Christmas Miracles!!

The Heavenly Father sent His only Son Jesus to the Earth to save us! Yes! Christmas is all about Jesus, our Saviour!!! I was very happy throughout the Christmas day because it was Jesus’ Birthday!!! When I could focus on Him for the first time on this precious day, Christmas day, Jesus revealed lots of Miracles! I would like to share three of them here telling what happened on 25 December 2005.

1. God healed me gradually from the Christmas morning through the evening.
2. The Dream for the Christmas morning
3. I could do something I haven’t been able to do for 2-3 months!

I was not very well on Saturday, Christmas Eve, because of my stomach problem since I got sick once in Thailand. JLH had Christmas Party but could not enjoy it 100%. However, the party was great! The venue was at the 45th floor of Tokyo Tocho Building and the view was so beautiful. We were very lucky to be there! The Christmas carol and message was really touching, and our music band was awesome. I enjoyed catching up with friends and listening people singing Karaoke. It was great fun time on Saturday except that my body was tired and sick…

When I got home, I started to pray, having quiet time with God. I found that I did not have such precious time with Him for long time since I was busy working before going to Thailand, while I was there and even after coming back to Japan due to my tiredness and sickness. BUT, this is really really important time to have daily because it can lead us to more personal, love and intimate relationship with God. I was praying to God as I was so desperate to speak to Him and to be given a light from Him because I was lost in a labyrinth (relationship problem). After a while, I felt better and could see the Light! Even the sickness is somehow gone.

On Christmas day, I woke up at 6.30 after a dream which was an amazing story for the Christmas morning. That was all about “Salvation” from the Father, and it told me that
- God is at work,
- I don’t have to worry about anything,
- “I will never fail you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5),
- He is there to help me when I am desperate to cry out for Him.
That was a great dream which is the best for the Saviour's Birthday!!!

Though I was not well on Christmas Eve, I could wake up and get ready for the long day of the most precious day of the year!! Yeah!!! I was soooooooooo excited to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday!!! I felt really different from any other Christmas days I’ve ever had. It was like a New Year’s Day I thought because Jesus is the centre of my life now, not any other things/rules or whatever. At church, first, I enjoyed serving Him with a set up team of the church, and brothers and sisters were kind and helpful to me who am just a new member of the team. At Morning Service, Life Group in between the Morning Service and Afternoon Service, a Christmas Party at JLH, and another party at Jenny’s house, I had a really joyful time with lots of people who love Jesus and celebrated His Birthday together! In the late afternoon, I was already well and healed!!!! Thanks God!!! :)

Whole day long of the Christmas, another thing made me feel that it was a miracle, namely, a Christmas present from God. I could do "something" while I could not do that for long time!!! How excited but comfortable and peaceful it was!! I was so happy that God allowed me to "do that" on this special day!!! I hope it will be a 'start' of beautiful and lasting blessings in my life which God plans (not by my will).

I thank God for sending His begotton Son Jesus Christ to the Earth.
On the most wonderful day of the year, He revealed me a lot of miracles and gave me beautiful, joyful, peaceful, and fun time with lots of people!
Thank you God! Thank you Jesus!!!
Jesus, Thank you for dying on the cross to forgive our sins and save us and give us everlasting life, after 33 years of your life on this world.
Thank you so much for saving me Jesus!!!
and Happy Birthday!!! :))

Beyond the differences and waiting for the Savior's Birthday!

I came back from Thailand on Monday after a week stay there.
Our organisation and the other co-organiser in Thailand had an international meeting in Bangkok, inviting around 50 participants and resource persons as well as observers to the Meeting from Asia and the Pacific region.

We had some difficulties in communication, organisation and managements between the two organisers due to our cultural differences etc. However, God blessed our Meeting and those who attended and managed the Meeting, having understanding with each other, sharing information and building better relationship at the end.

Moreover, it was first time for me to go to Thailand after becoming Christian, so I was very excited that God would reveal Himself in what I was doing there. And He did in different ways!

Firstly, I had some chances to tell that "I am a Christian" to people around me. Thailand is Buddhist country and our participants have obviously different beliefs (religions) as they are from different countries in the region. During the stay in Thailand, I could tell people how I became a Christian, which means that how God saved me, and I got baptised on 25 March 2005. One day, at a Buddist temple, I was asked from an Malaysian participant "what did you make a wish?" I replied "I didn't make a wish here because I am a Christian. I believe in God and always pray to Him!" At the Buddhist temple, surrounded by different people who believe diffrent religions, I revealed myself as a daughter of the Father. Long before, I did not have religion and tried to adjust people around me, such as praying like they do in the Buddhist manner. However, this time, I felt vividly that I walk with Jesus!! live for Him!! and serve Him!! in the middle of the diversity.

