by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Dec 7, 2013 | Sometimes I write about...
Three weeks ago, we lost our “grandpuppy,” an adorable, “rescued” Pomeranian. Our broken-hearted daughter had to have Jiggy euthanized because of a painful, incurable condition. After some tears, I lay awake that night, mulling over nature’s food chain and all the sad succession of death in animals. I finally told the Lord I’d trust Him without the answers to my questions and went to sleep.
The next morning I had my Quiet Time as usual. I’d been reading in Colossians, but happened to open to the fourth chapter of Jonah. Jonah was uptight with God (as admittedly I was) and complained about a vine that God had provided and then removed. The Lord pointed out that Jonah was upset about a vine he had not created. So, the Lord asked, shouldn’t He care about the vast number of people in Nineveh He had created? (That’s why He’d sent Jonah to them with a life-saving message.)
The application to my life was obvious. Jiggy’s death was a sorrowful event (far more than a vine’s), and not to be discounted for a minute. But I mustn’t forget that Christians have the life-saving message for people, who also face death. God—through Jesus—reached down to rescue mankind and give us a never-ending relationship with Himself. Our loving Heavenly Father sees and cares about all that happens to us. He answers prayers to provide for our needs. He has a new heaven and a new earth (with lions and wolves living peacefully with lambs) in store for everyone who accepts His saving gift. I needed to be reminded of the Big Picture.
(And if it’s possible and acceptable when the time comes, I’ll ask our Heavenly Father, who isn’t limited by our time dimension, to transport a healed Jiggy—and some other beloved pets—to that splendid new earth. Just a thought. Any comments?)
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Nov 6, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Visiting the Great Wall
A memory I cherish from traveling in the Far East is my first visit to the Great Wall of China in 2004. I had naively assumed that the section our team planned to visit near Beijing was on level ground. After all, Beijing was level. What a shock to find that it was way up on a mountain, not a huge mountain, but a mountain, nevertheless. Our hosts took us to a less restored, but more authentic, section of the wall, and we had to CLIMB and CLIMB and CLIMB to reach the top. But what a panoramic view! Walking through the watchtowers and along the wall, I felt the wonder of being over a foundation built approximately 1300 years earlier. I pictured the enemy hordes on one side and the villagers on the other, protected by the wall’s defenders.
Visiting tourist attractions and historical landmarks wasn’t the best part about being in Beijing that summer, however. Our Dallas Baptist University team was there to instruct Chinese teachers of English from eleven provinces from all across China in methods of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Sharing our lives for four weeks with our gracious new friends was far better than even the mountain-top experience on the Great Wall. This opportunity was actually the answer to my specific prayer to be able to go to Beijing “sometime before I die.” In fact, I got to go back to the area three more times to teach in English seminars, so God
2004 English Seminar in Beijing
answered above what I could imagine.
Now that I’ve gotten a little too old to travel, I’m thankful that I still have the opportunity to teach international students at DBU. Sometimes when I get tired of grading papers and disappointed by a student’s lack of effort, I need to have my mind renewed by a spirit of thankfulness to the Lord for such an open door of ministry. Great walls crumble, but people’s lives are affected for eternity.
Maybe you would like to share a life’s highlight that you still cherish.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Oct 13, 2013 | Practical Bible Studies
A friend left a comment on my last post: “God’s time is endless but human beings are limited. How shouldn’t time control me? How do we catch God’s schedule?” Really good questions! Here are some thoughts on the subject. See what you think.
First, a parable that has always intrigued me is in Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus tells of a landowner who hired workers at different parts of the day and promised each a full day’s wage. At the end of the day, the landowner paid as he’d promised. The workers who had worked longer complained that the ones hired much later had gotten the same wage. But the landowner said he had the right to be generous. The story’s key truth is that our salvation doesn’t depend on any service we do, but on simply being “hired”—having a personal relationship with God through Jesus. God’s grace (generosity) made the length of time the hired men worked irrelevant. Although the parable’s main point isn’t about time, it raises a question in my mind about how God looks at time in our lives.
