Christmas Ham

There's a good reason that Jesus chose "birds of the air" over "hamsters" when illustrating quiet dependence in his Sermon on the Mount. Hamsters don't fit the ideal.

Our new pet, our "Christmas ham" is a fun addition to the family. Kaori said, "I need something fuzzy around this house (besides your unshaven face)." Justen said, "I think I need a pet." So, we needed to make this addition to our family. "Chocolat" is fuzzy. Chocolat is cute. But Chocolat is hardly a picture of tranquility.

Chocolat stuffs every possible item in her food bowl into her cheek pouches (until her face is ridiculously huge), then hoards them in her hamster bed.

Chocolat squirms and squeezes through any attempt to gently hold her in the palm of your hand. The safety and comfort of a warm hand is no match for what adventure might be out there.

Chocolat reminds me of myself a bit. Safe in my Lord's hand, yet unable to rest. Foraging instead of trusting. "Chocolat, stop moving about so much. I'll take care of you. Do you think I can't or won't care for your little needs?" Gulp. I hear the whisper of my Father God to me behind my words to my hamster.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

The Joyful Princess 1994~2009

We knew the day was coming, but that didn't make the decision any easier. After 15 years of being a part of our family history, always being around for all the happenings, our beloved cat, Keekee, now remains only in our photographs and memories.

Keekee grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, moved to the outskirts of Tokyo, and was buried in far northern Japan. All without a passport, I might add. It was quite a life for a cat. It's hard not to be sentimental and reflective about these things. After all, this was more than just a cat. Keekee connected us all the way back to our newlywed lives in Lansing, IL prior to Japan. She was a steady source of comfort and friendship when our family needed it in our adjustments to living in Japan. She was a constant in the many changes we experienced, and a treasure to our family.

But the seizures she began experiencing in her last week were too painful to watch. Her behavior changed and we would find her sleeping in odd places out of view. I suppose pets don't want their owners to see them suffering, any more than they themselves want to suffer. The vet gave us little hope for her recovery, so we let her go to sleep.

"Keekee" means "joyful princess" in Japanese. She certainly brought our family a lot of joy. I suppose the photo in front of the asian fan above proves that she already had Japan at heart 15 years ago. Thank you, Keekee, for making the journey with us together. We will miss you!

Dog Days of Summer

And the dog goes to church too! That's right! Every week we have at least one doggie guest in our worship service. Here in the photo one of our youth holds two regular members. They are remarkably well behaved. Occassionally they will join the singing, but mostly you wouldn't know they are there.

Japanese people love their small dogs. Pets are pampered quite well in Japan. Occassionally I will pass a young couple on the street pushing a stroller. One might expect to see a cute baby inside, but many times it is a pup that's getting the pushing! Yes, even dogs get their own transportation in Japan.