Happy Birthday Wendy!

Today is Wendy's birthday! She had to go back to work today because the teachers and staff take these few days to get everything ready before the kids go back to school, but hopefully she'll enjoy her day.
Birthdays have a different feel to them as the years go by - When you're young, you even remind everyone that you're halfway to your birthday, as in, "I'm seven AND A HALF!" When you're into double digits for the first few years, you can't wait to tell someone when you're into the teens, like it comes with privileges - "I'm fourTEEN!" When you reach the twenties, you can't wait to let everyone know that you're aging, but not very quickly, like - "Man, I am TWENTY-two years old!" By the thirties, you're still smiling when your kids come crashing into your bedroom to wake you up for your birthday breakfast in bed with burnt toast and some kind of juice concoction that looks remniscent of tang, tea and some other familiar liquid, but not quite right. By the forties, you try to forget that it's your birthday until someone reminds you by saying, "Hey, isn't your birthday coming around soon?"
Oh, well - enjoy your day even if it's not your birthday, or maybe because it's not!
Happy Birthday, Wendy and I love you bunches! Big bunches!
Aloha -

You know it's summer when...

... you notice the neighborhood kids that couldn't seem to get up to go to school are up at dawn to ride their skateboards in your driveway.
... you can tell exactly what grass doesn't get hit by the sprinklers.
... you suddenly feel the urge to eat half of an ice-cold watermelon.
... you see your child's teacher in the supermarket and nothing could wipe the smile off of their faces.
... you can get a discount at the local golf course if you play between noon and 3 pm.
... you see the Vacation Bible School signs up at all of the local churches.
It's VBS time again and we have been blessed to have a mission team from FBC of Portland Texas with us. They have enjoyed good weather and great kids and we have enjoyed their hard work and enthusiasm. Mahalo to Pastor Josh and his crew for their aloha to us. We're looking to a great week for the Lord. Hope you have one, too.
Aloha -

Oh My!!

Wow - it has been a while since my last post and where has the time gone? Sometimes weeks can fly by, you know like when you're on vacation and you think you have plenty of time and... BOOM - you're packing up to go back home! But, time also has a way of dragging, like when you're waiting on a phone call or when you're in the doctor's office waiting to be called to see the doc, or when you're reading my blog! Hope you have a great week and we'll find time another day to talk -
Aloha -

The in-between time

It's about 9:50 am on Sunday morning - the in-between time for me. This is the time between the 8am and the 10:15 am worship times when I get a quick drink of water and sit down for prayer. This morning, I called Wendy and spoke with her and she's doing good. I also have been thinking about how thankful I am for our church ohana here at Lahaina Baptist Church. So many have been praying for us, calling to check on us, sending cards and emails, making the kids and me dinner this week, covering the ministry needs for us, spending a little time to talk with us, just hanging out with us... so many ways they have ministered to us! I am very thankful for God's ohana that helps us in times of need. Mahalo to you all and keep faithfully serving our Lord. He's using you to be a true blessing to others.
Aloha -

I love this game!!

This morning, I headed to Kapalua Golf Academy and decided to relax and work on my golf game at the same time (sounds impossible, doesn't it!) I have been mentally working on my golf game and with a little practice, I have improved it! After about 100 shots, I walked from the range with a solid confidence and played the 3-hole walking course that is actually a few holes from the old Village Course (which is an Arnold Palmer design.) Hole #1 - tap-in par. Hole #2 - great putt for birdie. Hole #3 - easy par miss for a bogey. 3 holes at even par - that's not too bad. I think I'll be ready for The Tour soon. Unfortunately, I'm not sure which tour I would be on - most likely the "Wish You Were Actually a Golfer Tour" but I don't know where to sign up. I do know quite a few others that would fit on that tour. Maybe I'll just ask them. If I don't call you, consider yourself either blessed or too good. Have a great weekend for our Lord wherever He leads you.
Aloha -

