Mercy

'Beg God to be merciful to you...' Malachi 1:9

I have a splitting headache.

Skies

'Praise him, skies above' Psalm 148:4

There`s a tradition in Japan to watch the sunrise on New Year`s Day. Christians do the same sometimes on Easter Sunday. It`s worth doing, any day.

Healing

'He heals the brokenhearted' Psalm 147:3

I don`t trust my doctor.

Attacked

'they are attacked...' Zechariah 10:2

I was punched in the head this morning by someone I once regarded as my best friend.

Lies

'Their mouths are full of lies' Psalm 144:11

The local Buddhist cult flogging its calenders even on Christmas Day. By the way, 2010 doesn`t refer to the birth of Buddha, Nichiren or Ikeda but to the birth of Christ.

Alone

'You alone are holy' Revelation 15:4

Just in time for Christmas, I met a beautiful baby boy yesterday. Every birth is a kind of miracle, but Jesus is the only baby to grow up totally holy- the rest of us, even Buddha himself, all fall way short. That is why God had to be born human.

I hope you and your loved ones have a lovely Christmas this year, and every year.

Angel

'The angel who had been talking with me' Zechariah 4:1

Today`s Christmas angel is the man at the local 2nd hand book store who let me have an expensive British dictionary for one of my students at a fraction of the cover price.

How

'Four things I don`t understand:

how an eagle glides through the sky,

how a snake slithers on a rock,

how a ship navigates the ocean,

how a man loves a woman. Proverbs 30:18-19

She was in my class at middle school. I bought a newspaper from her every weekend for my dad at the shop where she had a Saturday job. 24 years too late by the wonder of the internet I finally get the courage to talk to her.

Much

'they did not love their lives so much...' Revelation 12:11

I can`t say I`m much in love with my job. I just quit.

Warm?

'You put on clothes but cannot keep warm' Haggai 1:6

As I sit here typing this, I am wearing a coat, a hat, thermal undies (sorry, too much information?)

and as the evening wears on I will probably be thinking about using my gloves. Gee I love Japanese houses this time of year, so nice and toasty...

Still

''[Jerusalem]`s prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.

Its priests defile the Temple by defying God`s instructions.

But the LORD is still there in the city,

and he does no wrong.'' Zephaniah 3:4-5

Can you see a description of 21st century Protestants and Catholics in these words? I can.

Justice

'there is no justice in the courts' Habakkuk 1:4

'It`s the same the whole world over;

Ain`t it all a _____ing shame?

It`s the rich that gets the pleasure

It`s the poor that gets the blame.'

(Traditional British lyric)

More

More lives are lost to suicide in Japan than to violent crime in the USA.

Depths

'The LORD does whatever pleases him

throughout all heaven and earth,

and on the seas and in their depths.' Psalm 135:6

I am not a scientist- I don`t lose data if it is inconvenient. But God knows far more about the globe and about warmth than we will ever know.

Let me...

'Let me die! I`d be better off dead.' Jonah 4:3

I follow a daily reading pattern, not just verses chosen at random. Today we have Jonah, one of my favorite prophets, struggling with depression. You may feel this is all just coincidence, but it happens far too often for that and so it shows God totally understands. Why don`t you read the chapters yourself and see what God is saying to you?

Shame

'You will be filled with shame and be destroyed forever.' Obadiah 1:10

Three types of pills and I still want to die.

Fight

'An angry person starts fights...' Proverbs 29:22

I am going to have to go back on the pills. I can`t be like this.

Appointed

'The people have appointed kings without my consent..' Hosea 8:4

I can`t believe the new Episcopalian assistant Bishop of LA was chosen by God- this is why so many of my brothers and sisters are leaving our denomination...

Faithfulness

'There is no faithfulness' Hosea 4:1

There is an extremely honest portrait of a marriage in the New York Times today by Elizabeth Weil. Although the complexities of a long term relationship are grist for a writer`s mill I feel unable to be completely candid here, out of loyalty to my wife. I guess that is partly why so many people choose to write fiction.

