their own lives.

They left their estate car and, carrying a rucksack with their dead son inside, threw themselves off the cliff face. It is thought they died instantly.

You can click the blog title for the complete story and readers' comments.

My Cold is Better

2009-06-02T15:15:00.002+09:00

My sisters and I used to watch the Smothers Brothers way back when. Had to test myself today to see if laughing would be a problem. Laughter is a funny thing. It's good and necessary at times. I like to laugh. But laughing often gets me into coughing fits that are hard to get out of. I laughed without coughing, so I should be okay back at work tomorrow. That's a relief!

Blogging at the End of the List

2009-05-30T21:01:00.003+09:00

Keeping a diary was never my forte, and blogging is about the same. With April, comes the new school year here in Japan. Nozomi and Makoto are pretty well settled into their new routines. Long days for high schoolers, which also lengthens the day for the parents who have to shuttle them to and from school (because it's more economical than public transportation). Just when I thought I was getting into the rhythm, I started a sore throat.

Thanks to another timely blog on the miracle cure,

I gave it a try. Only got worse! The past two nights I spent most of the time coughing, had a few breathing fits, and this morning my husband took me to the hospital.

Being the weekend, the staff was not the same as on weekdays. I've been seeing a doctor for suspected asthma for about four years now, I think. That's the hospital I went to today. I was given an IV, which was supposed to stop my coughing. It didn't. The doctor then suggested that I be admitted. For two weeks. For observation. Wow! That's a long time to be observed.

I came home with 3 days of medication, and I'll go back again on Tuesday. I don't know why, but it seems like I get something like this that poops me out when it's time to be productive and on the go! Instead, I get put in the back seat -- literally, and my family has to cover for me. Well, that's the good part, but it's going to make their days a bit tougher in the next few weeks.

Thanks for the yummy supper tonight, girls! And for doing the laundry, son. And the dishes, Dad.

PS. I forgot to add thanks to Nozomi for doing a lot of the taxi service for her little brother! Tonight she gave us her milage update. Last week whe had been getting about 16 kilometers per liter of gas. This week a little over 18 km per lr, because she turned off her engine at all stop lights. Toot, toot!

Finally - A Debate

2009-04-26T11:24:00.005+09:00

Like Al Gore, I am not a scientist, so the best I can do is read what I can about the global warming (or not) claims. I don't understand why he refuses to debate, though. (My snarky side says it's because he knows he's just pulling our legs and he can't debate because he'll lose.)

Well, I don't have time right now to watch this one (I've spent more than enough time going through my google reader until I got to this item!), but I'll post it here to view when I have more time.

(I'm probably the only blogger that puts things on her blog as a "To Do List." But then, if I didn't, I'd lose it. I know.)

My March Bunch!

2009-04-17T17:36:00.004+09:00

Here is the bunch that made March 2009 one we'll always remember!

(From the top = Megumi's boyfriend, Megumi, Makoto, Nozomi, Ai)

I'm Not Amish Afterall

2009-04-05T00:51:00.003+09:00

It took a while, but the quilt for my mom got finished. If I remember correctly, I began this about 5 years ago. It was going to be at least 3 times bigger than it came out in the end. But at least it's a good-sized lap quilt. And it's DONE! Megumi took it back to the states for me to give to my mom ASAP. It was a lot of fun playing with the patterns, and I learned a lot about quilting that I didn't know before. (I should mention that I'm not exactly a beginner, but I'm still a real novice.) First, it really would be easier to put the whole thing together if all the blocks where the same size. Second, don't ever start using your main fabric for other smaller projects when you're not absolutely sure you have enough for the project you intended to use it for.

I've heard that the Amish always put an intentional mistake in their quilts. Well, I'm not Amish. None of my mistakes were intentional. Two places puckered badly, but I just had to keep forging ahead so that the quilt would get delivered. There are also two other flubs. I only saw one at first, and it gave me the idea to joke that I must be Amish and that mistake was not really a mistake at all but my design. But then, as I was preparing this blog, I found the second one. So, I guess I cannot fool anybody, huh?

Let me know if you can find the two mistakes. (But, please be kind if you find more.)

"Mom, I passed."

2009-03-12T10:26:00.002+09:00

Examination Hell is now behind us! A very nervous Makoto went with his dad yesterday to look at the board outside of the high school he was hoping to enter. His number was there.

I was on the other side of town, waiting in the parking lot of the supermarket I frequent for his call. What a happy call it was. And after he told me, I knew just what to get for supper! Last night we got to celebrate his good news.

We also got to congratulate Nozomi for bringing home her driver's license yesterday. She passed, too.

Three down, one to go. Next year Ai will be taking her high school entrance exams. Until then.... we can go back to "normal."

