Anticipation

lmkaeb14
Mar 10
2 min read

In Japan, February is the month for plum blossoms. The beauty of these small flowers reminds me that spring is on the way. It's a time of hope and anticipation!

While I am naturally a person who enjoys the fun of planning ahead and getting excited for future events, I have been challenged and encouraged this past month to soak up the present. We can rest in Him today, because we have hope for tomorrow.

Some special moments of February include birthday celebrations! Zenji and Ayana both have a birthday in February, so we enjoyed celebrating their birthdays while Anna's mom was visiting. We praise God for Zenji's successful heart surgery and that he was home from the hospital for his birthday!

I'm also thankful for technology, so I could video call my niece for her birthday in February also! Even though it's hard being away, special moments like these make me smile.

We had some good discussions in our English Bible study this past month. This has been such a blessing to me! There are few opportunities to just sit and share in time of studying God's Word (in English) like this, so I am so thankful for this group. We have been doing a study on the basics of Christianity as this is new for several in the group. It is so beautiful to see the Word come alive, as questions that reveal a hunger for Truth are asked! Pray for God to change hearts and give new life and hope in Christ!

In February, I was motivated by the beautiful weather to get out and enjoy it with several trips to parks, plum groves, gardens, and the river! Enjoy my overload of plum blossom pictures. I may even enjoy these more than the famous Japanese cherry blossoms... :)

We also appreciated a very short visit of some friends from Indiana and Illinois, stopping through on their way back home from Thailand! It is always fun to see familiar faces on this side of the world!