Reutter Life in Japan

Not Your Normal Summer

I’ve always loved summer — especially summer break. It was time off school for playing, vacation and time with friends and family. This year summer vacation is very different, it is not your normal summer. It takes extra work and effort to do the same things we did just a year ago.

So how do we stay focused and positive through all of this? First of all, we are not always perfect. We have our bad days. We have our upset and irritated days. Sometimes by sure willpower you can force yourself to be positive. But the longer you have to force yourself to be positive, the sooner it will be before something snaps, and all that pent up frustration comes out. Look out when that happens!

To be truly happy, there has to be source of joy and peace inside that isn’t dependent on outside circumstances that ebb and flow. I have heard of more marriages breaking up than ever before, because the circumstances of 2020 have pushed people to their breaking points and past them! This is not what God wants for you or your family! How do you stay encouraged during this time? Read this verse and then listen to this video for our secret on how we do it.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible: Letter of Romans 15:13

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The Bible tells us how easy it is to have hope

A post shared by Nate Reutter (@natereutter) on Aug 2, 2020 at 5:24pm PDT

My prayer for you is that you can also enjoy this beautiful fountain of hope, joy and peace that is only found in Jesus Christ. We need it for 2020. Our families need it. Our countries need it.

LIJ Episode Lives Videos

Behind the Scenes of LIJ

Time for something completely different — a look behind the scenes of how we produce Life in Japan! I’ve always been a huge fan of technology (A.K.A. nerd). In this episode some of that leeks out as I talk about how everything from cameras to computers come together for each episode of Life in Japan.

If you’ve ever made a video, then you have an idea of the amount of time, energy and focus that is required to actually make one. Dedication and passion are required to keep consistently producing and it’s a discipline that few can truly appreciate. Even though I’ve been producing movies and music for years, I have learned so much in the last two years due to the amount that I have been producing.

While there are certainly days I feel like I’m crazy for all this, I feel so richly rewarded to know that we are being a blessing for everyone who’s watching on YouTube, listening to our music and coming to Paz Coffee Shop and Paz Church. And our whole point of living in Japan is to bring the love of Jesus in all kinds of ways and styles. Thank you for watching and being a part of this journey of our Life in Japan!

Lives

Summer Weekends in 2020

Today the 2020 Olympic Games begin! Or, at least, they would have until corona happened. This year has been a year of learning to adapt and adjust, to make do with what we have and to make the best of every situation. The olympics aren’t happening now and things look very different than they did just 6 months ago. But one thing hasn’t changed in 2020: the weekends are still a time of resting from everyday work and recharging our batteries. It’s just the things we do that has changed a bit.

What refreshes or renews you is different from person to person — some like to sleep in (like Ruth), others like playing games, going places, hanging out with friends or just reading a good book. All of these things are good, but one of the things that 2020 has proved to us is the importance of healthy relationships with God and others. Any substitute for these things will result in an unbalanced life that quickly topples with all life’s current challenges.

For us, church has always been a big part of our weekends. Rarely do we miss a Sunday at church, but when we do, the rest of the week just feels “off.” It’s one of those habits that I recommend to anyone wanting to establish healthy weekly life patterns. It’s been proven that the most powerful tool that a psychologist has to help their patient is not their knowledge but their relationship with the patient. In the same way, our relationships to others in the church allow us to flourish even when life around us is hard. It’s in those healthy relationships that we discover more clearly who God is and how He loves us. Do you have this in your life? If not, I couldn’t recommend it more! Find a good church near you and start attending, if even online at first. See how it lifts your weekend up and sets you up for a good week.

LIJ Episode Lives

Living Well in 2020

The way you define “living well” depends greatly on your cultural background and personal likes and preferences. For some, living well could mean a life of travel and adventure. For others, it could be a meaningful relationship and fulfilling work. Yet for others it could be a life of seclusion, peace and quiet. And then there are some who think if they get famous and/or rich, they will be living the good life.

Whatever lifestyle you were pursuing, 2020 just threw a wrench into that pursuit! The world shutdown like never before (at least in modern history). And many places that were shutdown and coming out of lockdown are now entering into a second shutdown. We’re just not out of the woods yet. It seems like a good time to take a step back and reevaluate things.

A good life at home has never been so important. It’s hard enough to deal with all of the drama of society today, if you have to deal with too much drama at home as well, it’s enough to take people, marriages and families to the breaking point (which unfortunately is exactly what is happening for many families). Therefore I believe with all of my heart that those who experience truly good living in 2020 are those who have their home lives in order and work at living at peace with those closest to them.

This is why the Bible is so precious to me — it’s my manual for operation, my standard to live by, my measuring stick for the morals that I hold and teach. It is not a book of rules — furthest thing from it! It is a way to live in which we experience the fullest, richest life that God designed us to have. It is the best return for your time and effort and the rewards are not just for this life now, but will go on for all eternity. It is the way of peace and love, a way of healthy, fruitful living that is not the easiest way to live, but certainly the most rewarding in the long run.

God is the one who made us, and He made marriage and the family to be a reflection of His very own nature. The devil likes to take that and break that. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus comes so we can have life in abundance. Our families can stand strong when we do it God’s way, by His Word and with His own power (His very own Holy Spirit). God has not left us alone, He has not abandoned us. He is for us, He is with us, and He is with you. Try calling out to Him for help. It starts with a simple prayer “Jesus help me!” And watch what happens next… the merciful presence of God in your life, in your family, in your marriage that can lead to a good life that you never thought was possible — for 2020 or any other year for that matter!

Lives

Camping in Japan

It finally happened — we had our first one-day camping excursion in Japan! We’ve been planning this for a long time, but then came society shutdown of 2020 and everything changed :). Now that we’re in July, enough of the restrictions have been removed to allow us to go camping nearby. And we had a blast — and did all this for cheap! We enjoyed the sights of Mount Fuji, local wildlife, fun parks and of course the staple of any camping excursion: the campfire. We even got hit with a rainstorm in the night that really kept things lively. We ended up pulling out of the campsite early because of the rain, but it didn’t damper our time. We had an epic one day trip!

So now we can’t wait to do it again — but July has done nothing but rain. In fact other parts of Japan have been hit so hard that major flooding has happened. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected — we know what it feels like to (almost) lose everything. We were threatened with flooding just last year during the massive typhoon that brought so much damage to our area.

This year has certainly been a difficult year for many reasons, and never before has it been so apparent our need for God, his love, his protection, his care and his peace in our heart. The love of God given through Jesus allows us have peace in the storm and special moments together give us a glimpse of what eternity with Jesus will be like — away from pain and destruction, away from fear and viruses, where we can get lost in the moment. God gives us glimpses of eternity in everyday life, but it’s easy to miss if we’re not looking for it. Where are those moments for you? Is it out camping? Out in nature? Is it while driving or walking? Is it while putting on some great music or reading a good book? Singing your child to sleep? There are many ways this can be triggered, but it all points to the eternal purpose we have in God.