New Year's Greeting

Happy New Year!

May this New Year 2011 bring you and your family a wonderful year.

It was hot, hot summer in Chicago. Reflecting on the summer in Chicago, we are having cold, cold winter. It is not even winter yet on the calendar. It has been 20° in day time and 10° in night time every day since the beginning of December.

Please listen to our conversation with my sister-in-law who is living in Irvine, California:
“I heard it is cold in Chicago.”
“Yes, it was cold, but tomorrow will be warmer around 40°, so we’re looking forward to that.”
“What did you say? 40°? Here in California 60° to 70° every day. I can’t believe you said 40° is warmer.”
“But, it has been 20° last 4 or 5 days.” “Below freezing?!”

However, any place will become heaven after living 40 years, so we are walking 3 km. every day in this cold weather and on the icy road. I was raised at the northern part of Japan and loved ski, so I thank to walk well even though on the snowy and icy road.

By the way, I thank of my age. We, Mikio and I can sleep until 8:00 AM, and amazingly read Bible every day and understand it well. I’m still enjoy writing the blog. I’d like to write about Santa’s parade but missed the parade, because the parade was held on Thanksgiving Day. It used to hold on the first Saturday of December. However, I was walking around down town Chicago and taking the photos of Christmas trees. Please go into my blog http://htsukasa.blogspot.com and read it. Thanks!

At the end-year prayer meeting, Pastor let us meditate on the following Bible verses:

Jesus Calms the Storm 35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,“ Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

After the meditation I realize the one sentence stick out in my mind that is “Let us go over to the other side.” I wonder what is in the other side, where is the other side. Jesus may have the plan for me in the other side for 2011. I’d like to find out this question during 2011.

In this New Year, may the something wonderful change be occurred to you and your family.

By the Japanese calendar, it is a year of “Rabbit”