Don’t lose your balance! (mar 3, 2013)

A couple of years ago I met an old man who used a diamond willow cane. He was in his 80s, frail and needed it to keep from falling. When I told him that I had recently been losing my balance because of diabetic neuropathy, he advised very strongly, “Hey, if you’re losing your balance, then you’d […]

Up there, in the sky (may 4, 2012)

Symbolic ⎯ The moon reflects the light of the sun during the darkness of night. The Son of God reflected the glory of His Father in the darkness of humanity.  The disciples said, “Shew us the Father.” Jesus answered, “Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me? He that hath seen […]

Man alive! (apr 8, 2012)

Man alive!  Jesus is why the flowers bloom! When God made the flowers, He had in mind the death, burial, resurrection AND visitation of His Son to everyone who has a birthday. We can see DBR&V every day ⎯ ⎯ when we go to sleep (we become unconscious, and are buried under covers) ⎯ when we get […]

Christmas BandAid (dec 24, 2011)

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:27 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7 Christmas is God’s “cure-present” for hurting and dying hearts. If your heart is hurting because of things that have […]

Family: whose idea was it anyway? (feb 18, 2011)

We visited a resort town in the mountains of Oita Prefecture for a few days in early January. Yufuin is our favorite getaway spot! The natural hot spring spas, delicious food, quaint shops, and one special kind of coffee bean (that can only be purchased in this little getaway town) all helped us to experience the […]

Hairs on your head indicative of God’s love (oct 6, 2010)

Last weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to go to Nagoya, Japan, where we were asked to minister at a local church’s Autumn Conference. We boarded the small JAL plane in Fukuoka and lifted off for an hour-or-so flight to Japan’s third largest metropolis. During the short flight many people put their heads back, or […]

Fresh oil (aug 14, 2010)

Since being in Cordova, Alaska for the past few weeks, I’ve had numerous opportunities to walk around, and even take a drive “out the road.” In doing so, I came across this one road sign (more than once) that totally impressed upon my heart this Weekend Greeting. FRESH OIL ⎯ As you know, one of the results of the long and […]

Pray wit da power God’s Spesho Spirit (may 12, 2010)

Munakata Bethel Christian Center rejoiced last Sunday when  Haruo Shimabukuro received water baptism on Mothers Day. Since our church baptistry will not be completely installed until the end of May, he decided that instead of waiting, or instead of going to the nearby still-too-cold Sea of Genkai, he opted to be baptized in the “furo” (bath) of his own home.  Brother Shimabukuro […]

What’s in them there depths, anyhow? (apr 8, 2010)

Ever wonder what happens to the sin for which you ask God’s forgiveness?  The prophet Micah asks a question and answers it in 7:18-19 — “Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger for ever, because He delights in […]

Ready, or not, here I come (mar 22, 2010)

We just finished a three-day holiday weekend here in Japan. The nation celebrates the spring equinox every year on March 21. Since this year the twenty-first fell on a Sunday, today was declared a national holiday. Lots of young couples choose this weekend to be married, like Andrea and I did 34 years ago in Seattle. I had […]