Suffice to say that although I have not physically cheated on my wife for several years, mentally I am all over the place.

Place

'Keep away from anything that might take God`s place in your hearts' 1 John 5:21

In between carols and Christmas songs I usually find it interesting around now to find out what songs are regarded as the best of the year. This year Beyonce`s 'Halo' is nominated for a Grammy. While hardly unusual in using Christian imagery to describe romantic love- a theme going at least as far back as Fred Astaire`s 'Cheek to Cheek' in 1935 - I find it revealing that these kinds of songs still strike a major chord with secular society. I believe many of us are often guilty of expecting human love to be more than it can ever realistically be.

Love

'Love one another' 1 John 4:7

Met a guy in a bookstore today who is really into The Smiths, a Manchester band I really like myself. I just know that if I could only speak his language, we could have probably talked for hours about shared interests in obscure britpop. But there is always that language barrier...

Of course God wants us to also love people we have nothing whatsoever in common with...

Truth

'I will reveal the truth' Daniel 11:2

If a patient on your ward gives you a gift of the equivalent of over 30 pounds sterling, are you going to treat him exactly the same as a patient who gives you nothing?

War

'War and its miseries are decreed...' Daniel 9:26

It`s just unbearable to watch all those beautiful young people at West Point be told 30,000 of them and their peers may never return... Obviously Obama knows a lot more than me about the Middle East these days but doesn`t history tell us nobody ever wins in Afganistan? If the Norwegians gave him the Nobel Peace Prize to try to pressure him into not making this kind of decision they failed. I don`t think militant Islam can be defeated with conventional weapons...

Sheepish

'I have wandered away like a lost sheep' Psalm 119:176

I know what God expects from me- yet I just keep going in the opposite direction..despite my fear of hell.

Eyes

'They commit adultery with their eyes...' 2 Peter 2:14

When I am lost looking into her eyes I just can`t seem to help myself... Please God have mercy!

Until

'Until you learn that the Most High rules...' Daniel 4:25

Corporate Japan is still suffering at the moment. I can`t help but feel that continuing to make Christmas Day a work day like any other is not helping...

If...

'If your instructions hadn`t sustained me... I would have died in my misery.' Psalm 119:92

In America and the UK a group called Gideons put Bibles or New Testaments in hotel rooms with a special page listing verses to turn to when feeling depressed, stressed, suicidal, and so on..

I know God uses their work to save lives. I know the Bible has helped me get through on days when I was full of despair with no one seemingly to turn to...

I can`t help but feel Japan`s very high suicide rate would benefit from the Gideons. Please, dear reader, if you feel today a total lack of hope, please, please give God a chance. Pick up a Bible.

Literature

'Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon..' Daniel 1:4

I have a book of American poems but I`m not sure whether the young lad I work with will be interested. It is difficult to know where to start...

I am a big fan of TS Eliot myself: '' The end is where we start from...Every phrase and every sentence is an end and a beginning, every poem an epitaph.'' (Little Gidding V)

Honest?

'Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures...' Ezekiel 45:10

Certain Japanese politicians who criticize Christianity would do well to put their own house in order...

Poor

'Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich.' Proverbs 28:6

The news today says 1 in 6 people in Japan are now poor. I think I am one of them. Then again I still have enough dosh for a Chinese bento and a tiny can of cheap beer tonight, so I guess I am rich compared to many in Africa... I need to be more thankful.

Gateway

'Then the man took me to the south gateway' Ezekiel 40:28

Passed the gateway of the US embassy today. Men with big sticks guard it. I used to think it was to protect Americans from terrorism, but now I wonder if it is to 'protect' small children from their own Daddies...

Favor

'If you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.' James 2:9

It is very difficult to like all of my students equally...

Troubled

'I am deeply troubled, LORD...' Psalm 116:10

Bad diet? Lack of sleep? Seasonal factors? Spiritual oppression? I often feel down this time of year.

