Praying for our World

In 1996 I studied abroad (here with some of my fellow students) in Japan for a semester in college.

During a break from the college in Tokyo, I visited the city of Hiroshima to better understand the effects of war and the devastating atomic bomb. This is the statue of Mother and Children in the Storm.

On the right is the one structure that is left as a reminder after the bomb hit, immediately killing an estimated 80,000 people.

It's called Genbaku Dome (Atomic Bomb Dome).

A sampling of some of the millions of origami cranes that are made and left at this Memorial for Peace.

Ten years later, on a visit to a good friend from Hawai'i, we went to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. 

The USS Arizona, where 1,177 men died, can still be seen sunk under the water here.

After seeing these old photos, I am reminded again of the terrible devastation of war from our past and the need to pray for our world today. 

Nearness and Goodness

"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; 

I have made the Lord my refuge, 

that I may tell of all Your works." 

Psalm 73:28 

This is my dear Aunt Val holding me when I was a baby. This picture reminds me of God's goodness. 

What I call good in my life is God's constant nearness. Not life without sickness, trouble or death, but rather life with God's close presence in anything and everything.

 

God is good, He is near, in everything we go through. We can take refuge and trust in our good God, and we too can tell of all His great works. We can put our hope in Him!

Jesus said, 

"...In the world you will have trouble. 

But take heart; I have overcome the world!" 

John 16:33

In the new year...

God wants to be with us and help us no matter what. 

(pic edit by my beloved nephew, Tyson :)

Everything God says is true.

#GiveHope this Christmas!

We can give hope this Christmas!

...through blankets

...through food

...through Bibles

And much more!

Video link:

  #GiveHOPE for Christmas 2021 on Vimeo

Give link:

  https://www.omsgivehope.org/givehope

Thankful!

I celebrated my birthday this month and I was so encouraged by the kind words of so many beloved family and friends. 

My mom made this creative card and my dad sent these beautiful flowers.

I want to express how thankful I am for everyone who is standing with me in different ways, encouraging me, and praying for me in this time of chronic head pain.

I pray that God may bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

II Corinthians 9:8

Scattering seed

We scatter, but God brings the harvest...

God's Reminders

During the month of September, Pepperdine University commemorates the lives lost on September 11 with nearly 3,000 flags. 

There is a flag for each US citizen victim, and the national flag for each foreign country that lost a citizen in the attack.

One Sunday morning I was feeling discouraged and I was talking to God in prayer on my way to church as I was passing by the flags at Pepperdine. 

And then I saw this flag (below) right near the front easily seen from the highway. I quickly made a U-turn and got out of the car to check if I had really seen what I thought I had. 

The flag of Mozambique

I thought not only about the lives lost, but I was reminded of God's loving plans for our hurting world, including the country of Mozambique.