A BIG This-and-That Week at Our House

2009-03-02T22:54:00.004+09:00

Ai came home from school feverish last week Thursday. Friday the doctor confirmed that she has influenza, and she is quite tired of be sick and tired by now.

Today Nozomi graduated from high school. Anata and I went to the ceremony and the reception in the gym afterwards. After that we went home and nodded off for a while.

Tomorrow Megumi and her boyfriend will arrive in Japan and take the shinkansen up to stay with us for 4 weeks! The siblings are excited. It's nearly 3 years since they've seen their big sister.

Thursday Makoto will be taking his last high school entrance exam. Saturday will be his junior high school graduation ceremony.

And finally on Sunday we will have a BIG celebration with sekihan (azuki bean rice), o-sashimi, and beer as long as no one else gets influenza!

Lent & Giving Up

2009-02-25T23:21:00.003+09:00

Joel 2:12-19 ESV

Return to the LORD
12 "Yet even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17 Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep
and say, "Spare your people, O LORD,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'"

The LORD Had Pity
18 Then the LORD became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
19 The LORD answered and said to his people,"Behold,I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.

Lent began today. Lent is the time of 40 days before Easter. Akin to Jesus' forty days in the desert in (Matthew 4), before He began His public ministry. Another parallel is the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness in (Numbers 14).A time for Christians to ponder our mortality and our need for a savior.

Many people "give up" something for Lent as a way to remind themselves of what sufferings Christ endured for us.

I think I gave up something only once in my life. When I was in 7th grade, I decided I was going to show Jesus how much I loved Him by giving up donuts. All I can remember now is that at the end of the service the very first Sunday after Ash Wednesday, I was beside myself with grief. I had already broken my promise! After church my mom and Mrs. W. did their best to console me. But, I could not/would not be forgiven. I was so sure that I would never be "good enough" for Jesus. Little did I understand that I did not have to give up something to prove my love.

Giving up ought to be a means of learning to discipline ourselves. An example might be to give up a meal, once a day or once a week, so that we have time to devote to prayers or the study of God's Word. Or so that the money we save from eating less may be given to the poor and needy.

Although I understand Lent a tad better than I did when I was in junior high school, I still lack the discipline to give up something. This year, however, my mother has cancer. The doctors have given her X amount of time to live. Thus, I yearn to see my mother spend her final days on Earth with as little pain and strife as possible. Knowing that she is a baptized and believing child of God, I do not fear the death that is sure to come sooner than I expected it might, though I definitely will mourn. However, for her sake, I will "give up" time each day to pray that she will know that her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will pour His grace and mercy on her "for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love."

This Lent it looks like God will be preparing me (and all of my family) to give up our mother and grandmother. Soon she will return to the Lord her God.

(This is going to be hard.)

Blogging Madness

2009-02-24T10:07:00.002+09:00

I don't know what I'm doing! Last night I added some music. As you can see part of the display gets lost on the right side of the page, so you can't turn the volume down.

At the bottom of the page I added a little free MP3 gadget. Trying to listen to that one is impossible because my other music is blasting away at the same time!

Yet again another example of how I go about doing something before I really know what I'm doing. Good grief!

Doing Things the Wrong Way: Part 1

2009-02-23T09:17:00.003+09:00

It dawned on me the other day how many times I've totally screwed things up because I went ahead and did it just so it got done. I mean, it doesn't really matter if it's done properly, right? Much more important is that it gets done at all! Here are examples of things I have flubbed at and will never do again.

A Few Stories of My Early Years of Cooking for My Husband

Curry Rice:
Anata: This curry has no flavor.
Raggedy: Yeah, should I add more curry powder?
A: I think it needs more salt.
R: Okay. (Adds a teaspoon of salt to the pot.)
A: I think it needs more.
R: More? Okay. (Adds a tablespoon.)
A: This still tastes bland.
R: You want more? (In a huffy tone.) [Thinking to self: I'll give you more!] (Adds half a cup to the pot.) How's this?!?!
A: What are you trying to feed me? The ocean!

Fileting a Fish:
R: This recipe says I have to sanmaioroshi the fish before I fry it. What does sanmaioroshi mean?
A: Cut it in three parts.
R: ? (Does the operation, but thinks it's not quite the way it's supposed to be.) I don't think this is right. I've never seen anything like this served in any restaurants.
A: Why did you cut it that way? I said cut it in three parts!
R: It's in three parts. The head, the middle and the tail.
A: It's supposed to be the left side, the right side and the bones!
R: Oh. Why didn't you say so?
A: I did!