Hope it is not like this until March...

Idols

'You worship idols..' Ezekiel 33:25

There are a lot of so-called 'gods' in Japan that aren`t gods at all.

Praise

'Praise the LORD!' Psalm 113:1

When I was at primary school, my wise teachers in London taught me to sing hymns. My daughter today was taught to sing a Disney song, paying lip service to multiculturalism, while being denied the right to attend church on a Sunday morning. Hypocrisy!

FYI, Mr Music Teacher, Mickey Mouse never could, never will, and cannot now save your soul.

Discipline

'fathers who disciplined us..' Hebrews 12:9

My Dad never dragged me to church, as he did n`t go himself until I asked him to take me when I was 13 or 14 or so. I usually give my daughter the choice whether to attend or not except when her school decides to schedule something on a Sunday. Then I want her to see that although music and sports are good, church is more important.

Prostitutes

'...Prostitutes in Egypt' Ezekiel 23:3

Walking home from the railway station, if I take the back streets I pass places that are best passed. A few years ago I am sorry to admit I failed to walk past, more than once...

Ezekiel 23 is one of those chapters of the Bible that is more like pornography than what you would perhaps expect from a holy book... Ezekiel is only talking metaphorically, but he certainly warms to his theme...

In nearly 30 years of church going, I don`t think I have ever heard a sermon on this chapter. Maybe I should have...

Home

'home from exile...' Ezekiel 20:42

Went to the local park today to play badminton with my daughter. Certainly didn`t expect to meet a guy from Berkshire... Having said that, it is not the only time I have met a foreigner there, but I think it has only happened twice in ten years...

Defiled

'They defiled themselves by their evil deeds...' Psalm 106:39

Sick

'' 'What a sick heart you have' says the Sovereign LORD...'' Ezekiel 16:30

God have mercy upon us.

Disease

'I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine or disease...' Ezekiel 12:16

My daughter has a fever, it seems, along with many in her class..

Son

'Son of Man...' Ezekiel 7:2

Yesterday was All Souls, a Christian equivalent to the Japanese Obon festival of remembering the dead. So these words remind me of my Dad who died this week ten years ago.

All children resemble their parents. Being a twin, my Dad had a very strong sense of fairness and injustice, because I guess everything in his life was shared equally. I think that has made its impression on me, though not always in a good way.

I wonder quite what a son of mine would be like. It seems such a child is not to be.

Lust

'Unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes..' Ezekiel 6:9

It seems to me that one of my biggest spiritual problems is my lack of true wholehearted repentance in this area. If I am totally honest I just don`t want to stop looking at cute women...And I don`t want to stop at just looking..

There`s a prayer used frequently in the old Anglican liturgy which is something like: ' ..grant me the grace of true repentance..'

Gushing

'streams gush down from the mountains..' Psalm 104:10

Rainy today, so the local river is higher than usual. Saw magpies and wood pigeons looking for food along the bank.

Precious

'..the precious children of Jerusalem..' Lamentations 4:2

It is not often my work involves interviewing schoolgirls preparing to study abroad. If when my daughter is 15 or 16 she decides she wishes to travel to the other side of the planet from me, I dare say I will be pretty worried about her safety. However if her heart is set on it I guess I would be reluctant to prevent her...

Greater

'the Son is far greater than the angels..' Hebrews 1:4

I usually watch too much baseball this time of year...

To submit?

'Remind the believers to submit..' Titus 3:1

Regarding the changes in Anglicanism, I am not sure whether I should submit to Rome or not.

Corrupt

'their minds and consciences are corrupted' Titus 1:15

I don`t know how to get my innocence back...

Unfailing

'your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.' Psalm 94:18

I have probably said it before but it is worth repeating- your wife, your husband, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best mates, your parents, your children, your boss, your employees, your church, your temple, your shrine- they will all let you down sooner or later...

