Thirty-five years ago, we said, “I do!” We still do!! Tim is a daily example of Christ’s unconditional love to me. I am so grateful for him! We had these photos taken during cherry blossom season this year. A special thank you to Kyohei Nishimura for the beautiful photos. He made us look good!
Last week was a national holiday here. Golden Week occurs from the end of April through the first few days of May and is a week that has four national holidays. Many people travel during this time. We took the time to escape from the big city and visit my husband’s parents in the countryside. I love spending time here. I enjoy the fellowship with family. I also enjoy the slower pace and the long walks along the river and the rice fields. At this time of year, the farmers are flooding the rice fields and beginning to plant. I never get tired of seeing the reflections in the water. The view depends on the time of day. Sometimes you can see the mountains reflected and other times you can see the buildings that are in the area.
As I was walking and thinking about all I was seeing, I began to think about other types of reflections. The most important reflection would be what I know and meditate on about my God.
In the comments of a post by Whitney, she mentioned keeping a list of what she learns about God from her daily Bible time on her phone. I’m a notebook and paper kind of girl, but I don’t always have a notebook with me. I do find myself using my phone for things more often than not. So I started a note in my app on my phone called “One Thing” based on Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.”
When I was a much younger woman, I remember that an assistant pastor at our church encouraged us to get one thought from the Word each day. I have tried to maintain this habit for years, but I don’t always write it down. If I do, I might write it on the page for the day in my bullet journal. I liked the idea of having it in one place on my phone so that I can see it any time I want. I have found myself reviewing my “one thing” while waiting in line or sitting in the car. These are times when I would not have my notebook with me.
In closing, I would like to share one of my recent entries. Maybe you’d like to share one of your thoughts from the Word in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
“ For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” ~Hebrews 4:12
“…make those verses our own through faith and obedience. For a stronger faith, focus your mental energy on the verses God gives you. That’s the best exercise of the soul. Where there is a command, obey it. Where there is a prayer, offer it. Where there is a truth, believe it. Where there is a message, repeat it. Where there is a promise, claim it by faith.” ~Robert Morgan, author of Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation.
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.
~E. S. Elliot
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Please pray for my dear daughter over these next few weeks. I have made a trip back to the states to be with her. This is part of my reason for being MIA here at the blog. She will be having back surgery December 14th. Prayers for my husband would be appreciated as well. This is our busy season in Japan and we will be apart for the holidays. I am glad that he has family there.
Thank you to those of you who are still here after my sporadic posting this last year. Furlough has been busy with lots of family events and ministry opportunities. There has been very little time for “extras.” I hope to remedy that as I get ready to head back to Japan.
We’ve traveled many miles and visited many churches. We were present for the birth of our first grandchild. We enjoyed holidays with our children which included Christmas with our children for the first time in 6 years. We were present with each of our children during times when we just needed to be there. I cherish those times and memories. Quite frankly, we miss out on a lot of our children’s lives. God’s grace is sufficient, but I soak up all that the Lord allows me to be a part of.
So as I prepare to head back to Japan, I appreciate your prayers. Goodbyes get more and more difficult. I’ve heard other missionaries say it, so I know I am not alone. I look forward to being back to the place where God has called us to serve and the people there that I have come to love, but my heart also longs for those I leave behind.
*****
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” ~Romans 15:13
Happy Anniversary to my Beloved!
“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine…”
~Song of Solomon 6:3
The Lord has been doing great things in our family. One of those things involves looking forward to being a grandma! Our oldest son and his lovely wife have been in the process of adopting for several months now. All of their preliminary legal work has been done. Last week, they were told that they are now on the match list.
If you would like to learn more of their story, you can click here for their adoption journey facebook page. They have been telling their story of how they met and eventually married. I have enjoyed learning some more of that story myself!
As you can imagine, adopting can be quite costly. They are facing their first financial deadline with the agency the end of April. They are presently running a puzzle fundraiser. For every $10 donation, your name is written on the back of a puzzle piece. The puzzle will eventually be framed as a memento for all the people who helped to bring their baby home.
I have never used this blog to ask for money. I have been asked how to help and this seemed the easiest way to let everyone know. If you would like to have your name added to the puzzle, you can give through gofundme or through Venmo to Melton Family Adoption Fund. Anonymous donors are also added to the puzzle as ‘Anonymous.’
More important than your financial aid is your prayer support. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for our son and his wife and for all of us as a family. We eagerly wait to see what God has in store for us in the days ahead.
There are lots of things going on here this summer. One blessing in particular is a month long visit with our beautiful daughter. She arrived safely and we are enjoying being together again.
For this missionary kid, Japan is “home” and she is so glad to be here!
I am grateful for those of you who still read my ramblings. I am not one of those bloggers who posts daily or even weekly lately for that matter, but many of you are still here. Thank you!
I returned to Japan from my unexpected trip to the USA and hit the ground running. Ten days after my return, my hubby and I went away to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I can hardly believe it has been 30 years! I am thankful for the good man that the Lord gave me to go through life with.
And now, the Lord has allowed me to slow down for a few days and spend lingering time with Him and catch up on a few things. I thrive with routine and am hoping for some of that soon, but it isn’t looking too likely with summer upon us.
One thing I am doing is making time for reading. I am currently reading Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. It is exactly what I need to be reading at this time in my life and I look forward to sharing it with you in the days ahead. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it!
until the next time…
Today we welcome a new daughter into our family. Pardon me as I take a break to absorb all the memories. I will share pictures from the grand event soon.
Son #2 is engaged! We are thrilled to welcome another daughter into the family!
Drinking at the Springs 