The Story of the Short-lived Tokyo Spirit

Whoa. Disgusting.

Yikes.

Fewf, it's running away? Thank goodness. Whatever it was, I'm glad it's gone.

And this is the story of how I always regret the crazy things I do in the spur of the moment for the benefit of the kids. What was I thinking? WHY did I call on those keys of full possession? What made me think I wanted this???

A CLASSIC EXAMPLE:

Someone tell me WHY I am playing the guitar in the above picture? What made me think I could do it? And why am I making the "Auntie Merry concentration face"? AND WHY AM I POSTING A PICTURE ON MY BLOG OF ME PLAYING THE GUITAR AND MAKING AN AUNTIE MERRY CONCENTRATION FACE???

Life is full of questions. Life has few answers.

I remain your humble servant.

Just a little short message of joy and gladness

It's amazing how many little blessings come my way that are sometimes a little difficult to remember when I'm trying to sum up an answer to "how are you" or "how's life?" If I'm feeling overall glum or kinda down about my current home situation or whatever, it's always easy to be like "well not so good".
And people usually tend toward the bad news first. Cause the stuff that makes us really truly happy is not necessarily always really big news. The really big news is stuff that usually makes us a mixture of anxious in a good way and anxious in a bad way at the same time. So the happy stuff is usually really simple stuff. Like going to OC camps, singing with the HCS boys, recording kids' songs with Mike, seeing Aich, going over to Bayside, planning surprise birthday parties, getting little out-of-the-blue shiner okozukais, getting phone calls from my friends, visiting El in her new house, getting hugs from Michael, people telling me they love me, seeing graffiti on the prayer pockets in the toilet that says "Florence and Gene, LOVE" (???? I still haven't figured that one out).
I just want to take this time to tell the Lord how much those little things mean to me. Even if, for a day, my thoughts are topsy turvy and I delude myself into thinking my life is nothing but suffering and dark dark sadness, He keeps giving me these "highs" to let me know how much He loves me. Now what I need to try to do is not let those highs send me crashing to the lows. Jesus, help me to always be happy in your service. No matter where I am or who I'm with or who loves me or what I'm doing...all I want to be is where you are, with you, being loved by you and...doing...the Jesus thing. Heh.

Mom

My fingers needed an outlet of energy and my blog needed an update. That is the ENTIRE explanation for this post...no other subtle or ulterior motives.
Also, I wanted to post these heavy pictures of Mother.

These exciting photos came into fruition whilst me and mom were on our way home from Josh and Al's after having rousted the kids all day. Mom was feeling cheeky and was laughing at random gaijin men with big noses, so I took the opportunity to coax her into making these faces for the trusty cellphone.
Oh the brothers will love me for these.

Frozen pee

It's freezing cold.
I can't believe I'm saying that. Just a while ago I made that post about how boiling hot it was, with the boy peeing. Now that pee has frozen over.
YAIIIIII YAI stop the cold!!!

I guess that just means I have nothing to blog about.

I love Christmas. I can't believe it's coming around again. TYJ.

A blog post

Florence cracks her knuckles and stretches her arms. She sighs and grunts and moans and finally forces her fingers to rest in their respective places on the keyboard.
This is going to be difficult but she's determined to write a blog post. Because it's just...that time.

OH MY! LOOK AT THAT! Look at what she's accomplished?
Fancy. Fancy that.

Ahhh the rush that comes from blogging man. It's weird stuff. It's like, wow, you're inhaling something that sends you into like...like...outer space! And it makes like, every cliche...suddenly not a cliche anymore. Like...all the windows and doors are open! You're like...infused with super power! You can write about anything! Anything! ANYTHING! Anything at all, if you have the courage!!!!!


I DO NOT have the courage.

Rats.