Enslaved

'you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you...' 2 Corinthians 11:20

There are some beautiful women who know that they just have to smile sweetly and flirt a little and I will do more or less anything they want...

Life

'life and death..' 2 Corinthians 7:3

There are frequent reminders here of the 220 000 unfortunate souls that perished in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. May they rest in peace.

However there is far less fuss about the larger number of people killed -256,000 in 2007- through abortion every year here. This at a time when society is ageing rapidly...

Blows

'in blows, in prisons, in attacks...' 2 Corinthians 6:5

Foreigners who don`t stay in Japan very long may be unaware of the passive-aggressive nature of hostility here...

This morning for example. I have a tendency to get to work pretty early and I often sit round the corner in the local park until it is time to start. This is not entirely welcomed by the locals it seems... Today five seconds after I arrived the local rubbish lorry turned up. Coincidence? Perhaps. Then an old guy with a sharp long handled tool came right up to the bench where I was and began pounding it into the ground just feet from where I was sitting, tearing up the grass which was admittedly rather long. (the whole park was like this, but he chose to do it right next to me) A man walking his dog allowed it to urinate just in front of me. Not subtle, I think you will agree.

I believe all this stems from Japan being an extremely ordered society through much of its history- any open rebellion was not tolerated so people found less direct ways to express contempt. I have to say I am glad I live in a country where blows with hoes are aimed at the grass instead of the head....

Exile

'...carried into exile...' Jeremiah 27:20

In 'Romeo and Juliet' by some English writer you may have heard of, Romeo kills a guy and instead of being executed, he`s banished. I dare say angry elders in Verona wrote to their local newspapers bemoaning the wishy washy liberal sentencing policies of the day, but that`s probably because they didn`t have a clue what exile feels like.

I haven`t set foot on the soil of the land of my birth for over 6 years, and haven`t lived there for nearly 10. Believe me, no matter how nice the country is where you live, if you can`t go home it is a form of living death... That is partly why around 90 per cent of English teachers in Japan leave within 3 years.

Jezza

'The word which came to Jeremiah...' Jeremiah 25:1

I like Jeremiah. We have the word 'jeremiad' in English which the COD defines as: 'a long mournful complaint...' and let`s face it, neither the book which bears Jeremiah`s name nor his other work 'Lamentations' are going to make their readers laugh a lot. They are not easy to read. The Book of Jeremiah describes how a young man reluctantly speaks words which are seen as traitorous by the religious establishment of the day. But Jeremiah didn`t hugely care what they thought of him. He just said what God told him to say.

I wish I was more like him.

O

'O earth, earth, earth, give ear to the word of the Lord' Jeremiah 22:29

It hurts a lot when the people I care about (you know who you are) don`t wish to listen when I try to talk about God. I know I am a train wreck but even so I really do believe that Jesus cares about every one of us and is dying to help us out.

Cursing

'Every one of them is cursing me..' Jeremiah 15:10

Really shouldn`t use English curse words in a Japanese supermarket, but I was provoked...Sorry God.

Able?

'Are any of the false gods of the nations able to make rain come?' Jeremiah 14:22

Unusual for me to have to work in a room with a Buddhist altar in it.

Name

'There are those who have the name of gods...' 1 Corinthians 8:5

I can see why many Japanese are very reluctant to let go of the familiarity of a 1000 years of Buddhist culture and embrace Jesus. Most temples here are old and impressive while many churches are shoddy post war buildings in dubious neighborhoods. It`s a question of wealth and power. Christians are a tiny minority here.

But they need to ask themselves what this wealth and power are based on? Most Buddhist temples make their dosh from funerals like the one I attended yesterday. The Buddhist priest may sound impressive with his chanting and elaborate robes, but are the fees they charge grieving widows just? Most importantly of all, are the sutras he chants really historically reliable? Anyone but the most blind in faith would question the hundreds of years it took before anything at all about 'Buddha' was written down...

