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::: claire and i took a long walk tonight, praying as we strolled through two college campuses...we've cherished these times...we checked our inventory and recounted some memories from the recent week gone by, one filled with meaningful ministry times...

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...last week's schedule made us feel like we were playing clay-court, fifth-set tiebreakers every night...no wonder that in the apostle paul's prayer for the philippian congregation, his desire for their love to "abound more and more" was coupled with the need for -- and exercise of -- "knowledge and all discernment" (1:9)...

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...tonight, on a clear, crisp night, we talked about how much we love our japanese neighbors and friends...but we also talked about our need for more discernment when it comes to our time and energy...more than anything, though, we thanked God for faithfully continuing to reach us in our times of spiritual discipline and community worship...

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...had you peeked into our brains, you would have seen these memories from the past week...

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...going to a campus festival to meet some college students in my weekly class...rising above the clamor of clubs selling their goods at food booths were the razor-sharp sounds of an all-female brass band playing while posing in tribute to charlie's angels...by the way, while we're on the subject of festivals in japan, one tip we've learned for living on the cheap in japan is this: going to local festivals is a great three-in-one way to enjoy good music, experience some culture, and eat good cheap food (ex: we had a pack of 8 gyozas for about 50 cents, some yakisoba for a buck, and a banana-choc crepe for a buck fifty)...

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...a cozy afternoon after church with kotomi, yoko, and yoon...that lingering family feel...

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...with language as the primary entry point, claire's thursday classes with japanese women are becoming safe harbors of friendship...

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...an overnight staff-family retreat in the beautiful mountains of okayama (hiruzen), famous in japan for creamy milk...so thankful for our japanese and asian access colleagues...

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...not to mention a new baby in our congregation (congrats manami!), a new job (congrats yoon!), college entrance tests (ganbatte izumi!), and the ongoing joy of experiencing life together with our japanese church family...we could've kept praying for miles...

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...all this and more with the one i love more with each passing mile-moment...

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