https://otter.ai/u/gD4etSSecahlW0nRtKNr43DhykQ
I’m singing a song to Jennie, my cat as he’s sitting here in my lap to
sing in like, Jennie, Jennie, you’re my cat. And I love you. So,
Jennie, Jennie, I’ll be here until you want to go. Just having her in
my lap. I decided to hang out with her until she gets bored of
me. Yeah, and, oh, here it goes. She’s almost getting bored. Okay,
okay. Okay. So she got bored. Um, maybe it’s because the song ended
and I started recording this hey Jennie.
But actually, I want to say last night, just last night, on the fifth
of May so five, five. On the fifth year of the Reiwa era. I received a
well message. Basically, the short version is that I forgot to bring
my I forgot to put my bicycle parking lot card back into my wallet. I
I trimmed I slimmed down my wallet one day when it was raining and I
expected to get soaking wet. So I took everything out of my
wallet. Except just like my identification card. out of my wallet at
that time went the bicycle parking lot card with which I can update my
sticker on my bicycle. Just for the record, this is the new black
bicycle, the giant gravity a bicycle that I got I basically a year ago
at this point. Yeah, so and that’s thanks to Mark for helping me
select it and actually helping me buy it because at the time, I didn’t
have no money. So the
Oh, so I didn’t have the card. I went to the parking lot. And I was
like, Ah, crap, I forgot the card again. So I went to the desk, and I
was like, Hey, man, I forgot my card. And basically, he didn’t know
how to give me a new card with my old customer number on it. And so
he’s like, yeah, sorry, took several minutes. He’s like, Yeah, sorry,
this is gonna take too long. I’ll figure it out. And you pay me your
money. This is this is very Japan. He’s like, you know, give me the
money. And we’ll figure it out. But this is not Japan. He didn’t give
me a receipt. I just I gave him like 6500 or he made some change back
so 6300 yen and maybe more anyway doesn’t doesn’t matter. 6000 Yeah,
six was anyway 6800 yen that’s it for sure. So I gave them 6800 yen
and that included a 500 fee 500 again fee for making the new card.
And I grumbled a bit but as it because it took so long and silly me
for forgetting the card but I was like feeling grumbly energy coming
up. But I’m at Yeah, you know, it’s all good. And I kept saying I
trust you God. When I left that left the desk left the parking lot the
bicycle parking lot area I just my hands in the air. I was like high
fiving guys like God, I trust you. It’s all gonna be good. It’s all
fine. Even though I didn’t have a receipt or proof that I had paid. I
was like it’s all good. And just basically let it fall out of my brain
and went to a beautiful day in the park yesterday. Yogi Park was very
crowded. Being the during Golden week holiday. So it’s the we just had
three holidays in Japan. Today is Saturday. Oh, by the way, today’s
Saturday at seven 50 2am On Saturday, April 6 2023. As I write this
now or speak it into otter so
yesterday in the park was lovely. I got to re meet Oscar and Yumi who
are friends of Jens and Kaori. They, I don’t know how Kaori and Jens
met, nor how Oscar knew me. I know they did say that. Oscar Yumi met
through a course. He took a course in meditation or something
Transcendental Meditation. He may have said that. Yeah, so anyway, he
met her through that. I don’t know how he ends and county met. This
has no relevance in the beautiful day, but they all were basically on
in the park for a picnic. That county arranged the date with me about
a month ago. She’s uh, yeah, When can you come out? About may 5
Because that was the first day that I had available my calendar. And
she was like, Cool. We’ll be there at one o’clock. I said, Cool. And
I’ll be there at one o’clock. I was late. But they were more
late. Oscar numi we’re not late. But my friend Ai, Ai-chan was there
as well. She was there on time. So she’s the first one who I saw and
then Oscar and you meet came back. They were in the park looking for
us. And so everyone we all met up and it was all good.
And we found a place in the park had a lovely great day some more my
friends came Mike from frisbee from Ultimate. And so go workout boot
SOGO bootcamp, and so called Ultimate. And Elena joined and Mike
Nelsestuen joined and who else Oh, Martin and Sue Susana, Martin and
Susanna joined as well. And their friends via Missy actually who
needed someone to help with cat sit her cat cats plural hasn’t
five. So they met us via Petya, who knew about the cat situation. So?
Yeah, so anyway, Michael Nelson, Steven saw them and was like, Oh,
hey, it’s Martin and Susanna. So they came over and join us for a
bit. It was great, though. Ellie was there with his son, Eyal. and
think, oh, and then on Kaori’s side was Mi… Is that right?
Yeah. Miho. And Yumi, Miho, Kaoru, Kaori were there.
