Chess Lessons by Lee Duigon: Lesson Five

All Chess Lessons

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Lesson 5: a few more thoughts on Pawns.

You need to move your Pawns in order to create space for your Pieces, starting on the back row, to operate. This takes some good judgment. If you move too many Pawns too far, your defense will suffer. But if you hold too many Pawns back, you’ll cramp your own army.

Most chess games start with moving the Pawn in front of the King, creating space for your Queen and bishop to come out: e4 if White, e5 if Black. Starting with the Queen Pawn is also popular: d4 or d5. Any Pawn, of course, can be moved for your first move, but for beginners the Pawn move, e2-e4 or e7-e5, is best. Note these Pawns are taking advantage of the opportunity to move two squares instead of one.

Remember, Pawns are the only men who can never move backward, never retreat. Devote some thought to any Pawn move.

During a game, as a result of captures, you may wind up with “doubled Pawns”–for example, on e5 and e4. This creates a weakness because Pawns are only able to capture diagonally: doubled Pawns can’t defend each other. This doesn’t seem to bother experts very much, but it’s relatively easy to attack a beginner who has doubled Pawns. Try to avoid them–but don’t try too hard. If capturing an enemy Rook leaves you with a doubled Pawn, you’re coming out ahead.

Always be on the lookout for the deadly “Pawn fork,” the first tactical coup I ever learned in chess. Imagine you have a Rook on c5 and a Knight on e5, and your opponent has an unmoved Pawn on d7. If it’s his move, he can move that Pawn to d6 and simultaneously attack both your pieces, each of which is much more valuable than a Pawn. Very hard to escape without losing one or the other!

And that, I think, is enough for you to digest for now.

For the next lesson we’ll take up the topic of your chess army’s special forces–the Knights.

– Lee Duigon (Nov. 14th, 2018)

Check out Mr. Duigon’s blog at LeeDuigon.com!! Don’t forget to give him a follow! I really recommend The Bell Mountain Series by Lee Duigon!

Stay tuned for Lesson 6!

The Food Award #2

Lydia nominated me on June 23rd, 2020.

I have been nominated by Lydia Potter for the Food Award! Thanks a lot, Lydia! Make sure you check out her blog and YouTube channel!

The Rules:
Thank the person that nominated you.
Pingback to the creator, Elisha at https://elishamcfarland.com/.
Use the same featured image as your nominator.
Answer the five questions.
Create five questions about food.
Nominate five people.

Questions from Lydia:

1. Do you like dried fruit?

Yes, indeed! I especially like raisins.

2. Have you ever eaten squirrel?

Squirrel? No, I’ve never eaten squirrel in my life. Is it good? 🤔❓🐿{😅)

3. What is your favorite soup?

Oh, I would have to say “Corn soup!” to that question! 🍵🥄😋{いただきます!!)

4. How do you like your steak cooked?

I like my steak medium-rare.

5. When was the last time you ate a pasta dish and what was it?

The last time I ate a pasta dish was on June 18th, 2020 (Say, my diary’s more useful than I thought! 😄), and that was Thursday I should say. It was a scrumptious meal that my mom made: pasta with tomato sauce and onions, and it was called “naporitan.” Sounds French, eh? (And later, after searching “naporitan,” I found out that I had made an error. It’s Italian. Of course it’s Italian, you dunderhead Josh!🤪)

But come to think of it, there was once a French emperor that had the name “Naporitan,” right? Emperor Naporitan, doesn’t really sound good, but hey, we can’t change history.

My nominees:

Lee Duigon

Rosy Marr

Bonnie

Hattush

Steve McLeod

My questions:

1. What’s your favorite soda drink?

2. What do you usually order at your favorite restaurant?

3. Do you like to listen to music while you eat?

4. Which ethnic food do you find the most to your liking?

5. Have you ever eaten sushi?

(All this talk about food makes me kinda hungry!)

Thank you again, Lydia, and I express my gratitude to all those who have read this! 😄

And thank you, God, for the food You so graciously give us each day!

Chess Lessons by Lee Duigon: Lesson Four

All Chess Lessons

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Lesson 4 – a bit more about Pawns.

The job Pawns do best is to defend your Pieces and your territory. Remember, they can only capture diagonally. Whole books have been written on this subject, but I can’t do that here.

