Thankful This Thursday - The Little Things

My good friend Neisha, the author of the blog The Outdoor Wife, invited the world to join her in being "Thankful on a Thursday".



Living in a world that moves very quickly with so many people demanding much of my time, I often forget to stop for a moment and reflect on the little things that add so much to my life. So this Thursday, I will. I'm thankful for...

1. Wise and selfless in-laws
2. Colorful flowers I've never seen before
3. Odwalla Superfood
4. International phone service
5. Big tippers
6. The amazing courtesy of the Japanese
7. My cuddly cat
8. ALIAS re-runs
9. Waves crashing along the shore

What are you thankful for today?

Laura

A Little Pain, A Little Gain

Konban Wa, Amigos!
(That's "Good evening, friends" in a cheery mix of Japanese and Spanish.)

We're so happy it's 2010! So many great things will happen this year, I can feel it. Hey, maybe Jesus will come...

Well, I guess Mark had to pay his dues before great things could happen to him this year! :) About three weeks ago, he got a pretty intense injury at work when a canopy crane smashed his finger. It fractured the bone and did quite a number on his skin, butI will spare you the gross pictures. Here's one of him afterward. It's healing slowly, but nicely in my opinion.



Besides a little pain, Mark and I are loving Oki. It has been pretty rainy and chilly this winter, but when the sun came out one lovely Sunday, we headed up north for the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival. There were Eisa dancers and beautiful cherry blossom trees blooming everywhere, followed by dinner at this little restaurant that my dear friend Jessica calls "Pizza in the Sky". It sits on the top of a peak that overlooks all of Nago and the East China Sea. I couldn't help but notice God's creativity in making everyone so uniquely different and his magnificent beauty in nature. Amazing.



Jessica, Me & Aymara (she's got a bun in the oven :)



We got word that Mark is deploying in May, so we've decided to pack lots of fun stuff in before he goes. We have a lot planned for the next few months. My good friend Simone is coming to visit us next month and I'm so excited to see her! Then, in April, Mark's parents and brother are coming to visit us and we'll be traveling to Tokyo for a week to see the sights. We're super excited!!!

On a side note, for anyone who likes the sound of Ingrid Michaelson and/or Katie Herzig, I've discovered the new and improved style of Joy Williams. After taking some time off, she's come back with some great songs! So go check her out!

Until next time... don't forget what a great God we serve!

LJ

The Master Dishwasher

Sometimes I can't fall asleep. I'd say on average it takes me at least a half an hour. So the other night, my imagination ran wild as I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. And this is what occured to me:

God is the Master Dishwasher, and we are all his dishes. Seems simple enough right? Maybe you're laughing at my child-like comparison... Oh, just wait until you see where my mind took this analogy...

So, God's children are like his plates and bowls and silverware and glasses. He sends Jesus out everyday to buy as many dishes as he can. The stores only sell dirty dishes, and the thing is, the dirtier they are, the more excited Jesus gets! The dirty ones are his favorite. Sometimes dishes argue with Jesus and tell him they cannot be bought until they wash themselves. Other dishes tell Jesus they don't need to be bought, they'll buy themselves. Both arguments seem silly to Jesus. He knows they can't wash or buy themselves... they're dishes! They don't have hands or money! So he decides he'll check with those ones again tomorrow to see if they changed their minds, and he goes on looking for the dishes who are ready and willing to be bought and washed.

Then, he brings boxes full of dishes home and gives them to God, who spends all day washing. The most spectacular thing about this, is that God LOVES being the dishwasher. When interviewed one day, God said even though his clean dishes always manage to get smudged again, above all else he'd rather hold, touch, wash and be with his beloved dishes.

"I pray that you will have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and that you know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God...

...Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory forever..."
~Ephesians 3:18-20