Rescued by Jesus. Rebuilt by the Spirit. Responding to God's grace.
<< Previous episode Before the harvest comes a lot of hard work. “He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be […]
<< Previous Episode God’s timing is never late, though it often feels that way to us. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV) We finally moved to Ofunato– the […]
<< Previous episode It wasn’t just my driving skills that were tested. Mention the phrase “driver’s license” to a fellow gaijin in Japan and you’re likely to hear horror stories about the dreaded behind-the-wheel test. Obtaining a license seems to be the bane of many new foreign residents– at least, the ones who don’t want […]
<< Previous episode When God calls you to something, it’s up to Him to provide what you need to do it. My supervisor and I went on a scouting trip to Ofunato, the city we felt called to, to begin our search for a home. We would make the 8-hour drive in the old minivan […]
<< Previous episode Living in tents like strangers in a new land. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger […]
<< Previous episode Moving forward often requires us to let go of what we know. December 17, 2012. It had been 14 months since I resigned from my role in order to go to Japan; 5 months since my last scouting trip. We had to raise 80% of our two-year budget before we could leave […]
<< Previous episode I was about to give up the race when a parked car cheered me on. I returned from the summer missions trip– my fourth trip to Japan– with the confidence that we would raise the funds needed to embark on our two-year assignment. We needed 80% of our two-year budget pledged before […]
<< Previous episode What do you do when you’re stripped of your abilities? Upon completing our training in Chicago, we were commissioned as short-term missionaries in a service at our denomination’s annual meeting. The missionary who would eventually become our supervisor in Japan had been in contact with me throughout the missionary application and orientation […]
<< Previous episode Catching a glimpse of the Father’s joy. Traveling with young children is not in my top 10 list of favorite things. It’s enough of a hassle traveling alone: checking in, going through security, boarding the plane and trying to situate yourself while irate passengers brush past in a huff. The stress level […]
But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. (1 Cor. 14:3 NIV) << Previous episode As part of the process of applying to be missionaries with our denomination, our entire family would have to spend two weeks in Chicago in order for Soo and me to attend mandatory missionary […]
<< Previous episode God provides and redeems one of my failures. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the […]
<< Previous episode A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. Soo, the boys, and I traveled north from Tokyo and headed towards Iwate on Thanksgiving weekend of 2011. It would be our very first visit to Ofunato as a family: Soo had been curious to finally see the city we were being called […]
<< Previous episode When God calls, resistance is futile. The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, […]
<< Previous episode Fear kept me from trusting God. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do […]
<< Previous episode Filled with faith or just plain delusional? “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will […]
<< Previous Episode Learning to trust God as He leads us into the unfamiliar. My friend Jack, who was on that first mission trip to Japan with me, suggested that we return to Japan together and visit Ofunato, since God went through the trouble of showing me a map of that city in my dream. […]
<< Previous episode If God can speak through a donkey, could He speak through a child’s toy? It was a Tuesday morning. I was making the 20-mile drive to work. The radio was off. I needed some silence. I was praying. “God, it’s been nearly a month since my mother passed away. The memorial service […]
<< Previous Episode Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” (Luke 10:61 NIV) In the last episode, I had just received confirmation of my family’s calling to Japan– the sign being that of a family of ducks crossing the street. Though I […]
<< Previous episode If God could speak through a donkey, could He speak to me through some ducks? Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me” (Gideon 6:17 NIV) June, 2011. It had been three months since my missions trip […]
<< Previous Episode Was this the end of my mission to Japan or just the beginning? Our ten-day mission trip ended on March 27, 2011. I accompanied the rest of the team to Narita Airport to send them off on their flight back to Los Angeles. My plan was to fly to Seoul the next […]
<< Previous Episode One of the original objectives for our 10-day missions trip had always been to encourage missionaries and Japanese Christians by meeting with them and praying for them. The triple disaster of March 11th didn’t change this, other than to cause us to allocate more of our time in Kyoto than originally planned, […]
<< Previous Episode The wind blows where it will. During our preparations for the trip, we reviewed guidelines on what would be culturally appropriate for short-term missionaries in Japan. For example, it isn’t common to walk up to strangers to strike up a conversation, especially if we couldn’t speak Japanese. Prayer in public would be […]
<< Previous Episode Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts […]
What do you do when uncontrollable forces array against your sense of God’s calling? << Previous episode In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Prov. 16:9 NIV) Sensing the go-ahead to proceed with this missions trip to Japan, I began the morning of January 2, 2011 by praying about […]
When you commit to following God, you never know where He might take you. << Previous Episode I had just experienced a pivotal moment during my week-long retreat in the mountains: forced to confront my identity issues, I was able to work through them, find relief from the things that weighed me down, and quiet […]
<< Previous Episode I know my story is crazy. I just wanted to remind y’all before we keep going. The next episode of my story marks the beginning of my family’s calling to Japan. It’s an entirely new chapter of my life– it’s almost as though all the episodes leading up to this point are […]
You can’t serve well unless you first know who you are (and aren’t). << Previous episode After receiving my ministry license, I was required to complete four orientation courses, each one a week long, usually in Chicago or Denver. These were not easy for me to pull off at the time, as Soo just had […]
Yet another post about surrender, trust, and obedience. (Are we sensing a theme here?) << Previous episode Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm. 20:7 NIV) I have this thing about titles and diplomas. I love them. I covet them. But I could […]
Why cling to bitterness when you’re the only one who tastes it? << Previous Episode After my initiation into deliverance ministry, I began to meet with more people to pray for them, and while most people never manifest spiritually the way Jordan did, I did notice how many people were oppressed due to lingering bitterness […]
When I was faithful with a little, God gave me more– way more than I ever imagined. << Previous episode That night, I went to work at the weekly prayer meeting we held every Friday. My job title was “director of prayer ministries,” but I felt more like the “prayer team gopher.” On a typical […]