However, though I am a Christian, we all had a good time with respect, love and understanding with each other. We are called as "Muslim", or "Buddhist", or "Christian", or any other "religions". However, our spirits to be humble to God, believe in Him, love peace and each other are the same! We all enjoyed our friendships and relationships as brothers and sisters beyond the differences in religoins or cultures. That is what I love very much in international relationships among people from different countries and backgrounds!!

I was given a chance to go to a church in Bangkok on Sunday, too.
Before leaving Japan, I was wondering if I could go to church on Sunday as I thought that we would have to work on Sunday whole day too to wrap up outcomes of the Meeting. So, I was praying that I could go to church there. My friends prayed for me in Japan, too. Their prayers are always so helpful and powerful that God listens to our prayers!!
As my colleague is also a Christian, we were very happy to go to church for a short break.
Each of us went to a church we wanted to go, had a good time there.
I went to a church Pastor Rod introduced to me. The church had a big congregation, including Thai as well as different nationalities. Foreigners used headsets to hear Thai-English simultaneous interpretation during the message. There was a music team (a band) and worshipped God singing various songs in Thai. I could not sing properly as I could not read lyrics in Thai quickly, but enjoyed worshipping the Father and enjoyed the music.
At a church shop, I bought two CDs of worship songs in Thai to sing songs in Thai with Thai people one day!! Though I could not meet a friend of Pastor Rod there, it was a great and precious time for me to be at church in Bangkok. I don't know what God is planning for me, but I wish this visit may make a change in my life.

Christimas is approaching! Jesus Lifehouse will have a Christmas Party on Saturday, and have a Christmas Service on Sunday. I am really looking forward to celebrating Jesus's birthday!! This my first Christmas after I got baptised! This Christmas has really different meaning from ones I have been experiencing in my past life.
At Christmas times, I thought that it was a special time to be with a boyfriend, while I complain with girls when we all girls did not have boyfriends to spend the Christmas with. However, I feel really different about Christmas this year!!! As Jesus became my Savior, putting Him for the 1st Priority in my life, I have thrown away the past conceptions and I am purely excited to celebrate His Birthday when He was born to save people on the earth!!! I am so thankful to God for sending Him to the earth!!
I can't wait for celebrating His birthday on this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!! (><)*****\ (^o^)/

God's calling

"We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His Plans". (Romans 8:28)

I want to hear God's Voice.
I want to follow His commandments.
What is His Will?
What is His Purpose?

I really don't know the answer.
But what I know is that I came back to Japan in September 2004 from Australia when I was in the middle of the Semester, nearly finishing my Masters there. That was because I was given a job from the Father. I followed His Voice when I got a call, which was unexpected.

I went through some difficult times at work and I complained about the situation when things were not going according to my will. However, I was always changed my thoughts and believed that God was doing this for His Good Purpose, and God had better Plan in the next stage.

And now, I am going to leave for Thailand for a business trip on Monday next week.
This is what I had been praying for since I started to work at this organisation.
I was so thankful when I knew that I could go to this trip.
I felt that this was a reward from Him.

Once, I felt that I would serve Him through serving people at church in Thailand one day.
I don't know if this is His calling.
I don't know what is going to happen in my life.
I don't have to know what is going to happen.

However, what I want to do is to follow Him day by day.
If He calls me to go somewhere else, I will go.
If He calls me to do something else, I will do it.
Believing that everything is going to be the BEST if I follow Him.

Because I love You, I want to serve You, Lord.
You are my 1st priority!!
Please strengthen me to hear Your Voice and follow You.
Please use me to accomplish Your Plan on the Earth.
Please change me, Lord, to adjust for Your Purposes.
My focus is You and Your Kingdom.
I love You, God.
I thank You for everything You have done for me and everything you have provided me.
Thank You for lifting me up to You in this year 2005.
I am so grateful that I could get baptised to be forgiven and to live for You.
I want to be Your faithful servant.
I will love You and follow You forever.

Longing for feeling God's Greatness - 自然を求める心

I always feel God's Greatness in the Nature. And I often hope to be in the Nature, feeling His presence. Even when I see beautiful sky, trees and leaves from a train window, I praise His Creation. I feel very comfortable to feel that I am in His Presence.

I stayed at home today, doing my laundry and packing for a bisness trip to Thailand from Monday next week. While staying at home, I turned on my TV to see what's on. I watched some TV programmes today, including a drama of a jouranlist at the time of JAL plane crash in 1985.

While watching it, they showed a huge mountain with trees and beautiful blue sky at the site where the plane crashed. Sadly, the accident caused so many people's death. Before the site which was described as a 'hell' in the TV, people including the journalists felt powerless or helpless there. When I saw the contrast between the beautiful nature and burnt pieces of plane and branches of trees, I felt that how small and powerless we are.

When we are in this matrialistic world, surrounded by tall buildings for instance, we often forget how powerless we are and how beautiful His Creation is. In the Nature, we can feel how dependent we are on Him.

As we are too one of the BEST His Creations, it is very important to come back to the Nature and put ourselves in it to feel His Presence.