Witnessing

OC Camp went well. I got back day before yesterday but I was too squished to think of anything other than sleep and sleep-ins and sleep-related happy things. So I had a nice freeday wherein I slept in and heard from the Lord and wondered what my sisters were up to since they are fraternizing together off on the farside of the world. And then today I went to the Love.
The Love is a gathering of leading Universities in the Tokyo/Yokohama/Chiba area. They get together to have some kind of discussion or forum in English. The University that organizes it always invites the Family's group of young people called True Colors to come and be the native English speakers and sort of instigate the discussions. Obviously, it's a really good way to meet sheepy labor leaders and get in a good witness. It requires quite a bit of wisdom and discretion, though, since you're kind of putting the entire future of the ministry on the line if you offend someone or come across as too pushy with your beliefs.
For me, being a first-timer, it was very interesting. I really felt like I bonded with them and communicated with them on their level. We did a project where we mapped out some imaginary tourist trip to the US, and then we had quite a bit of time to introduce ourselves and get to know each other. All 9 people on my table got saved, and they each received Activated, which we talked about for quite a while. Some of the people gave me their e-mail addresses and want to come visit our home in Chiba, although most of them were from quite a ways away.
It was quite a gift of the Lord's mercy. Just last night and this morning I spent at the edge of a cliff of pretty substantial discouragement, mostly concerning the AIP. I just moved to a new situation within the last few months, and adjusting has been a surreal experience, sometimes happy and sometimes difficult. For the most part, I feel like I'm making nice steady forward progress, but just recently I felt like the Lord kind of overstepped himself with the AIP. Like he was setting too big a challenge. I felt like maybe I was supposed to ignore the AIP. I didn't feel the call or the burden this time around. I didn't actually feel like it had much to teach me. On top of those feelings, I realized that I was also battling with pride in wondering what would happen if I lost, or got a mediocre amount of points. I felt like I would rather be able to tell people "I'm too busy" or something, and get away with not signing up at all. There were a lot of points stacked up in favor of me being a lazy-ass and not getting on board.
As always, the Lord got through and helped me realize that I needed to hear from Him about it. So I did. I spent quite a while hearing the different angles and aspects of what the Lord had to say. I feel inspired. My priorities are definitely straightened out now.
The Lord was telling me that it's a mistake to run on the faith from "last time", or to go by yesterday's counsel. That's why we need Him--because the plan of attack is always changing and we always need more faith to meet the new challenges. So having asked the Lord for this boost of faith and this anointing to obey the Lord and trust him for wherever he leads, I was a lot more inspired, and the witnessing at the Love was kinda like the cherry on top of the cake. TYJ.
I don't have any ideas for getting lots of points, and I don't think I'll have time to get out a lot, because there are a lot of things stacking up for me to do around Christmas, but where the Lord guides, He provides. I can't wait to see what He has in store.

Barum bum bum.

For Sunny and/or any other folks who care to click.
Some people requested to hear me singing in Japanese. Tadddddaaaaa.

(Off to OC camp #1 tomorrow. Keep me in your prayers.
And I love you.)

Happy Happy Randomness

People seem to appreciate randomness. So here we go. Things I found on my computer while I was supposed to be doing something else.

These first ones are VERY embarassing. Have a listen. And have another.
Um, these were demos I made about 2 years ago for a job of some kind. Especially endearing is the "Uh huh, life's like this" in the beginning of Complicated.

And this is my likeness as drawn by Yoko Matsuoka about a year and a half ago. It kinda speaks for itself, don't it.

I sorta remember having had this up here before. In any case, it's a beautiful picture and I miss it very much. Getting yanked into the water and everything. I really do miss it.

This is a picture which, I daresay, does not do very well to flatter either of us. Steve and I took it to use on an appeal newsletter that we made when we thought we were going to Mexico. My goodness, how things change. Haha, it's almost embarassing.

Yet again a not-at-all-flattering picture of a not-at-all-flattering experience. A drenched Florence trying to retain her dignity crawling up out of the lake after having capsized her canoe.

AHHH!!! The crazy days in Shiz. Really seriously some heavy stuff. I think this was one of our happier moments.

I have NO idea what's going on in this picture. But Steve's lying down and...Gabe seems to be up in arms about it. All I remember is something about Jesse poking Steve all the time with his cigar.Haha. This picture we never used for anything because we were all squinting into the sun. I think I was the only one that managed to pull it off with some sort of sophistication, but I look like the farmer's wife in "Babe".

And lastly, I leave you with something I found that I don't remember having written:

Counting on my fingers
The hours, the minutes, the seconds...