“Pawn chains” often play a major role in defense. A simple chain of three Pawns might be placed on, for example, squares C5, B4, and A3. The A-Pawn defends the B-Pawn, and the B-Pawn defends the Pawn on C5. The weak link in the chain is the A-Pawn, which cannot be defended by another Pawn. When you have to attack a pawn chain, always aim for the weakest link.

There is a dirty trick in chess involving any Pawn you might have on the 5th rank. If your Pawn is on, say, E5, your opponent may attempt to move a Pawn *two* squares, as its first move, to D5 or F5. If he does, on your next move, *and only then*, your E5 Pawn may capture it by moving diagonally to D6 or F6, just as if your opponent’s Pawn had stopped there, having moved one square instead of two. This move is called Capturing En Passant, “In Passing.” It’s a legal move, and you should always keep an eye out for it. I find that when you take an opponent’s Pawn en passant, it usually shocks and confuses him: he loses his cool, and sometimes his train of thought as well. It’s not a move that shocks a very experienced player, it’s a perfectly legal move, but it often has a disproportionately powerful effect on the game. Personally, I’m always on the lookout for it.

The next lesson will be more about Pawns. I’ll try to stick to the basics. But as the 18th century French master, Philidor, famously said, “Pawns are the soul of chess.” So don’t sell them short.

– Lee Duigon (Nov. 3rd, 2018)

Check out Christian fantasy author Lee Duigon’s blog at LeeDuigon.com!! Don’t forget to give him a follow!

I really recommend The Bell Mountain Series by Lee Duigon! There are 12 volumes altogether!

Stay tuned for the next chess lesson!

Mystery Blogger Award #7

Lydia Potter nominated me for this on May 14th, 2020!

Thank you so much, Lydia, for nominating me for the Mystery Blogger Award!! That was so kind of you! (To my readers: make sure to check out her blog and to give her a follow!)

The Rules:
1. Put the award logo on your blog.
2. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
3. Mention the creator of the award.
4. Answers the five questions you were asked.
5. Tell the readers three things about yourself.
6. Nominate ten to twenty bloggers.
7. Notify the bloggers (tell them you nominated them) by commenting on one of their posts.
8. Ask your nominees five questions with one weird or funny one.
9. Share a link to your best posts.

The Mystery Blogger Award was created by Okoto Enigma.

My best posts (well, my personal favorites at least) are: Creation VS Evolution, The Bell Mountain Series by Lee Duigon, The Adventures of Joshua and Jeremy: The Hike Up Thunder Mountain, The Scrabble Game 2, J&J’s LEGO Stories: #1, and The Word of God.

3 Facts About Me:

I believe that the Bible is true.
I like to write my diary every day.
I am a very, very, very, very slow eater.

The Questions:

1. Do you prefer solid color clothes or a pattern?
I like both, but I prefer clothes with patterns,

2. What are your 3 favorite things you do every day?
I like to drink coffee, read my Bible, and pray.

3. How often do you post on your blog?
I used to post every day, but recently I’ve been doing only a few posts a month.

4. When you handwrite, do you write in cursive or print?
I write in cursive.

5. When was the last time you ate bacon?
The first thing I wrote was: “Hmm… I don’t remember exactly when I last ate bacon, but I think I ate some with fried rice (called “chahan”) four or five weeks ago,” but later, the time of my latest bacon consumption changed. On June 10th, 2020, Wednesday, at approximately 12:00 PM, I ate bacon strips, and, oh, they tasted swell.

(P.S. – I also ate bacon on June 17th, Wednesday, when it showed up in my lunchbox. Thanks, Mom!)

(P.P.S. – Sigh. This is what’ll happen if you wait until after Father’s Day to post this… you get to eat a whole pig before you can answer the question!!! On June 19th, Friday, Mom served us some delicious Japanese food which included some salmon, miso soup, and, you guessed it, bacon. I ate bacon on that day at around 12:15 PM, by the way! So what!?)

(P.P.P.S. – On June 21st, 2020, which, come to think of it, was yesterday, I ate chahan, and I don’t think I have to mention what was in it. 😉 )

I feel as if I’ve eaten an entire pig in order to answer this question! 🐷

I will nominate 12 people…

Mr. Holliman

Mrs. Holliman

Elijah Holston

Elisha McFarland

Lydia Rose

Keziah Hofmann

Joah Pearson

John Eli Garay

Sophia Lorena Benjamin

Jacquie A. Bradford

Robert Chamberlain

Ryan Callahan

The 5 Questions to the 12 Nominees:

1. What encourages you during these trying times?
2. What gives you the greatest happiness in your life?
3. How often do you wear a watch?
4. What is your favorite zoo?
5. Have you ever eaten black garlic? If so, do you like it?