Wife

'The wife has not power over her body, but the husband; and in the same way the husband has not power over his body, but the wife.' I Corinthians 7:4

Some feminists like to portray Saint Paul and Christianity as misogynist, but if you actually read the Bible you will see it is not the case. This verse is radically egalitarian, nearly 2000 years before the rest of the planet caught up.

Death

'His sword will be on all flesh' Isaiah 66:16

Mr S was one of the first Japanese men to allow me into his home when I first arrived in this country. I never got to know him very well as he didn`t speak English, and I speak his language very poorly, even now.

He was a husband, a father and a grandfather.

He died today.

A little piece of Japan has gone today and cannot be replaced.

Foolish

'Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ?' 1 Corinthians 1:20

Scientists don`t really understand why the moon looks bigger when it is near the horizon.

Evil

'Make clear to my people their evil doings..' Isaiah 58:1

Sex is a wonderful gift from God. Human bodies are beautiful. But the exploitation of female or male flesh for profit is wrong, in spite of it being legal and available in every corner shop or convenience store in England and Japan.

Why then is it, when I know in my heart and mind that porn is not right, am I so unable to turn away from it?

Married

'Do not be untrue in married life.' Romans 13:9

The Curate who married my wife and I was impressive because of his sheer honesty. I remember him saying to me once something along the lines of: 'Sin is difficult to avoid because it is so much fun'...

Wandering

'We all went wandering like sheep...' Isaiah 53:6

Went to Shishibu yesterday, for the first time ever...

Flesh

'In my flesh, there is nothing good..' Romans 7:18

Talk

'The angel who talked with me...' Zechariah 2:3

She is not an angel. But I am still crazy about her, and I don`t even know when I will see her again...

Support

'..To whom are you looking for support..?' Isaiah 36:5

When I lived in Birmingham, I used to attend a Men`s Group at my parish church, run by the curate and a trained counsellor. It was good- I miss it...

Attacks

'I am Jesus, whom you are attacking.' Acts 26:15

Today is Respect the Aged day in Japan. God is older than all of us so why won`t most of Japan respect Him?

Looking

'Looking for help in ways of deceit and evil' Isaiah 30:12

I keep looking for love in all the wrong places...

Hate

'Your haters will be burned up in the fire' Isaiah 26:11

An old woman spat as I walked past her today. This is the Japan you don`t read about in the guide books...

Shame

'It was the purpose of the Lord of armies to put pride to shame.' Isaiah 23:9

Hope

'What hope have we then of salvation?' Isaiah 20:6

I believe Jesus died for us, for me. He is my only hope of salvation.

Sometimes he seems to save miraculously- I have met people who got off hard drugs through conversion. More often, it seems, Christians, myself included, still have spiritual battles against their own personal demons, whether sex, gambling, alcohol or whatever. Sometimes the church is guilty of making it sound like everything will be ok immediately... this is not usually the case, in my experience.

But at the end of the day, it is the people who don`t think they need saving that are in the most danger...

Immorality

'Abstain ...from sexual immorality' Acts 15:20

'bon odori

ato wa matsu kaze

mushi no koe' Sogetsu- ni

Love

'Jesus..said to him, ''If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word..'' John 14:23

I don`t love Jesus as much as I should.

It is easy to love the beautiful things around us that God has made, like clouds and stars and fish, ducks, beetles and grass.

It is harder to love someone who dies in agony under torture and asks you to do the same.

God have mercy.

Violent

'They are cruel, violently putting the young men to death, and crushing the young women; they have no pity for children...' Isaiah 13:18

May God have mercy on the souls of those who died on 9/11, and on those who continue to die in Iraq and Afganistan.

Fear

'Do not be in fear of what they go in fear of..' Isaiah 8:12

Despite popular Japanese superstition, there is actually nothing at all unlucky about the number 4.

Heat

'..shade in the daytime from the heat..' Isaiah 4:6

Autumn seems to arrive later here than in the UK, but of course we are much further south. Even though it is September I am still too hot...

