happy birthday to me

My good friends surprised me last night with a cake that had my face on it! I was tasty!

a full heart

It's Tuesday and I'm distracting myself with a little bit o' blogging. This is the day I've set aside to finish packing and to clean the apartment. I've felt so blessed by this last week and a half. It's been the perfect ending. Here are some final memories:

*Sunday morning, quite a few of my students showed up to hear my final message. One new student, who only started a month ago, came with his wife and newborn baby. His wife quickly offered for me to hold the baby, which kinda surprised me because that seemed like a big act of trust on her part since it was the first time we had met.

*The church gave me a beautiful pearl necklace as a parting/thank you present. One of the church members patted me on the back and said "good job serving the church." I really sensed the Lord's pleasure in this moment.

*Sunday evening was my final Young Time meeting and I was expecting the usual 6 junior high girls to show up and to have a low-key time with them. To make the night special, I thought I'd surprise them by wearing my yukata (summer kimono). I was in the library of the church with my friend who was helping me get dressed. I could hear some kids in the next room and knew that Yudai (my class clown) had arrived since he was repeatedly trying to open the door of the library. When I emerged from the library, I walked into a room filled with kids and moms. Immediately, my students came to me a started handing me cards and gifts. I was overwhelmed. I had no idea so many children would come! There were 18 kids and 6 junior high girls. It was chaotic and beautiful. I loved that the church members put all of this together without my help, not because I don't like helping, but because it speaks to the fact that they are fully capable of leading the children's ministry and to doing it well. I told the woman who was the leader for the evening how pleased I was and how seeing so many children in the church gave me hope for the future. She said that this was a seed that I had planted, which was something I spoke about in my message that morning.

*One of my 8 year old students wrote me a letter in Japanese, so after the kids left the church my friend Masumi helped me read it. The first line says "Watashi wa Millie Sensei ga daisuki desu." Or, "I love Millie Sensei," but this translation doesn't really capture the full meaning. If I asked this student "Do you like puppies?" or "Do you like chocolate ice cream?" she would answer smiling from ear to ear, in a voice as sweet as cotton candy "DAISUKI!" This is the letter that finally broke the dam that had holding back all of my emotions and tears. I was a weepy mess after this.

*A student from Konoike made a really cute card for me and wrote in it: "I feel sad that you're going to leave here. I wish I could talk to you and go to somewhere...but I had a great time with you. I might meet you because of Jesus??" For sure.

shoma

Shoma. His is the face I'll remember for a long time. When he first came to my English class, I wanted to pull out my hair and his. He refused to join in the class repetitions and would lay on the floor when we played a game. The other boys had been studying with me since the beginning and he joined the class later on. He was behind and was struggling.

There were weeks when I had no patience and pretty much ignored him. If he refused to speak, I didn't coax any type of participation out of him. I just stepped over his body on the floor. Maybe 5 months ago, he started to come alive and he's been fully participating in the class with only a few reminders of behavior issues. His mother thanked the pastor's wife because she's noticed a change in him at home too.

Yesterday, I gave the boys some pictures that I had taken one-on-one with them. I included my mailing address in the envelope. After they finished their ice cream, I noticed Shoma standing at the window looking at the envelope. I wondered what he was thinking. Before he left, he came up to me, without any prompting from anyone, he told me "thank you" in the sweetest voice.

My heart is full.

tired of saying goodbye

This picture is from yet another farewell party today. These are my favorite people in Japan. This is the cafe where Asako and I eat lunch every Monday. I love it. It's so homey for me because it's full of American antiques for sale. This is the same place where I found the amazing penguin salt and pepper shakers last year. These ladies have become my family and I love them! At one point, I thought I should be bawling my eyes out, but the tears haven't come just yet. I think I'm too tired to cry. It's been almost a month of non-stop final trips, final dinners, final everything and I'm emotionally and physically spent. I know all the things I should be feeling, but I feel numb to it all. I hope that's not dissatisfying for my friends and students. I hope I don't come across as unaffected or that I'm itching to get out of here.

world tour of masterpieces in an afternoon

The Otsuka art museum houses full-sized reproductions of masterpieces on ceramic boards. A pretty amazing way to view the art that I've only seen in art books.

Thy mercy my God

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

words by John Stocker; music by Sandra McCracken

freedom that is ours

I received this message in a daily devotional. It spoke to me about the freedom that has been freely given to me and made me thankful for a Savior who gave his life for me.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is proof—credibility—evidence of the fact that God is at work. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is adequacy—the ability to do what God wants us to do. (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, all rules are off. We're operating under the singular law of love that encompasses all others. (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is life. The law kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is boldness to be who you are. (2 Corinthians 3:12-13)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is no need to hide, or cover up, or put on a false front. (2 Corinthians 3:16)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is hope. (2 Corinthians 3:12)

This weekend, while America celebrates its independence, we celebrate our independence from ourselves and our freedom to life in the Spirit. Risky, unpredictable, transparent, bold, adventurous, transforming life in the Spirit.

my 4th of July weekend

busy! But, oh so nice!

all pictures can be viewed at: http://picasaweb.google.com/Millie.Michael

Pensive, Doubting, Fearful Heart

Pensive, doubting, fearful heart

Hear what Christ the Savior says

Every word should joy impart

Change thy mourning into praise

Yes, He speaks and speaks to thee

May He help thee to believe

Then thou presently will see

Thou has little cause to grieve

Fear thou not, nor be ashamed

All thy sorrows soon shall end

I, who heaven and earth have framed

Am thy Husband and thy Friend

I, the High and Holy One

Israel's God, by all adored

As thy Savior will be known

Thy Redeemer and thy Lord

For a moment I withdrew

And thy heart was filled with pain

But my mercies I'll renew

Thou shall soon rejoice again

Though I seem to hide my face

Very soon my wrath shall cease

'Tis but for a moment's space

Ending in eternal peace

Though afflicted, tempest tossed

Comfortless awhile thou art

Do not think thou can be lost

Thou art graven on my heart

All thy wastes I will repair

Thou shalt be rebuilt anew

And in thee it shall appear

What the God of love can do

words by John Newton, 1779

Check out Red Mountain Church:

http://www.redmountainchurch.org/rmm/alb/lyrics.html

finding my heartbeat again

fear. let's be honest here. How many decisions do you make based on fear? fear of what others will think/say. fear of missing out on something. fear of regretting something later on.

The one message that is repeated over and over in the Bible is "Do not be afraid." I often go back to Peter walking on the water and how he began to sink when his eyes were taken off of the Lord and he noticed the waves crashing around him. The reality of his situation was surrounding him and he thought, as we all would, "What am I doing?!"

I've had some of this sinking going on in the last month. The reality of going back home to square one is staring me in the face. It's hard. I've had some disappointments here. It hasn't been exactly what I'd hoped it would be. Going back to no big plan isn't exactly what I would call success.

What have I done with these fears? I've not trusted the Lord with my life. I've turned to relationships back home that could make me feel safe instead of putting my life, my hopes and desires in the only hands that are capable to handle them. I've become a whiner, kicking and screaming for my own way, demanding to know time lines and promises that aren't mine to be had just yet. I've been a real treat.

So then, what's to be done with all this mess? The only thing that can be done is to cry out, once again to the Lord and to confess that I haven't trusted him to give me good things. I have placed my own knowledge ahead of his. I have made an idol of safety and an ideal life.

And the Lord runs to me and wraps his arms around me because he sees my broken heart. He draws me close to his chest and I can hear his heart beating again, tuning my own heartbeat to his and there's no other place I'd rather be.