Hello everyone,

         I just noticed that I have not posted since November 13, 2011.  A lot has changed since then, so today I will give you an update.  First of all I am teaching at the best university on the planet.  California State University Fullerton.  The students are great and the faculty is also wonderful.




        Well, the biggest news that I have is that our second child has recently been born.  She says" hi!".  Actually she just cries, but I love her! 

       The newest addition to our family is named Kate.  Kate in Japanese means "grace" and "friendship".  She is very different from our first child.  When Emma, our first child was born she did not smile much; however, Kate smiles and laughs a lot even as a new born baby.  We love both of our children very much. 

If you meet them, I'm sure that you would like them too.

ej

First text message!

My daughter wrote her first text message today:

4EMMALOVEMOM!!!!!!!!!!e

I think the 4 is because she is four. I probably wrote my first text at around 34.

Your Life, Your Time: What do you think?

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. (Philippians 1:20)

So what are these sentences that Paul wrote in the Bible mean? Living whole hearted for Christ will produce a life that has nothing shameful to hide. I will continue and be bold in Christ as I have in the past.

May this life I live bring a smile to the Lord regardless of if I die an early death or live to see many days.

Paul was speaking from a prison cell. We all have times in life when we contemplate our life’s trajectory.

What value is the life we are presently living? Is what we are doing really worth the effort we are putting forth?

After Paul’s reflection, his answer was a resounding yes. What I am doing has value. In fact, I have no regrets.

When you reflect on your life what do you think?

Though my life is not perfect, I am continually learning and making better decisions that I hope and pray will be a blessing to my family and the people around me.

In my opinion, caring for people is the essences of living. It is the essence of Christianity, and the essence of Christ. Love in action!

Showing Mercy is a Test

We often ask for the Lord to have mercy on us, but do we show mercy? Our prayer’s are probably not as beautiful as David’s below, but I’m sure there are some similarities.

In psalms 6:1-2 King David asks the Lord not to get upset with him and not to discipline him in anger. He specifically asks for the Lord's compassion because he is weak.

I seriously believe that life is a series of tests. We are tested almost every minute of the day. Think about it. Have you seen a commercial lately?

Well, this morning the fire alarm in my townhouse went off. It is the loudest and most irritating noise that you could possibly imagine.

The night before I stayed up late working on a project from school which I still haven’t finished yet , when in the middle of my sleep, my little three year old daughter decided to use our bed as a trampoline.

She knows that the rule in our house is no jumping on the bed and no jumping on the couch. Well, I guess she thought that I was a sleep and started jumping to the moon on the bed while I was still in it. With a scowl on my face I angrily told her to “stop jumping on the bed”.

As a parent you know what enough is and what overkill is. I showed little or no mercy to my young daughter.

Well, later I called home from school and apologized to her. I didn’t need to scowl or raise my voice to get my point across. If I had shown mercy, she would have stopped.

We constantly ask for God’s mercy in our life, but do we show God’s mercy to others in our life. We cannot expect to receive God’s mercy unless we are showing it. With the Lord’s help we can be loving people even though we don’t feel like it sometimes. This is one of many tests of real faith.

The Importance of Being Ernest

My first name is Ernest and as you can tell by this website everyone calls me by my nickname Ej. The natural nickname for Ernest is Ernie. As a kid other kids would tease me by saying hey Ernie where's Burt.



For those of you who do not quit understand this reference. There is a kids television program in the US which has stuffed characters with the name Ernie and Burt. I hated to be called Ernie and sincerely wished my parent had given me a different name.



Now that I'm a little older and have a child of my own, I have a great appreciation for the name that my parents gave me. I know that my wife and I thought deeply about the name we had chosen for our daughter.



The name Ernest comes from the Greek word serious. My name fits who I am perfectly.

Henry O

Hey everyone,

You have to visit Henry's website. It's a great place to go if you want to see how he's doing and to learn more about Hawaii. I really really like his blog.

http://www.luckywelivehawaii.blogspot.com/

Niiza

When I first came to Rikkyo, I could immediately see and enjoy the beauty of the Ikebukuro Campus. However, now I spend most of my time on the Niiza Campus. It took a little time, but now I'm able to enjoy the beauty of the Niiza Campus much more than ever. My general feeling about Niiza is that it is a great campus with a wonderful atmosphere.

Construction

First I would like to apologize for people who are waiting for the new website. It is taking a little longer than I had planned. Also, it is much more difficult than originally planned. One possitive is that I have a great deal of support from my wonderful daughter, who makes sure that I'm up early every morning.

Photo Credit

Friends From Hawaii

Recently some very close friends from Hawaii came to Japan. It was a joy to see them and their beautiful children. Pastor Ricki Aoki of Leeward Community Church and his family, visited Japan for a few weeks. Also, I was able to meet my good friend Dale Lemke who took care of Pastor Ricki's arrangements while he was here.

The photo on the left has Dale, Ricki, and me. The photo on the right has Dale's wife Heidi and their child Mia on the left. In the middle is Ricki's wife Liza holding Peter. Next to her is her is Leah with Ruthy standing behind Leah.

