Saturday, December 30, 2023

101 Things in 1001 Days: January 1st, 2023 to September 27th, 2026

In the past, the 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge was pretty prominent on blogs. I remember when many of my friends online were creating their own lists to share. I've completed the challenge myself multiple times, although never completely.

I last completed one in 2015, and wow. Life feels really different now compared to then. I wanted to try the challenge again, but this time more realistically and as a motivator to do things I enjoy in life.

If you also completed the challenge in the past, or are thinking about doing it now, I would love to hear how it goes!

THE LIST

Start Date: January 1st, 2023

End Date: September 27th, 2026

Progress Tracker: 8/101 Completed

Random

1. ☑ Create this list!
2. ☐ Watch 10 documentaries (2/10)
3. ☑ Finish my first BG3 run
4. ☐ Read 5 books for fun (0/5)
5. ☐ Put 1000 yen (or around 10 USD) in savings each time I complete an item on this list (0/101)
6. ☐ Catch up on Doctor Who
7. ☐ Have an unplugged day with no tech
8. ☑ Update Unroll.me
9. ☐ Play a game of DnD/Other TTRPG 
10. ☑ Use the points function at Karaoke!
11. ☐ Knit or draw in a cafe
12. ☐ Join Postcrossing
13. ☑ Finish archival admin work on the discord
14. ☐ Cash out my change jar
15. ☐ Have some self-photos taken that I actually like
16. ☐ Lose 10-20 pounds for health, not for looks
17. ☐ Finish my box of incense and buy a new scent
18. ☐ Buy or rent a real kimono, not yukata
19. ☑ Wear my haori in public
20. ☐ Wear every item in my closet at least once or get rid of it
21. ☐ Play the taiko drum game
22. ☐ Clean out who I follow on Instagram and YouTube
23. ☐ Finish all of the tea I currently have
24. ☑ Keep my succulents alive for at least a few months (slow progress is better than none!)
25. ☐ Re-pot my succulents
26. ☐ Complete all these 101 goals & FEEL PROUD!

Art/Music/Writing

27. ☐ Complete 5 pages in a coloring book (1/5)
28. ☐ Finish the final draft for my novel
29. ☐ Finish the Mori Draw challenge
30. ☐ Sketch in a public place
31. ☐ Write a letter to myself to open at the end of this challenge
32. ☐ Write a letter to myself to open in 5 years
33. ☐ Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
34. ☐ Create a Spotify playlist each season of my current favorite songs (0/4 seasons)
35. ☐ Finish a doodle a day for 2024 (0/365)
36. ☐ Clean up my Spotify playlists
37. ☐ Complete a list of drawing prompts and/or a prompts book
38. ☐ Write a new song about Tsuyama
39. ☐ Memorize one piano piece 
40. ☐ Finish character designs for all of my novel's characters
41. ☐ Complete an art commission
42. ☐ Complete 3 art studies (0/3)
43. ☐ Sew a skirt
44. ☐ Write down 10 questions I have about faith (0/10)
45. ☐ Research those 10 questions and examine all sides (0/10)
46. ☐ Learn one new finger picking song on the guitar

Blog/Social Media

47. ☐ Create videos/blogs documenting my travels in Japan
48. ☐ Create 3 videos (not music) for my YouTube channel (0/3)
49. ☐ Write once a month on my main blog for a year (0/12 months)
50. ☐ Complete a thorough blog audit and update/delete posts as needed
51. ☐ Update my blog theme
52.☐  Create a new blog banner and assets for across social media
53. ☐ Create a linktree
54. ☐ Organize posts for easier navigation on my blog 

Daily Life

55. ☐ Start doing dance exercises at least once a week for 2 months (0/60 days)
56. ☐ Create my own cookbook or recipe hub of recipes I actually cook
57. ☐ Write out a realistic after work routine
58. ☐ Stick to that routine for 1 month (0/30 days)
59. ☐ Complete an entire 30-day challenge of cooking at home (0/30 days)
60. ☐ Drink the proper amount of water everyday for a week (0/7 days)
61. ☐ Meditate daily for a month (0/30 days)

Language Learning

62. ☐ Finish reading 1 manga in Japanese
63. ☐ Reach 100 posts on my Japanese Learning blog (51/100)
64. ☐ Either take JLPT N4 and pass, or pass a practice test online
65. ☐ Take and pass a practice PRAXIS exam for teaching Japanese
66. ☐ Celebrate my 1,000-day streak on Duolingo
67. ☐ Start learning ASL 

Purchases

68. ☐ Buy a physical copy of "Artificial Heart" by JoCO
69. ☐ Buy a physical copy of "Solid State" by JoCo
70. ☐ Buy a physical copy of "Air for Free" by Relient K
71. ☐ Buy a pet (snake/cat/horse/etc.)
72. ☐ Get a tattoo
73. ☐ Get new glasses
74. ☐ Attend an in-person therapy session
75. ☐ Attend an in-person Japanese class
76. ☐ Treat Mamaw to a day out
77. ☐ Treat Mom to a day out
78. ☐ Treat Dad to a day out
79. ☐ Treat littlest bro to a day out
80. ☐ Buy a nice re-usable tea strainer

