Backwards

Our local hospital sits up on a hill. It’s a lovely location with views of the Sea of Japan on one side and the mountains on the other. There is only one big drawback, which I was reminded of this morning as I attempted to drop Joshy off at day service… all the access roads are steep! This morning, even knowing it was icy, I decided to go to the entrance near the day service wing instead of the bigger entrance at the other end of the building. As I headed up the hill & rounded the curve I noted another car in the drop off area, I slowed down… I then started sliding back down the hill. No matter what I tried, I just couldn’t get enough traction to continue up to the parking area.  In the end, I backed back down around the curve and back to the road.

How many times in life, as we strive to go forward, do we slow down and then start sliding back. How many time do we find ourselves unable to move forward no matter what we try. Sometimes, like this morning, we need to stop and maybe even retreat. We need to regroup before we continue forward. Maybe we need to take an alternate route. Maybe be just need to get on solid ground and try again. This morning it meant getting to the bottom of the hill, letting the car that had been in the drop off area pass and then taking the hill carefully, but without slowing down. 

Never Easy

 This has been a really rough week. A week filled with wanting to give up. A week filled with questioning why we ever did the things we did, even the things we know we were directly called by God to do. 

It has been an exhausting week. A week filled with lack of sleep because my brain won't relax and let go. A week when I finally do get to sleep the alarm or the son goes off saying it is time to start all over again.

It has been an emotional roller coaster ride this week. So many twists and turns that my mind is spinning: sadness, frustration, loss, anger, fear... just to name a few.

Remember childhood when we thought that life would be easier when... we could drive or after we went to collage where we'd be free from our parents rules.

Remember early adulthood when we thought that life would be easier once we had graduated university or once we were married. 

Remember later adulthood when we thought that life would be easier once the kids were older. 

I've come to the conclusion that "it will be easier when" is a LIE! Life is full of challenges. And those challenges are not easy. There is always going to be something difficult to get through, but GOD is there to walk the road with you. To hold your hand and say we can handle this together. 

Psalm 84:5-7

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
 They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Time To Stand or Kneel

 As I see the news of worldwide protests to all the mandates, I can't help but cheer. Better late than never, people are starting to stand up to the tyranny. 

Mask Mandate - I will agree that masks work somewhat IF you are ill: coughing & sneezing. If you are not ill then they really serve no other purpose than to shout, "Look at what a pious person I am!" thus causing division and encouraging snobbery. 

V Mandate - Whether people want to face it or not, the v-a-x is NOT what it was originally touted to be. Remember way back at the beginning, it was "the v will keep you from getting or spreading the virus". Then it went to, "you might still get it but your symptoms will be mild and you won't spread it". Now, well "you can still get and spread it"... aka - it really does not work. If the fear mongering media would be truthful, people would also know that the v also has very serious side effects which have cost 10's of thousands of people their lives and 100's of thousands their health.

V Passport Mandate - I'm sorry, but not every Tom, Dick, and Harry needs to know my personal medical history! I don't want to know if you had 1 or 2 or have been boosted or not. It in none of my business, nor is it the shop clerk's, or security guard's, the baggage handler's business... NO ONE has the right to personal medical information except the person and their doctor. The passport is just another sign to shout, "Look at what a wonderful person I am!" Again, this is just an outward, visible, encouragement for division and snobbery.

All of this reminds me of the Max Lucado book You Are Special where everyone was going round giving out stars for good deeds (mask & jabs) and dots for bad deeds (resisting). The stars and dots don't stay on when you visit the maker everyday.

We ALL need to stop living in fear. We need to stop putting actions up on a pedestal while looking down at those who don't do the same thing. And most of all we need to go to The Maker each and everyday to learn how to live as He wants us to. 

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

Ephesians 4:2

A Thousand Cuts

A thousand cuts.

When it rains it pours.

