Dance, Dance, Dance

We had a wonderful Sunday morning filled with praise and worship, dancing and a great message. The hula ministry has been so kind to open their arms to me and others who desire to dance for the Lord. Before dancing this Sunday, we gathered flowers and put them together for our 'adornment.' That was a new and exciting experience for me. I felt so.....native.

On Monday night, I was privileged to have my sister join our dance team for practice. I am so thankful that God provided a way for my sis and her family to be here with us. Thank You, Lord.

A New Day

Today, I woke up at 5am to the sound of my 18-month-old niece who is still on Texas time. She arrived last night along with her beautiful mommy and daddy! I am so glad they are here!

My brother-in-law is currently traveling the infamous Road to Hana with my husband who is due to speak to a group of island pastors at a retreat. Hana is only 52 miles away, yet it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get there. Most of the way, you have to drive around 10 to 20 miles per hour because of the winding, hairpin turns. Did I mention that there are 617 of those turns?

My sister and I are about to take our children to a very good restaurant for the most awesome banana, macadamia nut pancakes (according to Rachel Ray). Thank you, Lord, for a good day.

Cool Churches in Hawaii/Waterfall

These two beautiful churches are located in Paia, Hawaii.

Inspiring Beauty/A Place to Write

I want to give thanks to God today for giving me opportunities to write. It has been a blessing being in such a beautiful place where the sights are so inspiring! I just received my first check from a magazine for writing a feature article. So, why is that a big deal? When I was in school, I used to cry and lament over book reports and essays. My mother would sit up with me late at night helping me to write. I never thought I would be a good writer, but apparently I'm doing all right and my mother's input was very valuable.

I just love this photo! My kids and their cousins enjoyed playing in this sand pit a few weeks ago. This was taken in the same place as the picture where I am looking out at the water. I will always remember that day.

Natural Disaster

We are in the middle of quite an adventure, yet things are still pretty calm where we are. Hurricane Flossie is approaching the Big Island. A 5.6 magnitude earthquake took place there yesterday, followed by over two dozen aftershocks. The last I heard, the volcano was flowing. How cool is that?! Three amazing natural disasters all in one!

Being from Texas, I found that I was missing the constant change in the weather. After all, how long can one handle perfect weather everyday (Hawaii)? : ) Part of me can't wait for a great storm, yet I pray that God will keep homes, businesses, and people safe. Am I twisted or just adventurous? I guess I do feel sorry for the tourists. I wonder if it's possible for me to get my storm and at the same time, the tourists get a great vacation. Hmmm. With God, ALL things are possible.

UPDATE:: We did get a little rain and wind, but nothing too exciting. The weather reporters seemed very surprised at how quickly "Flossie" dissipated. I think a lot of people were praying for it to leave.

Great Compliment

I think I just received the best compliment ever! My daughter and I were getting ready for bed and she said to me, "Mom, I think you and dad are really good at raising kids." I replied, "Really?!! Why?" She said, "Well, you do the right thing when you discipline even though I don't always like it....and I'm glad we're not like other kids...." Thank you, Lord. I hope she always feels that way!

Our Day in the Jungle

What a fantastic Sunday.....wonderful worship, dancing and an all-around power-packed morning. After church, we spent the day with cousins going hiking through the jungle. After a nice, long walk, we came to a river, which we waded through to get to the waterfall. The water was about thigh high and I was carrying a video camera that belongs to my cousin. I stepped on a rock in the water and lost my footing, but as I fell, I lifted the camera up and my cousin was able to get it before it hit the water! Thank you, God! We were able to enjoy the falls and the lush, green foliage all around us. What a day.

Boasting in the Lord Who is in My Husband!!

One of my husband's passions is videography. He is an absolutely fantastic, artistic editor! Years ago, before he decided to go to Bible college, he had planned on pursuing a career in radio, television and film. I am glad he answered the call to ministry and I think it is wonderful how God has provided many opportunities for him to use his talents outside of the church. He enjoys all types of videography, including underwater. Of course, I pray for him every time he films in the water.

As I write, Bill is on a boat heading back to Maui. A high class hotel on Lanai needed some extra video help today and someone had my husband's info, so they asked him to come and film for a special, high-profile wedding. He boarded the boat, along with the flowers, wedding cake and doves, not knowing what to expect. It turned out to be a very interesting event and he enjoyed speaking with the groom who, by the way, makes about 33 million dollars per year. He listened to the man talk about his Aston Martin and his Lamborghini.....and how he enjoys his Acura more than any of the other cars. Go figure! Bill made sure to get a good shot of the wedding ring, which he said was absolutely stunning. I am sure he'll be showing me all of the footage.

Here is the best part: the groom heard the Gospel (thanks to another pastor) and seemed very contemplative and open. I know that good seed was planted and I pray that it landed on good soil. I cannot help but believe that God must be pursuing this man and his bride because they ended up with a Spirit-filled video man and a Spirit-filled coordinator who spent a good amount of time with them. God is awesome!

If you would like to see some of Bill's work, go to: http://www.wilvanproductions.com. He also has many videos listed on YouTube under the name 'wilvan.' Unfortunately, there are 3 foul videos listed under that name as well, so avoid those. : )

Remembering Home

Today, I was looking back at some pictures from last year. This was taken in front of a bed and breakfast in Gruene, Texas, where my husband and I spent our honeymoon almost 16 years ago!

God Uses Numbers......

Here is a really neat testimony that my husband wrote about on his blog regarding words of prophecy. I copied it here:

"Here's an example and, by the way, a year ago I would never have done this. I sit down by a man who is waiting for his ride. I ask if I can pray with him. He says no, he's not interested. We do begin to talk though and as we do I feel intense compassion for the depth of hurt in him and the numbers 10 and 14 come to mind, forcefully. So much so that it's distracting. I clear my throat and go with it. "There is a deep pain in you from 10 or maybe 14 years ago. Something happened that left your life scarred and God wants to heal your heart." He begins to weep and says, "My 14 year old son was killed 10 years ago in a hit and run accident. (long pause) I've been angry at God ever since." We cry together and when I ask if I can pray with him again he says yes. The manifest presence of the Spirit of God meets us there and he begins a new day and season in his life as a believer in Jesus Christ."

God is awesome!