Good morning everyone!

Thank you very much for attending today’s Sunday Dharma school service.

On October 23^rd, Yukawa sensei will come back to our Betsuin for our Eitai-kyo memorial service. Before Rev. Bob mentioned that if someone has persimmons, please bring some to the Betsuin office for Yukawa sensei.

Did you try our Cub Scout Pancake Breakfast this morning? Their pancakes always taste so good. This breakfast is a fundraiser for our Cub Scout Pack 50. They will cook this delicious breakfast until 11:30 AM. So, please try it and support them.

Last weekend on Friday night, Michiko and I went to Woodland. I receive a postcard. It said that between September 23rd and October 31^st, there is a Corn Maze in Woodland. Please see first-hand why getting lost has meant finding fun for thousands of Californians. The "Field of Screams" haunted corn maze starts October 7th at dark and runs every Friday and Saturday night through Halloween. On these nights, after dark, take a walk down our haunted pathway, full of ghosts and goblins through creepy scenes and scary noises! In the dark you never know what is around the next turn!!!

This is what the postcard said…

Last Friday was October 7^th, the first night the haunted maze was open, so I really wanted to go to see their ghosts and goblins… We arrived at the Woodland corn maze at 7:30 PM. It was dark already and we saw many high school students there.

Since 1999, each year they designed a different corn maze course. In 2003, they designed “mystery circles” and in 2001 they designed a bear maze which is the California state symbol. This year they designed a ghost house. There are 2 different courses in the one maze.

Course No.1 was already filled with many challengers walking the maze. So, we tried course No.2 first. There were not many people in course No.2. So, it was not only dark, but it was also very quiet…If you want to go there night time, you had better bring a flash light.

Michiko said “it’s too dark and scary” and she held my hand.

Listen boys; you may have a chance to hold your girl friend’s hand in the corn maze…so maybe you should think about going…

In the maze, I was looking for the advertised ghosts. I just wanted to see Michiko’s surprised face. But we did not encounter even one. These corn stalks were 14 feet high. We could not see over to the path ways.

Last week at Dharma school, I said “I always ask Michiko everything first.” So, at the maze I asked her “shall we go to the right, to the left or down middle?” I completely forgot that she has no sense of direction! And I said to her “I’m sorry Michi, maybe… we passed this way before”

When we drove to the Grand Canyon, we lost our way. We had a GPS system in our car and we had maps. And we still got lost! So, maybe both of us have no sense of direction.

Anyway, finally we found our way out from maze No.2. We took about 40 minutes. Next we also tried maze No.1. That maze took us 1 hour. If someone is interested to go the Woodland maze, please use I-5 North and take Road 102 exit. Before the exit you will see a big sign, so you will not miss it.

Most of us usually decide things individually. But if we go to the corn maze as a group or a family, we will find ourselves making one decision for the whole group and together as a family... we will find our way.

I think it is nice to do something together with the whole family. Nowadays everyone is so busy. So, it is difficult to do something together with the whole family… For some families, maybe the only time the family schedule allows everyone to do something together is… to attend Dharma school services on Sunday…

In doing things together, we can learn more about each other.

For parents, you can know more about your children…and children will learn more about their parents…

I know everyone is busy…But it is nice to do something together.

Everything we do, especially as a family will become our precious memories. If you hesitate to do something with your family or your friends, you will miss a chance to be with them and create a lasting memory. Everyday is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Let’s try to make a wonderful memory everyday of our lives… Gassho