Reutter's Life in JapanAnything having to do with our lives
Parenting has never been an easy job, but throw a pandemic into the mix, and things get hairy fast. The pandemic has been a recipe for disaster for many families, but it doesn’t have to be the story of your family. In this episode of Life in Japan we have an honest look at the things that have helped us manage our family during the pandemic, and even some discoveries that will help us stay strong long after the pandemic is gone. It’s parenting, Life in Japan style.
One of the things we’ve really enjoyed about the conversations we have on our YouTube channel are all of the suggestions we get of places to go and things to try. Since we (and by we I mean especially Ruth) likes shopping, many have suggested that we try Don Quijote, a Japanese store with an eclectic collection of goods.
While we were in Yokohama for a weekend, we came across a Mega Don Quijote, and since we had a couple of hours we decided to enter in and wander around to see what we could see. It was a good thing we were taking a video, because the trip ended up to be quite a fun experience! Without further ado, here is our first impressions of Japan’s Everything Store, Don Quijote.
It’s a question that we all ask at some point or another — what is the meaning of life?! The answer to this question is one of the most important and noble pursuits. But where do you begin?
Ruth’s uncle Tim Huber has been a missionary and pastor here in Japan for over 30 years, and I have been working with him to launch a new YouTube channel all about this theme. In perfect Japanese, he shares about this subject. Please watch it and share it with anyone you think would be interested! New videos will be launched every Friday at 8:00 PM, so you can enjoy Life in Japan at 7:00 PM and then the Meaning of Life at 8:00! Here is our first episode:
If you’re reading this, you made it through 2020. Congratulations!! What didn’t destroy you has the potential to make you stronger. And what we learned in 2020 has set us up for a powerful 2021, even amidst all of the limitations we may encounter this year.
Limitations do not have to limit our potential, but can actually be a catalyst for breaking free from old patterns that have truly been our greatest reason for a stagnant life. It’s not life that was limited, but “normal” life. For that I am most thankful for 2020 — not for all the bad things that happened, but that it got the whole world out of the rut it was in. We often get so focused on little things that eat our time and energy, when they are merely superficial things that, in the long run, don’t really matter.
2020 helped show what those things were, because we had to stop many things we were doing and reevaluate everything. In fact this is still happening.
No one saw 2020 coming, so it would be a little bit audacious to imagine what 2021 will be like. But I believe the biggest secret to thriving this year is not in what will or will not be allowed, or even what happens with Corona Virus or other world events.
The secret to thriving in 2021 is centered in our response to whatever happens. We can’t control the circumstance in life, but we can control our response. We can embrace the limitations and through that, find new ways to thrive.
In 2020 we lost many precious people and many precious “normalities” we had become accustomed with. We certainly can’t take anyone or anything for granted. Ultimately, I can’t hold on to my life, the life of precious ones near me or my way of life. But I can continue to look what can’t be taken away from me: my relationship with God the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ his son. His Word and promises gave me something to stand on, a source of joy and hope amidst a world full of dark news. And I know that even if my life or the life of my loved ones would come to an end, it is only a passing on to the glorious presence of God where I can enjoy life as it was always meant to be: without pain, sin, sickness, disease, corruption, war and all the effects of our fallen state.
If you would like to know more about a relationship with God that can do this, I invite you to join us in reading through the New Testament of the Bible this year. The New Testament is the part of the Bible that talks about Jesus, his life, death and resurrection and what happened afterwards as a result. To say that it is life-changing is a huge understatement.
The great part of reading through the New Testament is that it takes only a couple of minutes each day. When you read, ask God the Creator to reveal Himself to you. Discovering how much God loves you and that He desires a relationship with you is life’s greatest discovery. Here is the link to this reading plan: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/13233
Christmas really is a wonderful time of year. Here in Japan, Christmas seems to center around Fried Chicken, Christmas Cakes, Santa Claus and illumination. In Brazil, Christmas time means a big meal with family late at night as Christmas Eve turns into Christmas. In America people decorate their houses and you see reminders of the season everywhere. But at the heart of Christmas is Christ! Christ-mas! Yes, it’s the biggest birthday celebration of all time — the very birth of Jesus Christ.
We have many traditions that we do to make Christmas fun and festive, but none of them would mean anything if it weren’t for the fact that God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not die but have eternal life. This is the most beautiful message man has ever had, and it came in the form of the person Jesus, the Son of God. And it’s worth throwing a big celebration over!
So we do a lot of things to make this time of year special — put up decorations, bake cookies (and teach you how to do it in our newest episode of Life in Japan). But don’t forget: at the heart of Christmas is Jesus!
And just in case you want to follow along with Ruth and make some of these wonderful cookies, just follow her recipe below. Merry Christmas!
CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COOKIE
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cup sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup corn starch 3 cups of flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in egg, vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Add in the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Mix until we’ll blended. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment or wax paper and place on a baking sheet in the refrigerator. Chill for about 15 minutes. Cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 180 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 40-50 cookies.