Got Advice? I need it!

Hey, I am in need of some serious advice...

What is the best way to detox your closet? Or get rid of clothes, old pictures, stuff!!

I go crazy just thinking about all the stuff I have collected the last couple of years; my past obsession with crazy pens so I have a BILLION ball points, multiple pictures from freshman year of college, old letters that encouraged me through life, multiple journals, books I've never read...

Ughhhhh I could go on.

Anyway, my problem is that I get into the "But what if one day I'll want this...." insert shirt I haven't worn in five years, high school clothes with my name, number, sport/activity on it, etc.

HOW DO YOU DETOX? How do you manage to clean your closet? I would love to get rid of 99% of my stuff.

So how do I do it?? Any advice?

On my mind...

It's amazing the legacy one man can leave behind...

My Dad looked at my computer tonight, asked me how it was working and said, "I'll never be able to look at that computer without thinking of John Lee." (He brought it over to me and my Dad had to contact him several times to get his address etc.) My Dad talked about John Lee and his "letters" to his circle of friends the other day. If you haven't read them, you really should. They are fabulous. Find them HERE

John Lee has been on my mind since about May... well, he's never too far from my mind but recently, he's been on my mind a lot more. I've just been thinking about his life, his death, and the people who loved him.

It's awesome to see that when we live out lives sold out to Jesus, his Spirit in us can impact the world, even after we're gone.

I've "known" John now longer in his death (almost 2 years) than I have when he was alive. I had only met him a month and a half before he passed. Yet, he lived so fully in life, that I cannot, for example, pass by the restaurant I first met him in without thinking of him. I find this astonishing because I cannot remember the "firsts" for many things... I just remember finding him so intriguing that first night.

I had heard he was shy but he was so friendly and personable. We joked and laughed about things as if we had known each other for years...

At the EDGE summit I heard another guy talk about John and the impact he had had on his life... I wish I had known John longer... and yet, a little bit of his love for the Lord lives on in all of us who knew him.

This post is nothing more than my thoughts... nothing too interesting... I just heard people wanted to know "what was up" and tonight John Lee was on my mind.

Note: for those of you, who are new to the blog. Click HERE to read about the last days of John's life...

Dreary

I've been a bit of a rain cloud recently with all writing and no pictures. So I'll give you an idea of what my last days in Japan were like... the weather was dreary and rainy... but the club was a ton of fun. Like always.

Jennifer, Chisato, Fuyu and I went to Chofu to see a rose garden. They were gorgeous.



Jennifer, I love you.
At a fun charcoal onsen in Chofu.
My last onsen experience (minus SIJ orientation).
I love this picture.
There was a lot of time to say farewell to so many friends... laughter and tears was in abundance with every new day.

The graduated girls, we've missed you. Jennifer, Ayumi, Kie, Megumi, and Joanna

What's a party without cake? Jennifer made this cake in her little microwave oven... really???

Hm, maybe not. Well, no matter who made this cake, everyone was happy to eat it. (kayla, yaya, and Abbie)Party time.

Kaoru and Naoko
Kie and Megumi

I gave a speech, thank you Aiko for translating, and bawled through 7/8's of it. After I finished, I sat down by Kayla and she looked at me concerned and said, "Are you okay Jo?"
Tomohito and I
Hiro and I

My last full day in Japan I spent some time with Kie, Megumi and Jennifer at our favorite sport "Tully's". Man, talk about walking down memory lane. What a ton of fun to spend time with these beautiful women.
I was trying to remind Megumi of a funny story but she could not remember...

She's doubting me, I think...
I find her funny...
Remember? It went like this.
There we go. The infamous Yokohama picture.
The last day, Jennifer made a Japan-long dream of mine come true and took me to a local bread shop I had wanted to eat at but never had the chance.

Speaking of bread... I made my first cinnamon rolls from scratch. They are wheat because technically that makes them "healthier". See? I'm all about healthy eating.
Jennifer, I miss you.It was a good time in Japan. I give it two thumbs up.

in this moment

When I left Japan after ten weeks in the summer of 2003, I said to myself, "Ten weeks is not enough time to befriend the Japanese people. I would like to pray about coming back for 2 years."

And yet, here I sit, the eve of my leaving Japan... two years behind me and I again want to say, "Two years was not enough time..."

There is so much more I want to do and be a part of...

How can I tell you about these past two years? Things like the deep conversations spoken with no words because language was a barrier by God's grace we could overcome and connect, teams that became like family, students that became my younger siblings, lessons learned the hardest way, laughter that was spilt over coffee tables, and tears that were shed in almost every place.

I have been poured into. An earthen vessel which bears no beauty of its own, a plain vase waiting to be filled... I have been filled and overflow with the grace of God. I can not fully tell you the last two years and the impression that has been left on my heart.

I don't want this time to end but I know I cannot stay. But for tonight, for this moment, let me just sit here...

and cry my heart out.