Jason The Opinionated Man of Harsh Reality 10 “Facts”

Imagine my surprise this morning when I checked my stats on WordPress while waiting for the microwave to beep.

I had a bunch of comments, views, likes and visitors, I thought I must’ve accidentally accessed some other WordPress blogger’s account!

Within about six hours I had surpassed my previous daily record on comments, views, likes and visitors!

What happened? JASON from Opinionated Man and Harsh Reality….

Jason had reblogged a short post I did commenting about a WordPress notification.

Jason always offers to reblog, guest post, guest blog, and share a post.   I never took him up on it because I figured it was for his more sophisticated followers but now I realize he can help even us little guys from the suburbs. I’m from Arvada, Colorado. Hey wait I am pretty sure Jason is from Arvada, Colorado!

So here’s 10 things I wanted to share that I know about Jason:

1. Jason is a gentleman he has always answered my stupid questions quickly and politely.
2. Jason truly deep down cares about the new bloggers.  He’s kind and responds to their comments in an encouraging way.
3. Jason’s family is adorable.  (This should be moved to number 1 but I am too lazy.)
4. Jason is a fun read I don’t always agree with him but I almost always get his point.
5. Jason doesn’t sleep, he blogs continuously.
6. I’ve read a Jason post and thought to myself “I wish I had said that!”  (a clever post)
7. I’ve read a Jason post and thought to myself “I’m glad I didn’t say that!” (I’m a scaredy-cat)
8. Some readers find Jason abrasive, obnoxious, rude, etc. but that’s what makes him interesting.  He is not afraid to state his opinion and he is going to get a rise from some portion of the WordPress community and beyond.
9. Jason’s writing is varied and eclectic.  He has surprised me more than once.
10. Harsh Reality and Jason the Opinionated Man is one of the first blogs I followed.  I have learned a lot from Jason and look forward to reading him forever.  Lets hope he never gets discouraged … too many of us enjoy his presence.

Thanks Jason!

 

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Scarves and hats for the homeless, knitting and crochet group Feb 2015

The second meeting of the Scarves and Hats for the Homeless, Knitting and Crochet Group took place February 15th.  Once again the children were the fastest learners and had the best tension control.

The group discussed other projects such as:

• Having a ton of fun!
• Prayer afghans where the members would each knit or crochet 8″ squares to be joined together for special prayer blankets.
• Knitted and crocheted stuffed animals for children.
• Holiday gifts for those in need of cheer.
• Sweaters for rescue dogs at a Jefferson County shelter.
• Mittens.
• Fun personal projects that the more experienced will help the newbies with such as shawls, purses, other items.

If you would like to join us at Simpson United Methodist Church in Arvada, Colorado the group is a community group for anyone interested and we hope to meet about every other week.  Send me a comment and I will make sure you get a contact.

Here are some of the personal projects the more experienced ladies have been working on:

Gotta hurry before the baby grows anymore!

Warmest mittens ever!

Felted purses too cool!

Much needed sweaters for rescue dogs.

We’d love to have your ideas, company and help!

 

Hina Matsuri Festival at Simpson

Doll’s Day or Girls’ Day.  In Japan it is held every March 3rd.  At Simpson our Festival is held the first full weekend of every March, this year March 7th and 8th.

The Festival is open to the public and free of charge.

The families in the Japanese community display their amazing dolls, many of which have been in their families for generations.

Also on display are Bonsai (miniature plants and trees) and Ikebana (flower arranging).  Very welcome as we wait for spring to finally replace winter.

The ladies prepare Bento Boxes for lunch each day which are extremely popular and are sold out quickly.

A constant parade of activity on the stage in the gymnasium including Taiko Drums, Martial Arts and variety of music.

Hope you can join us!

 

2014-09-21 Sermon at Simpson UMC “Grace Is Not Fair”

“Grace Is Not Fair”

Matthew 20:1-16

Today’s passage will make you want to shake your head and say, “That’s not fair.” It is because grace is not fair. God’s grace is indeed not fair. Grace means unmerited favor. It means extending favor to someone who doesn’t deserve it, who hasn’t earned it, and can never repay it.

The scandal of the parable is that God doesn’t give us what we deserve. God gives us what we need, whether we deserve it or not. The point of the parable is that God’s grace is amazing. That God’s grace is beyond our comprehension. That it encompasses everyone, welcomes everyone, forgives everyone, and loves everyone.

The second part of the parable is about us. If you observed the parable carefully, it was not the landowner who distributed the silver coins. He asked the foreman/worker to give the silver coins. The owner of the vineyard has selected you to dispense the silver coins. That’s what the parable is about. God wants you to dispense grace on God’s behalf. As God representatives, we are asked to show God’s grace to others. God calls us to enlarge the margin of grace in our lives. If our grace margin is small, we become exclusionary, judgmental and self-righteous. We become rigid, legalistic and impatient with others. But if or when our margin of grace is wide and big, we overlook each other’s mistakes. We begin to see our own weakness in other people’s failures. We don’t take things too seriously. Enlarge your margin of grace to accommodate people who don’t think or believe like you, people who are different from you. That’s the reason why we are show grace by God. Freely receive, freely give!

Tezenlo Thong, Pastor Simpson UMC

Welcome to Sansei Life

Welcome to Sansei Life! A blog exploring and learning about the Asian community in Denver.When I was much younger I tried a new Japanese restaurant in Arvada called Namiko’s for a sushi snack. It was very good. I got into a conversation with Yuri the owner and she ended up offering me a part time job on weekends. I spent most of the first evening running to Yuri asking her what the various dishes were and what was in them and what they tasted like. In exasperation Yuri asked me if I was Japanese! She could not understand how a Japanese did not know simple restaurant fare.  That is when I really understood that I was a Sansei out of touch with my culture. I am ready to experience and learn about today’s Asian culture.

Issei First Generation
Nisei Second Generation
Sansei Third Generation
Yonsei Fourth Generation
Gosei Fifth Generation

Please join me as I explore the rich Asian culture that is part of Denver and Colorado’s unique makeup.Please share your stories and ideas on what you’d like to hear more about, events and what is happening in Denver in the Asian community.

Paula Matsumoto