Maupin Moments

Date Nights

2011-07-22T18:19:00.006+09:00

Our church youth group had their best idea yet...two Friday nights in a row of babysitting (YES!!!) Since they are fundraising for a missions trip to Sendai, we figured this was a perfect ~~excuse~~ opportunity to participate in the double Friday Date Night. What a total win-win. I can't even begin to explain how awesome a date night really is. I always think we don't have time, or we don't have enough cash, or what are going to do with the kids...but literally 12.4 minutes into the night I'm always thinking:

"Oh yeah! This is why I love this guy. Why don't we do this every week?!?"

So the first night Fred wanted to take me ice skating. After monster traffic we arrived at the rink 15 minutes before they closed and the zamboni (Surprised I knew that?? Shhh. I'm a total hockey dork) was already on the ice. So we bowled instead, because in Japan ice skating
and bowling belong in the same building. Duh.

No matter where in the world you might bowl, the shoes are still ~~ugly~~ tacky.

Ha! I love the leg slide to the left.

I look like I'm really concentrating...

...but I'm really waiting for this rowdy bunch to settle down.

Only in Japan are doctor reindeer on t.v. at the bowling alley

Woohoo. Let the final score reveal that I rock.

But not really since these are golf scores, not bowling scores...

But it was a date night so again: total win-win.

And for the second date night we weren't as ambitious as driving so far away. Instead we were able to grab a bite to eat and watch a movie. Notice the totally hip 3-D glasses.
And that Fred likes plaid shirts.

And the ever popular:

"Hold-Your-Arm-Out-Snap-The-Picture-But-Try-Not-To-Look-Like-It" photo

Date nights totally rock. I'm a huge fan.

Remembering Dad

2011-07-13T11:26:00.000+09:00

Five years ago yesterday my dad lost his battle with cancer. Not a day goes by when I don't miss him or wish I could tell him something. I praise the Lord that we have a living hope and that death has lost its sting. Here are the words I shared at his memorial service.

I don’t have enough words available to share how much I love and miss my dad, or to tell you what an impact he made in my life. He is my hero and my role model and he taught me everything about everything. From him I learned that Jesus loves me, that my family is first, that integrity and honesty are non-negotiable, and that people are worthy of my investment. My dad simply loved me and he was always proud of me. He taught me life’s lessons through patience, tenderness, and a healthy dose of humor.

Dad was always there; wherever “there” might be. He sat through endless dance recitals and gymnastic meets just to see me perform for a few minutes. He took countless chickens and banana breads to 4-H fairs and he donned his black cowboy hat for more award ceremonies than I can remember. He was always our protector to the point where he would never let us near the edge of the roof while putting up Christmas lights even though our depth perception was better than his. When dad would come home from work, and I saw him turn the corner of our street in his big work truck, I would run and hide. He would pretend to look all over for me, and when he finally found me, he would always have a candy necklace in his pocket. I’ve heard him say countless times that he only had kids to justify his candy habits. I was lucky enough to go with him on several business trips over the years. We spent several hours broken down in the middle of nowhere, but we were never bored because we just spent our time talking about everything. Dad loved vacations and road trips. He taught us that the journey was as important as the destination. Usually we came over to the White Mountains where he taught me, and then later His grandkids, to fish and enjoy the outdoors. One memorable vacation was when the family drove from San Diego to Washington DC to drop me off for college. Somewhere along the way he lost a red hot candy up his shorts and he never found it again. My dad was always ready to listen to the latest story from my classroom, to encourage my newest adventure, or to support me through whatever trial came my way. He walked me down the aisle, held all three of my children at their birth, taught my husband how to be a great dad, and provided me with every opportunity I could imagine.

I will always be proud of him. What an honor to know that so many people loved and respected him and saw in him what I did: an honorable man of integrity that stood by his word. A man that loved his Savior and loved his family. He always helped others and made a difference in each life that he touched. He expected everyone to never settle for anything less than their best. He always found the humor in daily living. He was a man of great strength that never quit. Even when cancer entered his life he was the encourager and the keeper of the faith. He always found the best in others and he helped you to find it in yourself too. I couldn’t have asked God for a better dad or a better hero.

We hear a lot about legacies nowadays and how great men work really hard at leaving one behind. The simple fact is one of my dad’s greatest accomplishments is that he left a grand legacy without even trying.

Again, praise God that we have a living hope.

A Summer Saturday

2011-07-09T16:48:00.002+09:00

We've been sick around here. SSSOOO sick of being sick! Just when we think we're in the clear one of us feels a bit achy and the fever starts to creep up there.

So, what's a kid to do?

Pull out the hose of course.

I sneaked (snuck? That just sounds better... but the red squiggly line tells me no...)

out the side door to spy.

I was caught.

But then he zealously agreed to pose. I should have known it was too good to be true.

This was mere nano seconds before he launched an attack.

So the hose was stolen and a war was waged.

By me.

Moowahahahaha.

I won. He let me.

Now back to being sick

*sigh*

Yum-O Rolls

2011-07-08T14:11:00.000+09:00

I found this recipe for hamburger buns at the Raising Olives blog. However, I don't have a family of 12 so I needed to tweak it a bit. Plus, I experimented a bit more and found that if I split the prepared dough in half I could also make a Cinnabon worthy batch of cinnamon rolls.

Use for Everything Rolls

1 3/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
3 T. active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
6 cups white or wheat flour (I used three cups of each and then added more white as necessary during kneading since Okinawa is so humid)

Mix first 4 ingredients and let rest for 10ish minutes. It should get spongy and bubbly. This is SO important as it is when the yeast is activated. Side note: add a bit of science to baking by telling your kids that when the yeast releases carbon dioxide to make the dough rise it's kind of like, um, "tooting" in the dough.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix, then knead for 5ish minutes. I use my Kitchenaid mixer on speed 2 with the dough hook. If kneading by hand it might take a bit longer.

Preheat oven to 425. Divide dough into two batches if making both buns and cinnamon rolls. Your dough should be sticky to the touch but "rollable."

For hamburger type buns: Sprinkle flour on the counter and roll out to 1/2 - 3/4″ thick. Use a large biscuit cutter or even a large glass to shape into circles. Let rise for 10 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Even splitting the dough we yielded 20 buns.

For Cinnamon Rolls: Sprinkle flour on the counter and roll out a 9"x 13" rectangle that is about 1/2″ thick. Spread a generous amount of butter on the dough. I used about half a stick. In a small bowl combine 1/2c. of packed brown sugar with a heaping tablespoon of cinnamon (more or less to taste). Sprinkle this on top of the butter. You can also add raisins or nuts if you like. Roll up your dough and make 1' slices. Place these slices in a lightly greased baking dish. Let rise for 10 minutes. Bake for 12ish minutes or until done. Side note: the dough can be soft so it can squish down a bit when sliced. Just use your fingers to plump it back up and reshape it.

Frosting for cinnamon rolls: cream together 1/2 c. butter and 8oz of softened cream cheese. Mix in 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Beat together until light and fluffy. You will have WAY more than enough frosting. Save some for carrot cake. Yum-o. My favorite.

Freedom in Christ

2011-07-04T12:04:00.001+09:00

Just a few thoughts today as we celebrate our liberty and freedom this 4^th of July…

Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,

and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

The fact is Jesus, and only Jesus, has made us free. It is a gift from him that we receive by faith. The letter to the churches of Galatia (our “declaration of independence" if you will) pronounces that we are no longer under the jurisdiction of religious laws or cultural traditions.

We are free in Christ.

A privilege.

Paul makes an emphatic point with “the liberty.” I like what pastor David Guzik writes:

“Today, people live in the headlong pursuit of “freedom,”
which they think of as doing whatever they want to do, and never denying any desire.
This is a kind of liberty, a false liberty; but it is not the liberty.
The liberty is our freedom from the tyranny of having to earn our own way to God,
the freedom from sin and guilt and condemnation,
freedom from the penalty and the power
and eventually freedom from the presence of sin.”

We are not free to indulge in sin or to serve ourselves as is so commonly perpetrated and esteemed in our world. Yet, so many use freedom as an excuse to tangle themselves back under a yoke of bondage; tyranny of selfish desires and sin. Only through Christ can we truly celebrate freedom and live a life of faith expressing itself in love (Galatians 5:6b).

A Milk Masterpiece

2011-07-01T12:10:00.003+09:00

We made Tim a science kit this past Christmas (way frugal, way fun, and by far his favorite gift) and since December 25th, he's been asking to do

"Color Symphony."

Today was the big day.

Ignore that it is July 1st.

We gathered the supplies:

Poured in enough milk to cover the plate.

Added 4ish drops of each food coloring.

Added 3 drops of dish soap.

And... voila! A color symphony.

SO cool.

After hearing Tim's "ooohhhs" and "ahhhhs,"

the girls came running out to create their own plate.

Fun stuff.

So here's the science: the dish soap clings to the fat in the whole milk and causes the coloring to scatter as it breaks down the fat. Kinda gross when you think that's what it does to the crud on our plates.

My Little List Makers

2011-06-30T22:26:00.000+09:00

"To do" lists make me very happy. Oh! The satisfaction of just crossing junk off! I always make a grocery list, even if I'm just running in for milk. I'll write "milk," all by itself, so I can scratch it off. If I make a chore list for myself and "vacuum" wasn't on my list, but I go ahead and vacuum (you know where this is going don't you?!?), I'll write it on my list just so I can cross it off my list. Sad. I admit it. But not therapy worthy. Phew.

Anyhoo...my girls were feverishly writing in their journals earlier today and I meant to snoop then, but I just now got around to it. Both girls wrote a list. That really doesn't surprise me. But I am a little surprised to discover that they both wrote a "Things I Want to do Before I die" list. Yep. They did. I settled down for a sneak peek at their futures.

