Courageous Joy

Monday, July 15, 2013

Matane, Japan!

Not Sayonara...Matane! See you later, Japan.

I asked God to give me His heart for Japan. He answered by giving our family His heart for Japan. He reawakened our hearts to missions and changed our career plans to align us with His heart for Japan. We believe we will be back.

We need to faithfully finish his call to minister in the military community....two more years. We have no idea what doors will open or how we will return. Our latest, greatest plan is to come back and get a job at Pizza Hut so we have SOFA status (need that APO box). ::wink:: This is the Gherkin version of retiring and becoming a "Walmart Greeter."

In the meantime, we have some research to do, a language to learn, some plans to discover....and a whole new set of friends and ministry partners to meet at Beale Air Force Base.

I cannot adequately express God's faithfulness, the personal growth, the ministry growth we've experienced while living here these past four years.

I've learned to dance with God not only in the joyful seasons...but in the hard places - the vulnerable places, where there is nothing to trust but God, Himself. He has proven faithful.

I've learned to dance in the rain.

"Lord, through all our generations YOU have been our home." Ps 90:1 Our roots are deepest in Him and not a location. Our home is always with us. HE has been our home.....

Matane!

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Song for Every Season....

Two of many songs which will always bring us back to Japan in our memories.....

This song was in my mouth often in the days after the Tsunami, before I saw this video... This song will always remind me of these days. The images still take my breath away.

"If We've Ever Needed You" - Casting Crowns

Hear our cry, Lord we pray,
Our faces down, our hands are raised,
You called us out, we turned away, we've turned away.

With ship wrecked faith, idols rise,
We do what is right, in our own eyes,
Our children now, will pay the price,
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light.

If we've ever needed You, Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now,
We are desperate for Your hand, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out.

All our hearts, all our strength,
With all our minds, we're at Your fate,
May Your Kingdom come, in our hearts and lives,
Let Your Church arise, let Your Church arise!

If we've ever needed You, Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now,
We are desperate for Your hand, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out

If we've ever needed You, Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now,
We're are desperate for Your hand, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out,
If we've ever needed You, Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now,
We are desperate for Your hand, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out

We need You now
Revive us now
We need You now

"Endless Hallelujah" Matt Redman

When I stand before Your throne
Dressed in glory not my own
What a joy I'll sing of on that day
No more tears or broken dreams
Forgotten is the minor key
Everything as it was meant to be

[Chorus]
And we will worship, worship
Forever in Your presence we will sing
We will worship, worship You
And endless hallelujah to the King

I will see You as You are
Love You with unsinning heart
And see how much You paid to bring me home
Not till then, Lord, shall I know
Not till then, how much I owe
Everything I am before Your throne

[Chorus]
And we will worship, worship
Forever in Your presence we will sing
We will worship, worship You
And endless hallelujah to the King

No more tears, no more shame
No more sin and sorrow ever known again
No more fears, no more pain
We will see You face to face
See You face to face

[Chorus x2]
And we will worship, worship
Forever in Your presence we will sing
We will worship, worship You
And endless hallelujah to the King

And endless hallelujah to the King
We'll sing
And endless hallelujah to the King

The Last Supper

We have yen to spend - because I heard so many stories of folks not having the yen to pay the businesses which show up at their house during their final inspection that I WAY overshot...and then Ms. Koishi gave us both our deposits and rent for the rest of the month back.

We'll have to go to the back tomorrow before the terminal - and I really WANTED to get some yummy maple bread and melon soda today too - maybe I'll fit a trip in in the a.m. Who am I KIDDING?????

In any event - we have yen to spend and Michael suggested Aburi An for our Last Supper. It was PERFECT. I love this place...Michael has felt in the past that you spend a lot of money for a tiny bit of food....the kids hadn't been....but tonight...perfection. Authentic atmosphere, yakiniku for those who eat it, lots of YUMMY salad and veggies for those of us who prefer that....tempura garlic, grilled veggies, SALAD....YUMMMO....

Nolan contemplates menu options....

What could be causing such consternation?

We'll miss these menus...bowels or uterus...hmmm....

