Birthday Wishes

I just finished writing my birthday post and then headed over to Kelli's blog, feeling pretty satisfied with the start of my birthday...
On Kel's blog I read her blog about her Grandpa and it made me stop...

I hope to never forget the tenderness of life, to never become calloused to the pain others feel as they struggle with jobs, marriages, diseases, starvation, physical fears of things like civil wars and terrorism,etc. etc.

There is a tenderness that cradles my friends.
A tenderness that gives us tears but shows sorrows depth.
Brought to the edge, but held back.

Today I want to remember others...
for if it weren't for the love of others (like Kelli)
I wouldn't be who I am today and enjoying this birthday as I can.

how have i gotten here?

How quickly time has passed,

How quickly it's run it's course.

How fast have the years come and gone...

all of them better than the last.

Some better through hardships and tears,

some better through laughter and the conquering of fears.

How quickly has it all come to greet me and then say goodbye.

You were working something bigger I couldn't quite understand,

There were moments I thought you'd left me,

too many to count.

Your hand was on me... through it all.

Fingerprints and guided choices.

You move the stars and the planets in their orb.

You moved my heart to a place amidst a cornfield,

where I would encounter more grace

than I had ever known.

Eating a bagel and a story of Hosea

and I felt the first affects

of something from of ancient days,

the wooing of my heart.

You are still present. You have not left me.

As you wooed me,

you opened my heart to a country and a people,

to a land where I was Goldilocks,

just right.

There are no more words,

no more rhymes to make.

You are too kind.

You've loved too much.

You've given me the world and

called me Your Delight.

As quickly as time goes,

no fear shall i feel

through it all,

the lies, the truth

the good, the bad

the laughter, the tears

the success and the failures...

runs Your scarlet thread

of grace and love.

You are the Faithful One.

Daye-ly Delight

I'm convinced the best job besides being a mother,

is being an Aunt.

I find pure joy when I hang with my nieces...

this weekend it was, Miss Lenora Daye!!What a sweet smile. I went to Pittsburgh to visit my brother Jonah, my sister (inlaw) Becca, and their daughter Lenora Daye. She is a treasure. She is the most beautiful little thing. She has the cutest little voice and personality. She dances and run around everywhere.
Seeing her for the first time in 11 months... ohhh she's grown into the cutest little girl.
Every morning Lenora wakes up and has a quiet time with her Daddy...

She loves this time... "Read my Bible." she tells Jonah and then they pray together.

Jonah's office at the University of Pittsburgh; he's getting his phd in History and Philosophy of Science (aka he's a smarty pants who wears patches on his sweater near his elbows and possibly could smoke a pipe while conversing with other smarty pants over philosophical inklings)

Becca and Lenora... they dance around the living room together...
"Lenora? What does the lion say?"

"Rawwwwwwwwww"

"I snuggle my monkey."
It was SO great. Jonah and Becca insisted we eat a lot of Japanese food... so we went out and took our time eating different entrees on the menu. The first was sushi... although Lenora was not as excited about the raw fish as i was. I kept saying, "Oh, this is just like Japan" and "oh, this is so yummy" and "Oh, this tastes just like a restaurant i go to with mary" and "ohhh ginger" and so on and so forth.

When they initiated eating the Japanese food, I don't know why exactly but it spoke a lot of love into my heart...
Twins

Pittsburgh is a beautiful city... see the elevated train/trolley thing. It's such a quaint little place.
The Schupbach family

Schupbachs
Pittsburgh
I ate more Asian food this weekend than I have in the last two months. It warmed my heart...

especially to see others enjoy it.
Moral of the story?

Being a sister is amazing.

Eating Asian food makes me smile.

Seeing my family eat Asian food makes me smile even more.

Being an Aunt is the best...

and knowing that Lenora was followed by Waveland...

and they will soon be followed by Eddie in November (Jer and Alaina)

and myster baby in March (Jonah and Becca Take Two) is a joy indescribable!!!

Thank you, Lord for blessing my socks off.
*Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.* Psalm 23:6

Lenora Daye

And I thought I liked chocolate....

Her Example

Hair loose, eyes misty,
she did the thing I yearn to do,
wiped the feet of Jesus
with her tears and her hair,
her crown of glory.

her sins, which are many,
are forgiven, for she loved much.

i run to You,
run to You.
oh refuge and tower of strength.
Spread your arms around me,
Oh, Jesus, spread your arms around me.

Cover me like a child,
Your child.
Your delight.
And you do.

I want you. I need you.
Abba, how can You
be so good?
Sometimes Your goodness
surrounds
fills
and overwhelms the depth of my heart.
Making me fear You.

Fearing You,
I become fearless.
All else fades...