Madeline's List; Age 9 1/2:

go to Paris
make a chocolate gnome
eat a snail
eat at the eiffel tower
see Rome and Pompeii
see Greece and Athena's Temple
see New Hampshire
own a cafe in Paris
or be a doctor
or be a flower arranger
read the whole Bible in all the translations
write my own book of poems
have a swim in the Red Sea
eat 200 different kinds of fruit
have rainbow hair like Mrs. Bailey
go to my sister's restaurant if it happens
try soup from every country in the world
visit every single continent (even antarctica and the poles)
open a small bakery
play with penguins
get a Wii
graduate from two colleges
sew my own clothes
design my sister's house

Elizabeth's list; Age 8 1/2:

Be a meteorologist
have kids
go to Disneyland
see the snow
graduate high school and college
be a grandma
get my hair done at a hair salon
own my own restaurant
own my own family blog. (when I can work it)
write my own cookbook
have another baby brother or sister (or another sibling)
buy an iPod or something like that
cook ALL BY MYSELF for my family
travel most of the world
ride rollerblades on a ramp
hypnotize a chicken
make a mummy out of a chicken in homeschool
explode something in science class
have a chocolate gnome from Switzerland
be able to scrapbook a full album
have cousins from Uncle Steve or Uncle Petey
go through the world and help baby animals
have my very own horses and horse stable

Mom's perspective: From their lists I am amazed at how small the globe is to them. When I was 8 I thought traveling 8 hours in the car from California to Arizona was a major deal. I love how different they are but how oh-so-much-is-the-same. I noticed they plan to do a lot of eating. I am also humbled, and a bit terrified to tell you the truth, at how much their lists reflect me and my likes, personality, ambitions and dreams. All the way down to the list making.

Maybe I'll make a "40 before 40" list...

Getting Crafty

2011-06-29T13:18:00.001+09:00

We L O O O V E arts and crafts projects around here. Anything that involves glue (glue gun = major bonus), paint, color, and a bit of mess = huge fun. In prep for some math that we'll be starting next week, the kids each bought their own white board from the 100 yen store. By the way...Japanese hundred yen stores...totally deserve their own post...dollar stores ain't got nothin' on the yen stores...

Here's my plain board before:

We all painted our boards to make them a bit more personal and to make math a bit more approachable.

Here are their finished whiteboards:

I used some scrapbooking trim and letters to spruce up my corkboard a bit. So easy!

Tune your ears to wisdom comes from Proverbs 2. The whole chapter is great and I could have lettered out the whole thing, but then the cork board wouldn't be very useful would it? I love how God wants us to search out wisdom as we would search for hidden treasure. I love the promised blessings that wisdom brings. I really love how God let's us know that wisdom begins with knowing Him.

Summertime!

2011-06-28T16:21:00.000+09:00

Summer is officially here. Heat, humidity, lazy days, good books, movie nights, change. Uh huh...again... Summer always brings change to our family.This one is no exception.

We just ended a year of teaching at New Life Academy and now we are waiting. Fred should be starting a new job in July. I should be starting homeschooling (did you hear that?! The loud hallelujah chorus that started playing??!). We should be in Okinawa for another few years, God willing. We are excited, but, alas, we wait.

In the meantime June has been a busy month. Did you notice that my last post was NEW YEAR'S??? Geez. Pathetic. I guess I should say that the last six months have been ~~trying~~ busy. Anyhoo...here's a recap of June:

The kid's "graduated" from New Life Academy. Madeline earned the 3rd grade art award! This brought our year of ministry at NLA to an end. I L.O.V.E.D. being Maddy and Lizzy's teacher. I'm still sifting out and gleaning all the lessons God had for me while teaching there ;)

Tim celebrated his 7th birthday. I made a lego cake and we had a spaghetti lunch. That night was church so we celebrated again there. Be sure to notice the homemade superman costume in the picture. Our family is ~~obsessed~~ in love with Smallville. Tim always wears red and blue so he can run fast and be "the Blur."

Fred also had an old navy buddy, Jayson, whose work brought him out to Okinawa. They haven't seen each other in 14 years. Isn't friendship cool when you can just pick right up where you left off? We played tour guides and traveled all over. Hey, any excuse to eat our way through the Pineapple park is fine by me!

And this is cheating because it really happened in May...but we had a huge typhoon come through. This was the first big one we've been through in our 4 years here. It left us without power for two days and we had major cleanup. Just a note: "stocking up" for the typhoon might seem like a great idea but I was a big lame-o. I did my weekly grocery shop and then we lost power. We spent two days buying blocks of ice to keep our freezer/fridge cold. I am happy to report I only lost a chicken breast. That just sounds so silly.

Okay, so I've been kind of ignoring the proverbial elephant in the room: yes it has been forever since I've blogged. Yes a lot of life has rushed under the bridge. Yes, I could have a bazillion posts to catch everyone up. How about a pinky promise instead... I'll do better this time around.

2010 Year in Review #4

2011-01-01T14:32:00.000+09:00

Our Answers: Fred and Amanda. 36 & 32.

Q: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Fred: We got a new house in Okinawa with a yard.
Amanda: Watched God fill our new home with blessings

Q: What is the best meal you had?
Fred: Nabe
Amanda: The Nabe pot is way cool. Cheap, fast, healthy, delicious. Yum-o.

Q: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Fred: Ryota. He's a kid I met at Mihama and we play guitar together.
Amanda: Closer with the Edwards and Phillips families and became friends with Jenni at church

Q: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Fred: Katie Dokomo: The Praise Band violinist. My boy Andrew Bostwick.
Amanda:By simply leaving ocsi I said bye to zillions even though I'm still on island. The hardest has been Bethany. It feels the same as if we were an ocean apart.

Q: What did you learn this past year?
Fred: That my plans are not always God's plans.
Amanda: God provides. What is impossible with man is possible with God. I've learned that being quiet sometimes speaks loudly. I've also learned how to back in to parking spaces.

Q: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2010?
Fred: My blood sugar thing where I was passing out. I was getting dizzy all the time.
Amanda: Everything with Fred's crazy health issues: passing out, emergency room visits, mood swings

Q: What did we do in 2010 that you want to do next year?
Fred: Get a new job. But one that helps me pay my bills.
Amanda: Enjoy the simple: family nights, yaki-soba at the beach, browsing in Junkudo, stuff like that

Q: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Fred: Have my dog taken back by the weirdos on Okinawa Yard Sale
Amanda: Umm...just about everything quite frankly. 2010 was awful.

Q: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Fred: I've had to trust Him more for all of my provisions
Amanda: I've had to trust Him completely to meet all of my needs. I've learned that God is more interested in a rendered heart than a rendered garment (Joel 2:13). I also studied a bit of prophecy this past year.

Q: Give me five words that describe you.
Fred: optimistic, humbled, young at heart, love to sing, and love to laugh
Amanda: determined, creative, a booklover (bibliophile just sounded so eeww), traditional, and anxious (I hate that about me though...).

Q: What is your #1 wish for 2011?
Fred: To be more stable
Amanda: unrealistic--> travel to Europe; realistic -->stability

2010 Yearly Review #3

2011-01-01T12:26:00.000+09:00

My interview with Timothy. Age 6. 1st Grade.

Mom: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Timmy: We had a fun Christmas
.
Mom: What is the best meal you had?
Timmy: I still love my mom's spaghetti.

Mom: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Timmy: I'm at a new school so I am now friends with Shiryu and Kiryu

Mom: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Timmy: Lillian left from my class.

Mom: What did you learn this past year?
Timmy: I learned how to be better at the Lego Batman game. I'm also a good reader.

Mom: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2010?
Timmy: We were at a park and there was a slide that dropped straight down. When I let go it felt like I was falling forever.

Mom: What did we do in 2010 that you want to do next year?
Timmy: I want to go back to the park and try the slide again. It's not scary anymore.

Mom: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Timmy: I do not want to watch a lot of girl movies with my sisters.

Mom: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Timmy: I pray more and I read my Bible more.

Mom: Give me five words that describe you.
Timmy: I can make scary noises, I'm an adventure kid, I love to play video games and with Legos, I try to do a lot of good stuff, I like to play jokes on my mom and dad.

Mom: What is your #1 wish for 2011?
Timmy: I want to be a superhero and I want to go to California to see Grandma

Mom's perspective: Timmy cracks us up. He is silly and always looking for a way to make people laugh. He loves to dress up in random superhero costumes...even Captain Underpants! He is an excellent reader, but he could still sit and veg out to a Lego xBox game for hours if we'd let him. He likes to draw, he likes science, and he is still part fish. He is learning to be more independent and he finally has his first loose tooth!

2010 Yearly Review #2

2011-01-01T11:55:00.000+09:00

My interview with Madeline. Age 9. 3rd grade.

Mom: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Madeline: We went to Okinawa World and walked through the cave. I also got my ears pierced.

Mom: What is the best meal you had?
Madeline: Taco rice. Same as last year. It's my favorite food in the world. It was my birthday meal.

Mom: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Madeline: I started a new school and made friends with Urara.

Mom: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Madeline: Hm. No one really.

Mom: What did you learn this past year?
Madeline: I learned all about Ancient Greece.

Mom: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2010?
Madeline:When my dad would get his diet off and get sick. We had to go to the hospital a lot of times.

Mom: What did we do in 2010 that you want to do next year?
Madeline: We found Junkudo book store. It has lots of good books for kids. I want to live there.

Mom: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Madeline: I do not want to go to the hospital.

Mom: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Madeline: I earned my cricket, lamb and fruit of the spirit patch in cKc.

Mom: Give me five words that describe you.
Madeline: I hate pink, I want to be a doctor, I love giraffes, I like to be tickled by my dad, and my lungs are weak.