Or maybe you'd prefer a nice side of chicken skin or tail?

Choices are made and Stacia pushes the button to let the servers know we are ready to order.

It was a GREAT meal...and the company was spectacular!

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Final Day in Japan

I sat with Jesus this morning and told Him I really needed to hear from Him as I faced this day - our final full day in Japan - for this season.

"Even here...." Um....o.k. "even here..." and then I remembered that was a MOPS theme a couple of years ago....and how powerfully Psalm 139:9-10 had spoken to me during our WILD PCS to Japan (Click and Scroll down until you see "PCS of a Career" if you are unfamiliar with this story)....

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, EVEN THERE your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Lay hold of me - hold on to me - metaphorically can mean to "settle in the land." God has surely settled us in this land....and I trust He will settle us in CA.

Even here - moving from a place we love...He is wise enough to lead us; He is strong enough to hold on to us....and so we RAN LIKE FOOLS TODAY!!!!

We ran a zillion errands.

I continue to download movies and tv shows....really should have done this when we had FAST Internet.....

We made time to savor the day....the scenery....and to sit with the reality of our emotions.

We checked in early at the AMC terminal. I guess they weren't going to do this today as the plane coming in to Misawa was late. When we showed up with 11 suitcases, 6 carry ons, 6 "personal items," 6 military ids, 5 passports, 4 water bottles and a beagle in a kennel.....they went ahead and let us check in. ::snort:: They said it will be much easier for them to do it NOW and it will certainly make tomorrow much easier for us. There is concern the plane will be late leaving tomorrow...praying it isn't as it will affect plans further down the road from Seattle.

Nope - I don't think one more bag is going in there...

Nolan was surrounded by bags

Yuuki is wonderful. She happily jumped into her kennel....and was very well-behaved as we waited an hour for the guys to be able to check us in. She DID seem to give us an incredulous look that said, " REALLY? WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? You drag me all the way out here, put me in a box, put me on a scale and now take me back to the doggie hotel? "

It is a HUGE relief to have all the checked bags OUT of our room.

Next on our agenda was our traditional balloon release. This is a special family circle where we discuss the good and the bad of this assignment....the need to cherish and not cling...to forgive and release the hard, bad and ugly...before we move on.... To symbolize the end of the season, we each release a balloon. We began this when we left another place we loved - Alaska. My WORD - Stacia looks so young at our balloon release in San Angelo four years ago; and our family was significantly larger on that day!

Some were reluctant to release....

We were FAR from base and flight lines.....and it was hard to drive away from our home.....so we stopped at the beach down the road....

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Just Keep Swimming

I think I may have hit the proverbial wall. I'm drained. I want to sleep - but I need to keep doing the next thing.

Today was full of farewells. It's becoming quickly apparent we really ARE moving. One day and a wake up.

We had thought we'd go to the beach today - after the farewell picnic - instead we decided to just keep swimming. When I picked Michael up tonight his office was empty - we brought stuff home and turned out the lights.

Michael has taken the kids to VIKINGS for dinner - all you can eat meat you grill at your table. I opted to keep swimming. I'm trying to retrieve movies from "the cloud" so we can sync our devices before the plane trip.

Our goal is to be packed tonight so we can check in tomorrow at the terminal....but I'm not so sure it will happen.

photo credit: Angel Kittiyachavalit via photopin cc

I'm pretty sure the anemia/D deficiency/hypothyroid thing is why I feel like simply crawling into bed...and I'm also fairly certain that isn't the answer.

Almost there.....almost. The thing is - I don't want "plane day" to arrive and yet I'm ready for the move to be over and for us to be settled in CA.

Yep - hello, dear familiar wall. I know this will all look different in a few weeks.

Meanwhile we are cherishing our memories here in Misawa and trying desperately not to cling. God is doing a new thing and our hearts will catch up with our mission.

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Luvin Japan ~ Instructional Signs

I have a long list I've yet to finish.....but today's love.....instructional signs....there are many types but the bathroom ones are the ones that make me smile the biggest.

Some of these leave me going "What?"