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Thank you once again, Lydia! And thank y’all for reading! 🙂

The Real Neat Blog Award #4

I was nominated by Lydia Potter on April 15th!

Thank you so much for nominating me for the Real Neat Blog Award, Lydia!! I really appreciate it, and you’ve given me the 4th one of this award!

You can go and visit and follow her blog, “In His Service And Loving It,” right here!

THE RULES:
1. Display the blog award logo in your blog.
2. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you.
3. Do not forget to link to their blogging website.
4. Answer all the questions they have given you.
5. Nominate 7 to 10 bloggers of your choice.
6. Ask them 7 questions.

Lydia’s Questions:

1. What was/is your favorite school subject?

My favorite subject was English!

2. How often do you do something really weird that you regret?

Probably every time I write a comment, as almost every time I tend to write something dumb.

3. In your opinion, what’s something you do that passes time really well?

Reading the Bible, blogging, and watching YouTube videos!

4. Meat or veggie pizza?

I like the combination of both, but I prefer meat to veggies.

5. Do you like lizards?

Yes, I do, but not when they crawl all over my legs, which never happened before! 😄

6. Blue tooth, headphones, or earbuds?

Earbuds! They’re my ears’ buddies!

7. What did you do for Easter this year?

I watched and listened to sermons on the Internet, and prayed and thanked God for sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to Earth to die on the cross for those whom He has chosen, and for resurrecting Him from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is evidence that He will return to Earth and judge the world at His Second Coming!

My 7 Nominees Are…

Mr. Holliman
Mrs. Holliman
Ryan Callahan
Green Mountain Girl
Bonnie Hawkins
Kenneth Ratcliffe
Hattush Reschly

My 7 Questions to My Nominees:

1. Have you ever read the Bell Mountain series?
2. What did you like to do when you were around 5?
3. How often do you take a walk outside?
4. What Bible verse did you find the most inspiring recently?
5. Can you see well enough without glasses?
6. When was the last time you saw a rainbow?
7. What future event do you look forward to the most?

Thank you all, or should I say “y’all,” for reading this blog post.

And thank you once more, Lydia, for the nomination! I really enjoyed doing this!

Stay tuned for the next post! 😊

The Real Neat Blog Award #3 (For All!) [+Bonus!]

This blog award logo was created by Colton Beckwith.

I have been nominated by Mr. Holliman for the Real Neat Blogger Award! Thank you so much, Mr. Holliman! Please check out his blog, and don’t forget to give him a follow!

Blog link: Mr. Holliman @ A Happy Life

The Rules For The Real Neat Blog Award:
1. Display the blog award logo in your blog.
2. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you.
3. Do not forget to link to their blogging website.
4. Answer all the questions they have given you.
5. Nominate 7 to 10 bloggers of your choice.
6. Ask them 7 questions.

Mr. Holliman’s Questions:

1. What is your favorite amusement park to go for fun?

I’ve been to Tokyo Disney Resort twice. That is my favorite amusement park!

2. What is one of your favorite posts that you came across?

Wow! What a hard question! Almost all the posts I come across I deem awesome, but one of the best ones so far (Note: this is only my personal opinion!), I think, is “Jesus is Our Rock” by Unashamed of Jesus.

3. What is your favorite holiday? Why?

My favorite holiday is Christmas because it celebrates Jesus Christ the Son of God becoming a man so that He can die on the cross for the sins of those who believe in Him! “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

4. Four-wheel skates or rollerblades?

Neither, because I can’t do either of them!

5. What are your favorite toppings to put on your pancakes or waffles?

I like to put maple syrup and butter on them! 🍁🥞

6. Cookies and Ice Cream or Brownies and Ice Cream?

Hmm… Cookies and Ice Cream! 🍪🍦

7. What is the funniest thing your pet ever did?

Sorry, I can’t think of any right now! (Which probably means the pets I had before weren’t comedians.)