Thousand

'The thousand are for you...' Song of Solomon 8:12

My rate for English conversation is 1000/yen per hour. Some students are so pleasant to spend time with I feel guilty taking the cash...

Ability

'[They].. began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability...' Acts 2:4

Young people here often visit a famous local Shinto shrine to pray for help passing exams. But I am sure it is God Almighty that can help the most with studying languages- or any other subject, for that matter...

Please, the next time you have an exam, go to church. But don`t forget to study too!

First

'teaching from the first...' Acts 1:1

Before I started teacher training, I was asked by my college to spend some time at a high school. So I went back to my old school as an observer. This was an extremely weird experience, seeing old teachers as new colleagues, albeit for only a few days, being allowed for the first time into the inner sanctum of the staff room, off limits to mere pupils.

Staff rooms are odd places at the best of times, but the thing I remember most was a fight breaking out on the school field between some boys. My old teachers, who I had heretofore seen as mostly responsible adults, suddenly behaved like kids themselves, flocking to the window and, safe behind net curtains, watching the procedings with eagerness until someone finally said, somewhat reluctantly, ' Well I suppose I had better go break it up...'

Lovesick

'I am lovesick' Song of Songs 2:5

Study

'Much study is a weariness of the flesh' Ecclesiastes 12:12

I can speak Japanese like a 4 year old draws pictures: it is a bit hard to make out what is meant.

Nothing

'Apart from me you can do nothing..' John 15:5

Japanese election tomorrow. Exciting, but whichever party wins I hope they have the sense and humility to realise that without God`s help they will totally fail to lift us out of the mess we are in...

Beast

'Man is not higher than the beasts' Ecclesiastes 3:19

Life

'I was hating life' Ecclesiastes 2:17

I have suicidal thoughts fairly often. I have had pills in the past, talked to psychiatrists, but these days I just don`t need the hassle or the expense.

Jesus wept

( John 11:35)

Temper

'A quick tempered man acts foolishly.' Proverbs 14:17

Yours truly, again.

Due

'Due reward for our deeds...' Luke 23:41

The news people are saying the recession is over in Japan, but today I was offered a class for a fee that didn`t even cover my travel expenses...

Folly

'Leave your folly...' Proverbs 9:6

There are some things on TV that I really need to turn off.

Attached

'Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them' 1 Corinthians 7:31

Taste

''Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.'' Psalm 34:9

Cornflakes and milk for breakfast, toast with marg for lunch, pink grapefruit juice this afternoon and Ninniku ramen (Noodles in garlic and pork broth) this evening.

Plus a beautiful sunset and lots of waterfowl by the river today.

Thanks God!

Ridiculed

'We are ridiculed...' 1 Corinthians 4:10

People often make fun of Christians, both in the West and in Japan. They can have their fun for now but as a worldview it doesn`t have much shelflife.

We are spared the worst, really. In many countries people are still murdered because of Jesus.

Young

' The glory of the young is their strength' Proverbs 20:29

My 8 year old sure has a lot of energy.

Unified

'All the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose.' Ezra 3:1

Been to several different churches recently. It breaks my heart that Christians from different backgrounds mistrust each other but I am guilty of that myself all too often. The Anglican tradition I was baptised and confirmed into stresses tolerance highly but is far from perfect in itself. But we do all agree on the most important things, like the fact that Jesus is alive.

Gift

'They gave them many valuable gifts...' Ezra 1:6

A new pc to use. I don`t deserve it.

Silence

'I have kept silence' Psalm 72

Tricky updating this, pc down.

Tempted

'...in some way the tempter might have tempted you...' I Thessalonians 3:5

Really should n`t have had that German beer...

Waiting

'He was waiting for the kingdom of God' Luke 23:51

What are you waiting for?

