Back in the land of the rising sun!

So, I got here a few days ago and am loving being back in Tokyo. Father's already provided some opportunities to share with these beautiful people. During 5 Min English the other day we met a guy who knew who we were because he met a student last summer that was serving here on a 1-week team. We are hanging out with him on Saturday so please be lifting up Y-san.

I have been able to go back to the area I lived in last summer and last night was ECSTATIC to have my beautiful friend Ma-san show up and hang out with us! Tonight we hung out with M&M-my friends from 2 years back. Gah how I woould love to see them become our sisters and I refuse to give up in pr for them. They are such a joy to hang out with and 2 of the kindest girls I know. It's so cool when 2 years ago I just met them at a table at a University and now they are definitely 2 of my best friends. Over the past 2 years we share secrets, inside jokes, etc. Ah they are precious and so dear to my heart.


I know this is pretty much a short/sorta random post but now that I'm back on blogger I'll be more diligent.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

3 Requests for today:
Pr for Y-san, other friends
The missionaries here and their families
The youth group at our church and for God's provision in everything

Arigatou Gozaimasu! Aishteiru!

Lunch

Today I had the blessing of having lunch with some people who God placed in my life at the right time in the past, and well, two years later, here we were again.
It was incredible to see them for the first time in two years. So much has changed. Today I was reminded of who I was just a few years ago.

Through these people I learned how to live again after the worst year of my life, involving family losses and my mom's cancer battle. I learned how to love others more than ever before. I learned how to accept grace, and perhaps the more important lesson, how to GIVE grace. Father allowed this couple to not only pour into me, but to love me for ME. I felt like for the first time I truly was treated as a typical human and not just by a title or stereotype. There were no high standards for me to follow, no insane expectations for me to aim for.These people helped me learn how to love the church. Not the building, but the PEOPLE of the church. And what a great one I have.

God used these people to just spark a fire in my heart that would open my eyes to things unseen to that sixteen year old self. I was challenged to serve. And well, I found out about a little trip to Germany. God said to go. When others thought it was crazy, they encouraged me. And, well, the rest is history.

I am so grateful that today I was reminded of my purpose. Isn't it amazing how I didn't even realize I had a purpose until they came into my life? And yet, two years later I sat eating Chinese food (with chopsticks-something I never thought I'd be able to do.) God's timing is Incredible my friends.

My purpose is not to seek my own comfort, credit, easiness, or dreams. But to depend on HIM for HIS comfort in the trials, to give HIM all the credit, and to chase HIS dreams for MY life.

This life is not my own. It is His. I've been working on a scrapbook lately as a result of having SO MUCH STUFF from Tokyo and hundreds of pictures. And I've been thinking about how I miss the random coffee runs, the karaoke times, crazy shopping trips, and even climbing that stupid thing called Mt Fuji. But today I talked about the WORK God is doing in Japan. And all parts of the world. We shared stories of what He is doing. And I was reminded what my heart beats for.

Above all, it beats for Him.

Thank you Father for a beautiful day.

He is for me.

I know that You are for me.
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.

-Kari Jobe

At work I've been playing around with all the CDs and listening to random stuff but there is a CD I keep ending up hear played OVER and OVER. And I can't seem to get annoyed or sick of it. On Kari Jobe's CD she has a song called You are For Me.

I am so grateful that my Savior will not forsake me in my weakness. The weakness of feeling beat up and discouraged. He is beautiful.

Philippians 3:14

Love.

My heart continues to be captivated by my Creator.


Thank you Father for the lessons you've been teaching me. You are so good.

Broken.

We are so busy fighting over which music is right, which is wrong. Sometimes we think that we are different and we have "figured out" what works. We are the better followers because we know how to do things right. We claim we know what will keep people tuned in, what won't. So busy fighting over who is more spiritual and who knows more theology. Hating our brothers and sisters because they don't do enough for us and spoon feed us when we demand it. Too busy being angry at the preacher because he doesn't do enough for our friends. SO caught up in being a certain denomination and forget it about the relationship that changed our lives.

People on the outside see this. And do cartwheels down the wrong way as we watch in our complacency because inviting them to the building was supposed to "fix" them.

In a word, there are three things
that last forever: faith, hope, and love;
but the greatest of them all is love. 1 Cor. 13

It's as if we've forgotten the True Love that first loved us, and we react by throwing compassion and grace towards others out the window.

John 8.

Lovin' Life

Friday (or should I say Saturday morning) night at 2 A.M. Damaris and I were waiting for my car to heat up at Auschwitz(commonly known as her apartment building). We were talking about how much we miss Nashville, our friends there, and just wanted to get away but there was no way with our school/work schedules.

But my friends, where there is a will, there is a way, yes?

Saturday night I got off work at 8:30 and we were on the road at 10 in a massive Yukon with 6 other crazy friends, bringing the total to 8.

We rolled into Franklin around 10:00 AM Sunday and left around 8:30. Now, I'm back in Texas, getting ready for class.

That's right. Basically a 30 hour trip to Nashville. Love it.

Thank you, Starbucks guys.

The Afters are special in my heart. I credit them for holding the Dallas Diehards together during a tumultous year. I sang their music with friends in Japan. They served me frappucinos when I was a kid (I think). Matt told me all about how he hated DBU when I was 2 weeks into my first semester. A few months later I was explaining my concerns of going back to DBU when Havens spoke some truth and reality to me that helped me make my decision. All in all, I am grateful for them and how Father has used their music. And hope to Japan it with them one day.

Before I ever even met them, their music was very relevant in my life. Over the past few days I have been forced to deal with emotions that were once a huge fear of mine. Now, they're a reality. Guilt and disgust of my wicked human self. But I seek comfort in the fact that God's love is wider than an ocean. That his grace surpasses all understanding. That he wipes the slate clean, even when I feel like filth is dripping off my hands. What a beautiful King He is. My wonderful Jesus who continues to blow me away with His mercy.



"Ocean Wide" by The Afters

Look outside
It's already light and the stars ran away with the night
Things we're said, words that we'll try forget,
it's so hard to admit I know we've made mistakes
I see through all the tears but that's what got us here

[Chorus:]
If love is an ocean wide
We'll swim in the tears we cry
They'll see us through to the other side
We're gonna make it
When love is a raging sea
You can hold on to me
We'll find a way tonight
Love is an ocean wide

I'll stay right here
It's where I'll always belong
Tied with your arms
Days like this, I wish the sun wouldn't set
I don't want to forget
What made us feel this way
You see through all my fears
And that's what got us here

[Chorus]

Love is an ocean wide enough to forget
Even when we think we can't