Outside the fence

While on vacation, we found a church in a nearby city and worshiped with them on Sunday morning.  We walked in without knowing anyone there, except the Risen Lord who was lifted high.

It was all the levels of uncomfortable you can imagine from not knowing which door to enter the building to not knowing where to go once we did enter the building.

In a congregation of less than 100 people, our presence must have been noticeable, and there was the awkward moment where the usher handed us the bulletin, looked us in the eye and just gave a generic "Good morning" with his smile.  I had to wonder, "Do none of these people realize we're new?  Surely they're not all new. :)  Are they going overboard not to inundate us with conversation, so that we don't feel uncomfortable?"

Just before the service started, I noticed the blurb in the bulletin that they would be celebrating the Lord's Supper during the morning worship service, and anyone who is a member of a Bible-believing church was welcome to participate.

UT-OH!!

Until 13 months ago, we would have qualified, but due to a series of unfortunate events, we (and dozens others) had our membership unceremoniously taken away from us.  And, ironically enough, we were due to become members of our new church on the Sunday after vacation.

Before I professed my faith publicly & was baptized, I was accustomed to letting the communion elements pass me by.  But for decades now it has been a regular part of my life and a precious privilege as a believer.

If we were snowbirds, wintering in that city, we could have met with the pastor to explain our situation.  If it were two weeks later, it wouldn't have been an issue.  But "if"s don't change the facts.

After being led in worship, singing the grand old hymns of the faith, and listening to the sermon, the spirit yearns to respond, and partaking of the Lord's Supper is a very appropriate way to do so.  It was one of the worst feelings of my life to be outside the fence, and let the elements pass us by. 

Tonight I will be extra thankful to attend Maundy Thursday service with communion at our new church ... where we are members (although our new church does not require church membership as part of their fencing of the table).

    For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #51

521. Our Creator ~ & His amazing work!

Monument Valley

Monument Valley

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park

Monument Valley

522.  time away to explore another part of God's creation

523.  free airfare (thanks to freedom in our schedule so that we could volunteer to be bumped off our overbooked flight when we traveled at Christmastime)!

524.  time to visit with 3 couples - one of Jim's cousins, one of my cousins, and the man (and his wife) who was Jim's pastor for 30 years

525.  kitchen table conversations with all three

526.  the mental stimulation of talking shop (kanji & language learning) with one

527.  the joy of reminiscing & remembering heritage with all (& learning more about each other's heritage)

528.  listening to a cassette recording of Jim's grandfather singing a solo (at age 79, I think): The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows

529.  worshiping with a congregation we had never seen before and will most likely not see again until heaven

530.  having a traveling partner :)

Refreshment

Have you been refreshed lately? 

The Apostle Paul wrote: 

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

This is just one time when the Bible mentions someone being refreshed.  
 
I can think of many times I've been refreshed.  What about you?

What does refreshment look like?

The person who most recently refreshed me did so by welcoming me, taking an interest, asking me good questions, etc. 

And now I'm left wondering how I can refresh others.  What do you find refreshing to your soul?

Homesick?

::Linking up this week to the writing prompt:  Being Homesick::


Cherry blossoms in Tokyo reached full bloom on March 22nd, according to numerous status updates in my Facebook feed.

And I quickly remembered scenes from my last full cherry blossom season ~ four years ago. (I posted a photo journal of 3 1/2 weeks in the life of a cherry tree here.)

Walking path behind my apartment complex in Japan

Seeing the pictures on Facebook and looking back at my own photos leaves me nostalgic and wishing that I could stroll down the walking path beneath the cherry blossoms this afternoon. Or perhaps go out for a walk at night enjoying the lit-up blossoms or the moonlight shining through the branches.  I never was a huge fan of picnics on blue tarps under the cherry trees, but now that I'm thousands of miles away, I have a desire to pack a picnic! 

Is this homesickness? 

When I was physically there, walking through the cherry-blossom canopies, and, later, walking along the blossom-strewn paths,

it felt other-worldly and I longed for the familiar:  the dogwood and redbud on every wooded hill across the southern Appalachians. 

But now, as I look out the windows of my home at the barren fields, the flat land as far as the eye can see (and the eye can see at least ten miles!), and the turning arms of the wind farms on the distant horizon, I long for what once was familiar: the cherry blossoms of my Japan.

Is this homesickness? 

I forget that springtime was hard physically due to Japanese cedar pollen allergies.  I forget the constant cultural reminders in the spring that Japan was not home.  School graduations (from kindergarten through university) are held in March, and all things new begin in April.  No matter how many years I lived in Japan, the idea of endings and beginnings occurring in springtime still seemed foreign (i.e., not familiar). 

Where is home?  For what do I long?  What is familiar? 

Home is here with my husband (in the flatland).  Home is where I grew up (in the southern Appalachians).  Home is where I spent most of my single adult life (in Japan).  Home is also in heaven.