I'm back -

I've been out of pocket lately due to the sudden passing of Wendy's father, E.W. Holland. While she was still on a trip to Japan and Korea with Taylor and a group from Lahainaluna High School, I received a call that E.W. had suffered a massive heart attack. He passed away quickly and without suffering. I had to notify Wendy while touring an elementary school in Seoul. She and Taylor finished the last day of their trip and began to come home, where we met her at the airport and rushed home to prepare to leave again in just four hours to travel to St. Marys, GA. All is as good as could be expected, but it will still be a difficult time for our family in the coming days ahead. Keep Wendy, her mother Martha, and our family in your prayers during this time. Mahalo to so many of you that have called, visited or emailed/sent a card or letter. You have been an encouragement to us in many ways and we are truly thankful.
Enjoy every day and live abundantly.
Aloha -

The Great American Pastime

Baseball season is back in Lahaina and I have chosen to once again help Coach Jeff with the Lahaina Red Sox in the West Maui Little League. This has been Zachary's team for the past two years while he was in the major league division of Little League, but he's moved up to the Juniors level this year. Even though he's moving on up, I'm still going to coach his old team because the coaching staff has been together for three years now and we work well as a team. Some our returnees are ready to go and have a lot of talent, so we're hoping for a great season. I'll keep you posted on the games as we begin the game schedule in a couple of weeks. If you have the time and desire, I encourage you to help with the sports programs in your child's life or in your community - it appears that fewer parents are willing to help out in the growth of their children. The time you invest in our children teaching them to be winners on and off the field will bring back great rewards. Let God use you to train up a child His way.
Aloha -

Missing someone -

Wendy and Taylor left Monday to travel to Japan and South Korea for ten days with the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism of Lahainaluna High School. They are having a great time and enjoying all the new sights and experiences, but Zachary and I are missing them. We've decided that: it's too quiet around the house; we're bored with our (his silly) tv shows; no one is greeting us with hugs and kisses when we get home (my vote!); the bathrooms are way too clean; the clothes are all washed (but not put away because we don't know where they put all their stuff!); and we are growing tired of 'cup-o-noodles.' I hope they're having fun, but we will be glad when they get home. Until then, we'll survive because we have been watching 'Survivorman' on tv and he's taught us about the cool ways to survive and how to know what bugs to eat and how to live on our own while we are stranded - at home - but still stranded - without Mom and Tay. Do me a favor - keep us in your prayers! Survive blessed and a hui hou!
Aloha -

Rain in Lahaina, again!

Wow - we have not had this much rain in a long time! It has been great to see everything green and growing after a couple of dry years, but it is a change from the normal. Today, Corey and I walked down to the harbor and around Front Street for a little bit, making our rounds and checking on the locals. We had to wash our slippers when we returned to the office because of the mud from another set of showers that seemed to have moved in this morning. I received an email from Pam Jones that warned us about having too much rain - she said we might find ourselves on an island! She could be right - it's pretty soggy today. But, I really like it when it sprinkles like this. Reminds me of days when I was a kid, growing up in Louisiana. I still love the rainy days after all these years. Hope you're having a great day and enjoy whatever God has sent you for today.
Aloha -

After lunch zoning.........

Do you ever have trouble with that zoned-out feeling after a big lunch? Well, I do and its happening now. I hope your having a good day. It's a nice day in Maui. I need to clean my desk. There's a bird outside my window......................... I'm sorry, but you're going to have to excuse me for a little while - I think I need a nap. I'm glad God never zones out. I'll see you later - a hui hou!
Aloha -

Busy, busy, busy -

Sometimes Tuesdays can get bad busy, but today was a good busy day. Bad busy is when you have too much work that you didn't finish (or even begin) that was left over from Monday and you're really crammed to get it done. Or when you have those meetings that are so bad that they won't work on a Monday, so you have to go to Tuesday. Or when you feel like surfing and there's a nice swell at Launiupoko or Tommyland going off and you can't get out of the office. That's bad busy! But today was just good busy and I got alot of different stuff done that I have wanted to do for a long time. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good busy Wednesday, although most already are - you know, midweek!
Aloha -