So anyway, had a good time, and played played frisbee and it was
great. And then people started to leave it started to get dark, not
dark, but they left after lunch and stuff. Then Elena, Ai-chan, and I
went into the park further to see the roses and the Rose Garden. And
then I walked Elena out, because she had to go and then I came back to
hang out with Ai-chan for a bit. Ai-chan asked me some questions about
how I got started in my spiritual practice. And like, ask if there was
a specific event or something. I hadn’t really thought about that. But
just realizing that I had been working with the practicing massage,
even in high school, through the youth group, and in one of our
weekend rallies, we had someone a basic massage therapist, come and
teach us some basics of Swedish massage, I guess it’d be called
Swedish, but basically, manipulating the muscles to release tension
and such. And so even since high school, I’ve been doing massage type
stuff.
And I told her that my dad was into, like, what,, ESP and channeling
and dowsing. He took a course from University of Santa Monica, about
count a counseling course. And so yeah, all all good stuff. And I just
was kind of immersed in it growing up. And remember even high school
even in high school, I wanted to be a counselor. Which is interesting
that I never really studied that. But yeah, all good, all good. So
they had a nice talk was Ai-chan in a big hug at the end, and then
headed out of the park.
Then I went directly to the barefoot walking event for full moon last
night. And I felt really grateful the community is growing slowly but
growing as in last month, and I think the month before, zero people
attended. And it was like, Alright, I need to I need to advertise
better, or cancel if there’s no RSVPs or something. And I’m still kind
of feeling into how to do that. Because it was on while I was on the
way there. Shinjiro said, hey, I’ll be there. Okay, good. I’m glad
that I’m planning to be there. But I also had confirmation from Yoko’s
friend Miho, who said she would be here be there is that right Miho?
Because we had yes Yumi and Miho. Yes, was another second Miho that I
met today. And then Shinjiro said his friend, Hiroto, not Hirota,
which is more, which I’ve heard a few times, Hiroto also joined.
So had three attendees yesterday at the barefoot walking event. It was
pretty chilly. So we didn’t stay that long. But we went out into the
field. Under the full moon had a nice clear view of the full moon at
times it was it was overcast. Well, it was cloudy, not overcast, but
we could always definitely see the full moon even through the
clouds. And yeah, really beautiful time, I did the meditation in
Japanese a bit. And I’m too shy to even try it now and the audio but
like allow, I didn’t really say Allow but like Moon Moon light shines
down on on your body, you know, kind of thing is very simple guidance
to allow us to be filled with moonlight and to allow the energy of the
moon did or ultra release any negative energies that we don’t need any
more. So in very clumsy Japanese, I was able to do some of those
phrases, I think. I mean, they kind of came to me he like I think this
might be a way to say that and just go for it.
And what’s really, really just so beautiful about the whole thing I am
it was again a case of like, Wow, I can’t believe I’m getting paid to
do this. And just so grateful to have this opportunity to serve and to
to be of service in a way that people are feeling supported. And in
all the cynic inspired me like I gotta learn some Japanese you know,
better than having like doing verb drills or what have you. Then I so,
feeling really blessed by the community growing and that I can support
the community and everyone seemed to have a good time and it was all
good even it was cold. We had great, great time and energy. Then I got
headed headed back to my station. And Jennie Hey Jennie, how you
doing?
So I then got got back to the bicycle parking lot area and had this
what is it like note on my bicycle, that’s usually as a yellow note,
I’m sure it says, Hey, looks like you forgot to pay. You know, and
something something your sticker has expired or there’s no sticker
whatsoever. And this is a warning will tell your tow your bicycle if
you don’t sort it out quick. However, on top of that had been written,
we’ll keep your card in the office, basically, we have your bicycle
card, and then look down on the on my bicycle on the back was my
updated sticker. And I just like I just was felt so grateful. I had a
little cry in the moment. I’m like, Oh, God, thank you so much. And
just like trusting God and higher power, and that it’s all gonna be
okay. And it was beyond what I expected. I thought I’d have to go
there and be like, Hey, I’m the guy that lost. But that little bit,
they put the sticker on my bicycle for me. And in exactly the right
spot where I’d want it to be on top of the previous one, which allows
the first sticker to be visible still. And they didn’t rip off other
stickers, apparently. Anyway, it was done just beautifully and
perfectly. I’m so happy. I had a little cry of joy and just feeling
really connected and supported and blessed. And yes, such a nice time.
And that was all while talking with Jess X Goh in Sydney, about our
respective days, and how we’re really enjoying the process of living
with God’s guidance and, and higher power and spirit. And we just have
this shared kind of language about that. And I was like, hey, what
does angel number 555 mean? Because that was the date written on the
thing. And she’s like, Oh, I have to look it up. And so looking it
up. It’s about abundance, about change about letting go of the old and
allowing new to come in. And I was like, that sounds cool. And then,
you know, gratitude for an angel number, the repetition there. And
it’s, I mean, it’s not too surprising that on the date of the thing,
however, it was triggered because I forgot the card. And because he
didn’t know how to do it quick enough. He’s like, I’ll do it later.