Many truths about God are beyond our understanding because we are finite. Perhaps “time” is one of these. When hearing of some vibrant, effective Christian dying at a young age, haven’t many of us thought of this as a “waste”? Why him or her of all people? But isn’t it possible that the amount of time we are genuinely available for God’s service is magnified in God’s gracious economy just as God’s power extended the five loaves and two fish so that they fed 5,000 people (Matthew 14:15-21).
If that’s the case, should we just forget about the constraints of time? Our Western worldview says that success is based on accomplishing things in a timely manner. The traditional Eastern worldview focuses more value on being, not acting. It seems to me that the Bible presents a balance of both these views.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15-18 to be careful how we live, to redeem the time by wisely using every opportunity as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. The key for having time be our servant and not our owner is to trust and obey the Lord in each circumstance. To do this, having our minds “renewed” each day by Scripture is essential (Romans 12:1-2)—the “being” part.
We can get quick, necessary thought realignments throughout the day, but it takes time to renew our minds and hearts sufficiently so that God “restores our souls” (Psalm 23). Consider how frequently we get input from the world’s point of view, such as more stuff is better; don’t let anyone push you around; if it feels good, do it. And how about this one: time is money! Rushing through the day without a renewed mind is a sure way to waste time (John 15:5).
What about our to-do lists (mentioned in the previous post)? They can help us prayerfully prioritize our tasks, and we can begin to carry out our list, depending on the Lord’s guidance and empowerment. But when things take a lot longer than scheduled (usually the case for me), when we are waiting in the slowest line in the supermarket and watching people in the other lines speed out the door, when someone interrupts and needs our assistance, it’s good to remember that God’s timing and the world’s sense of time are vastly different. Being available to God at that moment is what’s important—listening to Him like Mary did, while Martha scurried around and complained. God’s grace will be more than sufficient despite the pressures of time.
This viewpoint on time is easily swallowed up by my life’s busyness. For me, it is a part of the heavenly, eternal view that needs to be renewed often and cultivated—and that’s an understatement. So, what do you think?
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Sep 23, 2013 | Practical Bible Studies
When I started this website, I borrowed WordPress for Dummies from the library. I promptly found that I knew less than the “dummies” when it came to building a website. Sometimes I’d puzzle for hours over a way to do something. However, when I’d finally remember to pray, —I kid you not— the solution would come right away. A major lesson for me: Don’t just pray at the start of the day or the beginning of the project. Ask the Lord for help throughout.
Every day we face deadlines or a to-do list. Deadlines are helpful, but they can also drive us almost crazy. Reading the account in Luke 5:1-11 of Jesus and the three fishermen brought some reminders to me about handling stressful projects.
First, Peter, James, and John had fished all night and caught nothing. Usually they could manage fairly well because the nearby lake had lots of fish, provided providentially by God. We also have God’s good earth to provide for us, but we all run into difficulties. Jesus offered a new way for the fishermen to succeed. He was willing to go fishing with them. The wonderful thing is that Jesus is with Christians today and offers His help to us, too. When we ask and believe God for His strength and wisdom, we still have to work hard, but we have the joy of His fellowship and the confidence of good results.
I’ve found the to-do list can present some temptations in addition to ignoring God’s willingness to help. Peter had worked all night, and then Jesus came along. Suppose Peter had complained about the time it would take to go back out on the lake (although there is a hint of this at first). Meeting deadlines is important, especially in our time-oriented Western culture, but I need the reminder that time shouldn’t control me. I need to focus on the Lord and trust Him even when I feel that time is being wasted – often really hard to do.
I’m pretty happy with having built the website. After all, I’m elderly, but I managed some new technology :-). However, going back to the fishermen, Peter could hardly have taken much pride in catching the fish even though he was no doubt a good fisherman. After all, God created the lake and designed the fish, and Jesus gathered the fish for the spectacular catch. The Bible tells us “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3
If I’m carrying out a project with an attitude of faith in God, I should acknowledge the one who makes all things possible. Ephesians 2:19-20, “. . . Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What a great reminder Psalm 25:1-5 gives for carrying out to-do lists! “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust . . . 3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame . . . 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” No need to be stressed, when we can be blessed!
Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV® Copyright © 1973,1978,1984,2011 by Bilica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Sep 12, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Note: Chihiro, a Dallas Baptist University student, is the guest writer for this post. I asked students in one of my classes to analyze a favorite secular song and compare its worldview with that of the Christian praise song “Because He Lives” by Bill and Gloria Gaither. Chihiro chose a melodious Japanese song called “Eiko No Kakehashi.” You can listen to it in Japanese with English captions at this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXue70-vLAk To hear “Because He Lives,” click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M-zwE33zHA
The following is a very condensed version of Chihiro’s essay, used by her permission. (I haven’t figured out how to change the post’s by-line.)
One of my favorite songs is “Eiko No Kakehashi,” sung by Yuzu. It came out in 2004 and became popular among all ages in Japan. I chose this song because my homeroom teacher in elementary school selected it for our graduation. I really liked the idea in the song that sadness, fear, and regret could be overcome and lead to the “Bridge to Glory,” which is the title of the song in English. I had nights that I could not sleep because of fear, and there were tears I did not show anyone. However, I was able to move through life with the support from others. This song represented my life at that age and motivated me to move forward.
“Eiko No Kakehashi” encourages people in Japan to cheer up. Many young people are stressed out because of harsh words they hear and low self-esteem, but this song encourages its listeners to have confidence and not give up. It tells us that we have made it up to here, so we can do it from now on, too. It motivates us to look at what we have done well. When people are in darkness, they do not see things objectively. Because this song can help discouraged persons to realize that there are people who care for them, it can give more hope.
Although I like “Eiko No Kakehashi” and its positive message very much, I see a problem in the song. It does not say where people can get the glory. It just tells people to keep going and even mentions an “endless journey” in one of its lines.
There is a significant difference in the worldview of “Eiko No Kakehashi” and “Because He Lives.” “Because He Lives” clearly says that the bridge of glory is to know Jesus and that heaven is a place of eternal glory. It tells us that because of Jesus, life is worth living and that we can face tomorrow and have no fear.
As a Christian, I agree with the worldview of “Because He Lives.” I believe that God exists and that He is good. I can see light and hope even in sadness and pain. Without Jesus, I believe there would not be light at the end of life’s difficulties. Therefore, I seek to live close to God, and that becomes my purpose in life.
Many thanks to Chihiro for sharing her insights!
If you enjoyed listening to “Eiko No Kakehashi,” you might like a Japanese song called “Sakura” (“Cherry Blossom”), sung by Moriyama Naotarou. (It’s not the traditional folksong also called “Sakura.”) I came across the song while searching for “Eiko No Kakehashi.” It’s at this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxUa69laLc Listening to it made me feel like I was in Japan again.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Aug 14, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Poetry, especially the Japanese
haiku, reminds me of interactive games and media.
Haiku can change or reflect our moods. The
haiku forms a framework and allows us to imagine the scene and interpret the meaning from their own experiences.
Bashō, a seventeenth-century Japanese poet, has written some of my favorite haiku. In fact, my Japanese novels feature this one:
Simple pepper pods
Add gossamer wings to them
Behold: dragonflies
(The Japanese original has the expected format of 5 syllables for the first line, seven for the second, and five again for the third, so I modified my translation slightly to fit the format.) What meaning would you give to this poem? A child’s play? A humorous look at dragonflies? According to the experts, Bashō was expressing that all things are one in their essence. But the poems are meant for enjoyment, and we are free to insert our own ideas.
The themes of traditional haiku center on nature and the four seasons. They convey a keen awareness of an emotion and may hint at a philosophy of life. One theme often repeated is the fleeting nature of beautiful things. When you think of beauty, what comes to mind? The gorgeous cherry blossoms, which last for about a week, are beloved symbols to many Japanese people of what is treasured, but too short-lived. Sōchō, another well-known poet, wrote:
Throughout the morning
I watch the cherry blossoms
Growing old.