Sausage:
A: This is a great fire! And we've got sausage and cheese to go with the bread!
R: (Slices the sausage and put the slices on the wire rack to cook over the little campfire.) ? Hmmm, oh well.
A: (Puts the first slice in mouth and grimaces. Then tongues starts working to untangle the morsel in mouth.) What on earth is this?
R: Ew. I don't know. It looks like plastic.
A: Hey! It's the sausage casing! Why didn't you take it off before you cooked it?
R: I took off the packaging, of course, but I didn't even know there was another film of plastic around it. I'm sorry. [Thinks to self: Will I never learn?]

Some things get learned the hard way. I think you'll agree that it's better to know the way something should be done before doing it than vice versa!

You Give Back the Trademark That We Didn't Want Anymore Anyway and Don't Say Anything Negative About Us or We'll Have to Sue You

2009-02-19T14:48:00.019+09:00

Just when I was thinking I should blog about a radio program that I canNOT live without (I probably can, but hope not to), and I was going to share how good the host and producer are at their work, and I was thinking of how devastated I was in March 2008 (that's 11 months ago) when the show suddenly disappeared, and I wanted to let my friends and family in on what has happened since then - a new fiasco has developed!

To make a long story short, Issues, Etc. is a Christian program that strives to "equip the saints of all believers" and deals with current issues "for the thinking Christian." It used to be part of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's radio station. For some reason it was suddenly yanked off the air last year on Holy Tuesday. (March 18, 2008, the Tuesday before Easter) Many listeners sought for answers, contacting the radio station and LCMS Synod headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, only to be told that the show was taken off the air for programmatic reasons. Along with the rude dismissal of Pastor Todd Wilken (host) and Jeff Schwarz (producer), all of their archived materials were removed from the KFUO radio's website. It was as if they (LCMS, Inc.) didn't want to have any record that such a program ever even existed.

In June, the program was resurrected, and is now broadcasting on its own. However, Pastor Wilken and Jeff Schwarz are being threatened with a lawsuit. For a more comprehensive understanding of the happenings, you can go to Brothers of John the Steadfast or read "An Open Letter to the LCMS Board of Directors" and "Kieschnick's Contradictory Statements" at Extreme Theology

A good condensed explanation at Stand Firm along with a request to sign a petition for any legal actions to be dropped.

I don't normally get political or sign petitions, but in this case President Gerald Kieschnick and the Board of Directors have made it pretty clear that they would like to silence these two men. All I can think to ask is the Lutheran question, "What does this mean?"

And if you have never heard one of their programs yet, here's a sample.
Vocation: God's Will for Your Life
Guest: Dr. Steven Hein of the Concordia Institute for Christian Studies

Please add your name to the End the Issues,, Etc. Trademark Dispute Petition! And become an On Demand Listener, too. They love their On Demand listeners!

Humans Have Weather Rights!?

2009-02-13T17:44:00.004+09:00

Something tells me that the States have an inclination to come to the rescue?

UN Report: Extreme Weather Violates Human Rights
Published by UN Watch- at February 12, 2009 in High Commissioner of Human Rights and Human Rights Council.
A/HRC/10/61, 15 January 2009

Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the relationship between climate change and human rights: the right to self-determination.

40. Sea level rise and extreme weather events related to climate change are threatening the habitability and, in the longer term, the territorial existence of a number of low-lying island States. Equally, changes in the climate threaten to deprive indigenous peoples of their traditional territories and sources of livelihood. Either of these impacts would have implications for the right to self-determination.

41. The inundation and disappearance of small island States would have implications for the right to self-determination, as well as for the full range of human rights for which individuals depend on the State for their protection. The disappearance of a State for climate change-related reasons would give rise to a range of legal questions, including concerning the status of people inhabiting such disappearing territories and the protection afforded to them under international law (discussed further below). While there is no clear precedence to follow, it is clear that insofar as climate change poses a threat to the right of peoples to self-determination, States have a duty to take positive action, individually and jointly, to address and avert this threat. Equally, States have an obligation to take action to avert climate change impacts which threaten the cultural and social identity of indigenous peoples.

More than Enough!

2009-02-12T21:45:00.004+09:00

In my Treasury of Daily Prayer, the New Testament reading for yesterday was about Jesus and the Woman of Samaria at the well. He told her, "The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4: 15) Below is the writing along with it with parts in bold that impressed me with how generous our Lord and Savior is.

But if we do want to boast, then let us boast that we receive from the fullness of Christ, that we are enlightened by Him, attain forgiveness of sin, and become children of God through Him. For this is the sum and substance of it all: Whoever wishes to be safe guarded from the devil's might and to escape sin and death must draw from this well, Christ; from Him flows all salvation and eternal bliss. This fountain is inexhaustible; it is full of grace and truth before God; it never fails no matter how much we draw from it. Even if we all dip from it without stopping, it cannot be emptied, but it remains a perennnial fount of all frace and trugh, and unfathomable well, an eternal fountain. The more we draw from it, the more it gives. Such water, as St. John remarks later, wells up to eternal life. (John 4:1-4).

