Romans 8:38-39“

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love…. Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God”.

Life is about the moments, moments which suddenly make everything into slow motion and capture your full attention.

Think of the time you went abroad the very first time. I’m sure you were mesmerized.

Remember the time when you walked down the aisle in front of hundreds of the people to receive the college diploma. Everyone was proud of you for how far you’ve come.

And there will be, or already has been, a time when you get to meet the love of your life. I haven’t experienced this moment yet so I don’t exactly know how to describe it. But apparently it’s breathtaking from what I hear.

This may be a no brainer, though my life hasn’t been exactly as I planned. In fact, it turned out to be much more than I expected. As humbly as I can ever be, I never imagined myself being where I am today. I didn’t even think it was possible to make it this far. Although, apparently God has been disagreeing with me all these years. Not only living in a foreign country alone but working at a relatively respectable company must be where He has been leading me to.

Yet I had no idea.

I guess, in a way, it’s what happens instead that makes your life so beautiful. Whether you like it or not, it’s always God who is in charge. You are simply following the path He has laid down for you. Sure, it may not be the kind of the path you hoped or wished, but it’s leading you to somewhere beyond your comprehension.

When it comes to faith, my words tend to fail. Not only because I’m not a fluent English speaker but also because God’s mercy and grace always embrace me so warmly that I am just dumbfounded most of the times.

I can’t thank everyone enough for being big parts of my life, and I mean it. Without them, I’d not have been able to overcome some of the challenges I have faced in past. And they are the reason I’m not scared to open the door to the future. I know I’m not alone.

Even this right moment, someone is experiencing an extraordinary feeling somewhere out there. Just thinking about the idea puts a smile on my face. Because it’s a sign that God is working in them. It’s just not my turn yet today. But I know He’ll dazzle my eyes sooner or later.

Life is about those beautiful moments…

Faithfully,

Hiro

Proverbs 16:3

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

As I opened my eyes and slowly started this day, the very first thought that crossed my mind was, “One year”.

Yes, I have now spent one year in Singapore…shocking.

Looking back, it’s very hard to believe how fast the time has passed since I came here last year. Sure, the year 2011 was an ordinary year just like every other years: 12 months, 365 days, and there were 7 days in each week. But there was something extraordinary about it, something very special.

To tell you the truth, the only reason why I came to Singapore in the first place was simply because I got a job. It wasn’t even by my choice. However, it turned out to be about much more than that. The year was full of lessons, surprises and not to forget challenges.

Now, I could be convinced that God was leading me here for reason but back then, I had no idea what He was doing with me. To me, the company put the offer on the table and I took it. That’s it.

Some people say that you learn the most from defeats, and I must agree with the point of the view after what I’ve gone through last year.

Things have not been so well in Japan these years. Financial problems, economical struggles and on top of that, we had the earthquake last year. As much as I love my country and appreciate all the things I got to do as Japanese, once the heart and soul of the Asia has been suffering deeply recent years.

Sure enough, I found myself surrounded by the uncertainties and a bunch of doubts. I still remember the frustrations and also the pain I endured. Typically, I handle the pressure decently well. Although, things got out of control and I ended up hitting the rock bottom.

I had no idea what God was doing. In fact, there was a period of time when I was actually furious with Him. Of course, I was fully aware that it’s nothing but silly to be angry with Him. But I couldn’t help it. I was pissed at everything at the time.

After a short detour in Japan, I am back in Singapore again for a new job. And thank God, I started finding good old self. Funny how God works in life, really that’s all I can say.

Since the moment I graduated from college, I was scared to death because I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was to rely on God, and I’m so glad that I have been so far.

As humbly and honestly as I can be, I’ve been telling myself everyday that God’s been good to me, too good probably. It’s so humbling that God hands out so many blessings to me, and it’s such a shame that I don’t even know if I can ever repay Him. Although, that’s how He works, right? Expects nothing in return.

We are who are, because God allows us to be so. Without Him, who knows how the would would’ve been like. That’s definitely something to think about, don’t you think? 

Thank you, Father.

Hiro 

Matthew 6:8 

“Your father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him.”

As humbly and honestly I confess, living abroad has slowly become surprisingly normal to me. Living overseas, being away from my family, and even being independent have become nothing unusual.

If I were to make an attempt to picture “future me” 10 years ago, I’d not have been able to picture the man I am today.