A little sad, wouldn’t you say? But where did the blossoms’ beauty originate? The wonderful fact is that the cherry tree’s Designer is eternal. Not only flowers, but also rainbows, music, snow-covered mountains, starry skies, brilliant sunsets are just a little taste of true beauty—a gift from the Giver, the eternal Artist. God designed the cherry tree’s first tiny seed with all the information crammed inside: directions for the roots, bark, trunk, leaves (think of the photosynthesis’ complexity), flowers, and delicious fruit. How wonderful that when we seek to know God through Jesus, we can have an everlasting relationship with the Giver of such beauty!
While writing this post, I tried my hand at creating haiku. Obviously, I’m an amateur. Anyway, here’s the one I wrote:
Jagged mountain peaks
Puncture the risk-taking clouds
Snow covers my path
Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of the traveler’s wintry scene and the tongue-in-cheek connection between the peaks and the clouds. Have you written any haiku? If so, I hope you will share one in the comment area below.
Photo of the dragonfly by Shawn Kenessey on Unsplash.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 25, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Many thanks to my good friend, June Jun, for suggesting these proverbs and providing their meanings.
1. A bird listens to what you are saying at day, and a mouse listens to what you are saying at night.
—We shouldn’t gossip or spill a secret since it can be overheard, and it can be spread even if we don’t want it to be.
2. The day is the funeral.
—There were two good friends. However, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Finally, one friend decided to visit the other one, but that day was his funeral. So the expression means that something regretful or pitiful happened.
3. You can catch the bugs after spinning a web.
—You can get something with preparation.
4. A straight tree is used for timber, and a bent tree is used for firewood.
—Everything (everyone) can be used, based on the inherent talent.
5. When a plowman can’t dig straight furrows in the field, he blames the cow.
—A person who lacks ability may make excuses by blaming something other than himself.
6. A fish cannot live in water that is too clean.
—Demanding too much perfection can cause problems.
7. Frogs forget being tadpoles.
—Once people succeed, they may become prideful and forget their humbler origins.
8. If a tree has many branches, there is always movement.
—A household with many children is never void of movement.
9. Works like a dog and spends like a scholar.
—No matter how a person earns his money, he may still spend it judiciously.
10. Even straw shoes are a pair.
—In Korea, the single woman who is highly educated and has a professional job is called a “gold miss.” This expression about straw shoes is used to encourage an unmarried person, such as a “gold miss,” by implying that if common shoes make a pair, then surely someone exists for that person somewhere.
11. I go to Gangnam (the center of Seoul) just following a friend.
—The person is doing something just because a friend is doing it, without thinking logically or having a good purpose.
12. A sister-in-law stopping a mother-in-law who is beating a daughter-in-law is more hateful than the mother-in-law.
—This describes the situation where the person pretends to help (stepping in to stop a beating), but is actually slandering someone secretly (doing something worse than the one beating her daughter-in-law).
If you know another interesting proverb from Korea, please leave a comment.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 16, 2013 | Uncategorized
A bizarre phone call I got last week ended up in a surprising manner. Here it is as best as I recall.
“Hello, Grandmama. This is your oldest granddaughter,” my caller said.
I responded, “Oh, and what is your name?” Since I don’t have a granddaughter, I knew this could be an interesting conversation.
“You tell me,” the bubbly voice answered.
“What you’re doing is wrong.” I said, deciding to lay the cards on the table. “I’m going to note your phone number and report you.”
“Good luck with that, dearie,” she said. “I’ve been told that for ten years, and no one has succeeded yet.”
Since my phone’s Caller ID was leaving out a number and was unreliable at other times too, she had me there. Hardly expecting much result, I said, “Well, God knows what you are doing, and it’s wrong.”
She said, “You’re living in the past. There isn’t any God. Don’t you know that two documentaries in the last five years have proved that there isn’t any God?”
“That doesn’t agree with science,” I said.
“You don’t know anything about science,” she challenged.
Now I happen to have a big interest in science and do have fourteen college credits in biology, six of which are on the graduate level in genetics and microbiology, but overall that’s not terribly impressive. Besides, I didn’t want to argue about my qualifications, so I brought up what came to mind about intelligent design.
