Seat warmers, sound machines and vending machine lattes

Jet lag.

I woke up around 4 this morning and managed to get back to sleep for a couple hours. When 6 AM rolled around, I gave up and decided to get up and unpack. I managed to get pretty well settled into my cozy little apartment, do a short workout and make myself breakfast before rushing downstairs to the lobby for 9AM orientation.

So far, one of my favorite parts of life in Japan is getting around on my bicycle. I definitely think that I will enjoy the active lifestyle that comes with one of my primary modes of transportation during my stay. Today was an absolutely GORGEOUS day out and our group biked to the ferry where we headed over to the park for a very long day of company policy education. We were all in good spirits though and managed to laugh a lot through the whole process.

One thing I have learned already is that Japan is the land of abundant convenience. I suppose when a country has as many people as Japan does, there is no choice BUT to implement such accommodations. Everywhere you look there are vending machines with anything from cigarettes, to bottled water to HOT (and DELICIOUS) instant coffee. And it's CHEAP too. It's about the equivalent of $1USD for a piping hot cup of just about any kind of coffee drink you could want. They've even got caramel macchiatos in these machines. It's pretty great. :)

The funniest discovery we made today by FAR was in the public restrooms. As soon as you close and lock the door to the stall, a sound machine kicks in with waves or running water to mask the sound as you do your business. Not only this, but we were startled at first, to discover that the seats are equipped with seat warmers to make your experience more comfortable. Suffice it to say, we all had a good laugh about this together throughout the day. Why, I ask you, haven't we adopted the same amenities in the states? It really does round out the entire experience. lol

(Forgive me if this entry seems awkward or disjointed. Jet lag has reduced my brain to utter mush. I just wanted to make sure to write while this stuff was still fresh in my mind.)

I look forward to tomorrow and whatever new adventures the day brings. :)

The Ultimate Test

It's a funny thing: the dynamic between men and women. With adulthood comes a whole new set of rules (and exceptions to them) in this game of love we are all clamoring to play. We realize that things are not nearly as black and white as we once believed them to be when our heads were filled with the image of the ideal romance painted by every one of our favorite childhood fairytales. With adulthood comes an understanding that though the basic framework of the game remains the same, the rules have changed entirely.

In today’s world, one’s lifestyle is often completely defined and dictated by their career path. Mine is no exception. I work as a professional entertainer and while I love what I do, it is not exactly conducive to building and maintaining committed relationships. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. People who work in the entertainment industry have long since come to peace with the fact that distance is an inevitable hardship they will have to endure if they ever hope to be a part of something lasting. In order to survive in this kind of dating environment, one must develop a certain casual approach in the earliest stages of courtship. Due to the fact that working performers are rarely in one place for longer than four to six months at a time, they must learn to appreciate any time they get to spend with someone they care for at face value. While passions often develop quickly and run deeply between these artistic types, they must understand that they can’t really trust their feelings until they have stood the test of time and distance. One thing that is very common of interpersonal relationships among performers, (theatre performers, especially) is that due to the nature of our jobs, we are constantly moving from one temporary community to another. We have grown very accustomed to developing deep emotional ties at an accelerated rate (due, in part to the exorbitant amount of time spent together in the rehearsal process) and having to say goodbye to our new found friends just as quickly. Romantic relationships within this realm reflect much of the same pattern. Often, these affairs fizzle as quickly as they were ignited.

Occasionally, one will find that they’ve stumbled upon a romance that is worth exploring beyond the end of the performance contract. Then comes the question of whether or not to remain exclusive in spite of the physical distance. No matter what decision a couple reaches about this matter, they will endure their own unique brand of heartache. If they choose to remain entirely committed, they will no doubt suffer great pains from the separation. They will, however, be able to take comfort in the knowledge that their significant other is not seeking the company of anybody else. Another approach is to leave the relationship undefined. To freely acknowledge their feelings for one another yet remain open to whatever (or whomever) may come along in the other’s absence. While this method awards each party certain freedoms, it can be a breeding ground for insecurity and distrust. It is important to remember that though it very closely resembles a relationship, it is missing a vital factor: commitment. It is crucial to keep things in perspective and guard one’s heart if they choose to move forward in this type of arrangement.

As grim as either of these two scenarios may seem, there are the rare occasions when time and distance do not serve as a means of tearing two such people apart but instead solidify their union. The funny thing about the heart is that is knows what it wants. No amount of separation can convince it otherwise when it has chosen to devote itself to another. There is a point at which we must choose to let go and trust that if it is meant to be, it will be no matter what odds are stacked against our promised happily ever after.