I long for the familiar.  I long for the good times.  I long for the warmth of being with people who know me and love me.  I long for the satisfaction of knowing I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I am supposed to be doing. 

This life ... in this home ... in the here and now ... is my new normal and my new familiar.  I've had good times and made special memories and enjoyed loving friends and been blessed with satisfaction and fulfillment in all my homes, including here. 

But the heart is fickle, and longs for more.  All the good times (in whichever home) all pale in comparison to the ultimate good times, the ultimate special fellowship, the ultimate love of those who know me, and the ultimate satisfaction that I will experience in eternity in heaven. 

In those moments (in every home I've had) when I've longed for more, when I've longed for real life, when I've longed for what my soul was created for, that is what my heart is truly wanting ... to be at home with my Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Friend.

And, the amazing thing is that I can be at home with Him here ... and also forever!


::Linking up this week to the writing prompt:  Being Homesick::


Learn more about the writing prompt! We would love to have you join our writing/blogging community! You have till Sunday to link your post.

On my bookshelf

::Note: I did not mean to take a blogging break.  Chalk it up to travel, sinuses, and ongoing fatigue as I recover.::

I'll leave it to my readers to figure out what it means that this assortment of books is currently on my bookshelf, i.e., on my nightstand and kitchen counter and the end table next to the chair I sit in in the living room.

The Help
This "must-read choice of every book club in the country" was not on my radar when it first came out.  Our village book club read it the year before I joined.  Recently my sister-in-law mentioned that she might want to watch the movie, and then a few days later I found the paperback at Goodwill for $1.99.  For a couple days, as I read the 530-page book, I was living in the dangerous world of 1960s Jackson, Mississippi.

Be Satisfied 
Part of Warren Wiersbe's BE series, I found duplicate copies on our shelves.  So, technically it is on the end table so that I will post it on Paperback Swap, but it's also a stand-in while I await:

Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs: Wisdom's Searching and Finding
The third inductive Bible study I've done by Kathleen Nielson, this week I went to the group study, although I'm still waiting on my copy to arrive.  I'm thoroughly enjoying her style of questions. Plus I love the fact that it's not a DVD-based study!

A Life that Says Welcome belongs to a friend. I rather ashamedly found it on my bookcase this week (how many months have I had it?!), and want to finish it and return it to her.  Has anyone read it?  It looks inviting!

Fit for Real People arrived through InterLibrary Loan this week.  It looks fascinating, but I'm not sure where I heard about or really why I requested it, as I do not own a sewing machine and have not fashioned my own clothing in decades!  The premise is that one size does not fit all; even size 10 does not fit all supposedly size 10 women, and so the book teaches one how to make sure a pattern properly fits your body size.

Lamb of God 
I am enthralled with Nancy Guthrie's project of writing Old Testament Bible studies that point to Christ. I have yet to do one in a group format, but know that I could learn a lot by doing it on my own. Have you done one of hers?

Coffee, Tea or Sudoku by Will Shortz.  I had to put myself on a sudoku moratorium after doing it nonstop during our day of traveling home from vacation.  It was messing with my mind!  But in moderation, I love sudoku. :)

Joy in the Journey
One of the seven books I bring out for Easter. I cannot get enough of Timothy Botts' calligraphy.  (I've decided that as a word - rather than art or music - person, the art that speaks to me is word art.)  And, did you know Timothy Botts was influenced by a 2-year term in Japan?!

Chief Yellowstone Lives On (published by Arizona Highways)
A small book found in the travel section of an English used book shop in Tokyo, I'm finding it more interesting after our trip to Arizona.  But after skim-reading it this time, I will be finished with it and be ready to pass it on via Paperback Swap.  The Arizona Highways website (linked above) is a source of awe-inspiring photography of our Creator's work. 

So, what's on your bookshelf these days?

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #50

511.  renewed strength -- able to return to grocery shopping, cooking, using real dishes, attending Bible study

512.  Bible study!  (Kathleen Nielson's inductive series - great questions)

513.  fellowship - centered around the Word - with a small group of ladies

514.  an evening with the parents-in-law (and their good friends) at a ministry banquet

515.  continued growth in learning to communicate :)

516.  a very patient and quick-to-forgive husband (when there are communication failures) :)

517.  the magic pill (estrogen) that keeps my feathers unruffled

518.  the power of God toward us who believe (which is stronger than the magic pill) ~ and continued hope that He will do real heart change, so that being unruffled is due to Christ in me and not because of the magic pill :)

519.  a brief but deep, stand-up conversation (at ministry banquet above) with a lovely couple with whom we have much in common

520.  a week of off-and-on snow ... beautiful flurries, pretty white ground cover, but no treacherous roads ... the best kind of snow

Something out of the ordinary

a.k.a., Home makeover:  basement bathroom ~ $22.50


6 weeks of recovery + pinterest and some home decorating blogs = the decorating bug

I lean more toward the "live with what you have" mentality, and that was reinforced through years of renting in Japan or sharing houses with other singles.  Our current house was built by a couple who put a lot of thought (and presumably) money into decorating.  For the most part, I've just made it work and been thankful someone else did the color coordinating and made the decisions about paint color, wallpaper, and even numerous window coverings.

