1.29.07 - birthdays, old and new

in the midst of all the busy-ness that goes along with living in tokyo, it's easy to get caught up in doing things without really thinking about why we're doing them. this past weekend, god gave me a number of reminders about why i do the things i do.

i noticed that some songs were up on itunes from the last passion event. i downloaded them, along with the message from francis chan. i listened to the message on my way to worship practice, and really enjoyed it. i was encouraged and challenged by the things that francis talked about. not being content with where i'm at. to be willing to question who i am, and what i believe.

had a few chances this past week to sit with various people to share about stuff we've been learning recently. such a blessing to be able to share how god is working in our lives, and to be able to support each other as brothers and sisters. sat night, i had dinner with some friends from church to celebrate akky's birthday. talked a lot about many things, but i was reminded that i need to continue to "let go" of things that can block my relationship with god from being my top priority.

after church yesterday, a bunch of us went to jonathan's (a family restaurant) for our weekly post-church meal, meetings, and fellowship time. yukka brought her friend mai to join us. after eating, akky shared the message he gave at the teen's rally for us. he talked about prayer, and at the end, mai asked us to pray for her family. we prayed together as a group for mai and her family, and continued to talk about god, church, and christianity. akky then shared about how he came to know the lord, and about what it was like when he first became a christian. he gave mai a copy of the new testament, and started taking her through some of the passages in the gospels.

next thing we knew, she was in tears, and said she wanted to believe. so then and there, at our local hang-out-spot/restaurant, we prayed with mai as she prayed for salvation and asked jesus into her heart. i was in awe, as we celebrated mai being born again. it really put into perspective why we do the things we do. i don't serve to please myself or other people. it's for god, because he's the one that changes lives.

good stuff, good stuff indeed! blessings this week!

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chasing
charlie hall

sweet forgiveness, my redemption
you're a savior once for all and today
o the mercy, it comes to flood me
jesus on the cross, you took my place

and i'm chasing after you 'cause
you first chased after me
and you purchased me with blood,
i am free i am complete
now a child of my king,
leaving old i am made new
'cause you first chased after me,
i am chasing after you

and i found my love, i found my love
and my heart is dancing

jesus, jesus, i am chasing after you
jesus, jesus, jesus, i am chasing after you

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talk to me |

1.24.07 - fast & furious

as this new year has kicked off, i've hit the gates fast and furiously. the past few weeks have been crazy busy. here's a quick rundown of some of the more eventful happenings.

• went on a flight with ed and jeremiah around tokyo/yokohama in a cessna. it was a bit hazy, and we couldn't get a clear look at fuji-san, but it was amazing! i can't believe how dense tokyo is. it's like looking out into a sea of concrete. hopefully next time we'll be able to see fuji-san. as jeremiah put it, "fuji-san is the hachiko for clouds".

• since i was in high school, i've always wanted to go to the tokyo auto salon. it's the mecca of the japanese car tuning world. this year, the show happened to fall on a day that i didn't have any plans for. so i jumped on the chance to go and check it out. import tuning isn't as popular as it was 10 years ago, but going and experiencing the tas has always been a dream of mine. i'm thankful i got the opportunity to revisit my youthfulnes. plus, the cars are sick! i don't think i'll ever get tired of looking at them.

• celebrated a bunch of birthdays. most interesting was celebrating akky and hiroko's at yoshinoya's after church. we pretty much took over the restaurant, and i think they workers there were a bit suprised and overwhelmed. they did a great job taking all our orders and making sure we all got our food. two woots for yoshinoya!

there's been a lot of different things on my mind lately. with all the crazyness, i'm really looking forward to spending a little time in california next month. despite being surrounded by awesome friends, it's hard not to feel lonely at times. sometimes my heart crys out to be around people that i don't have to explain things to. i miss bbq'n, sitting around talking about random stuff, with our favorite episodes of "friends" playing on the tv in the background. life in tokyo is always on the go. a non-stop pace. chances to just sit and chill with friends are almost a rare occasion. my life in tokyo is nothing like my life in the states . . . which has its good points, as well as its bad.

everyday, i pray that god uses me in some way. but what i forget from time to time, is that i need to pray for god to work in me, not just through me.