Experiences

81. ☐ Visit 5 new Japanese restaurants (1/5)
82. ☐ Try 10 new foods (0/10)
83. ☐ Visit 3 new cities (0/3)
84. ☐ Travel to a new country
85. ☐ See a live music performance
86. ☐ See Tricolor live before I leave Japan
87. ☐ See the Northern Lights
88. ☐ Visit a new prefecture
89. ☐ Visit a new state 
90. ☐ Visit a local museum
91. ☐ Visit an escape room
92. ☐ Go on a hike (an American hike, not a Japanese "hike")
93. ☐ Visit a new matsuri not in my city
94. ☐ Go to an ethical animal cafe
95. ☐ Visit a historical re-enactment
96. ☐ Visit a renfair 
97. ☐ Visit a protest for a cause I am passionate about (education, social justice, etc.)
98. ☐ Visit my cousins
99. ☐ Visit my grandparents that live far away
100. ☑ Bake something new 
101. ☐ Visit Tokyo Disney

Sunday, April 14, 2019

How Do You See God?

Recently I had a talk with a friend and the conversation somehow strayed to our perceptions of God, and what that says about our relationship with him. She mentioned a question that another mutual friend of ours had asked her, one that had got her thinking. The question was, "How old is your Jesus?" My friend used this as a starting point to examine how she sees Jesus and the Trinity. For her, she could separate Jesus and the other parts of a trinity to an age that served as a metaphor for how she saw the Lord. 

I found this concept interesting, but when she asked me to answer, I couldn't. However, after I had thought about it, although I couldn't pinpoint it to an age, I could find things that described how I feel about the Trinity, and I wanted to share that with you.

Maybe this will get you thinking about where you are in your relationship with God the Father, Jesus, and his Holy Spirit. And maybe, you will be inspired by my walk and my authenticity. Either way, I hope you can find something here that speaks to you:

The Father

When I think of God the Father, I think of a majestic historical cathedral. One where you walk inside, and immediately you are awestruck by the vastness of the space, the beauty of the artwork and stained glass inside, and the mystery of what all might have taken place there. Yet for all its awe-inspiring mystery, it is still a real place, you can see it and interact with it, but it is also so much bigger than you, and somewhat intimidating, and you’re afraid to interact with it sometimes. I see God the father that way. Vast, awe-inspiring, striking holy fear into me, but also something that I can see and comprehend in its own way.

The Son

When I think of Jesus, I feel like he is my long-distance boyfriend (as cheesy as that sounds). Like, this boyfriend and I were close. We used to spend all this time together, and we knew a lot about each other, but now he’s distant and it feels like there’s nothing I can do about it. And although I am trying to keep connected with him, and we still talk sometimes, it’s just not the same as it once was, and everything feels different now. And I also kind of feel like he’s ignoring my problems in favor of interacting with other people instead. Like, I see him interacting with other people from afar and I’m happy he’s helping other people, but I feel like he’s ignoring me (if we continue with this allegory, it’s like I’m watching his social media page, seeing his updates about hanging out with other people, and I’m not jealous, but I do feel slightly upset that I don’t get that same closeness with him as others do).

The Holy Spirit

When I think of the Holy Spirit, I think of the sea. At surface level (no pun intended) I know what the sea is. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it, I’ve interacted with it. However, I know nothing about the intricacies of underneath the sea, and it is still a great mystery to me. I also don’t interact with the sea often. I know it’s there, but I often forget about it. The Holy Spirit is the same way to me. I feel him at work in my life sometimes, I know logically what he is and what he does, but I often forget about him. It’s something I need to work on being more conscious of, I think.

So how about you? How old is your Jesus? What metaphor best describes where you are at with the Lord at this moment? I'd love to hear your answers, and learn more about your hearts. Blessings my friends!

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Authenticity

I have a yearning for authenticity in every aspect of my life. I yearn for it in friendships, for real connections about what really matters and not small talk and surface level conversations. I yearn for it in my work, in wanting to teach what really matters to my students and not what is simply expected. But lately, this yearning seems to manifest itself most deeply in my walk with Christ.

To me, authenticity in my faith means I only want what is authentically right and true and God's will. If it isn't God's will, I don't want it to be my desire. If he didn't say it or condone it, then I have no need for it.

Of course, I'm not perfect, so I don't always enact this. And I'm also fallible, so what I think is right isn't always, and I am always learning and changing and growing. Yet, I find as a grow closer and closer to God, that this yearning for his complete and perfect will only grows.

I think it all started when I decided to read the entire Bible. A task I had never thought to accomplish, but one that helped me to solidify my theology and peel away layers of incorrect assumptions I had long kept. I was left at the end with a firmer grasp on my faith, to be certain, but also with a deep desire to learn more about what was still unclear to me.