The Road Less Traveled

I went hiking recently. I'm generally not much of one for hiking, mind you, but when a friend of mine invited me to come along with some friends of his on a Monday morning, I accepted. Nine AM came far earlier than I would have liked it to that day, but somehow, I managed to drag my sleepy self out of bed and into the shower. Twenty minutes later, I was in the car with my fellow adventurers heading to our destination; a remote location in the mountains of Tuolumne County called "God's Bath". We pulled over and stood at the edge of the bridge that looked over the trail we would be taking. The journey began with an approximately thirty foot drop that was so steep it required the use of a rope the local park rangers had secured to the base of a tree. I wondered what exactly I had signed up for as I took the rope in hand and proceeded to repel down the face of this small mountain. Once one the ground, things were less strenuous. A little challenging at times as most of it consisted of hopping from one rock to another along the river bank, but far more enjoyable than the type of monotonous uphill climb along a dirt path one usually associates with hiking. A mere twenty-five minutes later we reached our haven.

It didn't take me long to understand how the place had earned its name. It seemed to have its own energy; a serenity one could not help but be overtaken by as soon as they stepped onto the smooth granite surface overlooking the natural swimming hole that had been carved out over however many thousands of years by the small waterfall coming through the crevice in the rock wall. The sun had not yet made its way over the top of the cliff that shadowed our little oasis and the narrow valley seemed to intensify the breeze that blew upstream. A small rainbow was visible in the refreshing mist that rose up from the water and the clouds drifted lazily overhead against a cerulean sky. It was the perfect backdrop against which one could lie back on the rock, take a deep breath and let their every care fall away into the water below.

For the first time in a very long time, my mind seemed to slow down a bit. As I gazed upward I let the thoughts float through my head as gently and freely as the languid skyscape above. Many of the affairs that cause me constant anxiety were present in my stream of consciousness but somehow they seemed less menacing in this place. I had attained the unattainable; a moment of peace. All of the circumstances in my life remained exactly the same as I had left them at the base of the mountain, but here, I was free from the mastery they held over me. There were no interruptions from my Blackberry, no obsessions with checking my e-mail, my Facebook, my checking account balance. In their place was pure, unadulterated tranquility. I let it envelope me as I dozed off in the early afternoon sunshine that had finally made its brilliant entrance into our little corner of the sky.

I came back down the mountain feeling relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated: three qualifiers I rarely happen upon in my stress-filled existence. It was so wonderful to have a small reprieve from the exhausting task of agonizing over every minute detail of my life over which I have no control. God's Bath has cast its intoxicating spell over me and needless to say, I plan to return to my own little piece of Eden as soon as I get the opportunity.

A Creative Type

I wonder sometimes why God saw fit to create me as a person who only seems to be passionate about things that are considered superfluous in our society. Particularly in times of economic hardship. Let's face it, musical theatre isn't exactly up there with rent and groceries on peoples' priority lists. Sometimes I wish something like nursing or accounting would light the same kind of fire under me that the arts do. It seems life would be a whole lot simpler if I could go to an office or a hospital every day, come home with my steady paycheck to my comfortable apartment, and open a can of the expensive cat food for my furball Benedick as I make myself a delicious meal of high dollar organic ingredients. Wouldn't that be loverly?

Alas, it's simply not the case. I'm one of those freaks who would much rather constantly hustle work in an industry where there are far more people than jobs available if it means I get to avoid a mind-numbing existence in a cubicle. I'm not the type to do a job in order to finance my life outside of the office. My work makes me feel alive just as much, (if not more), than my recreational activities and it brings me far more than monetary satisfaction. In fact, most times, it brings me far more satisfaction than money.

An interesting coincidence about being a so called, "creative type" is that we often need to get creative about how exactly we can generate an income that will support our lifestyle and bring us some satisfaction. This is often challenging and can be very discouraging when the answers we so desperately seek don't reveal themselves to us right away. We need to take heart in the fact that the kinds of jobs we can really sink our teeth into do actually exist and commit to doing the grunt work in seeking them out.

The question is.....where are they?

Perseverance

It's just not one of those words that makes you feel all "warm and fuzzy" inside, is it? And why should it? The definition itself suggests that if one is persevering, circumstances are perhaps, less than ideal. Let's take a look at said definition:

Persevere: to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

Perseverance seems to almost always go hand in hand with patience in my life; another thing I'm not very good at. Having grown up in this "cyber generation" where everything is literally at our fingertips and downloads within seconds, waiting things out in "real time" has become an ongoing challenge. If we don't have results instantaneously, we feel like results aren't coming, (or at least I do). My attitudes about patience carry over even into the time I spend reading in the Word. I've been reading through the book of 2 Kings and I get so frustrated with Israel. King after king, after king comes onto the scene. Some do good in the eyes of the Lord, others do evil, but even those who do good fail to remove the high places that Jeroboam, son of Nebat put into place. (He's the guy who put up the two idols of the golden calves and lead Israel astray into worshiping them even though God explicitly instructed them not to worship any other gods or idols.) I found myself getting so frustrated as I read. Each section would talk about these kings and the things they accomplished during the time of their reign, and each and every one stated the same thing; "But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them". I kept reading in hopes that somebody would come onto the scene and finally set things right. I finished the book yesterday and alas... nobody was able to come through for me. Now I know that the entire Bible is a picture of God's ever tumultuous relationship with Israel, or Israel's ever tumultuous relationship with God, rather. You read on and they are in an endless cycle of repentance and rebellion from start to finish. We're still in that cycle as followers of Jesus Christ today. One thing that really stands out to me is how many chances God gives to the people of Israel despite their blatant disregard for His commands before he finally does deport them from their land as an act of discipline and (what I would imagine as) a means of getting their attention again. He doesn't give up on them as a people when they don't get everything right all at once. The progress they make may be minute, but he regards it as progress nonetheless and continues to show them grace and patience as they work out all the other kinks.