The sun is not dimmed and darkened by shining on so many people or by providing the entire wold with its light and bright splendor. It retains its light intact. It loses nothing; it is immeasurable, perhaps able to illumine ten more worlds. I suppose that a hundred thousand candles can be ignited from one light, and still this light will not lose any of its brilliance. Likewise, a learned man can educate a thousand scholars without forfeiting any of his own learning. The more he shares with others, the more he has himself. Thus Christ, our Lord, to whom we must flee and of whom we must ask all, is an interminable well, the chief course of all grace, truth, righteousness, wisdom, and life, without limit, measure, or end. Even if the whole world were to draw from this fountain enough grace and truth to transform all people into angels, still it would not lose as much as a drop. This fountain constantly overflows with sheer grace. Whoever wishes to enjoy Christ's grace -and no one is excluded- let him come and receive it from Him. You will never drain this fountain of living water, it will never run dry. You will all draw from it much more than enough, and yet it will remain a perennial well.

~from Martin Luther's sermons on the Gospel of St. John, p. 134 in vol. 22 of Luther's Works, American Edition

Entrance Exams are Two-Thirds Over

2009-02-06T21:23:00.002+09:00

Makoto's results came today. One acceptance. Good work, Son! Only one more month and one more test to go now.

It's Test Time Already?

2009-01-30T20:41:00.002+09:00

Next week Makoto will be taking the entrance exams of two private high schools. He's been studying hard for the past few months. It's been incredible to witness, actually. He generally gets up at 5:00 a.m. and puts in 2 hours before breakfast. After school he's back in his study area for 2 hours before supper and 4 or 5 after. One week from today, he'll know his results of these two exams. Even if he's accepted at one or both, he'll still be studying for the public high school exam one month later. Regardless of the results, I am impressed and proud of his determination to discpline himself without grumbling. I hate to admit that I didn't think he would be this hardworking.

Moral learned: Mom is the one that has some growing up to do!

I really hated "Examination Hell" three years ago when his sister Nozomi did it for the first time. (The eldest sister, Megumi, didn't go through it because she was planning on going to the U.S. for her higher educaiton and went a completely different path.) This year has not been at all as stressful as it was then. Still, next week will be a climatic one.

This weekend I have to make sure he eats well and sleeps well! And we have to keep little sister Ai away as she's had a fever and a sore throat the past few days.

Go, Makoto!

Anniversary Flowers

2009-01-15T16:42:00.004+09:00

I know it's not done according to the "rules" of Ikebana. It looks all right to me. It's to welcome Anata home because today is special. On January 15th twenty-eight years ago, we had our first date. Did I really say 28? I am amazed.

A Belated New Year's Resolution

2009-01-12T21:47:00.003+09:00

Sacred Meditations by Johann Gerhardt

I stumbled up this a few months ago, and I couldn't locate it again. Today, as soon as I found it, I had to find a way to keep it right in-my-face accessible. My blog is a good spot.... as soon as I can master how to put it somewhere on the right side of the page, I'll move it there. Until then, I will read one entry a day.

It is so nice to be able to read again, not that I really ever quit reading. It's just that I would never ever find a treasure of this sort in my local bookstore.

Who Stole the Dried Persimmon from the Persimmon Cage?

2009-01-11T17:12:00.004+09:00

Anata made this great structure where we hang peeled persimmons out to dry. This morning he went out to check on them, and some clever critter(s) got into it and took HALF of our treats! What a BUMMER! I'm guessing it was a monkey (or 2 or 3!), and they sure are lucky. We need to think again for next year.

First Toothache Ever!

2009-01-09T00:45:00.002+09:00

Today I went to the dentist, and discovered I had a pretty big cavity. I knew I was experiencing pain, but I wasn't expecting to have such decay that needed to be removed. It's bearable, but it's there - the pain, I mean. Next week I go back to remove my temporary filling. If there's no continuing pain, I won't need a root canal. Oh, my!

Suddenly I want to say thank you to my parents for always taking me to the dentist before I even knew any pain. Note to self: Call the dentist as soon as you notice even minor pain when you chew. Do not tell yourself it's not that bad!

How I Kept Busy as 2009 Began

2009-01-05T22:05:00.003+09:00

This Christmas-New Year "vacation" was quite nice. We stayed home and ate. Not a lot, but everything we ate was good. Well, almost everything. I won't go into the buckwheat noodles that were not cooked before filling everyone's soup bowls! Oh, that was pretty horrid. But, at least we had some dried noodles at hand and could make do well enough.

Here is some of the osechi, New Year's foods, I made.

Composting & Global Warming

2008-12-27T20:55:00.002+09:00

Why do I get into a dreaming-about-next-year's-garden mode in late December? Maybe I'm thinking of plans for the new year. But, now I'm wondering....