Mom: What is your #1 wish for 2011?
Madeline: I want a Nintendo DSi. I also want tickets to France.

Mom's perspective: Madeline (who likes to be called Maddy now) is still introspective and reserved. She likes to observe a situation before jumping right in. At home, or when she's finally comfortable at a place, she's a take-charge, goal-oriented kid. She likes to boss her brother and sister around and usually she is the mastermind behind a scheme. She internalizes everything and carries a lot of stress on her tiny little shoulders. Maddy is witty with a dry sense of humor. She loves to read and lately she's been interested in world history. Spelling and math still need work.She loves interior decorating and making crafts.

2010 Yearly Review #1

2011-01-01T11:32:00.000+09:00

Last year as I started this blog I wanted to capture the moments that make us the Maupins.

I didn't do a great job.

The problem with trying to capture moments is that we're usually busy doing the moments (plus...I'm still severely technologically challenged and procrastination prone...).
Arg.
What a conundrum.

Anyhoo...back in 2009 I thought that hearing everyone's perspective on the closing year might be entertaining. If you've read the blog at all, you know I like tradition and routine...so I figured...let's hear everyone's perspective on the close of 2010. Let the entertainment begin.

My interview with Elizabeth. Age 8. 2nd grade.

Mom: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Lizzy: Spending Christmas together this year. It was a really fun thing.

Mom: What is the best meal you had?
Lizzy: When my mom cooks chicken legs with barbecue sauce!

Mom: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Lizzy: I started a new school this year, but I'm not really friends yet with any of the kids.

Mom: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Lizzy: Since I started a new school I said bye to Ms. Kwock.

Mom: What did you learn this past year?
Lizzy: To write in cursive and how to dribble a basketball.

Mom: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2010?
Lizzy: On New Year's Eve I cut my thumb with sharp scissors. I thought I was going to die. Mr. Kevin saved my life.

Mom: What did we do in 2010 that you want to do next year?
Lizzy: Spend hot summer days at Comprehensive Park.

Mom: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Lizzy: I do not want to move to a brand new school again!

Mom: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Lizzy: I started a Bible study called "Kids For God" with Timmy and Maddy. We read parts of the Bible, have a snack and play games.

Mom: Give me five words that describe you.
Lizzy: silly, bruises a lot, talkative (when it's time), curious, loves sugar

Mom: What is your #1 wish for 2011?
Lizzy: For Star Wars to come true and get a pet horse.

Mom's perspective:Elizabeth is our extrovert. She is extremely social; making friends with anyone. She is a self-proclaimed artist and she is also musical. She loves to sing and dance. You can usually find her outside climbing trees or racing her scooter at break-neck speeds. Really she is fearless and headstrong...unless there is blood. Then she goes into panic shut-down mode. She is an excellent writer and very imaginative.

Back...again.

2010-11-14T22:38:00.000+09:00

I feel lame trying the whole "fresh start" post again to explain the absence of writing.. So I'll just fess up and be honest.

This summer was hard.

The last thing I wanted to do was type away and remember it.

Earlier this year I read Chuck Smith's (founding pastor of Calvary chapel) autobiography. A main message was, "everything is preparation for something else." If this summer is to be an indicator of things to come, well then, woooo-weeeee!!
We were sifted. We were tested. Refined, purified, stretched...all those church terms for really struggling.

Now though, I'm on the other side of a desert place. And I know. Personally.
God is Jehovah Jireh. He provided.
God is El Elyon. He is the Most High.
God is El Shaddai. He is our powerful sustainer.

Hebrews 12 was my summer life line.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,”so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

I love the Lord.
I love that he loves me enough to correct me.
I love that he knows my arms will be feeble and my knees will be weak.
I love that I personally know.
God is Jehovah Rapha...the one that heals.

Sumo Surprise

2010-08-05T22:54:00.000+09:00

Setting: Late night after getting home from grocery shopping (never quick in Japan...it's a three stop minimum). Fred's finishing some dishes in the sink (total win for me!) and I'm stacking toilet paper in the linen closet (yes...really...).

Mom: "Hey Tim! Go get your jammies on and pick out a book. It's time for bed."

Offstage: running feet and "Dunt-dunt-da-dunt-da" shouts from an overtired maniacal 6 year-old.

Tim (volume increases exponentially): "Don't you mean...Sumo Man??!"

The scene: Skinny 6 year old in Spongebob underwear with my an old scarf wrapped all around like a Sumo diaper. Complete with wedgie in the back.
Eew.

He then attempted to take Fred down.

Aren't you glad the blog's back??

O Blog! Blog! Wherfore art thou Blog??

2010-08-03T19:58:00.000+09:00

Well here it is. August. My best intentions forgotten. Fred was right. I stink at the blog thing. Of course if we're talking about self-fulfilling prophecies...I might be in business.

See, back on December 29th I told you all that I started this silly thing as a way to communicate better and kind of share my thoughts on heart issues. I also said we'd see how it was going in mid-march. Well mid-march came and went. Along with 1/3 of a calendar year. Arg.

Blog = Fail
Self-fulfilling prophecy = Win

So. I will definitely not try to catch up on 4 months of history in a long drawn out narrative. But here are the major highlights:
Completed our third year of teaching at OCSI
Moved from OCSI to a Japanese home in Kitanakagusuku
Timmy turned 6
Moved our visa from OCSI to Calvary Chapel Okinawa
Began working at New Life Academy and Calvary Chapel
Had our visas renewed for 3 more years of ministry on Okinawa
Had a baby

Just kidding. Wanted to see if you were really paying attention...

Now we find ourselves in an entirely new season. We are waiting with expectant hearts to see what God has planned for us as we continue to humbly serve and draw close to Him through His amazing word.

So...forgive me for ignoring the blog for the last 4 months. I'll start fresh and begin anew. I'll ~~probably~~ even tell Fred he was right.
And we'll see how I'm doing next March.

Thwartations

2010-03-02T22:18:00.000+09:00

I am working with an awesome student teacher in my classroom. Not only does she totally crack me up, but her teaching is obviously Holy Spirit inspired.

During a recent self-evaluation she mentioned the word "thwarted."

She realized that on paper her lessons were well planned and organized. Everything seemed perfect. Then she actually taught my class of 13 totally individual 5th graders. (Side note: she did an excellent job. I'm even writing an ocsi employment reference for her for next year.) BUT...she said she'd been thwarted.

When the kids were thrown into the mix, her delivery and planning had to change. Adjustments had to be made. It got messy. Complicated. No longer was everything predictable.

I started to mull this over a bit and realized: I really don't like to be thwarted. (Okay...duh. I know what you're thinking...anyone who's known me for more than twelve minutes can figure that out.) But seriously, here's an example: last weekend's earthquake freaked me out. Not because of what could have been but because I didn't know it was coming. I couldn't plan for it. Proof of this can be read in my last ~~slightly self-humiliating~~ post.

Sometimes I wonder if we approach our relationship with Christ like this. As long as everything looks great on paper we're good to go. As long as we're in control we're content. But as soon as people get thrown in the mix, or things start to get messy and life gets a bit complicated, or we can't plan for the predictable, we feel all thwarted.

I'm starting to understand that, in my life, this is when God is at work the most.

I can't ignore how much of Christ's ministry was the result of interruptions (thwartations!?). People were constantly thrown into the mix. Things were always messy...life usually is. His disciples could never figure out his plans.Yet Jesus reminded his followers, and us, that He came down from heaven not to do his own will but to do the will of the Father (John 6:38)

Can I say that: not my will but yours? Can I say with a purposeful heart that I want interruptions? That I'm okay with messy, complicated, and unpredictable? To be more like Christ means, yep, I'm praying that I can say it.

I'm certain it boils down to a simple choice: to live for myself or to live for God.

Since it's God who knows the plans that he has for me and it's God who will complete the good work that he started in me, and it's God who works all things together for my good, the thwartations must be refining and growing me, not simply interrupting me.

My desire Lord, is to be thwarted by You.

Earthquake!

2010-02-27T09:20:00.000+09:00

This morning a 7.0 earthquake hit off the coast of Okinawa.

At 5:31 in the morning mind you.

On a Saturday!

Praise the Lord, though, we're safe, and with the exception of a ceramic tchotchke, nothing is broken.

Once the adrenaline rush was over (Prayed first. Calmed my nerves with coffee second. Pathetic. I know.) Fred and I realized we have NO idea what to do in an emergency. So in an attempt to make a family plan, I've come up with a list of what I hopefully won't do in the event that there's a “next time.”

1. Grab my husband's arm in a death grip and shake him harder than the earthquake.

2. Lay there watching while Fred jumps out of bed and tries to run on a slippery rug while yelling to get the kids (All I saw in the dark was Fred running in place, cartoon style, then falling to the ground. Totally funny now.)

3. Put ceramics up high as decorations. I stepped on broken pieces getting the kids.

4. Storm into the girls' room forgetting that a tea party table is set up, shin high, in the middle of the floor.

5. Race into Timmy's room forgetting that it's a minefield of Legos.

6. Actually pausing to wonder...do I grab the ferret? Short answer: Heck no!

7. Stand and debate with myself over years of California public school programming: do I stop, drop, and roll? Do I duck and cover? Do I yell, “You're not my mother!?” I'm fairly certain standing in the middle of my living room, with Timmy over my shoulder, is not the answer.

8. Run outside in my tank top and undies forgetting that we live in MISSIONARY teacher housing. Arg.

Praise God it's dark at 5:30.

Friday Photo Recap

2010-02-26T21:19:00.000+09:00

We've spent this week s-i-c-k. Like two days off of work (Fred had three!) sick. I made the mistake of saying, "I never really get sick." Then wham-o. Medicine in Japan is always interesting. You never quite know what you're buying. Thankfully a friend dropped off some Nyquil. I figured this picture was better than some of the alternatives (can we say Night of the Living Dead???)