After the long overwhelming teenage years, I finally found peace in the person whom I’m becoming. You know, I may not be a rock star nor a freakish athlete that I have once dreamt to become. Looking back, I’m not exactly quite sure what attracted me so much to be under the spotlights. Perhaps the mass media nearly took over my cognitive process, I don’t know. But I’m okay with who I am now.

Regardless I’m still aware that my normal isn’t exactly your normal.

Perhaps you’ve met the love of your life, and that may be normal.

Perhaps you’ve gotten married, and maybe that was expected.

Perhaps you’ve already had kids by now, and somewhere in your heart, you saw it coming.

Things you find normal aren’t even close to normal to me. I’m far away from that. But it goes the other way, too. I know of it.

The definition of the word, normal varies individually. Even though the word refers to the common grounds among people, that’s the truth. In a way, such an irony creates the diversity and the culture that we live within the today’s world. So I think it’s not so bad.

Little by little, my life is slowly changing and so is yours without even realizing it. In fact, what used to be normal may be abnormal now and vice versa. So when it comes to life, you just can’t make any predictions.

Although I’ve never been great at anything, I’ve still learned to enjoy my life no matter how high/low it can get. It’s obviously nothing but a blessing that I’ve gotten the type of experiences I have so far in my life. Without them on my belt, I wouldn’t have been the same, not a chance.

It’s such a wonder why God allows me to pursue such an eventful journey, but I’m extremely humbled. To be completely with you, I want to be just like you and have a normal life. Obviously, it needs to wait for a bit as it is not what’s on His mind.

Whatever happens from here on, I’d like to look back on life when I’m older and say, “I did it in my way.”

Live your life,

Hiro

1 Corinthians 2:9

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

There are certain things in life that you just can’t fully understand:Friendships, love and death may even be an example of the mystery. 

Life sure is more than it seems. Some say it’s like a roller coaster because of the frequent change in altitude and speed. But it’s more complicated than that. As a matter of the fact, the older we get, the more we learn to accept things as they are and stop questioning why things happen the way they do. 

Everyday is a brand-new day, and future is always full of uncertainties. Depending on how you look it, tomorrow may seem scary. But it may also seem extremely thrilling as well. 

For most of the people in this world, tomorrow is already promised. Whether you are prepared or not, time steadily moves forward and it continues to stay that way until you start knocking on the door to the Heaven much later in your life. 

Tomorrow is given. And for each and every one of you who proceed to the future, the fact is that you all get to play the leading role of the story while the short period of the time you spend on the earth. It sounds like a great gig. But how do you go about it, that’s the question people seem to struggle with. 

Even those who seem confident and intelligent, deep inside they can’t possibly prophesy how their lives turn out to be. Such is life. 

To make a long story short, future will always be full of surprise. That, of course, can be both good and bad. Surely, it’s never easy to live in this fallen world where there are sorrows and miseries. 

But take heart, because there is a reason why you are where you are. As I repeatedly mention over the years, everything happens for reason. 

Thus, regardless the level of happiness, keep your chin up, put a fake smile on. Then, maybe, just maybe, the pain become a little less painful and you might be able to see things with more joy and love. 

Sincerely, 

Hiro 

Isaiah43:1-2

“I have called you by name, you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up. The flames will not consume you.”

On March 11^th 2011, the lives of Japanese were changed forever. A part of me can’t believe that it’s been already a year since the earthquake happened. There is also a part of me that reminds me all the pains we have gone through since the incident, and I hate to imagine what we have to do just to rebuild the nation from all the damages caused by the natural disaster from here on.

Harsh this may sound but no matter what happens, life still continues. And such is life. Although, I’m not quite sure whether the country of Japan can move on anytime soon. The earthquake may have lasted only for a few minutes, but it sure felt like it lasted much longer and has left scars on our minds forever.

Obviously, you can never predict things like earthquakes or tornados. They just happen and catch you off guard. It was nobody’s fault. There was no way to prepare for such a tragedy. I wish we can point at someone and dump all the blames on him for causing all the harms. But we can’t. Because we didn’t do anything wrong. Nobody did. 

The crazy life of mine still continued even after such a dramatic life-changing event. Wherever I went, a lot of people asked me about how things are going in Japan and what it was like to go through such an experience. Some people told me that they made donations and showed very warm gestures and supports. There were also a few people who decided to go extra miles and participated in volunteering to the country I was born and raised in. I couldn’t thank them enough then, and I don’t think I can ever thank them enough for their actions. 