My wife Izumi is on the right of the photo with our daughter Emma. This morning I read a passage of the Bible that says: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen."

According to the passage I quoted above, loving people is something that we have to do first before we say that we love God.

1 John 4: 20

Friendship

"Since God loves us, we ought to love others". I like these words. When I think about this, I realize that God loves me, although I am not perfect. I am not always kind.

If God can love someone who is not perfect like me, than I should be able to love other people.

1 John 4:11-12

What is most important?

I think that helping people is important. In the Bible it says "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." I believe that doing the will of God is helping people.



Many people don't know, but I have a dream. My dream is to build an orphanage for children in Japan. I love Japan and I would like to help the people of Japan.
1 John 2:17

In the morning!

I love to wake up before my daughter and read the Bible, if possible. This morning I read a passage that describes God's character. In short it says that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, faithful, forgiving, and just. After reading that, I felt thankful. Also, I would like to be more compassionate, gracious, kind, loving, faithful, forgiving, and fair.

Exodus 34: 4-7

More new blogs to check out!

A new blog can be like a new baby. So, lets enjoy these new babys together!

intensive

IWE Golden Week

Hello IWE students,

I just want you to know that you must write at least 100 words in your journal about your presentation topic. This will be due Friday the 11th.



Other than that, I sincerely hope that you had a great Golden Week! The photo is of Golden Week in China.

Photo Credit

New Blogs!

Please tell us something about your blog. What do you want to write about on your blog?

On my blog I like to write about many different things. Especially friends and family. The picture on the left is a picture of me and my friend Val. If you see us in the hallway please say Hi!

What is best about your family?

I simply love my family. We are extremely close. The relationship that I have with my sister is really special. Although we live very far from each other, we do our best to support each other.

On the left is my sister, wife and her parents.










On the right is a picture of my sister and her family.

What is best about your family?

What is special about your best friend?

I have some really great friends. In the picture below is Charlie, Kentaro, and Joel. These are some of the best guys in the world.

All of them are hard working good husbands and fathers. I respect them and thank them for their friendship. If I ever have a problem I know that I could talk to any of them.

What is special about your best friend?

What is your favorite sport and why?

I love sports. The sport that I probably enjoy the most is soccer. My favorite soccer team is Real Madrid. I enjoy soccer because there is always a lot of action and you never know when a goal will be scored.

So, what is your favorite sport and why?

What is the largest sacrifice you ever made?

I gave up my motorcycle for my wife. My wife is a little afraid of motorcycles and she was worried. Yes, motorcyles are dangerous so I had to sacrifice my motorcycle for my wife.

Now, I would probably sacrifice almost anything for our little baby Emma.

So, what is the largest sacrifice you ever made?

If you could make a movie, what would it be about?

I love watching movies. There are so many types of moves that I like. If I were to make a movie it would probably be something like a James Bond movie because I love adventure.

http://www.jamesbond.com/

What would you make a movie about and why?

What is your favorite movie, and why?

Recently I watched a movie called "The Italian Job". It's not new, but it was fun to watch. The movie came out in 2003. So if your interested you should be able to rent it.

http://www.italianjobmovie.com/flash/index.html

So, what is your favorite movie, and why?

What single word do you like most?

My favorite word is "Thank". I think that people should be a little kinder to each other. The word or words thank you has the power to change the atmosphere.

What word do you like most and why?

What's the thing you know the most about?

I know a lot about Hawaii because I lived there many years. Before becoming a teacher, I worked in Hawaii as a tour guide. This helped me pay for school.

What's the thing you know the most about? I know a lot about Hawaii.

Free

Living in Japan gives me the unique privlidge of worrying about US and Japan taxes!

I'm just happy that the best things in life are still free.

Heart!

This morning I want to encourage everyone to be careful about relationships. As a university student everyone wants to have a girlfriend or boyfriend. I would like to say guard your heart because that is where your joy comes from.

Wild at Heart

How has your spring been? Well this spring I read a great book that I would like to recommend to every guy who reads this blog. The title of the book is "Wild at Heart". It's written by John Eldredge. This is a book for men to help them discover who they are. (To help them discover their heart)

One passage from the book that I really like is: Don't ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

I hope to never forget this passage and actually live it out in my life.

Sports English

In Spring 2007 I will be teaching an elective course about sports in English. The course will be held on Thursdays at the Ikebukuro campus.



It will cover baseball, basketball, soccer and American football. In particular, more time will be spent on soccer and American football compared to baseball, and basketball. In general, it should be an enjoyable class.

My Dad

Now that I'm going to be a father, I really wonder what my dad went through when he first became a dad.

Personally, I think that I am lucky. Many of my closest friends have children. And I have always looked forward to the day I would become a dad.

Probably one thing that will help me the most is that I taught Sunday school for children for many years.

The most important thing I learned from that experience was that children are individuals who have their own opinions.