Madeline's loose tooth was bugging her all week and we were out of apples. Now, there's really only two things that make me squimish (sp?) as a mom: eyeballs and teeth. I can do puke, I can do poo, I can even do blood...just not mixed with teeth. Well I wasn't feeling good and she was complaining that she couldn't eat her dinner. One quick twist from mom and out it popped. Dinner eating dilemma solved. (Yuck. Couldn't stand to post the picture with the bloody hole in the mouth. This will have to do.)

The kindergartners visited the fire station! Timmy loved it. He was awake and ready for school before the alarm ever went off this morning. I should know. He was two inches away from my head at 5:45 am. Just breathing at me. After school he proudly marched into my classroom, wearing his hat and badge, declaring his new career aspirations. (I never noticed how big his nose looked! I love it when kids grow all out of proportion like that!)

The Boredom Epidemic

2010-02-26T14:03:00.000+09:00

As a mom and a teacher I hear many things from kids: stories, dreams, fears, worries, excuses. But something lately has tugged at my heart strings.

"I'm bored."
Two tiny little syllables.

They show up on facebook, I hear it during recess, and I see it manifested in little lives. Let's face it, a junior higher (heck, even a high schooler!) is still a "little life."

So why the boredom epidemic?

I came across some thought provoking ideas on different homeschooling (I'm a closet homeschooling mom) websites.

Perhaps being bored comes from our expectations of what the world around us should “give” us, and it’s not delivering what's desired. The idea that the world should fill our proverbial buckets.

Perhaps boredom comes from growing up in a complex, hyper-stimulating, everything-at-your-fingertips-right-now world, and when it’s not there, it births boredom.

Perhaps it's the expectation of always wanting the next best thing, the something else, or the something different that makes a kid bored.

Well, here's the truth:
We were created.
Period.
And we were created to please God.

Philosophers through the ages have failed to grasp this very basic purpose of our existence. I remember an entire college semester of discussing Plato's, Nietzsche's, and Tocqueville's "Why am I here? What's the point of..." ideas.

But, like always, God's Word has the answer: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11"

Scripture is clear that we each exist to bring pleasure to God. So many "bored" ~~adults~~ kids, reject this truth and fight against it.

The epidemic isn't boredom.

It's people choosing to live for their own pleasure.

What's so awesome (in the true definition of the word) about God is that He gives us the choice: Live for him or live for ourselves. But since we've been designed with a purpose, our life will always be an empty bucket of boredom until we choose to bring Him pleasure.

There's a better way to live. We can live to please God.
Jesus answers it best when he said, "I have come down from heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38"

Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa penned some thoughts about the topic. "Rather than seeking your own will, set it aside in order to do the will of the Father. When we live to please God we have peace with our enemies, we have fruitful lives, an increased knowledge of God, and our prayers are more powerful and effective. The life that pleases God is the only life in which you'll find peace, contentment, and fulfillment. It's a life rich with blessing, purpose, and meaning."

As we encounter (either as a mom, a teacher, a neighbor, a friend...) a seeking and hurting generation let's unmask boredom for what it really is: a haunting awareness that life means more than what has yet been experienced.

Kids need the saving grace of God's promise and purpose in their lives.
Kids need to know that they were created to bring pleasure to God.
That will eradicate boredom.

Eating Clean

2010-02-25T13:12:00.000+09:00

It's time.
People have been asking about our family's "diet" and how Fred has lost so much weight (Seriously, he's gone from 175 to 138 pounds. Just from eating better!) First of all, I don't pretend to be a nutritionist by any stretch of the imagination. I just want to make delicious food that is healthy and cheap that my kids will eat. So bear with me as I divulge... this is kinda long...but a recipe treat is at the end!

Background:

Fred's body has always had weird issues with food. Back in September, at a month shy of 35, and with a family history of heart disease, Fred left a morning staff devotion to go to the local Japanese hospital because he was having chest pains. That was a scary morning. Ultimately, the result was borderline diabetes...which led to chest pains and everything else bad. A diagnosis that confirmed years of us predicting the nagging truth. (Funny side note: Japanese doctors are blunt. The guy grabbed Fred around the middle and said, "You. Are. Fat. Right here." And then Fred had to pay him for his ~~true~~ humiliating insult).

Research:
So...diabetic? I researched everywhere and had friends bless us with diabtic foods and cookbooks. One thing stuck out though: Everything talked about replacing sugars with chemical alternatives. The idea was to eat the same just with approved sweeteners. My common sense meter said, eeeewww. Besides I almost died (okay slight exaggeration) at a Bible study when I had coffee made with Splenda. In my non-nutritionist brain I concluded that if I wanted my family healthy we needed to eat better foods in a reasonable amount. It was a lifestyle change we needed, not an ingredient swap.

Action:

An awesome lady at church overheard me talking about my "research." The next Sunday she brought me a stack of Clean Eating magazines. I literally read each one cover to cover. Common sense, delicious looking, simple ingredients, low-cost family friendly meals.

Here's the gist of the Clean Eating mantra:
1. Eat 5-6 times a day; about every 2-3 hours (More food?! Totally awesome! Real nutritionists say this convinces your body to burn calories efficiently all day long instead of storing them up. Breakfast, never skip it!, snack, lunch, snack, dinner.)

2. Learn about portion size (The catch for #1 above! Your palm is a good gauge. One palm size for meats/starches/fruits and two palms for vegetables/salads. Yes, even for kids. Their palm is their gauge. We also started using our salad plates for our dinner plates. Amazing what eye tricks can do for your stomach/brain.)

3. Drink 8 cups of water daily (We've totally eliminated soda from our house. It was easy. I just don't buy it. The kids know that it's either water or milk with dinner. Since we're in Japan, tea is sometimes another choice. We still do coffee every morning. Trust me. You want me to have my daily cup.)

4. Avoid processed and refined foods (Goodbye white flour, sugar, and rice. Hello whole grains and honey. This means no more Sunday morning donuts, weekly stops by the patisserie, or candy bowls. Treats are now simply treats. When the kids want a snack it's yogurt, fresh fruit, or a handful of nuts. It's not a "diet" but simply exchanging better foods for crappy ones.)

5. Get label savvy (In Japan this is hard because not all labels include ingredient lists, and even if they did my language skills still leave much to be desired. Here's the idea though: Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. If the product list is long, or filled with wacky chemicals that you can't pronounce, it's processed/human-made and not good for you. And no. Just because you can say "Twinkie" does not mean it's good for you! This is where I've opted for "close to the earth" organic ingredients.)

6. Slow down and savor (Sad that this has to be recommended in a "lifestyle" plan, but enjoy time around the table, eat slowly and enjoy the bites. Talk, laugh, and connect with your family. Thank God for His provision.)

Daily living:

1. Shopping: Each week I grocery shop at a local store and a produce stand. We've budgeted $100 a week for groceries (I usually spend less...but don't tell). Wednesdays are best because our local market has sales. I go with a rough idea of nightly dinners in mind, but if something is cheap I'll pick it up and pop it in the freezer. I want to do less meat meals but I'm not quite sure how yet. So we do lots of lean chicken meals and fresh seafood (a bonus of living in Japan). I buy brown rice and buckwheat noodles. I also buy tons of fresh fruit and veggies that are in season. I also pick up tofu, yogurts, and fresh eggs. I learned ages ago that if you shop the perimeter of your grocery store (produce/dairy/meats) and then cut down the middle (flours/oils) you'll have all you need. It's true. Even in Japan.

I did my shopping yesterday so here's my fridge: I try to fill it with fresh fruits/veggies. (Tomatoes are on sale so I bought 2 bags so I can make my own tomato sauce & freeze it.)

Here's the freezer: I freeze extra veggies and portion out 1kg bags of chicken breasts.

2. Cooking: I make double sized dinners so I can pack 5 lunches for the next day. At first I thought this would be reeeaaallllyy expensive, but with portion size in mind (and ignoring all the processed junk) it's actually a bit less than I used to pay. Using an old bread machine, I make two batches of bread a week. I definitely use the clean eating magazines and website. The recipes turn out like the pictures and they are quick, simple and down to earth. Every once in awhile there is a health food store-ish item that I can't find/get because of living abroad...so I substitute the best I can. I think loving to cook helps too. It is really one of my favorite ways to relax.

My typical batch of whole wheat rolls.

Result:

1. My husband's a hottie. Well he was before too, but now he's a healthy hottie. No chest pains, shortness of breath, weird dizzy spells, upset stomach, eye twitch (seriously). He's 40 pounds lighter. We had to buy brand new clothes because he couldn't even keep up his "skinny" shorts.

2. My kids are healthier. They enjoy good food, try new recipes, make better choices about snacks, and are tuned in to nutrition. They recognize that a treat is a treat... except they still live for Wednesday night potluck: casseroles galore plus dessert. I'm working on it though...read #3!

3. My circle of friends are inspired. People have simply noticed that something's different, and they want the same changes for their families. I had to laugh when jokingly my pastor referred to the healthy eating "cult" from the pulpit. His wife's on board too.

Bottom line:

God calls us to be good stewards. Paul, encouraging the church at Thessalonica, says, "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 1Thessalonians 5:23" This expression is Paul's way of saying that God must be involved in every aspect of our life. It is wrong to think that we can separate our spiritual life from everything else. If our bodies are healthy and managed well then there is more to offer for Christ's glory.

Okay, so if you're still reading you're amazing...or else really bored... but here is a clean eating recipe that I made for dinner last night.