By far, my most successful attempts at decorating have been in the bathrooms, no doubt because they are the smallest spaces, and what did I have experience with in Japan but small scale interiors?

Blank slate of the basement bathroom (wallpaper border below ceiling)

The basement bathroom is the most neglected room in the house, but mindless moments on decorating blogs sparked an interest.  This is what I had to work with in this room - palm tree & African animals wallpaper border, green walls, and (not shown) dark brown "alligator skin" floor.

The room was abysmal and would have scored minus ten on any decorating scale.

Before:

All I had done was find a dark brown bath mat (I think at a box store with 20% off coupon & clearance) and a green toilet mat (at a garage sale).  I take some comfort in knowing that I'm not the first one who has neglected this room.  I think the original owners reached the end of their budget here.  The sink unit & toilet are builder grade (unlike the rest of the house), the light switch is upside down and missing a cover, there is no toilet paper holder or towel rod, and the stand-up shower never was installed in the corner.

At least the wallpaper border gave me a starting point; the room was technically not a blank slate.

A quick search online showed me that most every retailer who sells bath accessory sets has a palm tree or African savannah line.  But I'm not willing to pay $30 for a palm tree emblazoned trash can - even if I have a 20% off coupon.

Plus, the thrill of the hunt is much more fun!!

And so, I started a Goodwill shopping list:  palm tree or brown bath accessories.  Yesterday when I stopped by Goodwill on a whim, what did I see, but an endcap displaying a variety of palm tree themed items!!  Then I went to T.J. Maxx looking for gifts, but took a few minutes to look around for other items.  When I came home, I shopped my house, and ... Voila!!

After:

Take a peek inside the door:

Toilet paper holder (and holds spare rolls, too):  TJMaxx ~ $10

Wall hanging (shadowbox of palms):  Goodwill ~ $4

Basket hanging on wall:  hidden in our junk drawer, holding memo pads (received from someone's dozo* pile) ~  $0

(*"Dozo" means please, go ahead, and came to be known as the giveaway pile when an expat is leaving Japan.)

Towel basket on back of commode:  (also received from someone's dozo pile) I've used it as a bread basket (but not anymore!) ~ $0

Tile in basket on wall: part of a 4-piece set of stone coasters at Goodwill (one is too stained to use), $1 for set

Green wastepaper basket: from upstairs bathroom (I switched the brushed silver one from this bathroom, and it actually goes very well in the upstairs bathroom)  ~ $0

(I debated using a wicker one I have, but it is too light colored I think.  Perhaps I could spray paint it a dark brown.)

Valance gives a focal point, in the absence of a mirror

Towel holder:  Goodwill, new in box ~ $2

Beige bath mat on floor:  from upstairs linen closet where it was not being used, originally from Jim's bachelor days ~ $0 today

Ivory oval bath mat in front of commode: from upstairs linen closet where it was not being used, originally from my '04-'05 apartment ~ $0 today

The one thing I did not find was a light switch plate, but I'm thinking that there's a construction error, because the switch is so close to the door frame?

Valance:  Goodwill ~ $2 (50% off of $4), originally from JCPenney

Curtain rod:  closet (from my '09-'10 apartment), so $0 today (I love how the ends are the dark brown pineapple that matches the candle holder on the sink)

Soap dish: from a set of wedding gift dishes in dish cupboard (love the green stripes) ~ $0 

Green leaf-shaped soap: from a hotel somewhere & stored in our guest bathroom ~ $0

Tiles: from the Goodwill set of 4 coasters mentioned above ~ $2 for 4

Candle holder: Goodwill ~ $2

Candle:  Goodwill (set of 2) ~ $1.50

A view of the "alligator skin" floor

Three items awaiting a small corner table (perhaps a $5 3-legged one from a box store or a true-corner, i.e. triangular, find at Goodwill):

• lantern: from IKEA in Funabashi ~ $0 today
• two carved African animals: from our mantle where they did not fit, originally from Jim's African trip ~ $0 today

It's not finished. The framed palms needs some touch-up and cleaning.  The valance needs ironing.  The towel hanger needs to be secured better. I want to put rustoleum on the towel hanger, so it matches the darker accessories (toilet paper holder & curtain rod).  I'm still looking for a corner table (or wall shelf), a light switch plate, and a liquid soap holder. And I need to figure out a better way to display the tiles, aka coasters.

But, it's 150% better than it was yesterday!  Have you ever shopped your house?  Where do you find home decorating inspiration?