Over here, I read, "Composting with worms can help to limit global warming and climate change as well as improve soil."

And over here, it says, "Everybody loves worms because they think they can do no harm but they contribute to global warming."

There's a Yiddish proverb that goes: Worms eat you up dead and worries eat you up alive. That comment sounds the most accurate to me right now!

When it snows, she has no fear.....

2008-12-27T11:17:00.003+09:00

We're having a terrific snowfall. It just keeps on coming down, and it is beautiful. I took a picture of my kids shoveling the driveway. I guess I'll have to add it on here later since my cell phone connection wasn't strong enough to send it to my computer successfully. Anyway, I got a chuckle out of watching them. One had her umbrella up while trying to brush snow off the car. Another was using a wild-looking bamboo broom. A fleeting moment when you think..."only in Japan!"

Then verses in the Bible about snow started coming to me, and this one from Proverbs about the exemplary wife/manager of house and home (which usually gets me all depressed) came to me with a brand new imagery. (Dear Lutherans who may be reading this, please correct me if I'm wrong to read this verse this way!)

Proverbs 31: 21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet

.

As the cold, the winds and the snow increase, I can be confident that Christ's shedding his scarlet blood as a covering for my family. I need not fear (as I daily do) that they are not clothed in Christ. They have been baptized.

My prayer for today is that I not shrink from teaching them and proclaiming the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, so that they will know and trust that "all of them are clothed in scarlet."

Dr. Roy Spencer's New Global Warming Website

2008-12-27T01:32:00.007+09:00

Dedicated to keeping people informed of his latest research, and of his views on the escalating hysteria over manmade global warming.

No matter what weather event happens these days, someone is bound to blame it on manmade global warming. Snow in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, early cold across the U.S....anything and everything is now evidence that humans have screwed up the weather. Thom Hartmann on Air America recently used some convoluted logic to explain how global warming causes more cold and snow.

The truth is that unusual weather has always been...well...normal. It is perfectly normal for records to be set for cold, heat, rain, drought, etc. Since most locations have records extending back less than 100 years, it can be expected that they will, on occasion, experience some weather event that they had not experienced before.

So, how do climate experts know that unusual weather now is a sign of global warming? They don't.

I used to ice skate on nearby ponds or lakes when I was a little girl. I'm looking forward to knowing if this winter, there might be more ice skating outdoors back "home." Some people might be looking to go ice fishing on Lake Superior even!
For the first time in years, western part of Lake Superior freezes over
This is the most ice I’ve seen in December in years. … I wouldn’t go out yet, but if it stays cold and we don’t get a big wind, people will be out there fishing soon.

It's snowing here in northern Japan, too. And it's windy, windy, windy tonight. Time to go get under the covers!

What's This One on the Shopping List?

2008-12-23T14:05:00.007+09:00

My son needs some clothes. You know, he's really trying his best to speak English more these days. But sometimes there are loan words that have entered the Japanese language, and when you try to put them back into what you think is the original language amusing things come out.

Today's amusing word was total-neck sweater. I don't know, but that might work just as well as turtleneck, don't you think?

Zakaria Botros is WORLD's 2008 Daniel of the Year

2008-12-19T23:33:00.002+09:00

He can keep calm in the midst of emotional shouting matches.

One recent episode of Truth Talk, aired Nov. 21, cut to 20 separate clips, most of Cairo's respected Al-Azhar University Sheikh Khaled El-Gendy, to debate the age of Aisha when she became Muhammad's second wife...

In one clip El-Gendy argues that "the Quran is enough" and the hadiths on Aisha aren't needed. Another scholar cites a recent magazine article claiming she was a teenage wife. As Islamic authorities shout at one another onscreen, Botros calmly asks, "Are these holy books or not?" "If you are explaining her age based on a magazine article, what's your reference?"

He can make honest accusations and ask substantial questions directly.

In another recent episode titled "Was Muhammad a messenger from God or Satan?" Botros recites the characteristics of a false prophet by Sunni scholar Ibn Taymiyya, then lays down his book, looks into the screen, and says each of the characteristics cited by Taymiyya apply to Muhammad. He quotes Matthew 7 and asks viewers, "Does this sound like a real prophet to you? Remember: 'Ye shall know them by their fruits.'"

He is confident that there is no need to fear.

"Fear? I fear nothing," says Botros. "My dictionary does not contain the word fear. I believe in God and I believe that the epistle of Ephesians says we are created in Jesus Christ for a plan, which was engaged from the early beginning. No one can cut it, and when it is completed no one can continue it."

God Bless Father Zakaria Botros!
Read more...!