Your goodness...
Your beauty.
I don't deserve You.
I want to love You more
but
You always "out-do" me.
Out love me,
Out grace me...

You overflow and pour,
like hot tears on my cheeks.
She who has much sin...
has been forgiven much...
because she loved much.

Abba...
Abba, truly...
truly You alone.

Surely? Surely? Surely...

This little cutie deserves a space on my blog. My favorite part is when she starts giggling near the beginning.

a father and his daughter

today was a beautiful day... it waivered between rain and sunshine so the clouds were big and fluffy... my dad and i decided the night before that we were going to go out and have a little father/daughter date... it was the best date i've ever had ;) and we did all the things the two of us enjoy doing... love cup? filled. we went to a bakery.... great harvest bread co. gives away free samples...
which my father kept stuffing in my purse... i was so embarassed that my dad kept stuffing my purse full of free samples and then asking for more... the cinnamon muffin was aaaaamazing but we ended up buying my second favorite, apple pie bread... here's my purse stashed with all the goods needed for the second part of our date... the free samples, a good book and my crocheting project...
the second part of our date brought us to BARNES AND NOBLE where I just couldn't sit still for the longest time... i really REALLY enjoy barnes and noble... i know, my dad would shake his head to know that i like this store because he would prefer the local, small town feel of our neighborhood bookstore compared to this giant... (you've got mail, anyone?) but i just got so excited. i like books period, but barnes is like a treasure chest waiting to be opened... think of all the fun things you can learn from their assortment of books...
like calligraphy... you could become a calligrapher.... you could master the art of calligraphy with this book which was ON SALE for 19.98... i was so tempted to buy it because calligraphy is such a lost and beautiful art... but i was distracted... the one thing i like best about barnes and noble....

their journal and sketchbook section... i have yet to meet it's match... i think Jamie Kampman was the first to buy me a journal from barnes and noble (it was beaded, wasn't it Jamie?) and i was completely hooked. you can get lines or no lines, rice paper or regular old white paper, you can get leather bound or fabricy bound... you can get these cutesy little heart ones you see here in the photo or you can get masculine ones... i really REALLY like journals from barnes and noble. i like sketchbooks although I don't necessarily sketch...
i think what i like the most about the store is that i can find so many gifts for so many different people... seriously, you can find pretty stationary to cheer someone...like mary up, books on knitting for mary, books on sudoku for mary, books about csi for mary... basically i wanted to buy everything for mary... :)

...i managed to get out of there without buying a ton of stuff... i may have to go back before i leave america... but it was fun to visit.
my dad and i found some seats where we enjoyed coffee, our free samples and each other... he is currently reading, "Life is a Miracle" by Wendall Berry (his newest favorite) and I am currently reading, "Persuasion" by Jane Austen

(AH!! Kelli... the book just took a twist and I am scared to read the end... what if Fredrick doesn't love Anne after all these years? Ah! I can't stop reading it.)

overall it was a great day and it helped to get out of the house... time with my dad has been precious and most blessed... i remember the day when i felt i was "too old" to go on dates with my dad... now i'm realizing i'll always be the perfect age to spend an afternoon with my dad...

On one of the journals was written this:

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is Love~ Sophocles

and it reminded me of what the Apostle John says, "God is love."

Thank you, Lord, for being the ultimate Father...

weak than you are strong

*We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.* 2 Corinthians 13:9

*But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.* 1 Corinthians 1:27

Greetings Space Ranger!

Today I got this email:

Galactic Greetings Space Ranger,
You have received an intergalactic transmission from a friend who has just completed a mission on the new Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster interactive experience at Disneyland(r) park in California.

To Infinity and Beyond!!

Do I have the best friends ever or what?

Thanks Keigo and Masashi for sending me some fun from California.
Miss you guys!

Express

*But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation;

my God will hear me.* Micah 7:7

Dearest fall,

Dear fall,
I love you.
You make me happy.
Your admirer,
Joanna

That's right, people. My silly love for fall is starting to stir in my little heart. I had a lot of fun looking through old posts when I was in my "I Love Fall" season of life last year. I know, I know. It's not fall so much. It's totally the LORD. I am aware that the beauty I appreciate in fall and the cooler weather is not where my praise should end, but the praise should travel up the sunbeams to the Source.

I love that God loves beauty. And I love that God reveals Himself in nature. I love that He gives me fall. I love fall, people! It's just so much fun. So whether or not this fall is "good" in human terms, God is faithful and He is beyond good.

Here are some of my favorite posts from last year's fall extravaganza... (and yes, I know it's still August and yes, I know it's too early to be thinking about fall... I'm just letting you know it's coming. :))

Wildflowers

Kelli Spoils Me Rotten

You're Never Too Old To Play

First comes Fall, then comes...