God demonstrates the same kind of patience with us in our lives and part of our journey as believers who are being ever transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ is to grow in patience and other fruits of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:21-23). Now, I don't know about you, but I certainly regard practicing patience as an act of suffering. God's word teaches us that we are to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5: 3-4).

One conclusion that I have drawn from my recent readings in Scripture is that anything that is worth having is worth waiting for. The reason God is always so patient with us as a people is because he knows the value of the relationship he has with us. Not because of anything we've done or because we are so wonderful, but simply because he loves us. We ought to take a cue from God and learn how to wait things out in our own lives from time to time. Things may not always turn out exactly the way you would like them to exactly when you would like to see the results, but the fact that the end result has not yet arrived doesn't diminish the progress that is being made every single day.

A small victory is still a victory. A baby step still brings you a little closer to the finish line than you were before you took it. Let the little things each day encourage you rather than focusing on the big thing that has not yet come to pass. Romans 12:12 tells us to "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer". Having said that, I leave you with this final piece of scripture;


" He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones." (Proverbs 2:7-8)

A world of opportunity....

It seems that God may be getting ready to open up some pretty incredible doors in my life. I'm not going to disclose too much information about this all just yet, simply because I want to be careful to ensure that my heart remains in line with God's will for me right now. I don't want to get distracted or have sharing some of this end up being confused for bragging about it, or anything like that. I will simply say this.....

An opportunity may be coming up for me very soon. An opportunity to serve in full time ministry. An opportunity to worship God through music, missions and every day service and surrender to his son Jesus Christ.

Please be praying for me in this. Monday, May 25th is the magic day. I promise, I will share more information when I feel the time is right... in the mean time... God knows all the details. :)

Answers

It's frustrating at times; looking to the Bible for answers. I say this not because I don't believe the answers the Bible contains are are valuable, on the contrary, they are precious. I say this because oft times, the answers the Bible offers are rarely the answers to the questions we have in the first place.

Just today, I was sitting at the counter with two objects in front of me. My bible and this computer. I've been in a place lately where I'm constantly searching for direction. Do I investigate the possibility of school? Of various job opportunities? Of doing something like YWAM? (for those of you who are not familiar, Youth With A Mission is a Christian organization dedicated to being and making disciples of Christ. They offer various training programs and opportunities to serve in missions all over the globe.) As I contemplated these things and more, I asked God, "What do you want me to do?" Then I started to reach for the computer to start googling through some of these different ideas. It occurred to me that it was a little silly that I would expect God to "speak" to me as I was browsing through pages and pages of the information super highway....when I had his living and active Word sitting within arms reach. So I closed the computer and opened the Bible to the book of Ephesians.

I read about Christ's power and authority. I read about how Christ chose and predestined us to share in his inheritance and the praise of his glory. I read about how we are to be excited about the promise we have in Christ. About how the Holy Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing the things that are yet to come as a result of our salvation. I read about how we are one in Christ together with all of creation which at the end times will all come together and be restored for the purpose of God's glory.

These are all good things. They are all valuable answers. They do not, however, answer the questions I have today. How I wish, sometimes, that I could open my Bible one day and have my eyes fall upon words like, "Leigh Cara, It is my will that you go back to work on a cruise ship/apply for this college/seek that job in this city...." God doesn't seem to answer in these ways though. Instead, he says to us, "Love your neighbor as yourself." "Go and make disciples of all nations." "Pray on all occasions." Just last night I read the passage of scripture that says tells us not to worry about our lives. That God knows what our needs are so we are to "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

All of these little details in life that we fret over and spend all of our time trying to come up with solutions to are merely afterthoughts. Or at least, God's word suggests to us that they should be. Questions like "How am I going to support myself? How am I going to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head and put food on my table?" Afterthoughts. Crazy, huh?

I suppose the questions I should be asking are, "How do I make an impact for Christ and his kingdom today?" "Who around me does not know Christ and has not received his salvation?" "What is the best way for me to demonstrate Christ's love to somebody who is hurting?". I suppose that when we align our hearts with God and start to ask the right questions, we will find the answers we seek. Specific answers and instructions even, for the scenarios we will find ourselves in. Not to mention encouragement for the hardships we will inevitably endure as we step into our role as the "hands and feet" of Christ and really take ownership of our responsibility to step up and answer his call to serve him and others.

I have so much to learn about what it means to die unto myself in order to have life through Christ...