stretching is no fun . . . but so worth the time!!

We have been a fitness kick around our house.  Mike started running almost a year ago.  He has lost more than 30 pounds.  I started walking in the mornings a few weeks back.  I don't think I have lost anything yet, but I know I feel better!  There is just something about getting up and getting moving first thing.  I love the feel of the cool morning wind against my face to wake me up and get me ready for a day of schooling and family and fun. 

This post really is not about exercise.  It is however, about being stretched.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

I Chronicles  4:10

 

 

. . . Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed . . . . (give me the desires of my heart)

. . . and enlarge my coast . . . (give me a bigger vision)

. . . and that thine hand might be with me . . . (keep Your hands of protection on me and my family)

. . . and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, . . . (guard my heart)

 

 

Jabez prayed that God would enlarge his coast.  Jabez prayed that God would give him a bigger vision.  God would give him a larger area to minister.  God would stretch him.  God would take him out of his comfort zone.

 

 

 Every few months I will be reminded of this verse.  I will be reminded of how I want God to bless me, of how I want God's hand to be with me, of how I want God to keep me from evil.  I always kind of skip over the "enlarge my coast" part.   I mean really, I am a missionary.  I do live in another country.  I am suffering for Jesus over here. :)  And besides, that part is for "those Christians in America."  Right?? 

 

 

Wrong.  Wrong. Wrong!

 

 

That part, that whole verse is for me!!
 

Last Friday, Junko asked me if I would like to meet some of her friends.  I said sure!  She then told me that one Wednesday morning a month she volunteers at the Nakagawa Children's Center.  (It's a mother's day out type program.)  She went on to tell me about the five older ladies, who speak NO ENGLISH would also be there to help.  She told me that she would be very busy because she is the group leader.  She would be talking with the mothers, the other volunteers, and making sure all the rules are followed.  She then asked, "Can you help me at the Children's Center on Wednesday?"  I said yes but as the words were coming out of my mouth I felt the fear building up in me.  I am not normally a shy person.  I am not normally afraid of a new task.  But for some reason the thought of being in a room for 3 hours with ladies who did not speak English was terrifying. 

 

 

I came home and told Mike about it.  He said, "Great!  You should do it!" 

 

 

But I didn't want supportive right now.  I wanted someone to say . . .

 

 

 "Are you crazy?  Don't do that.  Don't befriend these ladies or help your friend.  Don't meet new people.  And don't you dare try to learn more of that Japanese language.  God will give you the language when you need it.  Now, come over here and lets eat a big bowl of ice cream together because calories don't count for Christians!" 

 

 

 Now that is what I wanted to hear.  All weekend I tried to think of a reason to call and say I could not make it.  I check the temperature of all the kids daily.  Surly, someone is going to get sick.  I would come up with excuses in my head.  I would try to convince myself that I could not do this.  And then it hit me.  Japanese Class!!  Bingo!  That was it.  I couldn't go because I have Japanese class on Wednesday afternoons.  God quickly took care of that excuse.  Our Japanese teacher got the flu.  She sent an email Tuesday night.  (Mike didn't tell me until Wednesday afternoon)

 

 

God was already working on my heart Tuesday.  Eli was looking for a Bible verse.  I couldn't remember exactly where it was.  I knew I had it marked in my Bible.  So I began flipping through my Bible, scanning the highlighted verses.  BAM!  I Chronicles 4:10 

 

 

I read the verses and my eyes were drawn to "enlarge my coast".  I stopped everything I was doing.  I felt guilt and shame. 

 

 

. . . enlarge my coast . . .

 

 

. . . enlarge my coast . . .

 

 

I was not willing to let God enlarge my coast.  My area of influence.  My comfort zone. 

 

 

 

 

I knew then that no matter how uncomfortable I might feel, no matter how I was going to struggle with the language, or how strange it would be to play with children who would not understand me, I knew I had to go.  I needed to enlarge my coast. 

 

 

Wednesday morning I got up and got Noah and Rachal off to school.  Then got Jonah and Eli started on there work.  I jumped on my bike and rode off.  When I arrived I was greeted by friendly smiles.  A 9 month old baby was quickly placed in my arms.  I sat down and began to play pat-a-cake.  With in a few minutes the ladies slowly began to come up and speak to me.  I told them, "I don't understand very much Japanese."  They spoke very slowly and little by little I was able to communicate with them.  One lady asked me what university I attend.  I laughed. "No I am not a student.  I am married with four children." 

 

 

Sometimes it is hard to be stretched. Let me tell you, when you put your fear aside and let God lead, it can turn out to be a pretty awesome morning.