In reality, the recovery process will take some time; 5 years, 10 years, I don’t know how long exactly. Nobody knows about the timeframe at this point, and it’s a real shame.

There is a reason people refer Japan as the Country of the Rising Sun. Yes, there are some silly historical aspects that people pick on. But the reason why we have such an unique nickname is because we never give up.

Sometime people tend to forget that Japan is the only country where people physically experienced the power of atomic bombs…not once but twice. And it’s been only 67 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki had gone through the nightmares. On top of that, we have also lost the World War Two…badly.

Since the war has ended, everyone has been enjoying all the Japanese items: vehicles, electronics, and videogames and so on. But for some reason, people seem to forget that Japan is an island with few natural resources. Yet, we still manage to impress the world on the daily basis.

Lastly and most importantly, the March Quake may have put a tiny Asian island under the spotlights, but earthquakes threaten them very frequently. As a matter of the fact, there probably is an earthquake happening somewhere in Japan as we speak. 

We have lost too many lives on the day the earthquake happened last year. We weren’t expected to lose any of them so soon. As much as we wish we could, we couldn’t have suspected anything, simply the disaster just fell upon us. 

Despite the fact, I firmly believe that we will be back better than ever. Because that’s who we are. Japan is where the “Undying Spirits” live. As a country, we are not even close being perfect. We stumble and fall like every other country in the world. But what makes Japan so unique is the fact that we always manage to pick ourselves up and to get back on the feet. 

Again, it will take years to fully recover from the earthquake. And considering its location and the nature of the earthquakes, there is a chance that we may experience another severe quake before the recovery completes. However, Japan will not let those disasters change who we are. 

In life, sometimes we have to go down whether we like it or not. But just like the sun, Japan will rise once again and prove the rest of the world what we are made of. Because that’s probably the best way to answer to all the generosity and love we have received. 

The dawn is drawing near. Till then, please pray for Japan.

Hiro 

Exodus 14:13-

“Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today”“ 

There are times in life, when your fellow Christians (or even just friends) slap you in face and implement different points of views on life. Or if I were to say more peacefully, put some pepper on your life and add a kick to it. Those changes usually, believe or not, start with simple small comments they make and end up becoming eye-opening moments. 

I remember this particular incident I encountered a few years ago when I was still at college, very vividly even today. 

Back then at Dordt(the school I went to), we had this young school chaplain who did the weekly chapel on every Tuesday. The man was well known for his determination and willingness reaching out to the students and also people in the community. To make a long story short, he was pretty cool. 

Generally speaking, adolescence was a very difficult time for all of us. It was when people made serious attempts to discover themselves, and then started knocking on the door to the “real world”. 

I did the same also, but took me a long time to learn true self. In fact, it wasn’t till after college I finally learned who I really am. Quite honestly, I wish I had come to the realization much sooner, or at least I had done so while I was still in college. Obviously, it goes without saying that I’m sincerely content with the fact that the change has happened in myself at all. Without it, I wouldn’t have become who I am today. Not a chance.

All happened with one simple question. One times, the chaplain stood firmly in front of the students like he always does. With hundreds of eyes set on him, he asked us, “Do heroes know when they are heroic?”. 

Personally, I believe that we live in one of the most difficult times in the history of mankind. For us believers, it can be very difficult to practice our religion with the media releasing all kinds of information 24/7. Therefore, although it may sound terribly wrong, Christianity oftentimes requires serious efforts and commitments. We have to be consciously acknowledged what surrounds us and protect our minds from evil sources. 

Over the years, I have come to accept that I will never be a celebrity nor shine under dozens of spotlights. Clearly, I don’t have the freakish athleticism of LeBron James. I also don’t have the looks nor skills to act like Brad Pitt does. And most disappointedly, my musical skills are not even close to what Eric Clapton has. I’m sure everyone has accepted the fact, probably much earlier than I did.

However, you can still make impacts on those who are around you. As a matter of the fact, you never have to average 30pts a game in NBA simply to reach out to someone and say, hello. 

You never need to play a role in a movie just to ask your friends, “how’re you doing today?”.

And you never have to learn how to play the guitar or serenade to the ones you love to sincerely say, “I love you”(although it may be kind of cool ). 

The point is, it doesn’t take a status nor wealth to influence others. Because they are both overrated and they can’t accurately measure the value of faith. You can be who you are and what you are is already more than enough to the eye of God.