A Little Christmas Music

2008-12-17T13:52:00.002+09:00

My dad grew up in the Roman Catholic church, and he attended parochial schools all his life. I think he would get a kick out of the Nun's Hallelujah Chorus if he were still here.

Nozomi Got In!

2008-12-10T21:42:00.002+09:00

Today she got the results of her interview to college. She was accepted! What a happy day in our house.

Now, she can help her little brother study better for his high school entrance exams.

From Pink to Green & Meet My Lamby

2008-12-06T23:39:00.003+09:00

There she is! (Way up at the top of the page!) My very first toy. Everyone I know thinks she's gross. She certainly has been through an awful lot. Almost as much as I have! But she is mine, and I love her in spite/because of how raggedy she is. I like to think I'm like her, in that, as raggedy as I am, Jesus calls me His own. I am Jesus' little lamb.

"I Am Jesus' Little Lamb"
by Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724-1782

1. I am Jesus' little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need, and well provides me,
Loves me every day the same,
Even calls me by my name.

2. Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my Staff and Stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.

3. Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd's lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.

Hymn #648
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 21:15
Author: Henriette L. von Hayn, 1778
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Weil ich Jesu Schaeflein bin"
1st Published in: Brueder Choral-Buch, 1784
Tune: "Weil ich Jesu Schaeflein bin"

So, now you know where I got the name for my little blog.

Maybe This is Too Much Pink!

2008-12-05T23:06:00.002+09:00

I've been playing around with my little blog the past - Oh, my! - 2 hours. I was going to grade papers!

Well, I did figure out how to move things around. Still so much more to learn, but it's not as scary as it was when I first started. I am starting to get tired of all the pink, though! Once I get around to posting photos and embedding audio and video clips, then I'll see about another template.

Enough Friday night fun! To my bath and bed I must go. Tomorrow lots of errands to do!

The Tenth Commandment

2008-12-05T22:42:00.001+09:00

The Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not estrange, force, or entice away our neighbor's wife, servants, or cattle, but urge them to stay and [diligently] do their duty.

第十の戒め
あなたは、隣人の妻、男性の奴隷、女性の奴隷、家畜、そのほかどんなものであれ、隣人のものを欲しがってはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、私たちは隣人の牛を放したり、雇い人を奪ったり、妻を誘惑したりしてはいけません。そうではなくて、彼らが隣人のところにとどまりつづけ、それぞれの義務を果たすようにしなければなりません。

The Ninth Commandment

2008-12-05T22:41:00.000+09:00

The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service to him in keeping it.

第九の戒め
隣人の家を欲しがってはなりません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、私たちは隣人をだまして遺産や家を奪おうとしたり、自分に権利があるような振る舞いをして奪い取ろうとしたりしてはなりません。そうではなくて、隣人が財産を保ち、さらに増し加えられるように手助けをすべきです。

The Eighth Commandment

2008-12-05T22:39:00.001+09:00

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.

第八の戒め
隣人について、嘘をついてはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、私たちは嘘をついたり、裏切ったり、名誉を毀損したり、隣人の評判を落としたりして欺いてはなりません。そうではなくて、むしろ隣人について弁護し、隣人に関して良いことを言い、隣人がなすことの良い面を見るようにしなければなりません。

The Seventh Commandment

2008-12-05T22:37:00.001+09:00

The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business [that his means are preserved and his condition is improved].

第七の戒め
盗みをしてはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、私たちは隣人のお金や所有物を奪ったり、詐欺によって得たり、貧弱に作られたものを売りつけたりしてはいけません。そうではなくて、隣人が財産や経歴を増し加えたり、守ったりできるように手助けしなければなりません。

The Sixth Commandment

2008-12-05T22:35:00.001+09:00

The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may lead a chaste and decent life in words and deeds, and each love and honor his spouse.

第六の戒め
姦淫をしてはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、私たちは言葉においても行いにおいても、きよくあり、つつましやかでなければなりません。そして自分の配偶者を愛し敬うべきです。

The Fifth Commandment

2008-12-05T22:32:00.001+09:00

The Fifth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need [in every need and danger of life and body].

第五の戒め
殺してはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、私たちは隣人の体に害を与えたり、傷つけたりしてはいけません。そうではなくて、病気のときに隣人を助け、看病してあげるのです。

The Fourth Commandment

2008-12-05T22:30:00.001+09:00

The Fourth Commandment
Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother [that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long upon the earth].

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not despise nor anger our parents and masters, but give them honor, serve, obey, and hold them in love and esteem.

第四の戒め
あなたのお父さんとお母さんを敬いなさい。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、両親や目上の人を馬鹿にしたり、わずらわせたりしてはいけません。そうではなくて、両親や目上の人を敬い、仕え、従い、愛し、大切な存在として扱いなさい、という意味です。

The Third Commandment

2008-12-05T22:27:00.004+09:00

The Third Commandment
Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day.