Repulsive

'You have taken from me my closest friends and made me repulsive to them' Psalm 88:8

Insolence

'Because you rage against me and your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook through your nose...' 2 Kings 19:28

Mocking God Almighty is very unwise.

Work

'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.' Colossians 3:23

The Japanese work ethic is pretty intense. It is easy to see why this is one of the richest countries on earth, and I cannot help but respect the attention to detail so many people here have. So far in Japan, I have utterly failed to keep the words of Saint Paul quoted here. But now it seems I have one more chance of a fresh start...

T

The Teacher asks: ' Where is the guest room...?' Luke 22:11

The interesting thing about teachers, and I have met a lot, is that they are all unique. I am sure I don`t deserve the title: 'teacher'. But Jesus gets the only capital T. Is there room in our lives for Him, or is He consigned to the stable again?

Countrymen

'Speak to your countrymen and say to them:''...Take warning...'' Ezekiel 33:2-4

It was great to get to talk to some British guys today. It has been a while..

Anxious

'An anxious heart weighs a man down..' Proverbs 12:25

Favor

'the LORD bestows favor' Psalm 84:11

Arrogant

' you are arrogant' 2 Kings 14:10

I have a problem with pride.

Bathe

'He must bathe...' Leviticus 16:4

Summer in Japan is so hot one shower per day does not feel enough. But in these green times can we even justify one per day?

Hollow

'Hollow and deceptive philosophy..' Colossians 2:8

Found a book about zen in a used bookshop yesterday.

Trembling

'Your walls will tremble...' Ezekiel 26:10

Minor earthquake last night here in North Kyushu.

Language

'a language we did not understand..' Psalm 81:5

The tricky thing about starting a new English class, as I am today, is you are never really sure how much will be understood before meeting the students...

Good news

'This is a day of good news' 2 Kings 7:9

Jesus loves you. Jesus died for You. Please get to know him. Read the gospels, visit your local church, or just ask Him to help...

Isolation

'Put him in isolation' Leviticus 13:21

My daughter has had to have nearly a week off school as it is shut to avoid spreading the new flu. Today is the last day.

Law

'in regard to the law...' Philippians 3:5

Visited 3 police stations this week, to get a form for the embassy...

Justice?

'along the paths of justice...' Proverbs 8:20

Visited the city office of the Ministry of Justice this week, to inquire about citizenship. It seems that although I have lived here 9 years my Japanese is still not good enough to get me the right to vote.　I notice however that my admittedly limited language skills do not seem to get in the way of me paying consumption tax...

Crows

'You must not eat.... buzzards, vultures, crows....' Leviticus 11:13-15

The crows in the trees near here have been swooping low over me, cawing loudly, recently when I walk past. They seem to do this for a short time each year, I assume when they have young. However yesterday they didn`t, so maybe baby crow is growing up....

Hire

'he went and hired himself out...' Lk 15:15

The job situation here still seems fairly flat...

Dress

'Dressed like a prostitute...' Proverbs 7:10

I don`t understand why Playboy T shirts are popular. Out here you even see little girls wearing them. Clearly their mothers have never looked at the mag...

Clouds

' The clouds poured down water...' Psalm 77:17

Watering

'Showers watering the earth..' Psalm 72:6

It being the rainy season now, there was rain in the air when I went for my usual walk early this morning, and mist covering the tops of the hills.

?

'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?' Luke 14:3

Ever since I arrived in Japan 9 years ago I have been in conflict with many people here over my refusal to do certain things, especially paid work, on Sundays. I am ashamed to admit I am guilty of pride and anger in the way I have handled the issue. But I still believe I have the right to follow my conscience on the issue, and to encourage my daughter, while she is still under my care, to do likewise.

This world

' the ways of this world' Ephesians 2:2

Sadly, my daughter`s school scheduled their sports day for a Sunday morning. Pentecost in fact, the third most important festival of the Christian year.

Foot

'Keep your foot from evil' Proverbs 4:27

My feet ache... (sigh)...

