Social media outlets are featuring so many reflective posts about the fifth anniversary of 3.11 that I hesitate to join the fray. And yet how can I be silent? What happened on March 11th, 2011 will never fade from my …
The Days Feel Full & Rich
By definition this is a slow time of the year. The snow on Mt. Akagi is melting pretty rapidly, which means winter activities are about to wind down. The new school year doesn’t begin for a few more weeks. But …
Blessedly Awkward, Awkwardly Blessed
I went to yesterday’s preaching assignment with a good deal of fear and trepidation. Often we choose to be emotionally invested or not… but then sometimes one just doesn’t have any say in the matter. I was invited to speak …
Unbridled Joy
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. Now that we’re living at Akagi Bible Camp and since we’re in the middle of the summer camping season, I’ve been spending more time posting updates on the camp’s site. …
Musing about Mountains
A co-worker once explained to me that the mountains in the region where he was living and pastoring were like his mother. But the mountains in the part of Japan where he grew up were like his father. Don’t ask …
山奥の春 (Springtime in the Mountains)
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昨日から早くも五月が始まり、赤城への引越しまで一ヵ月半となった。東京の家では段ボール箱の山積みが目立ち、移住の実感がわいてきた。最近は何度かその箱を車に積み込んで赤城に行ってる。昨日も朝から群馬へ向かい、昼前に赤城インターで関越道を出た。東京方面から来る方には是非お勧めのルートだ！前橋市内を完全に避けて高速を出たところでもうすでに山間部。地元では「第二南面」と言われてる道で元料金所付近まで行けばインターから赤城バイブル･キャンプまで３０分程度。第二南面の景色は滑らかな斜面に広がる野菜畑や牧場が印象的。
元料金所から登りはじめると新緑が両側から山道を囲む感じがした。
ローラーすべり台の駐車場あたりからはまだ緑が少ないがところどころ満開の桜が目立っていた。
急カーブの連続の果て、ようやく峠にいたり、写真を撮らずにはいられない春景色が待っていた。
さらに進むと大沼が微妙に淡い色合いで青空と白雲に照らされていた。
来月から私たちがこんなに美しいところに住めるなんて、考えているだけでわくわく！皆さんも是非遊びに来てください。春の新緑や蓮華つつじ、夏の涼しいそよ風、秋の紅葉、冬の銀世界。赤城があなたを呼んでるよ！
It’s already May and in a month and a half we’ll be moving to Akagi. Our house in Tokyo is besieged by piles of cardboard boxes and recently we’ve been …
Listening Carefully
I spent the last three days attending our annual mission spring retreat. We met in the mountain town of Karuizawa and spent the better part of three days focusing on hearing God. A good deal of that time was spent …
It’s That Time Again
Japanese income taxes are due in a few days so everyone is fearfully crunching their numbers, grudgingly filling out the paper work, or procrastinating until the last day and dreading the lines at city hall. Although I find Japanese tax …