i don't know who reads my blog. facebook has been a good tool for me to be in touch with friends and family overseas. i feel like i "know" more of what's going on with the people i care about, rejoice with their good news, and be in prayer with the prayer requests. it's been very easy to keep in touch with the one liner update: grace is (fill in the blank). so convenient... but i realize that my writing skill has dwindled (is that the right word?) quite a bit. my english is pathetically poor but here's an attempt to blog a little more than the one liner:
my son (6th grade) has been studying for jr high entrance exam for 3 years and all that 3 years of studying is coming to an end with the actual exams on first week of feb. he is applying to 3 jr highs and unfortunately, he failed with the one he took this month. as a mom, it's even hard for me to write the word, "failed." the results were posted at school, on school's website, and also were sent by mail the next day. what a painful experience to receive a rejection letter! it so reminds me of the college rejection mail that i received waaay back when. so sad to see that my son is experiencing this in such a young age. i am trying to comfort him and encouraging him just as how my parents have done when i was so down. yup, it's not the end of the world... but it would be nice to pass the tests. i had a dream that he had passed and what a joyful feeling it was.
(posing on front of THE BEST MOCHI shop. i asked if they ship them overseas and they said, no. sorry nobu)my daughter (4th grade) is taking a break from her cram school. seeing her bro going through it, i don't blame her. she's spending her time with what she loves the most which is dancing classic ballet. she has ballet 4 times a week and has started to learn her part for the ballet recital in july. she's in 1st and 3rd act of cinderella. it's much different from disney cinderella. it's by russian composer and sounds pretty.... dark. i much prefer the tchaikovsky pieces of swan lake, the nutcracker, and the sleeping beauty. since she wears glasses and takes it off while in ballet class, i don't know how much she can see the teacher. some moms suggested to have temporary contact lens (just during the ballet lessons) but my husband and i think contact lens for 4th grader is way too early.
my husband is busy as always... i am just grateful and thankful for all the hard work he does to support our family. we are hoping to buy and build a house... or japanese call it, "my home" the land is still in application through the city hall which means it is taking a long time and will take a little longer but in the meantime, we are trying to figure out which contractor to build our house. it's a tedious process but it's been fun to discuss with my husband and my kids what our dream house would like to look like.
(monaka at a "dog run". japanese call it the "doggu ra-n". i don't know what they call it in the states. playground for dogs only? canine playground? .... anyway, it's a place specifically for dogs to.... run as much as they want)our dog, monaka, is going through her period and we were wondering if we should have her get pregnant again this month (this time, with the right mate). after much consideration, we've decided to have monaka not ge pregnant this time but hopefully will get pregnant around summer time hopefully at our "new home" so that our new home would have some good memories. sooo this means that we need to and hope to get construction done by this summer!
finally, me.... i am doing good. God has giving me great church to attend to and has giving me good friends (near and far). on a saturday, i was out all day in meetings and things and had to leave my daughter home with my in-laws. i gave her "assignments" to keep her busy while i was away. when i came home and i checked my daughter with what she did:
me: how was your day?
yuka:good
me: what did you do?
yuka: i did all the things on the list.
me:goooood!
yuka: oh yeah, and i did you a favor by sorting out your beads.
me: really? (going to my room and getting my craft box)
me: (i open my box and gasped and burst out)what did you do?!?!?!?!
yuka: i put all the beads in one place for you. (in smile)
i couldn't believe it. it was opposite of favor... it was no help at all. all my collection of glass beads (the ones to make rings and necklaces) that i had purposely packed in individual cases were alllllllllll dumped into one... my 3, 4, 5, 6 mm glassbeads were all mixed into one... my silver and gold pins of different length, types, and length were all mixed into one... and what's more, all the labled plastic bags and cases were thrown out in the trash can. (some with some beads and strings in it) there, i lost it. i got soooo angry! i got so angry that i spanked her for touching my things without permission. i picked up all the thrown bags and told her to put it all back where it belongs... (knowing it's impossible to do that and would take more than a day... or a week to do so.) she knew i was flaming with fire and was wise to stay faaaaar away from me that day. the next day, the sermon at church was about...
whatta ya know... how to control your anger. man, God knows EXACTLY what i needed to hear and learn. the sermon points were:*know the "enemy" who tries to mislead your emotion (yup, with the tiredness from the full day, i couldn't control my temper)
"in your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." ephecians 4:26-27
*in order NOT to explode,
1. remember the consequences of unhealthy anger (i felt so bad after spanking... it's JUST beads...)
"starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out." proverbs 17:14
2. don't hold it in, but learn various and healthy ways of solving the issue. (yeah, i need to learn this)
"anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness" 1 john 2:9
even though i might have a right to be angry, i need to
1)laugh about it (my dear friends, the kau family, has taught me the joy of laughter. i hope to laugh whole heartedly like they do.)
"a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" proverbs 17:22
2) decide to change (it's a change of mind... i need to DECIDE to not be angry)
"but now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." colossians 3:8
3)forgive just as He has forgiven me. (i bet i have done many things which i thought it may be pleasing to God but in fact, it might have hindered His will in life)
"be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. " ephesians 4:32
*******
it's a very simple message but it sure was exactly what i needed to hear. i wished i had heard this message before and not after i blew up. yuka was sitting next to me during the service so i gave her a big squeeze and asked her to forgive me for blowing up yesterday about the beads. it's been a week since this happened and now that i am spending time sorting out all my different colored beads and putting them in the right places, i have peace about it all and is laughing about this whole incident and thanking God that i don't feel angry about it at all.
GOD is GOOOOOD.
1 comment:
i think we all need to hear that message...i often get angry at my girls when i shouldn't! thank you so much for sharing...and yes, i read your blog!!! :)
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