Young Laborer's Conference was?

I Miss Mary

I Grew A Moustache for the Weekend

Home

Sunday Morning

Childhood Memory:

Sunday Mornings before church... my Dad would play worship music on the piano. This June my Dad had an accident with a table saw and cut off his "guitar" finger. But God is beyond good... to say He is just good, for me doesn't give Him the praise He deserves. God is God and my Dad is practicing on the piano again. I love hearing my Dad play.

Pledging My Allegiance

“Does it compromise our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom to wave the banner of loyalty to an earthly kingdom?” author David P. Gushee asks in his July 2006 article for Christianity Today. As we begin to live our lives for Christ and for His world, how do we live in the world of patriotic enthusiasm and pledging our allegiance “to the United States of America; one nation, under God”?

I came across this article entitled, "What's Right About Patriotism: The nation is not our highest love, but it still deserves our affection" while here at my parents house (and yes, I am aware that it a year old) and found that this so resonated with my own heart’s longings.

Personally, I have had many relatives and friends who have gone to war and given their time, energy, heart, and lives to fighting for the freedom that I enjoy today. So I want to clear up any thoughts, you the reader, may have of my “hate” for America. If you know me for five seconds, you know that simply is not true, so please don't misread this thought-process.

There have been some not-so-rare occasions when I tell people how much I love living in Japan or tell people how I would not object to living overseas all my life, that people respond with, “Why? What’s wrong with America?” *sigh*

When I returned from my first overseas trip in 2003, I found that my own spirit could hardly be contained in my flesh. I felt like the experiences my heart had seen and felt could not be expressed with words and so I began a journey to find my “nationality”. My dear friend, Jamie, would often sit with me at Pancheros or Java House and together we would pray for some sort of understanding to who we were outside of being Americans. Together we would read about countries we couldn’t pronounce and pray for the people of that country to be reconciled to God.
However, as I learned more about other places, I felt in my own heart, that I could easily bash America as well. It wasn’t pretty, people. I have a sinful heart.

But still, I want to learn how to live and be in this land without forgetting that I, too, am a foreigner. What a delicate balance I sometimes live on.

Gushee said that, patriotism gives us roots to say, “I am here, not there; from these parents; not those parents; living in this era, not another one. I am not a free-floating spirit but an embodied person, rooted somewhere rather than nowhere.”

I was so pleased to find and read this article because it makes me feel less alone in my struggle with this question. How do I survive in a patriotic nation and feel patriotic without marrying myself to this nation? On the other hand, how do I not go overboard and write America “off”? I’m not fond of Bush-bashers. Sorry, but I’m not. Nor, do I pledge my allegiance to President Bush. Sorry, but I don’t.

Instead I am trying to live and thrive in the area that 1 Peter 2:13 recommends, “submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority”. And I remember that God has appointed leaders for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

For me, I want to live a life of faith, remembering that through Abraham all nations are to be blessed, (Genesis 22:17-18) and take the examples of my spiritual ancestors have passed down to me, “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland…But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city… For he was looking forward to the city that has a foundation, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:13-14,16, 10)

Gushee finishes with the thought-provoking line of “it still seems to me that people who do not know how to demonstrate an appropriate fealty to their nation are not well positioned to learn how to transcend that loyalty for a higher one.”

May I never forget that it is no longer I, who live, for I have been crucified with Christ. I belong to Him. But in that, like Queen Esther may I not forget the words of her uncle, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

And that, "Yes, God blesses America, but he blesses other nations, too." (Gushee) Let's not become so focused on who we are or were we live that we forget that reality lies in the unseen nature of God... for in Him is our true identity and sense of belonging.

As If...

I'm a fan of skype... it's as if Kie was near. Oh cute. We are looking at each other. ha ha!!!
See her little heart?

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

Untitled from Jordan Schupbach and Vimeo.

Why I Drink Coffee

Over coffee shared,
I saw a road that lay next to mine,
oh, how I longed for the roads to merge.

Over coffee shared,
our pasts were platforms
to be revisited and laughed about,
our futures full of dreams,
and these two roads were easily met.

Over coffee shared,
two different paths,
two different roads,
yet meeting together for such a time as this.

Over coffee shared,
our stories told,
your heart became the vault where
secrets stored.
Your heart became a treasure untold
until we met.

Over coffee shared,
two roads that once never ran together,
could now, never be torn apart.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

My Mom and Dad have semi-season tickets to the Peoria Chiefs games... I love going to baseball games in the summer. So this was a lot of fun. My Dad is like a kid in a candy store at the games... he keeps me informed of who is who and what is what.

