May Recap

Hey fam!

We saw a few hot days in May and if you're in Japan you can feel the Summer season coming, but before that we must go through "tsuyu", our annual season of rain.

May started off a little busy for me but as the months rolled on things slowed down, giving me a chance to catch my breath (and catch up on house chores..!). It might've felt extra busy because the whole family caught a cold. We still haven't recovered fully but we are on our way.

Two days after I got sick I went to Osaka to sing at a youth meeting. It was a bit sad that I couldn't go in good condition but these things happen when your body is the instrument and you're an itinerant worshiper. It was a great opportunity to depend fully on God and to hope that His work will be revealed instead of leaning on my abilities. When you become a student of the Word of God, trials turn into window of gratefulness. Whatever the situation may be, we can always find hope in God. Isn't that amazing?

My activities can be separated into three categories: family, work and ministry. I have two elementary kids and I work as a freelance songwriter. I didn't have any work in May, so after the ministry trip to Osaka I had more time than usual. Not having work is great in that I have more time to do other things, but after a while, anxiety creeps in. As a writer, even if I write something, there is no guarantee that it will lead to an income. Most projects are competition based, so no matter how much time I dedicate to writing a song, if it doesn't get chosen, there will be no financial gain. Even if it gets chosen and it gets released, if it doesn't sell, well, you know what I mean. It really is a faith based career-- faith that all the time and energy that you are pouring in to this art will bear fruit in some meaningful way, and that all of you and your family's needs will be met somehow. My husband is a musician too so it really is amazing how far we've come having such an ustable profession.

As I look around the house I see a chair with ottoman. There's a chest with a lamp and vases on it. There are even things in the drawers! When we got married we really didn't have anything, and now our house has furnitures in every room. Everything in this house was given to us by God, and when I think about that, I am overcome with gratefulness. We even have rugs! People can live without rugs. But we have them. God has provided more than what we need. We have plants too! God even gave us things we can enjoy. He will surely provide for us in the future too. Didn't he do it for the Israelites in the wilderness? Didn't He show Himself to be the Provider? As I think about these things my eyes well up with tears and I feel like I'm levitating.

(Funny detail, as I was writing this, I got a work offer! WON'T HE DO IT!)

May saw some difficult moments too where I needed to lean on God's wisdom. Even when it seems like we're walking along the edge of a cliff, he helps us with our every step. In Matthew 6:34 it says, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." Isn't that the truth. When we look too far into the future we only bring worry and anxiety into our minds. We can't outsmart God! We can't think through things and outrun God's timing. So I will stick to walking step by step with Jesus.

In June I will be speaking and singing at Aoyama Gakuin high school to 1,200 students who are mostly non-Christians. I will also be going to Ueda, Nagano to do a concert there. I am very excited for both! Please be praying so that I may communicate the gospel well and sing without feeling limited physically.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, encouragement and support!

Lauren