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unfailing love
chris tomlin

you have my heart
and i am yours forever
you are my strength
god of grace and power

and everything you hold in your hand
still you make time for me
i can't understand

praise you god of earth and sky
how beautiful is your unfailing love
unfailing love

and you never change god you remain
the holy one
my unfailing love
unfailing love

you are my rock
the one i hold on to
you are my song
and i sing for you

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talk to me |

01.09.07 - view from above

god speaks to us in many ways. as a worship leader i pretty much expected to hear him speak to me through songs/music. but what i'm learning is that it's not really as i had originally thought. god speaks to me through songs . . . other people's songs, but not my own. i always thought that as a worship leader, god would eventually speak to me in ways to lead me to write my own songs. this may still be true, but what i've come to realize is that god speaks to me a different way.

photos. this may be obvious to some of you. while talking with some friends a while back, we were sharing about different ways god speaks to us and gives us inspirations. as someone who likes to create things, i often found it odd that i had such a hard time writing songs. what i realized is that god inspires me to create things through photography & design, rather than through music & lyrics.

when i'm looking through the lens of my camera, it's more than just capturing a scene. when i go back and look at certain pictures, it feels like i captured a memory. not just a picture of it, but the story behind it as well. the whole experience can get captured and filed away in a single shot for me.

when i'm looking through the lens of my camera, i feel like god is playing out a scene for me. he brings into focus the things that he wants me to see. he knows exactly what i need to see, what i need to focus on, and what to let blend/disappear into the background. it's not just the shot i'm talking about. he applies all this to my life.

when i'm looking through the lens of my camera, the things that i want to share with others take shape. it's like i'm putting together a composition within the boundries of my viewfinder. even though a shot may not mean the same to others as it does to me, it's an easy way to express myself, and allow others a glimpse of "my world". the neat thing about photography is that almost everyone can get something out of a picture.

the same way that i am inspired by songs that others write, i am inspired by other's pictures. i enjoy letting others take pics with my camera. later on, when i look through the pictures, i'm excited to see things through the eyes of others. i tend to find some very cool and very interesting shots. i love it! i'm also suprised when i'm just "snapping shots" for fun, then am totally inspired by a picture when i go back and look through them.

photography has become much more than just a hobby for me. it's become a universal way for me to communicate while not being confined to the barriers of language. it's how god speaks to me, and it's becoming more and more how i like to share my experiences with others.

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beautiful of heaven
charlie hall

o beautiful of heaven, o sovereign god transcendent
there is no one more majestic, mysterious
there is no one more magnificent

there is no other god but you
there is no other more beautiful

so set my mind upon you wholly
peel my fingers from the earthly, yeah
inject boldness in my confession
as i proclaim this awesome truth, hey

holy god, fire of love, come o torch, burn me up
take my life, my offering, 'til i am lost in the king of kings

more beautiful, more beautiful, beautiful

'til i am lost in the king of kings
take my life, my offering
'til i am lost in you, king of kings
here is my life, here is my life

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talk to me |

01.05.07 - akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!

happy new year! i've been on vacation, and have been taking it easy the past week. refreshed and ready for new challenges and adventures that await me this new year . . . but first, a 3-day weekend! if all goes well, i'll have some cool stuff to show next week. hang tight friends, but in the meantime, check out the pics from new year's countdown @ narimasu.

kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

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find my rest
trent monk

i am so tired
tears fall like rain
today has quenched my fire
worries eating up my brain
but i hold tight
to the last of me
because i know in you
i'm gonna find my rest

you are the way
the truth the life
and i'm gonna find my rest in you
theres nothing left to say
i've made up my mind
i'm gonna find my rest in you
find my rest in you

miles the storm
you've taken me
wrapped in all my imperfections
you gave everything
you're never far away
your love is so strong
you're watching over me

so i lay me down
on holy ground
and i give you my best
lord i know in you
i'm gonna find my rest

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talk to me |