Science and Space and Fun

For the January school field trip we had the chance to go to the Saga Prefecture Space and Science Museum.  Here are a few pictures from our day of fun!!

Jonah on a Moon Walk simulator

Not a great picture but Jonah sure had fun bouncing around like a real astronaut.

A school of fish

Eli feeding the fish

Noah feeding the fish

Looking at the different types of frogs in our area.

Hands on learning in the Human Hamster Wheel

Earthquake Simulator

Rachal having fun playing with the speed gun.

Everyone wanted to see who could throw the ball the fastest.

Even Mike wanted to play.

Eli riding in a car powered by magnets.



 

Standing inside a bubble! 
I don't think they knew what to expect. 
They seemed a little scared.

The second time they are more excited about it.

Eli trying to hear like an elephant!!

Rachal in a bubble!

 Did you ever see Space Camp - a movie from the 80's?  This group of kids goes to Space Camp for the summer.  They train just like real astronauts.  The top group will get to sit in a real space shuttle while NASA fires up the engines.  Anyway, something goes wrong and the shuttle takes off and these teenagers have to fly back all on their own. {it scares me to think of teenagers driving a car much less a space shuttle} So in the movie, the kids train on this orbit spinning thing.  I have always wanted to try it.  I didn't try it, but Noah did!!



Getting strapped in . . .

All happy and ready for his adventure.

It was spinning supper fast.
(this is why I didn't do it)

He did great! 

A very normal day

I wanted to share what a "normal" day for me in Japan looks like.  I have noticed that I am slower at posting on the blog.  I have also noticed that I am worn out by 8 pm every night.  I often want to write something but then I think about the warm bed and how tired I am.  The warm bed wins!!  So here is a very normal day for me.

5:45 am - first alarm goes off.  (notice I said first.  It take me a while to get up!)

6:00  - out of bed to go turn on the heater in the living room.  It's usually 12c (53F) in the morning.  So I hurry back under the covers.  I read emails, check facebook and read the Bible.  Finally getting out of bed around 6:45ish.

7:00  - I start cooking breakfast, start the coffee, start the laundry and start making lunch for Noah and Rachal. 

7:15  - Last call for getting out of bed.  At this point, if you are not physically up and moving around you are free game!!  This could be anything from me singing off key to take your covers away or even a spray bottle of nice cold water!! 

7:20 - 8:15 - Eat breakfast, get dressed, clean the table and dishes, make beds and get school stuff ready.  All this done by the kids.  I finish lunches, hang the laundry out to dry, get Mikes breakfast and lunch ready and try to drink a cup of coffee before it gets too cold.

8:15  - Noah and Rachal head to the church for school. 

8:30 - Jonah and Eli at the table for school.  I help them get started on the day with Bible, Spelling, and Writing in their journal.

8:45 - I leave the house.  Monday is food shopping day and Mike stays home with the boys. I am home by 11:00 am.     Tuesday - Thursday I go walking with some mommy friends for about 40 mins.  From 9:30 - 11:30 I teach Jonah and Eli math, grammar, science and history.

11:30 - Reading time/ make lunch time.  Eli sits on the kitchen floor and reads aloud to me and Jonah reads in his room.

12:00 - LUNCH! 

12:45 - Back to work.  The boys finish up any lessons from the morning.  After all work has been completed, they work on Math Centers or Language Centers.  These are games that I have made to reinforce concepts they have learned in Math, Grammar, Spelling and Science.  This also gives me a chance to have some quite time to work on my school work.  I am currently finishing my degree in Missions, learning Japanese, doing a weekly Bible study with a Japanese friend, doing a Bible study with a Missionary friend and working on a scripture memory challenge for the year!!  Wednesday I have Japanese class.  I have to take the train into the city.  I leave around 1:00 and don't get home until 5:00. 

3:00 - School is out!! 

3:15 - Noah and Rachal are home!  We now have 15 mins for snack and talking about their day.

3:30ish - Math Time with Noah and Rachal.  I sit down and go over their lesson for tomorrow with them.  While they work on the practice problems I grade the school work they did from today.  Then we review anything they are not getting and fix the mistakes.

5:00 - I start dinner.  Most nights I have at least one child sitting on the kitchen floor while I continue to teach or make corrections from the days work.

6:00  - We sit down for supper! 

6:30 - 8:00  - Family time, baths and showers, kitchen clean up.

8:00 - Jonah and Eli go to bed

9:30ish - Noah and Rachal go to bed.

10:00 - I am drifting off to sleep!!  Thank you Lord for another amazing day with my family!!

As I look at everything written out, it sure looks like a lot of work. 

But I don't see it as work.  I see this as ministry. 

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

1 Timothy 1:12