So for at minimum, those two things. If had either one not been the
case, I would not have received that handwritten 555 at the top of
this notice. And so it’s like, that’s really neat. Oh, and then
there’s a third one that I told him. I know, I will not be back before
you guys close, because I’m going to the event and bla bla bla bla. So
that’s three different things at minimum, any one of which I wouldn’t
have gotten the note there. And yeah, so story’s not over yet.
So yeah, so about change and about prosperity and abundance and all of
this stuff. I said, Cool. That is great. And then this morning, and
this is like continuing the story that started over a month ago. Just
this morning at 702 a m, I received the final, what’s the word like
the link to do the to make the the official like sign the dotted line
with ATG, the publisher of this book. And I don’t know exactly how and
where the money is going to come from to pay for it. But it is It’s, I
trust God. It is within my means. And it’s like, it’s just
Alright. Cool. We’re going to do this right in the book.
It’s just really neat to have the 555 last night, and the email came
in this morning. And yeah, really feeling the gratitude and
blessing. And this is the the type of thing that I’m finding is normal
as I’m continuing to shine gratitude out into the world.
Oh, and I, I talked to Eli yesterday at the picnic, and I asked,
How does gratitude work? And
he basically said, that this is a theory and he heard and he doesn’t
know but that the, the formlessnesss, out of which the form arises, is
most effectively directed with our vision, and our gratitude. And
okay, that great, that’s basically what I have noticed as well, I
wouldn’t use the terminology about the formless. But I’ve I’ve been
using like terminology, like higher power responding to gratitude. And
yeah, but fair enough. I like even going one one layer back to the, to
the formless. And responding well to this is what I remember him, it
may not be what he said, But responding well to the gratitude as we
give the vision. And I’ve heard this and read this countless,
countless times.
So dear reader, this is me, sharing with you. It’s been working, it
works. For me, it’s working, sharing your vision, sharing your
gratitude. It’s, it’s magic. And it’s working at the level that you
will allow it to be true in your life. And so I’m saying that because
I’m allowing it to be true at this level. When I sent the email off
today, I sent it as best selling author, Rob nugen.com, had Mark. And
it’s like just the gratitude and creating the vision best selling
author for a long time. Going rewinding the story I’ve been looking up
to by a my friend who I met here, he lived in the same guest house
when he first came to Japan. And we had basically our commonality
we’re both from United States, but he’s he’s from Brooklyn, and he’s
into, into like basketball and sports and, and writing, which I wasn’t
at that time. And we were basically like, proverbial ships passing in
the night. We didn’t really connect. But I’ve always respected his
work. And he’s been so he’s now like, well established as a writer,
specifically in Tokyo. He wrote the book loco in Yokohama. He wrote,
My name is Moses, my name is Biei. And I’m a racist, and really
brilliant books. And he’s now writing the weekly or monthly column,
black i In The Japan Times, I think. And at one point he posted on
social media. I really loved the phrasing. He’s like visualizing his
book, selling like tapioca.
Like That is hilarious. because it’s a beautiful thing. And it’s so
funny that in like, five years ago, we started to get tapioca tea
shops just popping up everywhere it’s like, and the same way that we
nowadays you can just add, you know, AI to the business name and
suddenly get a bunch of funding, all they had to do was put tapioca in
the tea and suddenly sell a lot of tapioca. Or to sell a lot of
tea. And he’s like, have his book sell like tapioca? And I was like,
Yeah, I love that vision. And so, here’s me like 10 years, you know,
his junior in terms of like books, but same vision, gratitude to
higher power books selling like tapioca. And I there’s, to be honest,
there’s a part of me who does not believe that it can be real and that
certainly can can hinder. Your belief is creative. However, as I’m
working with vents, and the A T G, team, the they’re well versed and
helping get past these, the blocks and the and like, I’m not good
enough kind of feelings that invariably come up. This is from the
book, do the work. Forgot the author’s name, but invariably, it’s like
I’m not good enough. This comes up and I hear it all the time. So
yeah, anyway, I’m now babbling and and really feeling gratitude for
this opportunity to do my own work. And thank you for doing your own
work as it’s of critical critical importance. The the phrase be raft
What was that line? I’m gonna pause this and find that line. This is
from the course of A Course in Miracles chapter five. Number six time
and eternity. God in His knowledge is not waiting. But his kingdom is
bereft while you wait. All the sons of God are waiting for your
return. Just as you’re waiting for there’s delay does not matter in
eternity. But it is tragic in time.
So dear reader, do not delay
your gifts and your work in this world are critical and vital
importance. And thank you for sharing them with us.
Sending you all the love in the world. Nice little chime in the
recording here sending you all the love in the world. Bless you, and I
love you. Looking forward to see you soon
25 May 2023
This morning Lin suggested we swap rooms in our house.
Her room is nicer for me and mine better for her.
We have considered the change a few times over the years that we have been here.
On May 10th 2023, I put the final lock on my shelves to
bolt them to the wall so they won’t fall in an earthquake.
How interesting that just 15 days later Lin comes up with the idea
to change rooms, just after I finalized my last shelf to the wall…