“Think about the butterfly,” I said. “A caterpillar goes into a cocoon and basically commits suicide. It falls apart. Then, because of a prior design, its parts are rearranged into a butterfly.”
She snickered. “You believe in God because a butterfly goes into a cocoon?”
“Do you believe everything happened just by chance?” I asked.
“No.” And she didn’t elaborate.
I decided to carry on. “Okay. Think about the DNA in each of your cells. DNA is like an encyclopedia, and each cell has to be able to read the DNA in order to function. That’s from design.”
She changed the subject before I could explain further. She said, “I went to church for two years and read the Bible from beginning to end. It didn’t do anything for me.”
“I hope you’ll read the New Testament some more,” I said.
“Well, I don’t’ know if I’ll do that,” she replied.
“It’s real important,” I said. “I believe in God for two reasons, no three reasons, no four. First, because of all the intelligent design in the world. Second, because I don’t believe the people who saw the resurrected Jesus would have died for a lie. Third, because God changed my life, and fourth, because God has answered many, many of my specific prayers.”
She said something about “if you’re so smart,” but I don’t recall the rest of the remark.
Finally, I said, “Knowing God is a lot more important than money.”
She mumbled something and hung up.
In case you’re not familiar with this type of scam, the person says that the grandchild has an emergency, such as being in jail, and needs to have grandma send him or her money immediately. In looking back on the phone call, I’m sad the woman had so many wrong ideas about God and the Bible, but I’m thankful for her willingness to keep talking with me.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 15, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Who doesn’t like a good proverb? Proverbs try to say a general truth in a concise, interesting manner.
The following are well-known Japanese proverbs friends of ours shared with us.
Even monkeys fall from trees. 
Unless you go inside the cave, you can’t catch the tiger.
Time, like light and shadow, flies like an arrow.
A nail that stands up will be pounded down.
Hardship will tell you who your true friend is.
[Sharing good ideas with the unappreciative is] like putting a gold coin in front of a cat.
[An unexpected blessing is] like a rice cake that falls down from a shelf.
Friends from Japan also explained a series of sentences used to illustrate how to develop a theme:
Osaka main town
Daughters of a textile shop. The older daughter is seventeen. The younger is fifteen.
A daimyo’s samurai kills by a bow. [New information that isn’t obviously connected.]
The daughters kill men by their eyes. [The wrap-up that brings the disparate parts together.]
Here are some additional Japanese proverbs from other sources.
Death and birth happen in the same day—life is like bubbles on a stream. (Voiced by the medieval monk Chōmei in Hōjōki)
Excessive affection turns into a hatred stronger by one hundred. 
Proof is more effective than argument.
Too many captains run the ship up a mountain. (a favorite)
Photo of the monkey by Vishu Gowda on Unsplash
Photo of bubbles on a stream by Ashwini Chaudhary on Unsplash
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 1, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Years ago, I was privileged to lead a team of students from Dallas Baptist University in teaching an English seminar in Beijing, China. One day I asked the seminar’s Chinese participants to share some of their country’s proverbs, and these are the delightful words of wisdom that they shared.
Among the blind, the one-eyed man can be king.
Don’t laugh at people who fled 100 steps away in a war if you just fled 50 steps.
Knowledge can change one’s life.
t’s no use blowing on hot soup in a large vat in order to cool it. It would be better to take away the firewood under the soup. (My guess: Deal with the root of the problem.) 
Among the three, there must be one who can be my teacher.
If three people discuss something together, it is as a wise man.
Modesty will promote you.
The dog you have raised may bite you.
If the mountain exists, you don’t have to worry about the lack of firewood. (The participant explained this to mean that while there is life, there is hope.)
Beat iron while it’s hot. 
When you revise, you gain a new thing.
He who has never visited the Great Wall is not a true man.
You carried a stone and dropped it on your own foot.
Smelly fish and smelly shrimp are found together.
It takes 10 years for a young tree to grow and 100 years to educate a generation.
Photo of pot over fire by Tikkho Maciel on Unsplash
Photo of blacksmith by Jonathan Bean on Unsplash