For a day off, Tuesdays can be really busy. The tightest part of Tuesdays is between 4:00 & 5:00.  Joshy’s therapy ends at 4:00. Jerry needs to head to work about 5:00. In between, I need to get home, unloaded, and get supper ready so that Jerry can eat something before he leaves. Yesterday, had several “cuts” or maybe a downpour between 4:15 & 5:00

• The secretary called with a tax question from the accountant. I hunted up the needed paper and sent her a picture of it so that she could let the accountant know. 
• I knew the accountant needed W2’s and the last one had arrived earlier in the mail. BUT Japan only gives 1 copy, which is submitted when taxes are filed. We however need a copy for our US taxes. I decided to make the copies - easy peasy, right. He printer ran out of ink on the LAST copy 😳 
• Found ink! Changed in! Did the stupid alinement thingy. Tried to make the last copy… blank paper! I had forgotten to take the tape off the new ink cartridge 🙄 
• Repeat steps and finally get all copies made and sorted into the correct files: Jerry’s / mine / ours for the U.S. This made it possible for Jerry to take his paperwork to give to the secretary who then dropped it off at the accountants office. 

By this time it is 5:00. Supper wasn’t even started! Thank goodness for obento! Jerry & I went by the store and got obento for everyone and Jerry was able to scarf his down on the way to work. It worked. We made it, but it was stressful and frustrating. 

So often frustrations come in the form of little things… a thousand cuts. Right now with the world being extra chaotic, some days feel like we are starting off with 999 cuts already. We need to stop and remember that each day is new. Remember that God has everything under control. Take a deep breath and ask the LORD to heal the cuts!

Looking Forward

So much has happened in the world these past couple of years, it almost feels like life has been on hold. Big life events have happened: our youngest graduated from high school, loved ones have passed, new life has been announced. Yet it still feels like we are on hold in so many ways.

Governments and the main stream media want us living in fear. But God says, Do not be afraid! Yet if I choose to not live in fear, I'm branded as inconsiderate, uninformed, selfish, stupid...

We must remember that God IS still in control. He wants us to look forward, not dwell on the past. He also wants us to stop living in fear, so much so that you could read a "Do not be afraid" verse EVERY day ALL year.

 

It's time for all of us to stop being afraid. To stop living in the past. To start looking forward. We don't know what the future brings, but God is there and He has it under control. So the next time something like virus numbers get you down, just stop and remember who is in control. It's not the governments, or the doctors, or the media who know what is best, it is GOD.

UPWARD & ONWARD!

Isaiah 43:18-19

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

 Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time I was a blogger. It started some 15 years ago as a way to stay connected with my family in Japan as I was in CA waiting on the birth of my first grandchild. 

Wait... Slow down... How can I possibly have a 15 year old grandson?!? TWITCH!!

Anyway, back to reality. I do have a 15 yo grandson, as well as, a soon to be 14yo granddaughter, an 11 yo granddaughter, a 3 yo granddaughter, an a coming soon granddaughter. My older 2 children live in the U.S. My younger 2 still live at home, but they are no longer in school, rather they have entered into their adult lives. I'm older, and hopefully a little wiser. I am definitely grayer! 

In retrospect, I was a blogger back when Xanga was a thriving blogging community. Back before I knew what Facebook was. YEAH - way back when. Then after Xanga changed everything, I tried blogging here, but to be honest I was in mourning for the Xanga community. I just couldn't get into this new platform. I had also gotten into Facebook, so my blog went the way of the bison. 

Recently, I've been thinking about the good old days when I used to blog and decided to see if my old blog still existed. I have been craving an outlet for thoughts and emotions. A place where, LORD willing, I won't get "fact checked" for posting something that doesn't fit the liberal narrative. So here goes. Anyone out there care to come along for the ride?

Wild Weeks

If weeks only had warning labels...

We would avoid those weeks!

This has been one of those weeks I would have preferred to have skipped. Last week was a wild ride as well, but this week added a sick boy, a fall, and a very close call with a blue car.

On the other hand, I keep seeing things like this...

We don't know what a day, a week, a month, a year is going to bring. We may not feel as if we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We may not believe that the cloud could even remotely have a silver lining. But if we look, there are little reminders along that way that God IS with us and once we have pressed on though the test there is a crown waiting for us.

Case in point, this tidbit that popped up on facebook when I was ready to tear my hair out...

Remain FAITHFUL folks and remember we DO know where we will end up once the trials have passed. We have a home in heaven waiting for us!