The Amazing Smile List

This time instead of posting about random smile events (because I failed to keep a list) I’m just going to talk about two things…

First, having elementary school class photos posted on Facebook! Oh my goodness, did this bring back memories and so many smiles and laughs. So crazy! But it’s hilarious that even though it is so embarrassing, or perhaps because it is so embarrassing, everyone is commenting with all these old memories from our elementary days! I’m absolutely loving it… so much fun J

 

Second is today. Had a wonderful day, full of tons and tons of smiles. Spent the entire day with great friends – went with Hillary to Shimonoseki to visit Taka and Aki. What a blast! Cracked up making fun of Taka’s pronunciation of ‘bus’… love their little girl Mika – absolutely adorable! She wouldn’t take her eyes off me at first… and it wasn’t because she liked me! Taka randomly asked ‘What’s the stupidest thing we did in seminary?’ and I answered without a half-second hesitation, ‘Boxing!’ WHAT were we thinking?? Oh, so many good laughs.

 

What is it about reminiscing about old times that makes us feel so good – even when the memories are embarrassing?! How crazy is that? How wonderful to have such memories though. Love it. Absolutely love it.

 

I said two, but here’s a third… Unconditional love and forgiveness. Amazing that God provides them for us, and even gives people here on earth special grace to administer those to others in times of need. Absolutely amazing. I am a blessed man.

Can't keep up with all the smiles...

Somehow the days and even weeks just slip right on by, and it takes me forever to sit down and write… and even though it’s been over 2 weeks since my last smile post, I have (somewhat) been keeping a list, and so I really don’t have an excuse for not posting. In any case, I hope you find some of the following enjoyable… I sure did!

 

In the last 2+ weeks, I smiles and laughed and was just in general happy when…

 

I got to relive the old days of playful banter with Taka… oh, the joys of friendship! What a blessing from God!!

I cleaned my bathroom. I am not really crazy about the cleaning part, but the end result is absolutely worth it. This goes for the rest of the house, too. Definitely makes me happy.

Someone choked when told that I would give them a ride home. Is my driving really that bad??

I got dried persimmons as a gift from an English student… they are good!

I scratched a bunch of stuff off my to-do list at once. (I’m not one of those who writes down things that I’ve already completed, just to scratch them off, though!)

I had a picnic and a nice drive with a good friend.

 

I went on a little trip last week, and had some good laughs with my friends, Colby and Theresa…

Colby falling asleep so quickly in the car. I think it’s a gift.

Seeing Mt. Fuji made me happy… it is so cool!

Finding out a friend from seminary is having another baby!

Theresa offered me an old waffle 6+ times, seriously.

Picture of superman holding up the church… and a little boy wearing a superman shirt and camo pants.

Getting hit in the face by someone’s water when they popped open the top on their sport bottle!

 

It’s the little things in life that bring the biggest joy J

 

Don't think that pestering me will always get you what you want...

“A joyful heart is good medicine” – from the Bible

These words are so true… and recently my heart is simply full of joy.

Life is good!

 

Some of my recent smiles and laughs include…

 

Being stalked. Yes, this makes me smile. Only because it’s not real though. Real stalking is not cool. Don’t do it.

The starry night sky – it’s simply amazing! Especially when you can see fireballs flying around in every direction up there… That and looking at the vastness of the ocean reminds me of God’s power perhaps more than anything else.

Hummingbirds. I didn’t even know they lived here in Japan… but sure enough, I saw two only days apart. One of them was at my place, and I smiled and laughed at him a little when he tried to suck the sweetness out of the very colorful but wooden flower-shaped decorations I have placed around the garden. So cute. Oh yeah, and the dollar store makes me smile.

Working with people who love the Lord and desire to grow in their knowledge of and love for Him.

A certain someone (I will definitely refrain from naming names this time!) who sneezed in her hand and then licked it up, not wanting to wipe it on her pants! I laughed so hard!

Words of encouragement coming so frequently that you can actually start to believe they are true J

Fall. Love it. The weather is simply great. Love it.

And photos, too. I started to remember how much I enjoy taking pictures this week… It’s been too long!

 

I know it’s a short list! It’s not comprehensive – I’m not very good yet about writing things down so I can remember to write about them here. I will (try) to work on it though. Your patience brings me joy J

Have a blessed weekend! Love the Lord with all you have…

Bobby

Greetings!

Hi Melissa! How are you this fine day??

Things to write home about...

Okay, so I’ve sort of failed on the weekly smile list thing… I have sort of been keeping a list, but actually posting it is another story… Here are some things from the last few weeks that have made me laugh and smile… stuff to write home about…

 

Getting bugged to write a smile list. And not doing it. Haha, should being mean really make me smile?!

Being 30 but feeling like I’m 12… or 5. J

Going camping, and enjoying it enough to want to go back!

A Japanese guy pointing at a picture of me and asking “What’s this?”

Buying a five-year planner (diary) so I can write down what I do each day and see what I was doing in years past (assuming I keep it up for more than a year!)

Notes from friends that let you know they care, and are listening.

Watching a guy solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than two minutes, blindfolded!

Making middle-aged Japanese women giggle.

Leisurely dinners.

Typhoons!

The beautiful weather after a typhoon or hurricane passes!

Pictures, and gardening.

Example sentences in my Japanese book:

“I thought I couldn’t live without you; but since we got married, I realize I’m fine on my own.” (Ouch!)

“I’m not asking you to write like a calligrapher, but you at least need to write in a way that can be read!”

 

Who knew studying Japanese could be so much fun!

 

 

More Smiles

We’ll see if I can keep this going… I tried to keep a list this week of smiles, but I know there were a lot more than this… I’m going camping this week with my hilarious teammates, so maybe I’ll have plenty to report on next week J

This week’s smiles included…

Finding a lost Bible, and remembering all the unnecessary drama that came with it.

A certain teammate’s look of shock nearly any time any of the rest of us open our mouths.

An English student bringing us an electric fly swatter… a hot pink fly swatter at that!

My brother referring to the naming of my niece as a ‘fiasco’…

An English student accidentally calling ‘elementary school’ a ‘mental school’. Actually, it wasn’t really an accident; she meant it… and we were too busy trying not to laugh to correct her.

Thinking of being an uncle again.

 

What made you smile this week?

Smiles all around...

One of my friends is writing a blog where she gives highlights of the things that made her smile over the past week. I like the idea better than a plain old ‘what I’m thankful for’ list (although I like that too)… And since it makes me smile every time I read her smile list, and it’s been well over a month since I wrote on my own blog, I thought I would share some of my smiles with you tonight…

 

At the top of the list has to be making other people smile… I love it!

And the best one in there is our Japanese grandma and the way she smirks every time she walks through the door and sees my face!

 

Listening from the next room to middle-aged Japanese women babble on in Japanese like little girls during their English class (this happens several times every week)…

 

Just about everything on Japanese TV cracks me up… and sometimes I laugh at myself for thinking it’s funny in the first place.

 

Looking at the flowers I planted out front (a gift from an English student).

 

Riding my motorcycle with my helmet on and thinking that nobody knows I am a foreigner… silly, I know, but it makes me smile!

 

An English student bringing us raw steak… nearly every week.

 

Scoring well on a Japanese test.

 

Emails from friends that say they are coming to visit.

 

Watching a young Japanese man trying to act cool around a girl he likes.

 

And finally… watching my teammates laugh at each other!

 

I’ll have to start making a list through the week if I want to keep this going… As you go about your week, remember to smile, because it will make someone’s day… the gift that gives back immediately! J