What does this mean?
--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.

第三の戒め
安息日を聖なるものとして守りなさい。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、説教や神の御言葉を軽視してはいけません。そうではなく、神の言葉を聖なるものと考え、喜んで自分から耳を傾け、それを学びなさい、という意味です。

The Second Commandment

2008-12-05T22:24:00.002+09:00

The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.

What does this mean?
--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

第二の戒め
神の名前を誤った目的に使ってはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは神を畏れ、愛さなければなりません。ですから、神の御名を用いて呪ったり、誓ったり、呪文を唱えたり、嘘をついたり欺いたりしてはなりません。そうではなく、神を求め、神に祈り、神を賛美し、いかなる困難なときにおいても神に感謝するために、神の御名を用いなさい、という意味です。

The First Commandment

2008-12-05T22:17:00.003+09:00

The First Commandment.
Thou shalt have no other gods.

What does this mean?
--Answer.
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

第一の戒め
他の神々を神としてはいけません。

問い　これはどういう意味ですか。
答え　私たちは他の何よりも唯一の神を畏れ、愛し、信頼しなければならないということです。

Something I Wish I Had Done a Long Time Ago: Memorizing Luther's Small Catechism

2008-12-04T22:47:00.009+09:00

Even though I was raised a Lutheran, and I've read the Lutheran confessions, in the past year or so it dawned on me that there is a treasure trove of wisdom that I have let just sit by the wayside. Perhaps it's because I now have no confessional liturgical worship service in my area to go to that this longing to know the Lutheran teachings better is getting stronger. It could also be that I've looked into enough other doctrines, and the Lutheran one is the one I think is the most reasonable. And, see how much credit I give myself. It is most definitely the Holy Spirit dragging me to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Well, part of my daily devotions includes the reading and praying of Luther's Small Catechism. I have only read it and studied it. However, because my parents left the then Lutheran Church in America (pre-Evangelical Lutheran Church of America)when I was in high school, my younger sisters were required to memorize it when they were confirmed. I remember being amazed and very jealous that they had mastered the entire catechism!

So, this post is my attempt to introduce the Small Catechism to my own family, and because we use both English and Japanese, each day I will post both languages. (So, if my page comes out in gobblety-gook to any readers who take a peek, that's the reason!) I hope to put both to memory.

Luther's Small Catechism has Six Chief Parts. The first part is The Ten Commandments. Most people think of these as rules to keep on God's good side. If we do these things, we'll make God happy and we'll have a good life. However, Scripture tell us that the reason for God's giving us His Law, is to show us our sin. In Galations 3 we read:

The Law and the Promise
15Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. 17What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

21Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Many consider The Ten Commandments as prohibitions. They think that God merely enjoys bossing humans about and forbidding them to do many things. But Luther goes into this with much more in mind than God's restricting our behavior. According to "All Theology Is Christology" How Does Every Passage of Scripture Reveal Christ? by David P. Scaer,

The strength of Luther's explanations of the Ten Commandments is not focusing on the negative behaviors forbidden to the Christian (hurting the neighbor), but on the good he is required to do: "help ... him in every bodily need." It is not a matter of refraining from gross idolatry; rather we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

Next time, I'll start posting The Small Catechism, Section 1, The Ten Commandments.

My Pastor Friend in the Philippines Needs Our Prayers

2008-12-03T00:07:00.004+09:00

One of my friends, a pastor in the Philippines, a man who is steadfast to the Lutheran confessions, was taken to court last week, and he is now awaiting to be arrested and sent to jail. You can listen to an interview (click the title above) in which he tells what brought this all about. Please pray with me that God's will will be done through Pastor Seth's suffering for the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

May, I too, be willing to suffer whenever the Lord may call me to do so.

1 Peter 4 (NIV)
Suffering for Being a Christian
12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"[a]
19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Two Sore Throats are Better Than One?

2008-11-30T23:02:00.004+09:00

Well, Nozomi's lunches got made. Was that already 2 weeks ago? Then last week, she had nothing but tests every day. And a fever, and then a sore throat. She plugged away in spite of feeling awful. Wednesday she had an interview at her first-choice university, and she had no voice - none at all! But now her tests are over, and her voice is nearly mended. She'll get the results of her interview on the 10th of Dec.

Mom got a sore throat, too. I guess I didn't want Nozomi to suffer all alone? See, I can be nice that way.

Ganbatte Nozomi!

2008-11-16T12:03:00.003+09:00

My senior-in-high-school daughter and I have a deal where I give her a monthly lunch allotment. It's up to her to get her own lunch ready in the morning. If she chooses not to make something at home, then she can use the money I've given her. If she would rather have that money for other spending, then she can take her own lunch.

