Our Trip to Japan - Part 2

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun... 

We never intended this trip to be focused on rest due to the intense amount of travel and the many destinations within Japan that we wanted to see, but on this portion of our journey we received such rest and the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

The second part of our trip began with more train rides (one of my favorite modes of transportation), and ultimately the Shinkansen, the bullet train.  Away from the enormous cities, past rice fields and temples, gliding through tunnels, and zooming past snow-capped mountains, we traveled up half of main land Japan to reach the area of Sendai, a city some may recognize after the tsunami hit in 2011.

(Behind this boat, there once sat a fishing village.  It was completely swept away in 2011.)

"Takayama, Takayama, Takayama by the sea... All the year, we're longing for you, Takayama by the sea..."  I'll go ahead and apologize for the plethora of pictures to come in this post.  But then again, part of my heart is in these pictures. Takayama Beach Company has been a haven for missionaries for so many years.  Old military cabins scattered over two mountains may not seem impressive to most; seaweed filled beaches, and long trails to cart your belongings to and from your car may not sound like a vacation.  But for our family, cabin #7 was home for so many summers. 

My mom and I wondered out loud why was this place so special. Maybe it's because even when houses changed growing up, there was always such comfort and security in coming back to Takayama (wise words from my mama).  It was a place of childhood freedom, of rustic cabins with open windows, of spiders, hoppers, and mosquitoes, yet it always had a resemblance of home.

 

Our little cabin #7 is nothing to brag about now, but it was the prettiest cabin on Tak & To while it was under the care of my parents.  Notice my dad still taking care of it by putting back a fallen storm covering.  What a blessing that fallen door was though as we were able to glimpse inside and see the table my dad had built, the curtains my mom had sewn, and the wood stove my parents carried up that mountain over twenty years ago. 

People have asked what my favorite part of the trip was... Where do I begin?  Spending this time with my parents has to exceed them all.  Walking the trails I walked with my dad to go fishing so many years ago, again with my family was priceless. Cooking meals with my mom, savoring some of our Japanese favorites, will never be forgotten.

Our three nights here provided a time of rest, as I mentioned before. Still trying to recover from jet lag and without a TV to entertain us, we were able to enjoy the simple things of UNO and other games, of puzzles and long walks, of fire pits and cool evenings, and a lot of time on the beach.

 

I will most likely never have another opportunity to return to Takayama by the sea, but the memories from my childhood and now the memories with my children are enough to last me a lifetime.  

Choosing to Wait...

I awake, already behind schedule, and my mind starts whirling with all that needs to be done.  What should I do first?  Thankful for enough quietness to hear, the Lord reminds me, "Do this one thing and then after that, you can do another.  But don't worry about all that the day seems to hold."  

Coffee in hand, I choose what I need the most - time with my maker.  He blesses me with this verse, "Wait for the Lord, be strong & take heart and wait for the Lord."  One season of busyness is ending, yet another one is rapidly approaching.

Weeks ago, I felt this same weight of stress laying heavy, but from two different sources in the same day, I was reminded of this verse, "Wait for the Lord; be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."  I couldn't help but smile and savor the words.

When I looked at the previous verse, Psalm 27:13, I was even more encouraged, for the psalmist wrote, "I am still confident of this.  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  Did you catch it?  The land of the living!  So instead of always focusing on the past or what's ahead in the future, I need to find goodness among the land of living, with those who are living around us whether in our homes, our neighborhoods, our work places...  May we be fully present in the upcoming season of busyness.  May we patiently wait for the Lord.  May we open our eyes enough to the beauty all around us and be thankful...

for homeschooling on location or just in the backyard...

for dog walks and baby dolls...

for the love of books...

for days of craziness and days of quiet solitude...

for my daily bread (and oatmeal)...

Loving Leaves and Letting Go...

There are seasons where life never seems to stop.  You struggle to catch your breath, getting ahead seems impossible, and moments disappear before you realize their brevity and beauty.  In ministry, this season is frequent and often a struggle, yet God is so good.  He allows late Saturday afternoons for us all to get away, to intentionally take time to catch those moments, and to stand in awe of His creation  

He is so good in allowing us the privilege of witnessing our second daughter take a step of faith.  Our little middle, who has struggled for years to even talk to others, chose to stand in front of an entire church and profess her faith in our Lord.  We have prayed again and again the verse in Deuteronomy, "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." (31:6)  He is so good!

 

And when the leaves turn and fall, and school work calls to be done, God is good in the raking, the jumping, and even in the arguing of sisters.  Their mama needs reminding again and again to slow down...

- to "wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

- to "be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10

- that it is "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit," says the Lord. - Zechariah 4:6

"When we make the choice to let go of distraction, perfection, and societal pressure to grasp what really matters, that's when our life although a bit unbalanced and imperfect - tastes sweeter than we could ever imagine." - Rachel Macy Stafford (Hands Free Mama)