Counting on your fingers
All the different parts of you
That will be inside of me
Counting on my toes
The arches of desire
How many times they appear
And reappear

Counting on my body
To savor these chords
When they're sour, discordant and severed
Counting on you
To hold me when your arms ache
When the music is done

Counting on my fingers
The hours, the minutes, the seconds...
Counting on your fingers
How many times I can kiss
Each flavored fingertip

Hai Yoisho

I really wish I didn't have to do this. What I really want is for Elaina to pop up with a small post to let me know that she's alive, or that her move went well, or that she plans on coming to visit me.
BUT WE CAN'T ALWAYS HAVE WHAT WE WANT.

Here we go. Random photos. Hooray.


PRAYER POCKETS!!! Look how full the prayed pocket is!
I apologize for the strange angle of the photo. I had to crouch against the wall of the bathroom to get both pockets in the shot, and then I had to take them with a cell phone. But...Windy will appreciate.
This is a very structured mess, I tell you. The two pieces of paper in the background are a paper from praise time at the AIP camp and a paper from Mike. The paper from Mike is nothing but a checklist of all the things he packed for the AIP camp, and a message on it that says "Florence Helen McNair, I am your biggest fan." Sweeeeeet. The other paper was a praise time activity that had sentences that you had to fill in the blanks for. Our team ended up with "Thank you Jesus for protecting us from OBTHERION. Thank you Lord for loving us through OUR CLOTHES. We feel safe when you HOLD US IN YOUR BIG STRONG ARMS. I love you because YOU'RE MY SUGAR."
The 6 ice cream cone papers are from the time I ate with Shinji at Baskin Robins. And the glowing necklace in the foreground is...yeah yeah.
The french fries in the front are an eraser that were in a set of other food-like erasers in a box that was given me for a present when I was 13, from Ezra and Mary and their kids. One of the most special presents I've ever received. The other erasers were stolen or used away, and only the french fries are left.
And the DISGUSTING bandaid-like thing that snuck its way into the picture is proof of the 6 blood tests I got on June 6th before I joined the FD family.
Hahaha. This is a card I got from one of the kids in my home for my birthday. The best kids ever.
The tentative curtain that seperates my room from the kids' classroom. I always have to yell "Kigaeteru yo!" and they yell back in a totally stoic tone "Hai" and never peek. Such good boys.
Self explanatory.
Hey check it. There's me in a yellow skirt. The kids said they drew a skirt on me since I usually wear skirts. How clever. They drew me holding my AIP necklace and a huge bag of snacks. (Since I won in more than one category, I got a bag twice as big as everyone else. The kids were really proud of me for that.)
My name tag from the AIP celebration. Cryssy asked me to take all the names off the assigned seats in the auditorium, so I saved Tomo and Nao's. Just...cause.
My pencil case. His name is Jack. He used to have a smaller counterpart (some people said it was his wife, some people said it was his child.) named Santos, whom Jesse is now the proud owner of. May their love never die.
MY PIAAAAANOOOO!!!
The watch on my wrist, and the stupid wristband made out of video tape that I still haven't taken off. Bright thing that I am.

Wheeeeee

My home decided to throw a belated birthday party for me. Apparently they had big plans that didn't work out, so they downsized to this perfect little plan where Ken and Megu took me out to eat (Shonics and Tsubes came along), while the women at home cooked up a cake for me. I got home a little earlier than they expected and apparently gave them a heart-attack by walking through the kitchen to use the bathroom. I completely and TOTALLY did not notice the cake. I'm so disappointed at my sensory system. They totally pulled this surprise over on me, I was so shocked at myself. I guess the Lord knows how I like it.
I went back out with Dad and Mom to the video rental. Mom almost ruined the entire surprise by saying "you have to come with us". So then I started asking mom questions in the car and dad fixed it in a very clever way. All the suspicion left my head. Sneaky dad.
And then they gave me birthday presents, which was way too cool. I got a huge set of colored pens...my home members know me well. A big box of Japanese snacks that were bought at an American store. Special. And like 5 cards made by the kids and signed by all the home members. Really sweet. The first time I've ever had my birthday in a home with kids. I love kids.
We watched Noel and ate cake and snacks that I got from the AIP celebration. Today we're going to a gathering near MP3 or TOM home or somewhere, I'm not exactly sure. I'll get to see UNO and NODA. Happy Flo. I just realized...all the homes in Japan are spelt with like...capitals. HAHA, they're all acronyms!!!
Oh. Except Noda. Junk.

I love being 17 already.