Live long and prosper

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). It's such an encouraging verse, and it's no wonder it is constantly quoted to those who have no clue what's going to happen next. But...have you read Jeremiah 29:10 recently? It says His plan of prosperity is that He will fulfill His promise to them...in 70 years! I don't know about you, but that realization was not a warm fuzzy one.

The slow progress of support-raising reminds me of that some days, but I am beginning to sink in to the comfort of the truth. It's not a nice comfort of believing God is working everything out for my ease, pleasure, health, and wealth, as soon as possible. It's way better. It's a trust and confident hope that this is His plan, right now, and it's way bigger than me. If my desire is for Him alone, and for Him to get bunches of glory and worship, I can have complete confidence, because, as Pete the Cat says, "it's all good". (By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the story of Pete the Cat, you are missing out. You should follow that link immediately.)

One of my favorite reminders of how big and awesome God's plan is? When my mom was living in Japan 22 years ago, pregnant with me, when she went to church and the music of worship started, I would start wriggling and kicking like crazy, like I wanted to get in on the action. I was clueless, and He was already setting everything up for Himself, music, and Japan to be ingrained in my life. Yeah...He knows what He's doing. (The picture is me with some random lady who thought I was cute, and you can see my Mom to the right)

Thus ends summer.

I just got back from a wonderful week away: walking on the beach, making castles for the nieces to squish (*insert picture of the 3 most adorable girls in the world here. That's right, use that imagination. Okay, so I'm terrible and have no pictures. Yet.*), reading lots of good ol' fiction (fantasy/adventure, of course!), hanging out with family, and in general getting a much-needed chance to let my brain rest (or perhaps disapparate would be more accurate...)

Anyway, rest. It is good. But now it is done, and work is also good. As much as I love the work God has called me to, sometimes I have to keep reminding myself of that. When in need of a jump-start, I like to soak in this verse:

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished." ~1 Chronicles 28:20

Prayers for strength, courage, and perseverance until the work of raising support is finished are always very much appreciated! What He has started, He will complete. Let the working recommence!

Sakura, Cherry Blossom

I think I've mentioned sakura, or cherry blossoms, before in a post. Aren't they lovely? I feel like I could ramble on and get far too philosophical about how they blossom magnificently, but last only a short time; how you know they're coming every year, so they are a kind of symbol of hope....but anyway, they're pretty :)

So beauty, hope, Japan, all wrapped up in one little flower. What could be better? That was my inspiration for the support-raising status graphic below. While I am not a visual person, many of you are, so I finally decided to take everyone's advice and design one. What do you think? Suggestions?

Help color the sakura! Each pink cherry blossom represents $95 in monthly pledges, or you can color a few petals for about $20/month each. ~"But how do I color a blossom/pledge?" I'm so glad you asked. Just click on the link to give online (also in the side bar----->) or check out all your giving options at this link.
~"And...am I committing to give forever?" Not at all. You can start giving now, and continue giving through the 24 months I'll be in Japan.

As you can see, I'm about 6% of the way there. Thank you all for your continued support!

P.S. While I have a long way to go in monthly support, my one-time support is over 80%! What a blessing!

Last week in Fukushima...

I saw this video on a friend's blog this morning, then found the video below. I am at a loss for words- as they said it is "absolutely heartbreaking". Praying for the people and leaders of Japan...

little reminders of a big God

I love the little things God does. His reminders that He's there, understands what's going on, cares. It's often the little things that many would call mere coincidence that strike me deeply.

Like this awesome friend who claimed Jeremiah 33:3, and now whenever I see "33" anywhere (and it's amazing how much they show up!) I can't help but be reminded of God. Of a God who, even at my lowest of lows, listens, wants me to call, has an incredible plan, and reveals His plan (and even the mystery that is Himself) one beautiful piece at a time.

This morning my little reminder was in Nehemiah. For some reason, I've kept up the Bible reading plan from the church I went to in Jackson. On what I thought was a random whim this morning, I decided to get back into reading not just the New Testament passages, but also the Old Testament (which happened to just be starting Nehemiah). As I start off the week needing to get back into the swing of support-raising, fighting to persevere when being fully supported financially feels so far away, what a beautiful and gentle rebuke from my Father that He's got it under control.

Nehemiah was broken (because Jerusalem is an absolute wreck). But He prayed with praise, confession, and bringing his request before God. Then 4 months later, he confronts the King. He was always praying, and even though he was terrified, the time comes and he makes his request to the King: can I go back to my hometown and rebuild? This guy who was terrified just to ask for permission to go, once he sees he has the King's favor, goes on to ask for a free travel pass, and by the way King, would you mind providing all the lumber for the rebuilding? And instead of executing the guy for being so bold, the king fills his request and more- sending soldiers with him. So through this foreign king, God provides for all of Nehemiah's needs so he can go.

God provides. Sure the process might take months, sure I'll be absolutely terrified sometimes, but in incredible ways that blow our minds, God provides. It's a simple message I was probably taught at the age of 4, but sometimes...it's good to be reminded.

There and back again

I spent this past week as the female chaperone/leader/person for my church's high school summer retreat, Fun in the Son. Basically, I went to the beach with Jackson (the youth leader) and 4 awesome youth from 1st Pres, where we hung out with 51 other youth groups: beach, pool, sports, cards, busting out all their dance moves, and best of all learning from 2 speakers and worshiping together in the most ginormous tent ever.

Besides being a fun time, I hope this was also a great time of growth in God: what it means to worship and "Elevate" (the theme for the year). We centered around Romans 12, a chapter full of good stuff, and I'll share just one bit of what we learned, found in verse 15: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn". A great way to summarize what living as a Christian/loving others/worshiping God with our lives looks like: simply live life with those around you (and God!) by rejoicing and mourning with them, sharing their worries and excitement (and sharing yours with them).

Whether in Danville, Jackson, or Tokyo, what a simple message to keep in mind, and what a good one.

What do people do all day?

読んでいます! (translation: I am reading!) Ok, so I don't really read all day, but the Richard Scarry reference popped into my head and I couldn't resist. I am very much enjoying one freedom of being done with school: I get to read whatever I want! Below is a sampling of what I've been digging into so far...

I'm reading "Silence" right now, and next on my list are "A Life of Jesus", also by Shasuko Endo, "The 4 Loves" by C.S. Lewis, and maybe even finish up Scott Westerfield's Uglies Trilogy. What else should I add to my list?