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta

(Clean Eating Magazine march/april pg. 31)

Ingredients:

olive oil cooking spray

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced white onion

1 seeded & diced green bell pepper

2 minced garlic cloves

2 tsp dried orgegano

1 28 oz. jar crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1 inch thickness

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup shredded mozarella

Instructions:

1. preheat oven to 400; lightly spray baking sheet

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, & garlic, and saute 3-5 minutes until veggies are soft. Add 1tsp oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and paste and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer 20-30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs (toast them first if you want a nice golden brown color), parmesan, 1tsp oregano, thyme, salt, & black pepper. Mix with a fork to combine. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with dijon. Coat both sides with crumb mixture. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet. Coat surface of chicken with olive oil cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes.

4. Top each breast with 2-3 tbsp of sauce and 2 tbsp of mozarella. Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

5. Serve with whole wheat pasta or buckwheat soba noodles and remaining sauce. Add a fresh salad for a delicious kids-will-eat-it-all-gone meal.

A Frog in My Throat

2010-02-22T20:29:00.000+09:00

God has blessed me with some amazing kids. Simple fact. My kids rock (And yes. Of course I'm partial). Sure, they forget to put their dirty clothes in the hamper, and they have days of non-stop whining, and they can make me lose my mind in 3.5 seconds flat, but the bottom line is that they're amazing.

Today I had zero voice and my nose is still chapped and raw from its constant connection to Kleenex. Tonight after dinner I found a gift on my dresser. A pure offering of love from one sweet, innocent, and loving child.

Here it is. My gift basket.

I pulled back the red bandanna to find wilted dandelion flowers.

The card was the best. I tried to ignore the extremely pointed chin (surely I don't?) and the squiggly wrinkles (I definitely don't. Right? Right?!).

The message inside though made me remember why being a mom is such an honor from God.

Here is what it says:

Dear mom I hope you get well sone,

in class we pray for you and your frog to get out of you ~~throoght~~ throght. I love you more than I can hold in my hart that it over flods! I love you Love Lizzy!

Notice the dinner table scene. First of all, my pencil sketched clothes are hip. Graphic tee and cute skirt. Apparently I have a frog in my throat that is going through an identity crisis thinking it's a mouse. But my kids are sad that I'm not well. Or maybe it's just because there aren't any plates in front of them on the table. Not sure.

But one thing I am sure of: I am loved by three amazing kids. Thanks Lizzy for making me feel better.

Canada & Scrunts?

2010-02-21T22:13:00.000+09:00

I spent most of Saturday connected to Kleenex (my red and chapped nose can attest to our new found friendship). As any mom knows...we really can't be sick. And, as any mom knows, sometimes staying in bed sick is more work than just pulling up your bootstraps and hobbling through the day.

With that said, I really tried to stay in bed sick to get some rest. That lasted for twenty-three minutes. Give or take a few. Anyhoo... while trying to "rest," I overheard these two snippets of breakfast conversation, which I'm pretty sure had something to do with the twenty-three minute time frame :

1.) At the breakfast table:

Fred (in his best Madagascar Penguin voice): "So---you're probably all wondering why I gathered you here this morning. *long silent pause* "We are taking over Canada."

Elizabeth: "Wow. Really dad?!"

2.) A Starbucks reference (which is probably the real reason that I got out of bed. I was tricked into thinking that there would be fresh Starbucks and a pastry. But no. Just the generic Japanese brand and a bruised banana. Sigh.)

Madeline: "Wow. These bagels look like scrunts."

Lizzy: "Scrunts?"

Madeline: "Ya. You know...that we get from Starbucks?"

Lizzy: "Oh. You mean scones?"

Madeline (a bit exasperated): "That's what I said... scRones!"

So...after Canada and Scrunts I ended my rest. But, I did create a new prayer journal. I took a journal from the 100 yen store (well I bought it the day before. duh.) and covered it with scrapbook paper. I used the google homepage Olympic trees as inspiration. I thought that it turned out pretty good...for being under the influence of Sudafed. And Scrunts.

My new prayer journal.

Maupin Mardi Gras

2010-02-19T17:37:00.000+09:00

I figured I better get these pictures up before the whole Lent season is over.
Disclaimer: We're not Catholic.

But we do love Jesus and believe that he is God's only Son who came to earth, died, and rose again on the third day according to Scripture. We believe He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only answer to a hurting and broken world.

We also love a fun family night. Hence... "The Maupin's Have Mardi Gras."

To celebrate our Fat Tuesday, I made homemade chicken gumbo from scratch (sort of-ish ~~not~~ healthy for Fred). All that work...like twenty minutes of constantly stirring the roux... and all three of my children said, "Wow Mom. This French curry is really good." Hmmm. Can you tell we're living in Asia???

Anyway, the highlight, of course, was the King Cake. Now, no offense to the rich Carnival traditions and the French quarter of New Orleans and all the people that celebrate this right, but real King Cake is kinda gross. Now, albeit, the only one I've ever had was a box mix from Wal-Mart that I whipped up my first year of marriage, but still, it was this weird yeasty i-can't-decide-if-i'm-a-cake-or-a-bread-so-i-won't-make-up-my-mind thingy. Yuck. My newly revised version was carrot cake (perfect already!) with homemade glaze (not so perfect...too thick...like Fun Dip stick liquefied...the kids loved it) in the traditional purple, green, and yellow colors.

The whole point is to stick a tiny plastic baby Jesus in the cake. Hence the name "King" Cake. Then the one who gets the slice with the baby is crowned King for the year. Well. I didn't have a plastic baby Jesus so I used the closest thing I could find. A yellow Lego man. Yep. Not holy. Then under the other four slices I put Japanese coins. Yep. Not sanitary.

Well after much fanfare, Fred was crowned our King.
I suppose that means I'm Queen...

Before choosing our slice of cake.

My version of King Cake

The girls and their coins.

Fred with ~~Baby Jesus~~ his Lego "King"

Solutions: A Love for Home: A Longing for Family

2010-02-17T14:23:00.000+09:00

"Start by making your own home a place where happiness and love abound, through your love for each member of your family and for your neighbour. Try to put in the hearts of your children a love for home. Make them long to be with their families. So much sin could be avoided if our people really love their homes.

Mother Theresa

I get really worked up (like faster heartbeat, butterfly stomach, tear-filled eyes, and a desire to pray, pray, pray) about the crisis state of families. Now, I will be the first to confess: I don't pretend to have all the answers, and I certainly don't live a flawless life. Heck. I am a far cry from perfect in every sense of the word. Just a sinner saved by grace.

But it's time for people, everywhere, to stop bickering about the inane and the mundane and just pause for a moment to reflect on our families. It is time for a broken world to stop defining what is good and true.

Please hear my heart, and know that I don't mean to offend, judge, or condemn. But this is my blog. I have no shame in stating that marriage should be between a man and a woman in covenant with God. That children need their parents. Not "caregivers." That parents need to be parents. Period. It's hard. Tiring. Sacrificial. Grueling. But worth it. And only possible through Christ.

Take account of what's of value. Consider the eternal versus the temporary. Fleeting selfishness now or everlasting reward later?

Kids need to be heard. They need to belong. The home is the place of fleshing out the daily lessons of trust and acceptance. A place where an abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are planted and cultivated.

I suppose this post came as a result of reading the Mother Theresa quote above and a parent magazine that a friend gave me within the same hour. The quote stirred my heart. The magazine just disgusted me. Did you know that you can buy a deck of cards for $9.95 that go on your dining room table so you can have "conversation starters" with your kids on the ONE night of the week that you eat around the table. "One night." Typed like it was a fact. Or a gourmet cupcake mix for $14.95 so your child can "whip up sinful creations with her caregiver." This gift list was sandwiched between an article on how to live in these tough economic times: stop buying paper towels and get a library card (how about don't buy dumb decks of cards???), and how to slow down and enjoy more calm in your daily life: "keep Sunday sacred" by sleeping in late, making a breakfast from scratch, turning off the video games... (how about really keeping Sunday sacred???)

Like I said, I just get worked up. Our families are in crisis and I don’t have any brilliant suggestions to make our world slow down or stand up to take notice. I just know what I'm called to do in my home. If enough of us try to put in the hearts of our kids a love for home, a longing to be with the family,so much sin could be avoided.

I pray that our homes would honor Christ and be places where happiness and love abound, "and let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9" Do not let this broken world cause you to lose sight of the eternal.

Our families are worth it.

Character Parade!

2010-02-11T22:07:00.000+09:00

So...what do two American Girls and a Siamese cat who thinks he's a chihuahua have in common??? Nothing really unless you're a Maupin. And then a lot of weird things become combos. But, I digress.

The point is, today was the annual OCSI character parade for grades K-2. Every year the little guys pick a favorite book character and then dress up to participate in a day of literary activities.

I only had one rule this year. I was not going to buy anything special for this one day. I told the kids that I would make anything within reason using ~~old junk~~ creative materials from around the house. Oh. And they couldn't wait until Wednesday night to decide the costume. So. I had two rules.

Timmy decided two weeks in advance that he was going to be Skippyjon Jones, the mischievous Siamese cat that thinks he's a chihuahua super hero. Since Timmy's legendary for his costumes around here (he has a drawer with a ninja, a pirate, an Anpanman, Indiana Jones, two spidermans and the armor of God...to name only a few) I figured his costume would be a cinch.

Madeline knew she wanted to be an American girl but spent her two weeks deciding between Molly or Josephina. In the end she was Emily: An English girl that becomes Molly's best friend, when she comes to live with Molly's family in America to escape war torn England. And now you know way more about the plot line than you ever cared to know... Again, I digress. Her thinking was that Emily is shy and a bit reserved, kind of like Maddy herself. Worked for me. I stuck pre-adhesified (is that a word?) ribbon to a headband. She already had clothes picked out.