So I was approached by "Blaze" the entertainer of the baseball game... and he asked if I wanted to play him in BLACK JACK during the 4th inning. The prize if I win? My name in a raffle for a trip for two to Vegas.
Needless to say... I ...uh, kind of won. ha ha!!
After that, I managed to snag a frisbee that they were giving away for free by throwing them into the crowds.
The old man behind me: "Girl, I don't gamble... but if I were you, I would."
Hmm... have to take that into consideration...

The night was cool and the stars were out...
we ended the night with fireworks at the stadium.
ohhh... and just in case you are wondering. Yes, I cheered for the Chiefs... no, I did not cheer as loudly as I did in Japan. :)

Picnic Laughter

My Mom and I had a picnic lunch today at the cancer center.

She wanted to start calling herself by the Japanese word for mother which is either "Okasan" or "Ha Ha"

Mom: "Ha Ha?"

Me: "Yeah."

"Is there a hyphon?"

"no."

"So it's just Ha Ha? As in ha ha?"

"Yes."

"So Keigo or Kie walk into their house and say, "Oh, HA HA what's for dinner?"

And for some reason, we both found that hilarious.

Truly I am blessed. (if you look really closely on my right cheek you can see tears from my laughter...)
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. P.31:25

Girls and flowers...

So I'm really interested in knowing this....
I had a friend ask me about my favorite flower.

And I honestly didn't know what to say... I couldn't recall a flower I favored... and I wondered if that was weird of me.

As a girl and a lover of all things beautiful, shouldn't I have a favorite flower?

So just like Julia Roberts in "Runaway Bride" tries to find her favorite way to eat eggs (mine is scrambled) I am on a quest to find my favorite flower.

I already know I do not like carnations. I don't know why but carnations remind me of a funeral home... and I know that I pretty much like ALL flowers... I'll never turn a flower down. But I just don't have a specific favorite...

So I want to find Joanna's favorite flower. Jamie, isn't your favorite, gerber daises? My mother's favorite is a daisy... And Kelli, what's your favorite? And Holly, isn't your favorite a lily? I can't remember exactly...

BUT!! Here's the question: What is YOUR favorite flower? I'm interested in hearing about other people and their experiences with their favorite flowers. Why is that flower your favorite?

Laughing at the Future

With the birth of my niece Lenora and the new little Miss Waveland, I have been watching the way my sisters(in law) mother and care for the next generation. First, let me just say that I have amazing sister (in laws). They are full of spirit, grace, love, and fire. There is so much passion and gumption in these women. I feel like we are truly sisters. It's such a blessing to see them raise the next generation of Schupbach women (and soon to be Schupbach little man!!).

Waking up Waveland.My Mom got this idea that she really wanted the file cabinet out of the basement. So although carrying it gave us the giggles ...why is that? and it was awkward to hold, we managed to get that beast out of the basement... My Dad kept asking, "Are you sure you can handle that?"
and I just kept bragging to him, "Of course I can. I'm a Schupbach woman."
Thinking about this, thinking about my nieces and Lord willing, one day my own daughters, made me realize how I have often "feared" being a woman. What does it mean to be a woman? To be a godly woman? To live under the pressure of the beautiful Proverbs 31 who never seems to waiver in her godliness. How can I be a woman, a strong woman, while still living under submission to Christ? I want to submit to what He is doing in my life... so what does that look like?
This train of thought put into my mind a post that Emily Ward just did on Piper's "The Beautiful Faith of Fearless Submission." Piper says this about women, "A Christian woman... looks away from the troubles and miseries and obstacles of life that seem to make the future bleak, and she focuses her attention on the sovereign power and love of God who rules in heaven and does on earth whatever he pleases."
(our neighbor came by to make sure we were okay... ha ha)She knows her Bible, and she knows her theology of the sovereignty of God, and she knows his promise that he will be with her and help her strengthen her no matter what. This is the deep, unshakable root of Christian womanhood.
She does not fear the future; she laughs at the future. The presence of hope in the invincible sovereignty of God drives out fear. Or to say it more carefully and realistically, the daughters of Sarah fight the anxiety that rises in their hearts. They wage war on fear, and they defeat it with hope in the promises of God." (go here for the entire amazing sermon) With all that said, it reminds me of where my FOCUS needs to be. Oh, how this life parades in front of me, vying for my attention... and how easily it seems that I am given in to the distraction. I can be focused on the crap around me, the stuff that confuses me, the fear of the unnknown, the uncomfort that happens in returning...
OR!!

thinking of our lives, thinking of the opportunity to teach those who come "after" us and focusing on Christ...

leaves me no decision but to look into the future...

and laugh.