There are so many people in my life who have graciously offered help and held my hands to get through some tough periods in past. I’m sure everyone can related to that and picture the ones who matter. To those, I’d like to say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart. And I hope they are aware that when they are in need, I’ll be more than happy to be the one to help them up stand on feet again. 

Because after all, what goes around comes around. 

Love, 

Hiro 

1 Corinthians 7:17

Each of you should continue live in whatever situation Lord has placed you

If somebody asks me to describe myself right now, the very first adjective that would come out of my mouth would be…greedy.

I have noticed a little change in myself lately. Whenever I walk around the town or look around with a cup of coffee in my hand at a café, I have started to lay my eyes on certain group of people: couples.

Growing up, it was very apparent that God has surrounded me with numbers of great people. I don’t think I never really deserved to have them in my life nor even know them at all, but God, for some reason, figured that I should be around them. As a matter of the fact, I got to make so many great friends over the years and have successfully kept many of the friendships alive to date.

I love those whom I consider as friends. I truly enjoy spending time with them from the bottom of my heart and it is nearly impossible to imagine my life without them. They are the reason why I am who I am today. Frankly, it is both fortunate and unfortunate that I have friends all over the world and I can’t spend time with all of them more often. Because I honestly appreciate each and every person’s character and all the things they bring on the table.

However, for the first time in my life, so-called “Bro Time” is no longer enough for me and I caught myself wanting more.

Everything happens according to God’s schedule and He is always the one organizing the timetable for each of His followers. Thus, regardless how badly I crave for companionship and intimacy; I can’t snap my fingers and hope that everything will change immediately. That will not happen no matter how much I want it to happen instantly .

It’s undeniable that God has graciously given me numerous unique events and I’m on such a cool journey right now. As I have mentioned above, I sure have met so many great people and added them to the circle. But a part of me still feels something is lacking, and I believe that’s companionship.

I comprehend that I’m being extremely ridiculous. Under the situation I am in, I should just focus on enjoying the life and living in the moment. After all, so many people wish to go overseas and continue career. In reality, only a handful of them gets the wish.

Some of my friends got to pursue a serious relationship and have successfully found the seemingly-right-ones. Some actually got married already and settled down.

So what about me? Well, obviously I’m far away from the Mr.Perfect, and in that sense, maybe I don’t deserve a partner. But is anybody out there actually perfect? I say no. Then, what do I have to do particularly to polish myself and become a few steps closer to the better man than the one I am right now? That’s where I get stuck.

I love God with all my heart and trust in Him fully. I may be rebellious at times and grumble time to time. But I refuse to believe in perfectionism and firmly believe that He has already hand-picked “the one” for me. Now may not be the time for its discovery, but I think she is somewhere out there.

Let it be clear that although I rely on God’s selection and plan, I struggle with the current situation very much. Not exactly sure why He is testing my patience for so long. It’s been already a few years since the last time when I was in a intimate relationship with someone.

Something tells me that I’m not the only person with this dilemma. I bet there are actually tons of people who have the same issue as me.

I know it hurts.

I know it makes you tick.

I know it’s confusing.

Ever since Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross, we’ve been saved and once again reminded that we are extremely blessed. Though our sinful nature seem to demand more from our Father and push us to be more greedy.

The truth is, whether you are single or married, the current situation is not always the most comfortable situation but believe or not, that’s where God wants you to be.

It will probably take a lot time to comprehend the reason why God “allows” me to be single. But I sure hope that when I reflect on this period of my life later on, I can have a good laugh about it.

After all, there is a reason for everything.

Regards,

Hiro 

Matthew 7:7

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”

As humbling and surprising, God works through every one of His sons and daughters, and allow us all to express our characters in the best way we know how. Yes, it’s true that sometimes He seems absent or at least feel distant, but it’s always a misperception. Because God is always present and working for us. 

Therefore, I personally believe the common idea of God works in a mysterious way is such an understatement: 

He plants a gift, when we didn’t even know Him yet;He embraces us, when we hit the rock bottom;And,He puts a smile on our face, when we see Him in the eyes. 

The power of the Lord sure is wondrous and far beyond our comprehension. And obviously, Adam, the very first son of His, was created in His image. Thus, for us to comprehend the God’ cognitive process is simply too much to ask because we are only an image of many. 

I’ve been trying to reflect on the last 5 months of my life in Japan. To be honest, this offer of return home came out of blue. It was almost shocking as well as it was comforting. The person who made the choice to build the career overseas was none other than myself. Although little did I know that the path I chose was bumpier than I ever imagined and was actually extremely challenging especially for fresh college graduates. 