Here comes the judge -

Over the past few weeks, our senior class students at Lahainaluna High School have been presenting their senior projects. This is a requirement for every senior to prepare a project based on a work relationship with a mentor in an occupation or field that the student may want to pursue upon graduation. This mentorship project takes place over a period of weeks or months concluding with a powerpoint/lecture presentation to a panel of judges. I have enjoyed the privilege to be a judge representing the community at large. So far, I have 'judged' over 10 of these projects and I have been very pleased at the work and the quality of the work that has been shared. These students have educated me on many interesting topics, such as fashion design, carpentry, robotics, make-up artistry, education, fitness instruction and retail/small business work. The two presentations on fashion design were actually very good for someone that knows nothing about fashion! The last one that I learned about this morning was on taro, the Hawaiian staple food from which comes poi.
I have been impressed that these students were inspired by their mentors in observing their hard work, dedication, passion, experience and many other aspects of work that may be seldom noticed by the mentors themselves. The seniors truly watched and learned about these jobs with the intention of allowing this project to influence them to pursue their thoughts of a future job or, in some cases, to realize that this occupation is totally wrong for them. I want to encourage you today as you go about your job - let the real you show through your work - you never know who may be watching and how you can inspire them to give their best. We all are influencers in life: either for good or for bad. Let God use you for the good.
Aloha -

Sharing Jesus

Last night, we had our first of a three night training course on personal evangelism. In this introductory session, we studied the foundations of why we share Jesus with others. We looked at the message of salvation, the Biblical methods and the goals in evangelism. The attendance was great and I was very encouraged to see so many that want to know how to share their faith with those that God leads them to. Of all of the perceived pitfalls that lie before us, we can share Jesus without failure, if we can remember that we are simply called to make disciples. That work is ultimately the responsibility of the Holy Spirit in drawing the hearer to a place of decision. Our responsibility is to be used of God when and how He leads us at the moments in which He asks. As God places you in the situation, trust Him and follow His guidance. He wants to use you to reach someone with His message of reconciliation and hope that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Go blessed and share the truth.
Aloha -

A windy weekend

This past week was unusually windy for Maui. We always have our trade-winds that blow about 10-20 mph, but these winds were much stronger. Now, I know you're going to call me names when I say this, but that wind makes every place colder! Man, it's been too chilly! Haleakala is always cold at the top and it even snowed up there last year, but this is supposed to be 'sunny, warm Lahaina.' I thought for sure that the temperature was 10-15 degrees colder than it really was. That's not alot, but whenever we're used to a year-round temperature that doesn't change but 10 degrees or so from summer to winter, it felt like a freeze had moved in. So, call me your names, I can take it - but today is back to normal and we're warming up nicely. Enjoy your wintry day today and let it remind you that Heaven will be perfect all the time! Niiiice!
Aloha -

Beautiful days

Yesterday, I went offshore with some friends on the 'Start Me Up' fishing boat, Action. Captain Patrick and Yukka do all of the work because we, the fishermen, usually sit around and wait for the fish to hit, then Yukka sets the hook and hands us the rod. Well, we had one of those Pacific windstorm days and the waves were monstrous! Capt. Patrick and Yukka worked just to keep us in the water and they tried hard for 10 hours to get us on some fish, but with no positive results. It still reminded me of how beautiful this world really is. The sky was clear and the water was the purest deep blue, even at 3,000 feet. Occasionally, I would spot a humpback whale breaching just above the waves and see his splash rise over the whitecaps. The power of the wind to whip the water into turbulence is amazing and I gained a greater respect for the early Polynesian sailors that braved the open seas to find and travel to Hawaii. Overall, we didn't catch anything, but I enjoyed a beautiful day. Hope you find the beuaty in yours today.
Aloha -

You smell good...

