Hello everyone!

[Insert exasperated sigh here] I am only going to take a few moments for my list of sad yet honest set of excuses, so just hang in there.

My house (Yes we bought a house!!!) doesn’t have WiFi yet, so I have been unable to do anything concerning the internet. Forget my blog, I haven’t even been able to my homework! Also there’s this thing of me trying to get settled in and stuff. You know, because I moved to a new country and all.

Enough excuses you lazy bum! Get on with it!

Okay, okay, I’m done.

For the past few weeks, we have been trying out various churches on and off base in Okinawa. We still haven’t found our “home church” though. Yet. But there has been some growth within the process so far.

We’ve tried out 2 traditional chapels, a gospel service, and a church that was converted from a hair salon academy. The first few that we went to, I was highly critical about everything. They don’t have coffee or anything to drink? What do you mean those two people up there are the “band”? Wait, there’s like 10 people here. You get it. I’m not proud of it. It’s one of those things buried so deep in your subconscious that you really don’t even realize how judgmental you’e being. And then when someone points it out you’re like, “who, me? never.” It’s something that’s hard to confront but must be confronted for growth to happen.

It’s so easy to be in a new environment and try to make it how you’re used to. It’s human nature to dislike change. I’m not blaming anybody for that, and I’m definitely not blaming myself for it. But I am ashamed when I realize it and yet still choose to look at things one way. I feel as if this point I’m trying to make can be translated to many other things.

Everyday we have choices on how to perceive the things around us. The difference between everyone is what we choose to see, or what to focus on. Hmm okay that’s generalizing things quite a bit, but you get it. Whether I like it or not, I can’t control everything in my life. And sometimes when I’m having trouble accepting this, I choose to throw myself a pity party with a guest list of 1. (I’m infamous for my amazing pity parties. Seriously, just ask anyone who lives with me.) Apparently, I’d rather sulk in the fact that I can’t control everything (wow what a shocker) than enjoy the life I have been given. I say all of this looking at myself from afar. Which is something I think we all need to do every once in a while.

We only have this one life to live. You blink and your life has already gone by. Don’t spend your time trying to make time slow down. I promise you, it won’t work. Time waits for no man. The only thing we can do is take in as much as life as we can. Savor each and every moment for what it is, not what it could be. I don’t really like the saying “make the most out of it” because that implies that you have to make the good parts out of the situation. It implies that it’s not already there. But it is! There is goodness to see everywhere. There’s good in leaving the one place you knew as home. There’s good in growing up. There’s even good in starting a new school in a foreign country… Even though I say these things to myself, it doesn’t make it real to me. I still have to live these things to learn them. But confrontation is the first step to growth.

Tomorrow is Sunday (for Japan at least) and starting now, I will be looking for the good. I will not take things for granted, and I will try to enjoy this place while making it my new home. ❤

Thanks for taking the time to take a look at this post! (Like seriously, thank you) Have anything to say or comment on? Don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comment section.

**The view from the balcony in my house**