Without defect

'a male without defect' Leviticus 1:3

Only Jesus meets that description...

Perverse

'' 'O unbelieving and perverse generation' Jesus replied...'' Luke 9:41

Wisdom and Desire

'Blessed is the man who finds wisdom... nothing you desire can compare with her.' Proverbs 3:13-15

I know this is true- so why am I so easily distracted?

Distant land

'...from a distant land..' 1 Kings 8:41

Met someone yesterday that has recently returned from Zambia...

Descendants

'On David and his descendants... may there be the LORD`s peace forever..' 1 King 2:33

It is great to hear from my family in France after such a long time...

Treasure

'Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...' Matthew 6:19

I love this PC too much.

Pretension

'Every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God...' 2 Corinthians 10 :5

My wife and I have been married 9 years today. I am sure our life together would be much happier if she were not a member of a Japanese cult, SGI, and if I were more patient with their nonsense.

Fleeing

'All the Israelites fled to their homes.' 2 Samuel 18:17

People seem somewhat alarmed by this flu thing...

Grass

'Who waters the dry and thirsty land, so that grass springs up?' Job 38:27

I took grass rather for granted in England. We Brits love moaning about the rainy weather there, but we perhaps fail to appreciate that rain brings grass. Here in Kyushu parks are often more sandy than grassy. But down by the river, when not trodden down, the grass and spring flowers grow lush...

Anguish

'My heart is in anguish...' Psalm 55:4

I met my daughter`s new teacher for the first time yesterday. I realize teachers are busy people, but I am disappointed that she did n`t even realize what nationality my daughter is. ( she is British and Japanese)

Like many foreigners here, I am extremely concerned by the Japanese government`s seeming unwillingness to take multiculturalism seriously. If I could afford it, I would take my daughter out of the state school system. However, I did not help my case by losing my temper...

Sin

'I have sinned..' 2 Samuel 12:13

Away

'We ... would prefer to be away from the body..' 2 Corinthians 5:8

Amen.

Lack

'He rebuked them for their lack of faith' Mark 16:14

Whatever faith is, I don`t seem to have enough of it.

How long?

'How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter?' Jeremiah 31:22

Speak

'These are the words you are to speak...' Exodus 19:6

My Japanese teacher told me to go shop at a greengrocers for homework.　So I did.

Easter

'God, who raises the dead' 2 Corinthians 1:9

He is risen! Happy Easter.

Good Friday

'The LORD our righteousness' Jeremiah 23:6

Jesus died for you and for me.

Adulterers

'You throw in your lot with adulterers' Psalm 50:18

When does adultery start? Jesus says it starts with a glance: ' I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her you are already unfaithful in your thoughts...'(Matthew 5:28)

Swayed

'You aren`t swayed by men' Mark 12:14

Even with men, I often tend to be eager to please... but with a pretty woman, it`s pathetic.

Gold

'If I have put my trust in gold...' Job 31:24

As part of a economic kick start thingy, my local city office here in Japan is giving me 12000 yen. My wife wants jewelry...

Love

'Love is patient' 1 Corinthians 13:4

In May I will have been married 9 years. We had this verse read at our wedding. I don`t think either of us really understood what it meant then, nor really fully understand what it means now...

Evil

'Each of you is following the stubborness of his evil heart instead of obeying me.' Jeremiah 16:12

Wisdom

'Where then does wisdom come from?' Job 28:20

Stumbled across a website today ( http://cosmicfingerprints.com) stating DNA proves God exists, as codes are always created. Can you think of one that was n`t?

Songs

'He put a new song in my mouth...' Psalm 40:3

Probably do listen to too much pop music...

End

'Show me, O LORD, my life`s end...' Psalm 39:4

Suicide is popular, sadly, in Japan. Some days I want it for myself, only I have a daughter about to start 2nd grade, it does n`t seem fair on her.

Wind

'His chariots come like a whirlwind' Jeremiah 4:13

My umbrella got shredded today.