giving thanks

...rearrange the words in that once-a-year american holiday (thanksgiving) and what do you have?...the attitude and outlook that ought to govern the christian mind and heart all year round: giving-thanks...

...the bible teaches us to be "filled with the Spirit...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (ephesians 5:20)...in fact, thankfulness is a central part of God's will for his children: "rejoice always, pray w/o ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 thessalonians 5:16-18)...

...and even in the midst of our anxious circumstances, giving thanks is an active discipline that goes hand in hand with trusting God: "do not be anxious about anything," says the apostle paul, "but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpases all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (philippians 4:6-7)...

...today was a secular holiday called labor thanksgiving day (which, as our culture book says, is a day for "respecting labor, celebrating production and extending gratitude for others' efforts")... our extended kansai family decided to use this day to gather in community and give thanks to God for his manifold blessings...framed by our common faith and friendship in Christ, today's gathering felt very much like thanksgiving with family and friends back home...

a quick word of thanks...to all our loved ones who are giving thanks elsewhere in the world, please know that today we gave thanks to God for you!...each one of you!!...we love you and miss you and give thanks always for your interest and investment in our lives for the sake of the gospel in japan...

...our thanksgiving in japan started yesterday when we spent the evening with the takamotos (thanks eric and sue for always opening your hearts and your home to us!)...sue showed us the turkey she got for roughly $90 (yeah, prices in japan can be insane at times!)...



...claire generated bread pieces to make stuffing...growing up in the nuke-it or just-add-water generation, claire and i were astonished that stuffing was made with real bread pieces!...



...next morning, time to wash the potatoes...



...and whip 'em up real good (i was thrilled to use for the first time a blender for cooking purposes)!!!



...eric eyed our big-ticket bird, making sure it wasn't gonna turn to brick...


...the weather was so crisp and clear this morning...perfect weather to enjoy the fall leaves...so bill (sue's dad) and i took a walk to enjoy the neighborhood views...

...bill not only has expert command of all things botany, he possesses a wealth of knowledge on virtually any subject you can imagine (not surprisingly, he was an outstanding AP history teacher for many years)...he would've definitely given ken jennings (of jeopardy lore) a run for his money!...

...while bill and i were getting our morning exercise, this crawler was getting his (we've seen some incredibly big spiders here in osaka-kobe)...

...spider fans: a second look from the side...

...today being a holiday, many families recreated and did some household chores (often you'l see bed mats and sheets drying outside on elevated verandas)...

...the birds were enjoying the holiday too (well, sort of)...

...annie, now that you've got on a cute outfit, let's get ready to go to our friends' house!...

...at 1:00pm, we and the takamotos headed over to peter and wendi's home where we joined friends and spent the rest of the day giving thanks to God and to each other, building our community love and fellowship, all the while broadening our waistlines!!!...

..."c'mon in and feel at home!" says our wonderful hosts, peter and wendi...

...everyone pitched in for a superb potluck!...we even brought some kimchee!...

...perched above the food was a fine wreath peter had made earlier in the week...

...taking a short break from the toys, sue and the "kansai kids" make a quick pit stop to down some good grub...then they were off to the races again...

...with the sun setting, as our daytime festivities turned into a more quiet time of remembering and expressing the many things for which we are thankful, God stitched our hearts together with the shared thread of our new life and kingdom purpose in christ...our hearts were stuffed with thanksgiving to God for all his manifold blessings...our tummys too!...

...caution: all this thanksgiving can make u a little loopy...

...on this day we are sooooo happy to be giving thanks to our most great and awesome God for blessing us with wonderful family and friends in kansai, in america, and around the world...we love you!