Yeah, that title has nothing to do with anything, really.  I saw it on a board in Mojiko the other day…kind of makes you wonder what goes on such a boat…

ANYWAYS, so, I wrote an entry on my other blog and it was featured yesterday on the front page of Revelife.  You can check it out here:

http://weblog.revelife.com/xapatotheworld/673291893/our-heart-belongs-to-another.html

Pretty fun.  I finished Francis Chan’s book, “Crazy Love.”  You should buy it and read it as well.  NOW!  What are you still reading this blog for…go and read it now, I tell ya!

Being over in Japan, I spend a lot more time making sure that I’m spiritually fed than I do back home.  I think because, when I’m home, I go to church three times a week…it’s nice.  Here, though, church is kind of thin, not to mention that the sermon is translated.  I’m not saying the pastors here aren’t good…they are…but something gets lost when a sermon has to be translated, and sometimes that thing is my attention span.  So, I listen to both my own pastor:  http://fairfieldfbc.com and Francis Chan: http://cornerstonesimi.com.  It’s really great.  Right now, they are both preaching on the End Times.  My pastor, Tim White, is doing more of the historical (can you call it historical if it’s in the future?)/chronological aspect of it, while Francis is addressing the personal characteristics of those living during that time (2 Timothy 3:1-9).  When I first heard both my pastor and Francis mention they’d do their next series on the End Times, I literally groaned out loud.  But I am really enjoying the holistic approach and investigation of the age.

Now I’m reading J.I. Packer’s “Knowing God”.  I’ve heard a lot about the book, and seen it in many a church/pastor’s office, but never had a chance (or energy) to read it.  Now that I have a good 20 minutes on a train at least 4 times a week, I am reading a lot.  Today I read through the forward and I think that this is going to be the best book for me to follow-up Crazy Love with.

BTW, I don’t understand how people can get a book and not read the forward/preface.  Those are such important parts of a book!  It’s like washing an apple before you begin cutting it.  You just have to do it to get yourself ready for what you’re going to eat.  I mean, you can NOT do it, but then you risk getting a dirty mouth…c’mon…do you really want a dirty mouth?  Just read the preface/forward already.

After several months of thinking that all Japanese dogs don’t like me, today, I met three dogs who thought the world of me and let me pet them for a long time.  🙂  It made me happy.  What also made me happy was receiving a box in the mail, filled with two boxes of goodies and snacks from the US thanks to mia madre.  That was great.  Thanks mia madre!  Also, what made me happy was being able to convince the ladies in my evening class that David Bowie could never be considered a “Has Been”, but the Cyndi Lauper definitely fit such a category.  I also found out that one of Bowie’s first outfits was designed by a Japanese man. Mehehehe.  Life is good.

What are you still doing reading this?  Go buy Crazy Love already!  You can go here:  http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Love-Overwhelmed-Relentless-God/dp/1434768511/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222269932&sr=8-1

Hey everyone.  I wrote a new poem for a challenge on this Christian poets website I belong to:  http://versical.ning.com.  It’s pretty fun.  Just a little community of Christian poets.  I’m trying to shake things up on there by instigating topics for poetic challenges.  This month, the theme is “Autumn/Fall”, and the participants could use any style/format, the only rule is that it has to be a new work.  Here’s my offer, it’s an acrostic:

Start of Autumn
September 22nd, 2008

Sometimes change comes suddenly and sometimes it

Takes its time to come through.

As leaves turn from their green hew to

Reds, yellows, and browns,

Trees resound the coming change of the year.

Oft filled with as many sweet aromas as Spring,

Fall has a subtle beauty to it.

And we praise the Maker and Artist, Who

Understands our need of change, even

Though we may not wish it at times.

Unworthy are we of the gift He gives us,

Mystery, nature, and a season of respite.

Now we welcome Him with open arms.

 – Sarah Cricket ><> –

After months of putting off the seemingly painful process, I mailed out my request for an absentee ballot.  I’m excited to see how the whole “absentee” thing works, since it’s my first time ever doing it.  I felt so patriotic walking to the post office holding my paper, telling them I needed a registered envelope for my very important document, so that I could vote for either McCain-san or Obama-san.  The whole thing was kind of surreal.  The process was not nearly as painful as I thought, and I almost missed the recommended time-line for submitting it.  I’m safe by about a week, so things should go well.

Sorry for not posting anything a little more exciting…it’s been a dull week and alas, I have weekly email updates, a handwritten journal, this blog, a blog on Revelife, AND Facebook.  Things might get lost in the shuffle.  I apologize, I will try to do better.  Consider myself chastised.