We’ve all been blessed with a blog for our karate ministry since January 2006. The site is all the work of kohai Donna, who in real-life, is a very talented webmaster. Donna and her husband, sempai Wes, have training with us for several years and it was she who approached me with her idea of creating a blog as a unique way of helping the ministry. Since she created it over a year ago, she has used it to collect and archive the various email notes I send out (both the good and bad, haha), capture moments in the ministry via photos and videos, not to mention being a great place for our members and friends to visit and keep in touch when they can’t come to training. Most recently, she (with much help from her better half, sempai Wes) expanded the site to include a Resources Section, something our members have always wished for; easy to access videos of Shotokan Karate katas, along with recommended books for reading. When you access the Resources Section, simply click on the desired kata and Presto!, the video appears, ready to play.

Recently, Sempai James generously donated to the ministry, part of his sizable collection of martial arts books and dozens of vintage Black Belt magazines, from the 1960’s. This is being added to the karate books we have accumulated to date. Sempais Doreen and Robert have graciously volunteered to inventory these materials and set up a ministry “library” of reading material that members can check out. Kohai Ken, who is a terrific bowler, has on several occasions, donated portions of his bowling jackpots to the ministry which we’ve used to defray party costs and to purchase striking bags. And for those of you who don’t realize it, that great NHPC patch that you wear on your gi’s was designed by our own Sempai Robert.

These are just several examples of what so many of our members contribute behind-the-scenes for the benefit of everyone in the ministry, in addition to all of the help every sempai gives by helping teach others… and I just wanted to thank each of them. THANK YOU!

The Resources Section makes me realize that we truly live in amazing times. A hundred years ago, Okinawans practiced Te in secret, often at night, with a master instructing just a few chosen disciples in his home or backyard. Now, nothing will ever take the place of years spent in focused, tiring, sweaty training under the direction of a competent instructor. To supplement conscientious training in the modern world, however, we also have much to aid in our efforts: books, magazines, tapes, DVDs, blogs, links, downloads, and so on. We are surrounded by a wealth of resources and media of all kinds…. However, I am reminded every single day that none of these come close to the meaningful contributions made by each and every one of you, our invaluable and irreplaceable… human resource. And lest I forget, our greatest resource of all… His Providence.