Elizabeth was the tricky one this year. I would have put money on Fancy Nancy or some other wild and colorful character, but she decided on Strega Nona, the old Italian witch with a magical pasta pot. So. Very. Cool. Then on Tuesday night (remind me to revise my rules!) she changed her mind, and settled on being Molly from the American Girls. You know, the one who has an English girl named Emily come live with her to escape war torn England... My girls wanted to be "sisters" for the character parade.

Once I got over the let down of not making a huge papier-mache witch nose (even with a wart!) for Lizzy, I realized that their choices were kinda cute. I pray that my girls always have a close friendship and when given a choice, would always choose to be"sisters."

Besides, I still got to paint Siamese ears.

A Siamese Chihuahua & Two American Girls

Skippyjon Jones in action (with a Fancy Nancy behind him)

Elizabeth as Molly McIntire leading the 1st grade parade

Madeline as Emily Bennett posing with a Felicity

My Story...My Journey

2010-02-07T19:40:00.000+09:00

I had the incredible blessing of sharing my testimony with our Japanese fellowship today at church. I pray that you are encouraged by all God has done, and is doing, in my life.

Many Blessings,
Amanda

I accepted Christ at a Vacation Bible School program when I was in the 4th grade. But it has only been during the last three years that I have drawn close to God in a personal relationship through Jesus Christ.

While growing up, my family did not regularly attend church. My mom and dad both became Christians as teenagers, so I grew up in a home that acknowledged God as the creator and Jesus as savior. I went to Sunday school with friends and there were even seasons when my family would attend church. But I wouldn't say that our family followed Christ or lived for Christ. We were a typical American family that tried to live a good life and follow the rules. But this wasn't enough to keep me committed to Christ during high school and college. Instead, I lived for myself, and did what I thought was right. I was really good at living a life a hypocrisy.

I was just trying to walk with one foot in the world and one foot in Christ.

When I came home from my freshman year of college my life changed dramatically. While I had been away at school my parents had recommitted their lives to the Lord. My dad had even begun serving in our local church, and I found myself going to church every time the doors were open. That summer I also recommitted my life to Christ. In July I traveled with my dad to Seattle, Washington where I met Fred. As a newly committed Christian all I could talk about was how amazing a friendship with Jesus was. God completely orchestrated that trip so that Fred and I would meet. Of course, we ended up married, and now we have a beautiful family and we are serving in this amazing place.

But getting here to Okinawa is really my testimony of God's faithfulness and help in my life.

From meeting Fred in 1997 until the summer of 2002 we were simply “doing life.” We began our teaching careers, started our family, and served as youth leaders in our local church. Reflecting back on that time I realize now that while I loved the Lord and was secure in my salvation, I really didn't allow God to have full access to my life. I consistently failed to trust and obey God. I liked to be in control and to plan everything. That way if something in my life was a success I knew who to congratulate, and if something failed, I knew who to blame and how to fix it. This permeated both my spiritual walk and my marriage. Obviously both were suffering, but I was too proud to admit it.

Then in August of 2003 my dad, who was the foundation of our family, was diagnosed with stage IV terminal cancer. He was given 6 months to live. To the glory of God my dad lived another three years and passed away in the summer of 2006.

But I just about allowed those three years to destroy me.

They are filled with rough and jagged memories.

I blamed God and became extremely angry and calloused. I couldn't understand how a loving God could possibly make anything good come out of my dad's death. Those three years brought Fred and I to the edge of a divorce because of our selfishness, fear, and sinful means of dealing with stress. Basically our lives screeched to a halt for three years as we lived between doctor's appointments and test results.

Cancer consumed our lives.

Then, on July 12th, 2006, my dad died. Everything shattered. I didn't know how to pick up the pieces and carry on. I remember times of raging against God and screaming at Him because I was convinced that he didn't understand me or care about me. I was angry, hurt and I felt abandoned and alone. I was furious that God hadn't consulted me or my plans. Furious that everything I had worked so hard for was suddenly gone. I felt ripped off, cheated, and lost. This was not the life I signed up for! I avoided church for a few months because I foolishly thought that through my stubborn rebellion I could get back at God, and honestly, it just hurt too bad to see other people being joyful.

What I was choosing to ignore though was the gentle and constant tugging at my heart that reminded me that while I was raging, He was still loving. While I was feeling hopeless, he had me securely in the center of his hands. Finally, early one morning, I surrendered. I handed over complete control of my life to Him, and I just sobbed.

Nasty, yucky, deep from within, gross sobs.

I finally came before the Lord with my broken, sinful heart. I finally admitted that God alone is sovereign. That he alone is the author and perfecter of my faith. That He alone has been, and will continue to be, my help. Almost instantly there was peace in my heart and an unexplainable knowledge that God was, and always had been, moving in our lives.

He had a bigger plan.

During this time Fred and I had talked and, ironically, prayed about a new change and direction for our family. We recognized the need for a fresh start and an opportunity to let God make us a family again. When we first started dating, we had talked about how cool it would be to live and work overseas, so Fred submitted our resumes to the Association of Christian Schools International website. Within the hour we were in contact with Okinawa Christian School International.

This is when God started moving faster than my brain and heart could keep up.

The school needed a computer teacher and a 5th grade teacher. That's exactly what we were. We needed to sell our house during the beginning of the economic and mortgage crisis in the United States. Well, our home was one of the first ones sold after three months of nothing selling in our entire town. We needed to pay off a few debts in order to travel, and the sell of our home exactly matched the amounts needed. We also wanted to ship some personal belongings overseas. So, we had a yard sale to get rid of basically everything (someone even tried to buy our cat), and that sale made to the dollar the amount we needed for our shipping.

Amazingly, even with signed contracts to come to Japan and selling just about everything we owned, we still hadn't purchased airline tickets to come because we simply didn't have any money. And we were only two weeks away from our arrival date in Okinawa. Our pastor reminded us that we had not yet officially spoken to our own church so Fred finally shared “officially” about our call to mission work. A man that we hardly knew approached Fred after service and shared that he was excited by the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. He very bluntly asked what we still needed to get to Okinawa. So, Fred very bluntly replied, “Sir, we still need $3,000 for airline tickets.” The man promptly pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check for the entire amount. It just so happened that his company had finished a job with an extra $3,000 in profits.

All of these miracles increased my faith and helped me to learn how to trust and obey our holy and sovereign God.

Even with these truly amazing events, God continued to prove himself loving and faithful as my family settled in to life on the mission field here in Okinawa. Before we came I didn't even know what my new job title “missionary” meant! Honestly, I was a bit worried because our family globe didn't even have Okinawa! I thought we were coming to a secluded jungle that was floating somewhere in the Pacific where I would grocery shop at open meat market stalls and produce stands. We even thought ox carts would be rolling by each day! Imagine my shock as I stepped off the plane in sweltering August humidity to bright neon lights that rival the Vegas strip, and miles of concrete! I really had no clue!

But my time here so far has been one of refinement, growth, and healing.

God literally plucked us from where we were and planted us here to experience his forgiveness, grace, and love. My marriage has been purified, strengthened and redeemed. My heart is fully committed to God through a personal friendship with Jesus Christ. I no longer try to walk with one foot in the world and another in Christ. I am passionate about God and His word, about His grace and faithfulness.

I can stand and glorify Him because He truly redeems that which the world says is broken.

When I think about my life and my walk with God, I am reminded of Samuel leading the Israelites to victory over the Philistines. In chapter 7 of 1st Samuel, after a miraculous rescue, Samuel takes a large stone and places it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer-”the stone of help”- for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!” This stone, like others in the old testament, became a memorial of God's great help and deliverance; a tangible object for the Israelites to remember God's past victories and gain confidence and strength for the present. God was their help and strength even when Israel didn't recognize His presence or His faithfulness.

I too have ebenezers in my life: heavy memories of choices I've made that are rough and jagged like stone. But instead of stumbling, I'll raise them up to remember God's faithfulness and enduring love. Up to this point He truly has been my help and I know that He will continue to be my help in the future.

I am excited to continue walking with Him.

Yum-O

2010-02-04T20:27:00.000+09:00

Sometimes being a grown up has its advantages.

Not many. But some.
One of those is deciding to make and eat an ice cream sundae at 8:30 at night. All alone...without three big eyed, bottom lip stuck out, professional beggars staring at each spoonful...

Just. Because. I. Can.

Kids are safely tucked in bed, dinner dishes are done, lunches are made for tomorrow. Who cares that I already brushed my teeth?

Picking Oranges

2010-01-23T15:14:00.000+09:00

Living in a foreign country has its ups and downs. For the most part it's really an exciting adventure. Amazing people, historic sites, cultural traditions.

Then there are days when you spend $60 to pick oranges.

Oh yes.
Chalk it up to a language barrier. Maybe even stretch it to call it a ~~tourist trap~~ cultural misunderstanding. Me? I call it Bethany and Fred knowing just enough Japanese to get themselves into trouble.

Up North we passed by a "Pick 'em Yourself" orchard, and thought that it would be a neat midday treat between seeing the cherry blossoms and eating our way through the Pineapple Park. Heck, just the night before, with nostalgia, we watched the Walton's pick apples in season 1. If the Waltons could do it, so could the Maupins...plus Bethany.

Of course, John Boy didn't have to fumble his way through Japanese.

Long story short, I stayed in the car with the kids while Bethany and Fred figured out that we had to pay 1,600 yen for our group of 6 to walk through the orchard. After piling out of the car, the orchard lady happily gave us baskets and prompted us to "Fill, fill, fill" And we could even peel and eat along the way! So. We filled. We even rearranged our baskets to fill 'em with more.

When we were sure our precariously balanced baskets could hold no more, we crossed the little orchard bridge ready to continue on our journey. We were met by our smiling orchard lady. She promptly took our baskets, plopped them on a scale, and punched the pad of her calculator. Her smile grew as we handed over a fist of yen.

Geez. We felt lame.
Especially when we were leaving and I was able to decipher the clearly labeled sign on the side of the building. Entrance fee. Plus weight fee. Arg.

