It is definitely the time to be about the Father’s business. It’s easy to focus on all the negative around us, but God commands us to watch the skies. We need to watch and wait for His coming, yes, but also be in a position where we can hear His will here and now, on a daily basis. We must hear from God now, and we can’t afford to waste time. I wish I could personally say that I am making the most of every minute, but when I feel that nudge in my heart from the Holy Spirit: ‘hey, you’re wasting time doing this or that’, I stop and get back to whatever it is that’s most pressing (usually learning Japanese). This is a vital hour. We must be about the Father’s business.

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Happy Fathers Day.

For the longest time, I kept two separate blogs and two separate identities. I was self-convinced that nobody I knew in ‘real life’ cared about my calling to learn Japanese and, one day soon, visit Japan. So I decided to separate my blogging about ‘normal’ or ’spiritual’ things from my blogging about Japanese geekery (language learning tips and status).

Today I decided: no more.

I am stshores24. I am 2nihon. I am Stephen Shores. I have a wonderful family. I’m learning Japanese. I’m making the best of life and following Jesus Christ wherever He goes.

I’m a Christian, but not THAT kind. I’m a lover. I’m a fighter, mostly. I’m pretty decent at writing, and I’m a very good parent.

I’m learning Japanese, and I’m a geek. And I’m not ashamed to say it.

Welcome to regeneration, and welcome to 2nihon.

My phone died yesterday. It worked fine for a few days after taking a swim in coffee, but yesterday it refused to power on and that was it.

The good news? We had insurance on the phone, and they’re giving me a nice upgrade for the same deductible. I’m feeling very blessed right now.

If you take the battery out immediately after immersion in liquid and let it try out overnight, most electronic devices will recover (it’s not the water that damages them, it’s the short-circuiting that goes on when the water contacts the electronics inside).

Unfortunately, coffee, Coke, and tea are acidic, so they will eat away at the microscopic traces inside. I didn’t feel right washing the phone out, though. That seemed like it was begging for more trouble.

So today I called to file the insurance claim, thanking God that we had purchased the insurance, and thought I would just ask, ‘hey, since you’re replacing it, could you give me the nicer model?” So I have a nice Moto Razr v3xx on its way. Very happy about that.

I just had a laugh when I realized that the coffee it had dropped in was from church. A blessing in disguise?

Recovering after a massively disappointing two days. My Japan trip fell through. I’ll be back in a bit.