I was watching Hoops and Yoyo on the Hallmark website and can't help laughing at those two. If you've never seen Hoops and Yoyo, they are two characters that are in the Hallmark e-cards and even have their own website - hoopsandyoyo.com. Whenever you need a chuckle in your day, look them up and if you really need a smile, watch 'You Smell Good.' I'll put on the blog for you to check out. I agree with them - I get down on my knees and thank God I have a nose. Enjoy your day and be thankful of all that God has given us.
Aloha -

Having a great day -

Today is a great day - First, it's Friday and that usually makes everything OK to begin with. There's not much sun or surf today, so I can catch up and that's good. Our softball team won last night and I played well and that's always good! I'm thinking about the future ministry opportunities and how God is blessing Lahaina Baptist Church and that's great. Just to add those together gives me: 'OK' + 'good' + 'always good' + 'great' which equals a great day. Count those blessings and enjoy yours, too.
Aloha -

Ministry is so much fun -

Yesterday, Wendy and travelled to the top of Haleakala, Maui's dormant, 10,000 ft volcano to spend the afternoon with our student ministry. About 15 kids and 4 adults made the trip with three vehicles. At first, I thought there would be enough room in the other two vehicles for the trip. That would mean that Wendy and I would be able to go home and catch up on some chores that have been neglected due to the busyness of things lately. But God always has another plan. They were 1 kid over the acceptable passenger count, so we took my Expedition and split the kids and headed up to the summit. Everything was cool, until... (- have you ever noticed that there is almost always an 'until'!!!) ...until, we arrived at the visitor's center and the transmission of one of the other vehicles spilled it's life's blood all over the parking lot and died, right there, on the spot, dead. Yep. Dead. Oh, it would crank, but it wasn't going back down the mountain except on a wrecker, or as it's called here in Hawaii, the tow wagon. But, God's plan was OK in us going because if we had stayed home, we would not have been able to get everyone back home in a reasonable time. We crammed together and came home after spending our time admiring God's beauty and eating a bunch of sandwiches! That's just what God had in store and we had a great time. Ministry is so much fun! Enjoy yours today!
Aloha -

Friday the 13th!

Today has been a good day. We often cringe at the thought of a Friday the 13th, but I think it's no big deal. First, no Friday can really be a bad day, can it? I mean, for most people it's the end of the workweek and that's a great thing! I could think of a dozen more reasons to celebrate Fridays, but let's just say 'there's no reason to fear Friday the 13th' - especially the one just before Saturday, the 14th of February (hint to you men! Valentine's Day!) Have a blessed 13th!
Aloha -

Free!

Today I left the house without a cup of coffee. I wonder how this day is going to be? My brain seems to be missing something... I'm not caffeine dependent or anything like that, but I enjoy that cup of coffee. Maybe, I'll let today be an experiment: How good of a day do I have without coffee? If the results are worth noting, I'll share them with you tomorrow. Go blessed today.
Aloha -

Another Monday

Today has been one of those Mondays where I have trouble getting into gear. I made phone calls, sent email, ran errands, made visits and other assorted office related things, but I feel like I haven't accomplished much. Corey (our student minister missionary) and I even ate lunch at Maui Tacos - wait a minute - now I know why I'm stuck in first gear. Too much burrito on the stomach! I'll update you as to how my day goes after I take a nap. Thank the Lord for Maui Tacos.
Aloha -

Spending time with God

Today, I'm back to my routine of spending time with God in the water. I twisted my back a few months back and am just feeling like it's good enough to sit on my board, so my additional quiet time on the board, or my board meeting with God, is back on the schedule. Don't be so busy today. Sit and enjoy time with your personal Lord also.
Aloha -