At least the oranges are way delicious.

Our family with baskets full.

Roadside view that lured us in.

The clearly labeled sign.

** Post Update 2/7/10**
Apparently, Elizabeth wrote about this adventure in her writing workshop class. Here is an excerpt from her account...Word. For. Word.
"We came running to them like we were little butterflies free from a net. The woman gave all of us baskets. We followed her to the entrence place. And I looked around and said in my brain, 'sweet mama those are some big honey bushes.'"

Everything Decays?

2010-01-23T14:19:00.000+09:00

At Christmas, my mom sent us $50.
She knows me well because she explicitly said we couldn't use it for bills. Nothing "necessary."
So, ~~Dictator Madeline launched a campaign and~~ the kids "voted" and chose to go up north to see the cherry blossoms in Nago. They threw darts at balloons, ate their weight in cotton candy, and basically had a ball squandering fifty bucks.

But, the real story happened before we even left home.
While cooking breakfast, Timmy stopped by the table to sneak some orange slices...

"Hey mom! That's my orange from yesterday!"

"Mmm hmm."

"You know mom. Everything decays."

I stopped scrambling the eggs. I blinked twice. Did my 5 year old just appropriately use decay? Be still my teacher heart.

"Mom? What about butter? Does it decay?"

"Yep."

"Books?"

"Yep."

"Stuffed animals?"

"Yep. Everything decays Timmy or there'd be a lot of dead stuff hanging around." (Not my finest "purposeful" teaching moment, I admit.)

Silence.
The kind of silence that makes you put down the whisk, turn around, and stare intently.

He leaned over close and whispered, "God's Word doesn't decay, momma. It never goes away."
And off he scampered.

Humbled.
Reminded of childlike faith. Reminded of the very first Bible verse I ever learned.

Thank you Lord that, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

The girls at the entrance to the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival

Eating our weight in cotton candy!

Gotta love Japanese festival food!

Fred with the Japanese equivalent of the Hacienda's special quesadilla.

Maddy and Tim on the Nago "rolly" slide.

Kite Day

2010-01-23T11:24:00.000+09:00

There is just something so carefree about flying kites.
I'm not sure if it's the hope of catching the right wind, or tossing the kite into the air as a kid takes off running, or even the gasping for breath after a failed attempt.

It's just so... fun!

The annual OCSI kite day was the 11th and God blessed with amazing weather. Literally the storm that raged the day before stopped, and the sun began to shine just to storm again on Tuesday.

Tim flying his Spiderman kite

Elizabeth and her rainbow kite.

Madeline and her rainbow kite (100 yen store special!)

Us enjoying the calm between storms.

Memorial Stones

2010-01-12T22:43:00.000+09:00

Fred and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on Friday. Yes. It was also Elvis' birthday.

Of course we've planned a bazillion romantic getaways in preparation for this big day, but truly it kinda snuck up on us after a busy December (What were we thinking...getting married in January?!?). So I figured that I'd probably be making dinner at home, enjoying an episode of the Walton's, and then maybe having a quiet home night together. What's funny is that I was totally okay with this. Really. It'd been a long week. Instead, Fred scheduled for babysitters, saved a bit of cash, and planned a nice dinner date out for us. I was impressed.

During the course of the evening we reflected on the last ten years and tried to make predictions about the next ten. We listed off our favorite memories so far and our prayers for the future.

And then I started to cry.

I cried because I was again humbled by God's grace, his redeeming love, and his desire to mend that which the world declares broken.

During my morning devotions I'm simply reading through the old testament. That morning I had read 1st Samuel 7 where Samuel leads Israel to victory over the Philistines. "Then Samuel took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it 'Ebenezer'--the stone of help-- for he said, 'Up to this point, the Lord has helped us!' (v. 12). The notes in my application Bible offered this insight: In response to God's rescue, the people set up a stone as a memorial of God's help and deliverance. This stone was to help the nation remember God's faithfulness and gain confidence and strength for the present.

As my husband and I reflected on our first decade, quite honestly, it was the difficult times that flooded my mind and heart. I knew the accuser was ready to drudge up muddy waters of guilt and shame. Yet, God's grace is always sufficient. He had already prepared my heart that morning with His Word.

The things in our past, that are rough, hard, and jagged like stone, are now being used by God to strengthen us and encourage us for tomorrow. These moments serve as memorials to a God that is alive and true. Holy and just. Merciful and loving. Faithful. A Father that when His children ask for a loaf of bread will not give them a stone (Matthew 7:9). I shared all of these thoughts with Fred.

He then told me that during his sharing time with the ocsi staff, while I was outside serving playground duty, he led them in this song for worship:

Come Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of God's unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

Isn't God amazing?
I pray that He continues to use our story to bring glory to Him.
I am also thankful that I can look back on ten years and, like Samuel, say, "Up to this point the Lord has helped us." How amazing to know, really know, that by the blood of Jesus He will continue to be our help.

Us. Zampa Beach.

Daily Disaster

2010-01-09T19:45:00.000+09:00

Crash!
Followed by squeals of laughter.
Any mom knows that those ingredients are the recipe for disaster.
I needed to investigate.

There they were: Two little girls, in pink leotards, perched on the closet shelf. Giggling hysterically.

And there they were.

Pearler Beads.

Those annoying little plastic rejects that some big-wig decided would make a ~~mom's worst nightmare come true when they are stepped on at 2:30 in the morning~~ wonderfully creative art project when melted together. All over the bedroom floor. Since this is literally the 8th time this week I've picked up these lame-o pieces, I failed to notice the pulley system. Oh yes. They looped elastic from the closet to the bunk bed so they could "transport" the beads.

"Girls. Pick up the beads. Now. I hate them."

"But mooooooommmmmmm. We learned it from Tom & Jerry."

Total truth. Totally disturbing.

The pulley system.

The culprits.

Fun With the Phipps

2010-01-07T22:06:00.000+09:00

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:8-9

So what is hospitality? The word, as it is used in the Bible, is a compound word that brings together the two words “love” and “stranger.” It literally means to show “Love for strangers.”

The incredible ladies over at girltalk blog posted this quote during their series on hospitality: “Love in action” defines hospitality. It is “meeting the needs of others through the use of one’s resources, specifically in and through the context of the home” (Practicing Hospitality, Pat Ennis & Lisa Tatlock).

Well that's totally and completely the Phipps home! My amazing friend, Farah... well, her home is just so...exciting! The food is always delicious (with dessert!), her laughter is always genuine, and her house is fully alive. She'll kill me for posting these things.

Our family loves to fellowship there and sit around their table playing games while the 6 kids (our 3 + their 3) usually play on the Wii.

As a matter of fact, Timmy came up to me at church a few days before Christmas and tugged at my sleeve, "Momma?"

"Yeah, Tim?"

"I know what I want for Christmas." Here is where he clasped his hands together, tilted his head to the side, and blinked his really long lashes.

I'm really curious now. "Oh you do, huh? What is it?"

"I wanna be a Phipps."

Glenn and Farah

Madeline's Wii character that their family created for her.

Boxing Dad on the Wii

Pikapika

2010-01-07T21:28:00.000+09:00

Wow. Here it is. Already a full week into the new year and this is my first January post. Arrg. Life has picked back up like normal, and I figure that really is a great thing. Otherwise there wouldn't be anything to blog!

During one morning devotion a few days ago I was encouraged when I read the idea of saying "no" to New Year's resolutions. I thought, "Heck yes!" Who really wants to think about less procrastination or more exercise?

But then in mid-sentence I stopped reading. I'd been tricked! Duped during devotion! The encouragement was to actually pick one word to define the New Year and sum up all the other resolutions. Just one! This really got me thinking. Yes, I desire to be a more graceful helper for my husband. I pray often to be a more godly mom. I would love to be more financially savvy. I would really like to just get the laundry washed, folded, and put away each week. So, I prayed.

Purposeful.

There it is. My one word.

I had to ask God again to see if that was really it. I thought it was missing some glam or "pikapika" (Japanese for shiny stuff) to make it important.

Then I realized that God, in His grace, was showing me an area of huge weakness. I have a tendency to be more reactionary than I'd like. More than He'd like.

So now my prayer is to be more purposeful as I live out the seasons where God has planted me. Purposeful in my speech that my words, "may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29). Purposeful in my relationships so that I no longer sit passive and receptive. Purposeful with my time, "making the best use of time because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16).

And the one I'm excited about the most: purposeful in my priorities. Walking closer with the Lord. Loving my husband more. Training up my children in the way they should go. All to purposefully bring Glory to the Lord so that the Word of God will not be dishonored (Titus 2:5).

That's got pikapika all over it.

Cheese

2010-01-01T14:58:00.000+09:00

Last night a dear friend brought me two huge stacks of cheese.
Pause for just a moment. Reread that. Two huge stacks of cheese. What? Not catching the significance? Well, Japan does a lot of things really well. Cheese, in my humble culinary opinion, is not one of them. Neither are napkins, but that's a totally different post.

So this great lady, with her magical connections, blessed our family with two huge stacks of American cheese. (See the significance now??) She handed them to me at church and I put them in the fridge. I asked her to help me remember them when it came time (at about 1am) to load up the car and head home in the new year.

She did. I heard her.
We laughed because she'd been reminding me all night.
Guess what? You probably already know. They're still sitting in the fridge.

How did I do that?! She reminded me as I was walking out the door!
Dear Lord, don't let cheese define my year.

A Soup Bowl Full

2010-01-01T14:08:00.000+09:00

Every year our church hosts a soup potluck and a game night to ring in the New Year. Good games, great soup, and God's family. Last night was no exception.

There's something just really cool about tradition.