Well, it works pretty well. The biggest problem has been that I actually don't have cash on hand to give to her, but when I do, I try. It's a disappointment to her, I know, but she seems to understand that there's only so much money to go around.

Here's an extension of that deal. Last week she cut her brother's hair. We used to pay her about half the going rate for that, but this time she offered to barter her services as barber. My task this week is to make her lunches!

I know, I know, most "real" mothers in Japan (I mean Japanese mothers) show their love for their child by making superb boxed lunches. Once in a while I give it a shot, but it is HARD! However, Nozomi is now entering the week of preparing for interviews to get into university. The "Examination Hell" is just around the corner for her. But, she was awarded a chance to enter the university of her choice via recommendation. So, in order for her to put all her energy into preparing for the interview, she asked me to make her lunches this week.

It's time for me to do some menu planning! Here's one link that I've found helpful. Really cool Japanese lunched boxes. And this cook is not even Japanese and has never even lived in Japan (I think). Maybe there's hope for me yet!

Nice fight, Nozomi! I'm rooting for you!

Doing Good Works All the Time?!

2008-11-09T17:05:00.005+09:00

Have you ever wondered about how to go about doing good works? Last week I listened to this sermon over and over. It reinforced the whole concept that it is not I, me, who is the one that's really doing the good work. It is Christ in me. Such a burden is lifted when we know that Jesus Christ has finished THE work that God requires. His perfect life fulfilling the Law of God, and His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins has freed us to work for our neighbor, not for our salvation. Suddenly, moaning and groaning about all the stuff I "have to do" can go. My works are for others, that they might know Christ is their Savior, too!

"Like the sheep at the right hand of Jesus, who asked when they had done all the good works He attributed to them, you, having been knit into the body of Christ on earth, are doing good works all the time without even knowing it. Of course, the stuff that you think is good because you’re a sinner, too, might not be all that good anyway, but as the body of Christ, you are doing good things like yesterday.

"There’s always 144,000 on earth in God’s church doing His work even though it doesn’t look like it. How many do we have here today? Thirty-five? We’ve got 12,000 of a tribe, marshaled together to hear the Word of God, and then as you leave here, sent out, marching out into the world as the church militant. Doing spiritual battle even as you do your regular stuff."

You can hear more at Laughing Martin: Washed in the Blood of the Lamb

Makoto was sick last week

2008-11-09T14:08:00.003+09:00

The past week Makoto (15) has been sick. He's big enough that it's not like you have to do everything for him. Still, it's hard to know what to feed him. And just when you thought he was getting over it, his fever would go up again during the night.

One evening he was resting on the sofa. It just happened that Anata and I were nearby. He mumbled something and Anata asked him, "What?"

"Mumba-shumba-hashi-tai," he garbled.

"What was that?"

"Hashi-tai."

I had just finished clearing his meal tray away and I thought he might be wondering what I had done with his hashi (chopsticks), since that's the only sound that resembled any word at all. "Your o-hashi?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay, Makoto. I already put them away."

"No."

"What do you mean?" asked Dad. "Your leg?" Leg is ashi in Japanese, so Anata took a stab at that sound.

"Yeah, ashi ga itai." [My leg hurts.]

"Your leg hurts?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Now?"

"No."

"When?"

"Mae." [Before.]

"Yesterday?"

"No."

"When?"

"Mae."

"Last year? Last year when you were playing baseball?"

"When?"

Then he came out of it. Funny and freaky. He was looking right at us, but was not seeing us at all. We knew he was sleeping. Later we told him about it and he knew nothing of this interchange at all.

He should be able to go back to school tomorrow. I hope.

Greedy Halloween Memory

2008-11-01T21:40:00.003+09:00

Forty years ago, my best friend and I were given permission to go Trick-or-Treating together! We lived several blocks apart in the suburbs of Detroit. We started on my block and worked our way through all the blocks between my house and hers. No paper bags for us that time! We were going for the haul, and we had hefty pillow cases in tow! I don't even remember what costumes we wore, but I do remember how thrilled we were to do this together and to go to so many houses.

We never reached our goal, though. The pillow cases were starting to get heavy. It was getting dark and cold, too! We decided to sit down on the curb for a little while to regain our strength. Then, out of the blue, my dad drove up to us. He was not very happy that we did not reach our goal. My friend's mother was expecting us an hour or so earlier and began to worry.

So go the grand plans of 10 year olds. As punishment I was not allowed to spend that Halloween night at her house. That was not too bad, because I was too pooped. If I had spent the night there, I would have slept! We wouldn't have been able to stay up giggling. The worse punishment was that my dad conviscated my candy! I'm sure he didn't keep all of it. What I did have lasted forever anyway.

What a funa dn silly memory. I look back and marvel that our parents indulged us in our own greediness that way. But, maybe they knew something we didn't. ;-)