My Nominees Are…

Robert Chamberlain

Saania

Newblogger20

Elisha McFarland

Noah

Rosy Marr

Lydia Potter

Colton Beckwith

Wait a minute here! The title says “For All,” so that means YOU can participate, too!Anyone can join in (those whose names aren’t here) by either doing a post or answering the questions below in the comments section.

My 7 Questions For “All” My Nominees:

1. If there was going to be a “family reunion” of bloggers all around the world, let’s say, in Honolulu, Hawaii, would you go?

2. Speaking of Hawaii, can you hula dance?

3. How many times have you eaten turtle in your life?

4. Do you think you can blog for 24 hours straight?

5. What do you think is the ideal temperature for you?

6. What do you want for your next birthday?

7. Did you know that caterpillars have more muscles than humans?

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Thank you all for your time, for coming over to my blog, and for reading this! 🙂

See you soon! Keep safe, and wash your hands regularly, carefully, and fervently! 👏

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Bonus Feature:

Try Not to Laugh Challenge #2 (Two Videos!)

(Click here for #1!)

Chess Lessons by Lee Duigon: Lesson Three

(It has been 6 months since I posted the last chess lesson by Lee Duigon, so here’s Lesson Three, the first chess lesson I will share in 2020!)

Click here for all chess lessons!

Lesson 3 – Moving the Pawns ♟

You start with 8 Pawns lined up on the 2nd rank, in front of your pieces. Individually expendable, Pawns are nevertheless important. Beginners often don’t realize that, because it takes experience to get good use out of them. But before that, the moves.

On its first move, and only then, a Pawn may be moved either one square forward or two squares forward. All other moves are either one square straight ahead–or one square diagonally, when making a capture.

In chess, all captures are made by moving one of your men onto a square occupied by an opponent’s man, who is then removed from the game. When a capture is made, the capturing man’s move ends.

So a Pawn cannot advance if there is another chessman directly in front of it.
If a Pawn is moved all the way to the opposite end of the board, it is cashed in for a Piece of higher value. Usually that’s a Queen; occasionally, a Knight.

During the course of the game, Pawns are valuable mostly in a defensive role.

Only the Pawn can never move backwards. Remember that when you decide to move a Pawn: it can’t retreat.

The next lesson will deal with some finer points about Pawns.

Feel free to ask any questions! I’ve never done this on line before, so I may sometimes leave out something.

– By Lee Duigon, October 26th, 2018 (Posted with permission)

Check out Mr. Duigon’s blog at LeeDuigon.com!! Don’t forget to give him a follow!

I really recommend The Bell Mountain Series by Lee Duigon! You really should read those exciting books! Here’s a post about The Bell Mountain Series.

Liebster Award #7

I was nominated by Mrs. Holliman on March 23rd, 2020.

Thank you, Mrs. Holliman, for nominating me for the Liebster Award! (The 7th time!) Please visit and follow her blog! (Click here to go to her blog!)

Rules of The Liebster blogger Award:
1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you.
2. Share 11 facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions the blogger(s) gave you.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers that deserve the reward.
5. Create 11 original questions for the nominees to answer.
6. Let them know they’ve been nominated.

11 Facts About Me:

1. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior from all my sins!!
2. I believe that every single word in God’s Word the Holy Bible is true!!!
3. I am thankful to God for giving me my life and all the blessings He has given me!
4. I live in Japan.
5. I’ve been to three countries: South Korea (only the airport), the U.S., and… Japan (of course)!
6. I want to be a stronger Christian with the help of God’s Holy Spirit.
7. My favorite book in the Bible is 1 Corinthians for now!
8. I like to read books, especially the Bible.
9. I brush my teeth every day.
10. I have a blog, as you probably guessed!
11. I like to watch YouTube videos!

Mrs. Holliman’s Questions:

1. What is your favorite thing to blog about?

I like to blog about a variety of things, especially things about God. (Well, I used to blog about various things a lot before, but now I mostly reblog others’ posts, share videos, and do “Awards and Tags” posts.)

2. What would be one thing that you would change that you did in your life?

I want to undo the thefts that I committed in the past.

3. Strawberries or Blueberries?

Strawberries!!!… Though blueberries come close second!!

4. What is your favorite food to cook?

Oh, oh! I really love to cook… Nothing… I can’t cook. ☹

5. What does love from GOD mean to you?

God’s love means everything to me! God made me and gave me a Savior, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son! That is God’s amazing love, grace, and mercy towards a sinful wretch like me!