Now, I am in a place where I am picking apart everything. Cultural beliefs about God, things I've learned from trusted teachers and friends, denominational differences, all of it is coming under the lens of scrutiny. More often than not, I find nothing wrong with the things I believed to be the truth, but sometimes I find scripture that contradicts something I didn't expect, and I have to reform my beliefs to match that of my Lord. It's a long process, and one that I know will take my whole life to complete, but it's worth it to know that I will come out of this looking more like Jesus.

Unfortunately, I don't see many people around me with the same desires, and it can be disheartening. I have so many dear friends and family members whom I love, and whom I know do love Jesus, but whom just aren't willing or maybe ready to take the next step in their faith. I also see so many people who had strong walks with Christ abandoning their beliefs to accept a worldly version of Jesus, diluting him down to something that fits their narrative, their needs, their wants. And that breaks my heart more than anything.

It's one thing to have denominational differences or rib issues (versus spine issues as my mother always says) or to be simply immature in your faith and waiting for God to move. It's another to craft an image of God that is contrary to his word, simply because it suits you.

To me, I have come to a place where if God's word doesn't say it explicitly, or if it doesn't fall in line with the whole of scripture, I don't want it. Even if it seems harmless, even if it isn't considered "bad". If it is not of God, I don't want it.

I pray that for others, this becomes your heart's cry too. Learn, read, find out more about what the Lord says, learn about your church's traditions, learn about the history of the church, learn about your family, examine why you know what you know and who told it to you. And back all of this with scripture. Chances are, you'll be surprised at what things you find. You probably won't come out the same.

Recently, a friend shared a song with me. It's definitely not my jam on a musical standpoint, but the lyrics hold a deep truth that I think is so important. "I don’t want it if You’re not in it. I just want You, God."

Lord, let the cry of our hearts be for you. Let us desire what you desire only, let us know you for who you are, not who we want you to be. Let us tear away all of the things of this world, no matter how precious they are to us, and leave us only with what we know is of you. You are the only thing that matters, you are the reason for being. In the name of your precious son Jesus, Amen.

Monday, September 3, 2018

This Season of Worship

A dear friend of mine, at the blog Midwest Shooting Star, recently shared a short playlist of worship music that has been inspiring her in this season of her life. I was equally inspired by the songs she chose, as I was with the idea. So I've decided to make my own little version to share with you a bit of my heart.

I find that these songs speak best for themselves, without me giving them an introduction, so I'm simply linking them here and providing you with some of my favorite lyrics from each song. I hope they are as encouraging to you as they have been to me in this season of worship.

(You can find a link to a Spotify playlist with all of these songs here.)

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Whispers

i'm getting tired of the whisper
i ache to see the rocks split
the mountains move
to hear the horn sound
and the thunder roar

it's so quiet now
and sometimes it feels useless
like i'm talking to myself in an empty building
with echoes dogging my heels

or i'm writing letters to no one
paying for the stamps with the last of my quarters
and mailing them to nowhere

and yet, sometimes
when i least expect it
the whisper reaches my ears
and the apathy fades
slightly

it's still not what i want
but, now, i wonder
would i know what i want
if he gave it to me

or would i complain that he's too bland and miss what he's trying to say?

Friday, December 1, 2017

Waiting (Contemplative Piece/Poem)

"Why aren't you on the street corner?" I sigh, as I berate God for not being where I want him to be. "I've been begging for a sign, but I don't hear anything." I say, and my irate ranting covers the sound of his whispers in my ear.

"Why don't you come to me in a pillar of fire?" I say. "You did it for her, so why am I always left out?" I close my eyes in disgust, and miss the small message coming my way in the form of a paper airplane on a gust of wind.

"Where's my miraculous healing?" I scream, as I further twist my own arm behind my back. "You healed him when he asked, so am I just not important to you?" I say, as I turn my back right before you come to me with a band-aid held in your outstretched hand.

"Why wasn't I listening?" I whisper, when I finally have dropped my facades enough to notice your permanent presence in my bedroom, right there in the corner where I'd stuffed you. "It's okay." You respond, as you hand me a handwritten letter with the answers to all of my questions and doubts. "I was just waiting for permission to hold your hand." You say, as you hold me while I cry, and you paste me back together.

Matthew 5:41 (Original Poem)

i have been carrying my master's armor for many a mile,
just as i was instructed to
all my life
"fight the good fight"
"rewards are just around the corner"
"he sees your sacrifice and he will honor it"
they say
but my body grows weary from the exhurtion

of course, my master is not cruel
he rewards me for my service
whether it is a softly whispered "good job"
or a short day of rest
but i am weary all the same

"lord" i ask
"when will i feel restored?
where is the end of the journey
or even a respite for my aching soul?"

i turn to him expecting answers
but he just smiles
the smile that makes everyone follow his every wish
and answers not my current question
but the question i had asked 5 miles ago

as he waxes lyric about things i had previously asked to hear
i re-adjust the armor in my arms
and focus on walking just one more step

if i can make it to the next mile marker
i might get an answer then