Doing the same things over and over again in just the same way is right up my alley. I can't really be accused of liking change. In fact, until recently, I hated it. Change oftentimes brings uncertainty, discomfort, and anxiety. Let's face it. Change usually causes fear.
That's why I like traditions. They're reliable. They're predictable. They're comfortable. I know what to expect.

But you see, God is all about change. With Him it really is out with the old and in with the new. Praise Him! This means that He's still working on me; smooshing me around to the image of His precious Son.

It means that the best is always yet to come.
It means that He truly knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11).
It means that all things work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
It means that I can claim a zillion other promises from His word.

There's no worry and fear with a life committed to Christ.
...I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't and life can't...Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38 & 39).

So my prayer is that instead of fearing the unknown or complaining about uncertainty (like I usually do) that I would simply rest in His amazing love. Despite the change.

May our traditions be based on His faithfulness. His love. His promise.

That makes for a happy new year indeed.Fred and Mr. Henry attacking the table.

Yearly Review #4: Our Perspective

2009-12-31T15:47:00.000+09:00

Our Answers: Fred and Amanda. 35 & 31.

Q: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Fred: We went to Tokashiki. This was sharing an experience with my family that I had.
Amanda: We took my mom and Petey all around the island. I totally love the Pineapple Park.

Q: What is the best meal you had?
Fred: Here at home, but I don't know what though. It's not really one dish. It's just everything about my new diet that I'm on. I enjoy it. I feel great, and have lost weight. It's really a bunch of new meals. The wheat rolls. The chicken. The fish. The fresh vegetables
Amanda: I learned about "Clean Eating" and all the recipes that go with natural, healthy eating.

Q: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Fred: Brad. He's not "new" but I've gotten closer with him. He's an accountability partner and becoming a best friend.
Amanda: Nanette. Totally a Titus 2 lady in my life.

Q: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Fred: Heather and Jeff. That was a big one for us.
Amanda: I miss Heather. We also said goodbye to The Newlons and Miss Daisy.

Q: What did you learn this past year?
Fred: There's more to leading worship than just playing good music.
Amanda: That God is sovereign and he loves me, my marriage, my family, and my future more than I do. I learned about grace.

Q: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2009?
Fred: A wake-up call from God about priorities.
Amanda: Refinement in our marriage and Fred's health scare in September.

Q: What did we do in 2009 that you want to do next year?
Fred: Go somewhere new for spring break.
Amanda: Maupin Mondays and Thanksgiving coupon books.

Q: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Fred: Walk-a-thon
Amanda: Walk-a-thon committee

Q: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Fred: My dedication to reading God's word.
Amanda: He took me on a journey through Biblical womanhood.

Q: Give me five words that describe you.
Fred: optimistic, friendly, growing, love my family, healthy
Amanda: organized, family chef, mom, faithful, learning & growing (hee hee, snuck in an extra word)

Q: What is your #1 wish for 2010?
Fred: That God will have His way with us. His will not mine.
Amanda: Only one?! Missions trip to the Philippines & visit family this summer

Year in Review #3

2009-12-31T15:25:00.000+09:00

My interview with Timothy. Age 5 1/2. Kindergarten.

Mom: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Timmy: Christmas because I got a castle and stuff.

Mom: What is the best meal you had?
Timmy: My mommy's spaghetti.

Mom: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Timmy: Piya. I'm going to marry her. Jonah is my best friend.

Mom: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Timmy: Ryuga and Lily left my class. But I see Ryuga at church.

Mom: What did you learn this past year?
Timmy: Jesus died on the cross. It is my favorite story. Because he dies for our sins.

Mom: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2009?
Timmy: We were going down the hill in my Tonka truck. It was scary and I didn't want to do it. But daddy made me.

Mom: What did we do in 2009 that you want to do next year?
Timmy: Get a ferret.

Mom: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Timmy: I never want to get a shot again. They poke me.

Mom: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Timmy: I have Jesus in my heart. I pray.

Mom: Give me five words that describe you.
Timmy: nice, loves his momma and daddy, cute, good at sharing, I cry a lot

Mom: What is your #1 wish for 2010?
Timmy: I want to go to the Philippines and see Timothy.

Mom's perspective: This is the year that Timmy changed from being a little kid to a regular kid. He loves to read, he draws excellent pictures, and he would live on the beach if we'd let him. He has a heart for Calvary Chapel Bacolod and prays for the kids there every night. He loves them so much that our family is praying about a mission's trip in 2010. He likes dinosaurs, transformers, Thomas trains, legos, Nintendo, Tom & Jerry cartoons and he loves the color green.

Year in Review #2

2009-12-31T14:59:00.000+09:00

My interview with Elizabeth. Age 7. 1st grade.

Mom: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Lizzy: We went to Tokashiki Island where my dad had high school camp. We went to the beach and saw lots of stray cats.

Mom: What is the best meal you had?
Lizzy: Church potlucks!

Mom: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Lizzy: Ms. Kwock. She is awesome! I have never had such a good teacher in the whole wide world, and she lets us talk while we work, but not so loud she says. She gives good and fun things that we can do for writer's workshop, and sometimes she lets us make paper airplanes.

Mom: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Lizzy: Asuka and Lisa. They went to Japanese school.

Mom: What did you learn this past year?
Lizzy: Why my parents have to spank me. The Bible says so.

Mom: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2009?
Lizzy: Falling down the hill while I was still on my bike.

Mom: What did we do in 2009 that you want to do next year?
Lizzy: Go to another person's wedding.

Mom: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Lizzy: Get a ferret.

Mom: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Lizzy: I got a new Bible for Christmas and I love to go to church.

Mom: Give me five words that describe you.
Lizzy: girly-girl, a good draw-er & color-er, smart, silly, my favorite number is 10

Mom: What is your #1 wish for 2010?
Lizzy: That me and my sister would not have to share a room.

Mom's perspective:Elizabeth wears her heart on her sleeve. You never have to guess about the mood she's in. She'll let you know. She loves babies and volunteers in the church nursery. She loves to pray. She collects random things and decorates her room girly-girl style. She is an excellent reader and a good student. She is also extremely social. She loves music and sings and plays her guitar with daddy.

Year In Review #1

2009-12-31T13:28:00.000+09:00

As 2009 comes to a close I thought hearing everyone's perspective might be kinda cool. Or at least entertaining.

My interview with Madeline. Age 8. 2nd grade.

Mom: What is the best thing we did as a family this past year?
Madeline: Letting Grandma and Uncle Petey come. Because we went to the Pineapple Park and all the funnest places.

Mom: What is the best meal you had?
Madeline: Taco Rice. Just because.

Mom: Who did you meet this year? Any new friends?
Madeline: Hm. No. I haven't made any new friends this year. Well. One. Zachary. I like to kill him.

Mom: Who did you say goodbye to this year?
Madeline: Ema went to Kobe.

Mom: What did you learn this past year?
Madeline: I learned how to make chocolate muffins and cook with my mom.

Mom: What was the scariest thing that happened in 2009?
Madeline: Falling off my scooter on the way to the park. And my ferret scares me. Oh, and I had a cavity that was fixed at the dentist.

Mom: What did we do in 2009 that you want to do next year?
Madeline: Go around and around on the Ferris Wheel. And get another ferret.

Mom: Anything we did that you DO NOT want to do again?
Madeline: Go to school.

Mom: How did you grow closer to God this past year?
Madeline: I earned my name patch, cKc patch, and crown patch at cKc. Memory verses are important.

Mom: Give me five words that describe you.
Madeline: summer-lover, like American Girls, quiet, crazy, responsible

Mom: What is your #1 wish for 2010?
Madeline: That our family can go to Okuma.

Mom's perspective: Madeline is definitely the oldest kid. She loves American Girls and take apart erasers. She is reading way above "grade-level", whatever that is, and she loves to write. I get notes stuffed inside envelopes all the time. Spelling, though, has been the yearly nemesis. She hates salmon and basically all vegetables. I find myself negotiating bites at each dinner. She's good. She can talk me down from 8 bites to 2 with a simple gag reflex (flashbacks of my own battle over broccoli with my mom). Madeline is introspective, reserved, and an observer. Just not at home. At home she's gutsy, bold, and too smart for her own good. She is, however, growing in Godliness and she loves Jesus.

Things to Share

2009-12-31T12:56:00.001+09:00

So, why now?
Well, besides giving a glimpse of family life, I realized that sometimes I have things to say. Nothing too profound. Nothing too earth shattering.
But...
Things that resonate in my heart.
Things that cause me to wonder.
Things that ignite my passion.
Things that make me giggle.
Things about this journey with Jesus that I just want to share.
So... The blog begins.

I never thought that this is where God would have me. The mission field. A foreign country! I thought I'd be in the same beautiful house, in the same neighborhood, for many years. You know the scene: home, two car garage, children, PTA meetings, ballet class, baseball, and just... life. Well, God delights in answering the prayers of His people.

He just has a sense of humor. And a bigger plan and purpose.

I'm on a beautiful island, with my amazing family, serving in an incredible church. I have the same neighborhood no matter where I go because I'm part of the family of God. And my heart has changed toward the things of this world. My focus has shifted from the material to the eternal. From this life to my heavenly one.

God is good.
And.
I have things to share.

The Blog Begins

2009-12-30T00:56:00.000+09:00

Well...we've been in Japan for 2 1/2 years now, and it has taken Fred that long to get me to actually start a blog. He has started and tried to maintain so many of them. But, alas. I don't help. But I did complain about the layout design (I will always be a scrapbooker at heart)! So now, as a new year approaches, and I reflect on this past year, it is time. Yes. I'm starting the family blog. I figured I was able to conquer the google sites thingy for my classroom webpage so this can't be too tricky. We'll see how it goes come mid-March. In the meantime I hope these postings provide blessings and insight to the moments that truly make us the Maupin family.