Something that I sincerely desire regarding our child is that I am able to have a close relationship. I am eager to listen to my child and give advice if necessary.

My father was a very quite man. Sometimes, I longed to know what he thought of things. Also, I wish he had given me advice.

My dad was not perfect, and I'm sure that I will not be perfect either; however, I would like to give my best to my family.

Of course I want to support my child to become self-sufficiant one day. I hope that my child will be a person who can make good decisions in the future.

As children grow in their decision making abilities, I think they need support. This support is directly related to their growth. In fact, I also look forward to the day I can ask my child or children for advice.

Although my dad has died, I loved him as my only father. When I was 18, I did not love my father. However, today is very different. I believe in forgiveness, and I am studying what it means to be a dad.

I will probably be studying how to be a good husband and dad for the rest of my life. I think that is one key to become a good parent.

We are expecting!

Yes, I'm going to be a dad. I am soooooooooo excittttttteeeeed!



Now that I am going to be a father, I will do my best to be a good one. I love my wife very dearly and I feel a great since of love for our child eventhough we still do not know if it is a boy or girl yet.

My wife is about 6 months pregnant, so I am looking forward to every moment of being a dad.

Change!

What goes in the water red, and comes out black?

Go Blue!

Michigan Wolverines are my favorite college football team. What do you think of their helmets? Well this year they are presently number two in the nation. They are really having a great year so far.

It may seem hard to believe, but about 115,000 people come to watch every game.

Intensive

This is a great class with great students. Soon we will be doing presentations and I am looking forward to all the great presentations.

If this is your first time visiting this blog please look at all of the cool student blogs on the lower right side of this post.

Aloha

Great Game!

Yesterday my hometown baseball team beat the Yankees in a playoff game. It was a wonderful victory for the team and my hometown.　Of course I like Matsui, but I had to root for my hometown Detroit Tigers.

New blogs! Writing Friday

Hello everyone,

If you have time please take a look at the many great new blogs on the right side under Writing Fall. I'm sure that you will like them.

Rainy Day

I love rainy days because I can stay home and do my writing homework all day! Also, I can watch my favorite sport on TV.

My Summer

This summer I did many things. During the summer I traveled to Hawaii with my wife and some friends. We visited two islands, Oahu and Maui. On Oahu we did shopping and visited some really nice beaches.On the island of Maui we drove up a mountain called Haleakala to see the sunrise. After visiting Maui and Oahu, my wife and I spent one week in California.



While in California, we drove to San Diego and saw the beautiful La Jolla beach.

The End is Near!

I'm sure that everyone is extremely busy now. I just want to encourage you by saying the summer is coming soon. 25w

Brazil Lost

Brazil's lost was a sad day for me and my family. I guess we really love to watch Brazil play. 20w

World Cup - Elite Eight - And Passion

It has been very, very, very, very, very exciting. My wife is super. I love her very much.

We have watched almost all the games together.

I really love the way Brazil is playing. Although they are playing great I'm still waiting for a blowout game like some of the ones in 2002.

Maybe that will not happen this year.

I am very, very, very scared of France. They seem to really improve every game. They definetely have what it takes to win everything.

England is really strong, but I can't see them beating Brazil.

The next few games will really be interesting. Argentine should beat Germany; however, Germany has the crowd behind them.

(On the other hand, Argentina playing in a hostile environment may motivate them more than usual.) If the referees are not bias, I really think Argentina will win.

However, if Germany wins against Argentina, I think that they will go all the way to the finals.

Italy should have an easy time against Ukraine. If Ukraine wins, anything is possible. [It would be a miracle]
*miracles do happen

I think England has a good chance of beating Portugal. The reason I say that is because Deco is out (red card) and Ronaldo is not fully healthy. (He was really fouled hard in the last game)

I think that Brazil and France will be the most interesting game to watch this round. France is really dangerous and Veira is playing better than he has ever played.

Although Brazil has a great defensive midfield, France's defensive midfield is even better.

France's team is perfectly designed to stop Brazil. They have great stopping power with plenty of scoring ability to spare.

I will do my best to "humbly watch" the game and root for Brazil!

Germany vs. Argentina and England vs. Portugal will also be very exciting matches to watch!

Finally, what will Shevchenko do? He is a very dangerous player for Ukraine.

Well, back to the World Cup. I wonder if Ronaldo will score a goal. Or I wonder How many goals will Ronaldo score. 392w

Hawaii

Hawaii is a beautiful place. 5w

Preschool

Recently I created a video for New Hope Narimasu Preschool. It was a wonderful experience. I love children and I think that the video I created came out nice because the children are wonderful. 34w

Soccer

My favorite soccer team is Omiya. 6w

Naoko's visit

Today our good friend Naoko came to visit us. It is always great fun seeing her because she often tells us of her great trips abroad. Well, what does everyone think of these great coffee cups we have? For a small fortune my wife and I would be happy to sell you one. 53w

Aloha EJ

This is the first time I have ever made a blog. I am a little excited. I hope that this site will be enjoyed by many. 26w