Good morning everyone. Happy New Year, again! Akemasite Omedeto.

How was your winter holidays? I heard school started again on January 3^rd.

Is that right? When I heard it, I was surprised. In Japan, most of public schools will be closed for a winter holiday from December 24 to January 7^th. It is about 2 weeks. Is that longer than the United States? Oh, sorry about that.

Have you decided on your New Year resolutions yet? I have two resolutions.

Do you remember my New Year Resolutions? I told everyone on New Years Eve. Did you forget?

It’s OK. I will tell you again. Here are my 2 Resolutions.

1. I will become a more attractive minister.

2. I have to go on a diet.

I have to say that these Resolutions are already difficult.

On New Year day, I drove to visit some member’s house with Rev. Bob, the same as last year. Needless to say, I was the designated driver. When we visited The Hirohata family’s house, I said them “No drink for me. OK?” And I said “I am the designated driver. Rev. Bob is the designated drinker”.

Rev. Bob told me “you wanted to drive, so you could add this into your Sunday Dharma talk that you were the Driver and I was the Drinker… same as last year”…Yes, it’s time!!!

Again, I was the Driver. Rev. Bob enjoyed himself.

However, I ate too much New Year’s food. Hum… my situation is unfavorable to keep my resolution.

It is difficult to continue resolutions for us. But, resolutions are a way of making us try to improve.

When you look back on your last year, were you satisfied with what you have done with it?

In Shakyamuni’s era, some members said to him “it is difficult to keep our motivation to attain Enlightenment”

Shakyamuni replied “everyone has different abilities both mental and physical. Each person should make their own resolutions to try to improve. They should be challenging, but also not too difficult to achieve. In this way, we can slowly improve”.

For me, I try to keep my two resolutions.

Gassho