2012 New Year Greeting

Happy New Year!

It is 11:30 at Chicago time now.

Thank you for visiting the House of the Rock. How did you spend the year 2011? It is good to reflect on the past year, and to look forward with refreshing new ideas.

I’m stop grumbling my old age and physical pain, instead of that I’m looking for what I can do for my Lord. It was very hard work but with God’s help I’m going to direct 2012 VBS again.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2012.


By the Japanese calendar, it is a year of “Dragon, Heisei 24

Isn’t it superb dragon picture? Hiroko found and borrowed from internet. There is many interesting story for the ball (jewel) dragon carried.


Japanese buckwheat noodle dish for long life (Toshikoshi Soba)

Japanese people have to eat this dish at the last day of the year. This is Hiroko’s Toshikoshi Soba.
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This Bible Verses were read at New Year Worship Service this morning:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 A Time for Everything
1There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9What do workers gain from their toil? 10I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Bible said “There is a time for everything” and the first one of the list, this author mention “a time to be born and a time to die.” God is control our life and death.

It is no use to eat the “Toshikoshi Soba” for long life, ha-ha-ha-ha, but the soba is very healthy and good customs for Japanese. Hiroko likes to keep these Japanese customs, especially, the big cleaning day at the last day of the year. Hiroko didn’t do it.