6. What is one of your favorite quotes?

I really love this quote by Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)

7. Hot dogs or Hamburgers?

I prefer hotdogs to hamburgers!

8. What is your favorite TV show to watch?

I like to watch some Japanese TV shows sometimes.

9. What would you be doing if snow came to your city?

I’d make a snowman and have a snowball fight with my brother!

10. What is your favorite flavor of cake?

I like chocolate cake! (Also I like fruit cake!)

1. What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my life, for my family, and most of all the Lord Jesus Christ!

My 11 Nominees Are…

Keziah
Elisha McFarland
Hattush
Steve McLeod
Renee
Mr. Holliman
Lydia Rose
Ezra
Jaël
Kenneth Ratcliffe
Jacquie

My 11 Questions For My Nominees:

1. How many countries have you been to?
2. What is your favorite book of the Bible?
3. Do you like to play board games?
4. Do you watch videos on YouTube?
5. What do you treasure the most?
6. What place in the world is your favorite?
7. What place would you like to go to someday?
8. Can you play chess?
9. What are your top-ten favorite hymns?
10. Do you like singing?
11. Can you swim? (I can’t, by the way!😅)

Thanks a lot for reading this, and thank you again for nominating me, Mrs. Holliman!

See y’all!!!

The Decade Tag

Thank you, Mr. Holliman, for giving me the Decade Tag! Please click on this link and go to his amazing blog! Don’t forget to follow him!

To Play Along With This Tag:
1. Please share a link to the creator of the tag: jesusluvsall.wordpress.com
2. Share some of your highlights over the past decade and if you want, a few low points.
3. Tag whoever you wish.
4. Ask them some questions.
5. Use any picture appropriate for such a tag.

The Highs (😆) and the Lows (😖) of the Past Decade

My highs ☝:

1. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as my only Savior from my sins! 😊

2. Starting this blog! 😊

3. Making new friends! 😊

4. Being able to go to the gym! 😊

5. Learning how to play chess! 😊

6. Learning how to play the guitar! 😊

7. Getting my guitar for my 16th birthday! 😊

8. Getting this computer for my 17th birthday! 😊

9. Being able to spread the gospel in various ways using this PC! 😊

10. Getting rid of bad habits, for example making strange “Mm” sounds! 😊

My lows👇:

1. The surge of new bad habits, such as staying up late. ☹

2. Losing my favorite toy, a little black teddy bear. ☹

3. Spending too much time on my computer. ☹

4. Acting weird and not acting my age. ☹

5. Losing interest in going to the gym. ☹

6. Not paying attention to others. ☹

7. Losing too many chess games. ☹

8. Scratching Mom’s kitchen. ☹

9. Losing my temper. ☹

10. Oversleeping. ☹

Mr. Holliman’s Questions:

1. Where do you want your life to be in 10 years?

I would like to become an evangelist and have my own business.

2. What is your favorite moment in your decade?

My favorite moment… seriously? I don’t know! I have too many of them!

3. Is there anything you wish you could change that happened in your 10 years?

I wish I was more diligent and practiced the piano more and studied harder, etc.

4. How would you describe your 10 years ago?

I would describe myself as dependent on almost everyone around me, especially my parents. In fact, I still am! 👶

5. What was your proudest moment in your 10 years?

Hmm… passing a super-difficult exam!

I will hereby tag the following special people:

Mrs. Holliman

Caleb E. King

Lydia Potter

Lee Duigon

Bonnie Hawkins

Pastor SlimJim

Rosy Marr

Noah

(And anybody else out there, you’re nominated, too, by the way. 🙂 )

Here are my questions:

1. Which decade do you think is the best one for you?
2. How many decades have you lived?
3. During the next 10 years, what would you like to do?
4. What is the best memory of when you were 10?
5. If you had to eat just one thing for the following 10 years, what would it be?

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Thanks for reading this, guys! 🙂

And feel free to do this tag if you have any free time! 🙂

See you in the next post I will do sometime in the near future! 🙂

WANTED:
BLACK TEDDY BEAR

Ten Things That Make Me Happy Tag and the Before & After Tag!

