One of my favorite parts of living in Japan is how the Plum Blossoms announce the imminent arrival of spring each and every winter. It doesn’t matter how cold, long or full of viruses the winter is — spring is always around the corner. This year we are especially grateful for this reminder, as we can use all the help we can get to see Corona virus put in check and things be able to go back to normal. Are you thankful for the arrival of Spring this year? Enjoy the latest episode of Life in Japan.
Late last evening the news came out: Prime Minister Abe asked for the shutdown of all public schools up until the new school year (beginning of April). Up until now Japan was on alert regarding the Corona virus. The news called for much more concern everywhere. Lines for stores backed up before opening hours. Toilet paper, soap and masks were all sold out. The governor of the norther prefecture of Hokkaido asked all residents to stay indoors this weekend. It’s serious.
This morning as we told the girls they may not be finishing their 4th grade year, they were anything but sad. For kids who don’t know better, it’s like a vacation in March, usually one of the busiest times of the year.
With the olympics coming up, this may be a good decision for the health of all of the kids here in Japan. The travelers quarantined on the Diamond Princess for several days have since been released and let back into society. These potential carriers of the virus have everyone on high alert for future signs of infections. The problem is that there is no easy way to get tested for Corona virus infection in Japan. The hospitals are not equipped to test everyone who wants to be tested. So the number of cases may be much higher than what is being reported for the simple fact that most people don’t have access to the test.
This weekend we are preparing our Paz Church services to be streamed online, so that people can watch from the confines of their own homes. I will be speaking about security and assurance in times of uncertainty, and if you’d like to join the livestream, visit us at https://paz.church/japan/.
One thing people may not think of when they think of Japan is hiking, but the country is chalk full of great hiking trails. Most of the country is rugged volcanic mountains, so there is no shortage of places to explore. A trickier challenge may be to find places where the whole family can enjoy — and places close enough to home that can be done in one day. Fortunately, we became aware of Mt Takao, a mountain (big hill, really) less than an hour away. It turned out to be such a great trip that the girls are already asking when our next one will be!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is a day we celebrate love, and we are most thankful for it. Love is the atmosphere in which we as humans thrive and grow. Love is a commitment to help one another in thick and thin, through hormones and emotional swings (and I’m not talking just about females here). Love is not just an emotional high, but it is a force that determines our destinies. In our newest video we celebrate love — it is the reason we can enjoy such a rich life here in the greater Tokyo area. This love has propelled us here to Japan and changes the freeze of winter into the warmth of spring.
Everyone has problems and issues that they face on a daily basis. That’s just part of life. For kids it might be the bully at school, or the test coming up. For adults it might be broken relationships and difficult work environments. Your health just threw you a curve ball, or money may be a major issue always weighing you down. You may feel like your life is cramped and you’re not free to really grow into your full potential. What if there was a solution to the daily problems you face — would you want to know about it?
Perhaps the biggest adjustment and problem we faced when to moving to Japan was not the language, food or even culture. It was the space! We went from big home rural living to compact major-city living all while our family grew. It was a night and day difference. Feeling cramped is not a fun feeling, it feels like you’re being shackled down.
Not all of Japan is cramped though, because when you move away from the major cities, things become much more spacious. While the thought of moving outside of the city does appeal to us, we are living and working in the city and need to be here. So we are constantly improving our home to maximize our space, and that’s all about what this video is about.
How about the problems you face? Have you found solutions for them? Chances are someone else has also faced the same problems, and there may be hundreds or even thousands of others facing the same issue right now. Some of the biggest breakthroughs in business, ministries and medicine came because there was a big problem, and instead of bowing to that problem or accepting it for what it was, someone persevered and found a solution and started sharing it with others.
Finding a solution for your space concerns is one thing — finding truly abundant living full of love, joy and peace is another. We were designed to experience a life full of these things, but instead we often dwell in the gutter of life instead of on the mountains. The solution is to maximize your space by getting a new perspective.
Get a New Perspective
Get outside of your normal worldview and experiences. Get another option. Look at another angle. And no other perspective is as accurate or life-changing as the Bible. The Bible is God’s perspective on life — its’ purpose, its’ design and its’ destiny. From the Bible we learn about who we are — the problems of sin and death that face all of us and the solution for mankind who is Jesus Christ.
There’s a reason that the Bible is the number one selling book of all time. No other book is like the Bible. It has the power to give solutions to every day problems. If you haven’t ever tried it, you can download it for free and start this life-changing experience. It has changed my life and daily gives me strength. It can do the same for you.
Here are two apps I highly recommend. The first has the Bible in hundreds of language and translations (including Japanese). You can find reading plans that help you start reading for the first time.
www.Bible.com
The second is a great a great Japanese Dramatic Bible and I use it for studying Japanese. If you’re going to read or listen to the Bible in Japanese, this is perhaps the best place to go. The highlight of this app is not just the wonderful, easy to understand Japanese translation, but also the professional voice acting of the dramatic reading. It’s great.