Even after I returned home, things were still very difficult and in the end, just didn’t work out at all. I’ve gone through some difficult times in past but I never felt so broken and torn. 

It’s frequently said that God has a plan for you. But the statement doesn’t really mean much when you are too busy being miserable being sorry for yourself. Through thick and thin, He is always working in me and pushing me to the next chapter of my life. Sadly, I never realized His presence till He revealed the big plan. 

In a few hours, I’m catching a flight back to Singapore and begin the “Round 2”. I’m still in awe and can’t believe that everything worked out accordingly. This time, I have an opportunity to focus on career and enjoy the life outside the office meanwhile as well. 

I’ve been asking myself, “Do I really deserve this?”. Well, probably not.

I doubted God when all went bad. I became angry with Him when He was actually helping. I basically screamed in His face and slapped Him without listening to what He has to say. 

I honestly don’t know why, but it appears that He has faith in me. He sees something in me that I haven’t even recognized yet. What an honor it is. How humbling it is to know Him at all. 

From where I am right now, I can’t foresee the future. I wouldn’t know what the future holds for me until I start walking away from the present. It sure is frightening and wish to know more about it. Yet, if there is anything I learned in the last 5 months I spent in Japan, that would be the fact that regardless my recognition and awareness, God is walking with me and making sure to guide me where I’m supposed to head to. 

Thank you, Father. I’m nothing without you. 

Sincerely,

Hiro 

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers, in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

In the late 2011, BBC news released an interesting article on the world population. According to the source, it appears that the number of the global population has been steadily increasing every year and it has reached somewhere around 7 billion. 

Since the day God has graciously created this beautiful world, so many of His sons and daughters enjoyed their time on this creation. The Bible repeatedly emphasize that the time we spend on earth is much shorter than the time we get to spend in the Heaven. But when we are actually the residents of the earth, it’s hard to believe that the time is quietly coming to the end. Additionally, “the happiest place” also known as the Heaven seems so far away from where we are right now, both physically and spiritually. In fact, many believers today are wondering whether they would receive an invitation to the Heaven someday or simply wind up at the front door to the Hell. 

Deep inside, we comprehend that we shouldn’t worry so much about life in general as God guides and leads us to the solutions we seek. However, when adversities arise, it always takes quite a bit of guts for us to hold back the tears and face the challenges. And obviously, it never gets easier. 

Within the last 36 months, America has regretfully lost two of the most influential Pop icons in the history:Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. These stars have transcended the concept of the music and of the pop culture. Sadly, they will be always also well-known for their personal issues and struggles off the stage, which as a result, have tainted the their career and professionalism in some way. 

Although, the news of each death was unarguably shocking, I think it was ironically an eye-opening moment to the rest of the world as well. 

People often say, “you never know what you have till you lose them.” And I agree with the idea, we were all aware that both Michael and Whitney were suffering off the scene. We just didn’t realize how serious their problems were until we actually lost them for good. 

It goes without saying that the way we lost those lives was simply unfortunate. But 10, 20 years from now, people look back and analyze their careers, they probably won’t focus so much on the way they left the Earth. Instead, people will put more emphasize on their charisma, talent, and how they influenced the younger generations. 

We can be influential like them. Frankly, everyone wants to be a star and to be known in some way. But some careers get more attentions than others, so your efforts and accomplishments don’t necessary generate your popularity. However, I firmly believe and also highly encourage everyone to be themselves rather than pretend to be someone else. 

If you’d like to shine like Michael and Whitney did, you have to learn more about yourselves. You have to learn your capabilities, skills, passions and so on. Again, I’m terribly sorry for losing those two stars, but their lives still speak to every one of us loud and clear:Be whoever you want to be. 

We live in a very delicate time. It seems like we already have everything we need materialistically. Meanwhile, you’d always feel like something is missing, and people usually recognize the deficiency. No matter what you are lacking though, sooner or later you have to find the courage to follow on the path God has laid in front of you and try to fill the holes along the way. 

Oftentimes, future appears to be scary and makes you hesitant to move forward. But you can’t go back to the past and live recklessly like you used to when you were in school. That’s just foolish. 

Everyone goes through difficult phases:We all stumble.We all fail. Then we all change. 

It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. That’s definitely something to think about. 

Rest in Peace, Michael and Whitney,

Hiro