Here I am with another post! Sorry for taking such a long break, but thanks for letting me have some respite! (Not that I was totally off my blog. I made some more pages and I hope you would check them out! 😊)

I was nominated for two tags not too long ago, so let me crack my knuckles and get to it already!

Thank you, Lydia, for nominating me for the 10 Things That Make Me Happy Tag and thank you, Robert, for nominating me for the Before And After Tag, a.k.a. the Then and Now Tag! Please check out their blogs by clicking on the links!

I hereby nominate the readers who are reading this post for these two tags… yes, YOU!!!

(It’s not my idea; some bloggers do the same thing!)

10 Things That Make Me Happy Tag

The Rules:

1. List 10 things that make you happy. (Linking to them, sharing pictures, writing poems about them, telling jokes, etc. are all encouraged but not required.)

2. Tag 10 people who make you happy (and notify them of their tag).

Ten Things That Make Me Happy

1. God’s Word

Reading God’s Word, the Holy Bible, gives me great joy! It’s 100% truth, and I thank the Lord for giving us His Word to read. “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). “Thy Word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140).

2. Salvation

Jesus Christ saved me, a great sinner, from my sins by God’s grace alone! “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). Jesus Christ came to earth to bear the punishment due to my sins. I am only saved because Jesus shed His blood on the cross as the Perfect Substitute for God’s elect. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I thank the Lord for Jesus Christ!

3. My Family

I am so grateful to God for giving me such a wonderful family!

4. Reading

I really love reading books, especially the Bible. I am relatively a slow reader (not as much as before though). Please check out the “Recommended Books” page at the top!

5. Sleeping　💤

Do I need to explain why sleep makes me happy? I don’t think I have to! ZZZ!

6. Smiles and Laughter 😂

(Does that count for one? I hope so.) Who would not be happy when someone smiles at you? It is good to be cheerful and happy in whatever state you are in. Laughter is the best medicine, so they say!

7. Music

I love listening to music! I especially like listening to instrumentals. Music is a gift from God, and I’m thankful for it!

8. Blogging

What do you mean? (You may be thinking) You just took a whole month off!

Well, that doesn’t mean that I don’t like blogging. We all need a break once in a while!

What I like about blogging is that we can chat with people all over the world and make many friends!

9. Writing My Diary

I’ve been keeping a diary since January 1st of 2015! (I have some diaries prior to 2015, but I did not continue them when I was little. How disappointing!)

10. Talking

And finally… talking. Yeah, talking makes me happy. To be frank with you, I am a quiet person who doesn’t really talk much. I usually let other people do the talking, but when I get a chance to speak, I unzip my mouth and try to talk the best I can. I dare not define myself as an extrovert, and I believe I “talk” more on the internet than I do in person.

That’s that! I hope I didn’t bore you too much.

Now let’s go on to the…

The Before And After Tag

The Rules:

It’s pretty simple really: use the image at the top of the post; answer the 10 questions; and tag the people you’d like to answer the questions. 🙂

1. Who was family for you growing up?

My immediate family, namely my father, mother, and brother, and they still are.

2. Who is family for you now?

My brothers and sisters in Christ (who are saved only by God’s amazing grace through the blood of Jesus Christ alone), and, of course, Dad and Mom and Jeremy Swanson.

3. Where did you grow up?

I grew (and am growing) up in Kyushu, Japan.

4. Where do you live now?

I live in Fukuoka Prefecture.

5. What did you want to be when you were older?

I wanted to be… a soup chef, of all things. For some reason, I wanted to open a soup restaurant and feed different kinds of soup to my customers.

6. What do you do now?

I help my dad in his business.

7. What’s your earliest memory?

Hmm… that seems like an easy question to answer, but actually it’s quite hard! Maybe making a snowman with Mom at age 3 is my earliest memory! 😊

8. What’s one of your most recent memories?

My recent memory? Writing this post! I still remember that!

9. What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

My greatest achievement so far is, by the grace of God, being able to have a blog that, if the Lord wills it, I hope will bring others to Christ!

10. What is your biggest hope in this life?

My biggest hope is that, because Jesus paid the fine for my sins, I am forgiven through repentance and saving faith that only God can give, and that Jesus my Savior will take me to Heaven to live with Him forever!! 😀

And like I aforetime mentioned, YOU have been nominated for these awesome tags. Yes, YOU who are looking at the screen and reading these words right now!

Thanks for reading. See you again!