A good start -

Mmmmmm - a fresh cup of coffee. Maui Grown Coffee, that is, from the Ka'anapali Coffee Farms. This morning is Mokka, one of my favorite roasts. Can you smell it? Ooooo - it's nice. Kinda fills the office with a warm morning smell. They haven't had Mokka for a while - they've been waiting on a harvest of the right beans. Thank the Lord, they found some. Sometimes, it's the simpler things in life that are the best to sit back, relax and enjoy. I'm going to sit back and enjoy this coffee - 16 ounces of pure relaxation in a cup. I hope you find yours today, if you haven't already, and enjoy.
Aloha -

Rainbows

As I was on the road yesterday, I was driving into a small rain shower and the sun was behind me. A huge rainbow appeared and the colors were so bright that I could see the yellow begin again under the violet color. I'm not sure if I have ever seen that before and just for a moment I was awestruck at the strength of the colors. In our high-tech age of HDTV and 1080dpi, megapixel cameras and laptop hi/resolution, we still can't compare to the work of God. The beauty of nature can still make us say, "Wow!" Look around you today and be reminded of the incredible clarity and amazement in God's great work. Enjoy!
Aloha -

Elusive things

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary at www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary the definition of "elusive" means: tending to elude: as a: tending to evade grasp or pursuit b: hard to comprehend or define c: hard to isolate or identify. Elusive things are hard to come by. Such is the case of the "hole-in-one." I have played the game of golf for over 25 years and have never found the elusive ace. I found these statistics interesting:
According to Golf Digest magazine (September ‘05), the odds are as follows:

Odds of a Tour player making a hole-in-one: 1 in 3756
Odds of a low-handicap player making a hole-in-one: 1 in 5000
Odds of an average player making a hole-in-one: 1 in 12,750.
In addition, the odds of one player (of any skill level) making two holes-in-one in the same round is 1 in 67 million.

I almost found one on Friday as I played golf with some friends at Ka'anapali's Kai Course. The ball rested about 8 inches from the cup, pin-high and rolled into place following a delicate backspinning roll. But, it was still a 'two' on the scorecard. Much like Pizzaro's quest for the mythical El Dorado, so is my search for the ace. As always, it's the search that presses us onward. Enjoy your day and may you find what you seek for today.
Aloha -

A day off?

I try to take Fridays out of the office, or at least a part of the day. Today I am hanging out with Jon Conrad, the Athletic Trainer for Lahainaluna High School at the Kaanapali Kai Course. Jon and I are good friends and he allowed me the opportunity to help in the training room for all of the fall sports. Jon is originally from Maine where I can't understand how people live there during the winter. Maybe that's why he's in Maui now... Anyway, as I'm running errands and chilling out today, I hope you enjoy your Aloha Friday, too.
Aloha -

Can we ever know enough?

Not to get too deep in the topic of education, but can we ever know enough about something? It's possible to have too much information on a topic at one particular time (or TMI, as Taylor calls it whenever I speak of how my heart overflows for my main squeeze, Wendy, the love of my life and the best-looking woman on all of Maui and the... oh, sorry Tay, TMI.) But anyway - I have this on the brain because I am constantly increasing in the understanding that I can never learn enough about God. I want to know more and allow that knowledge to translate into more of my practical life with Him. He is so incredible - but, have you ever met someone that knows enough about God and doesn't really care to know more? That is strange to hear or see in someone because they are selling themselves short of really knowing Him instead of the "knowledge" that they have. To answer the original question - no, I don't think so. And I'm good with that. Hope your school day is a good one. Study hard and enjoy the walk.
Aloha -

The joys of golf

Every morning as I'm taking the kids to school, we pass by the Kaanapali Golf courses. The morning groups are already out on the course and we usually see someone swinging at their shot, someone driving a cart, someone putting on a green and someone digging in the bushes for their ball. But I usually say, "Man! I could play golf everyday!" to which Taylor usually responds with, "You say that every morning, Dad." But, I really mean it. Golf is one of those sports that is great to play at any age and usually is filled with adventures (in my case, at least 85-90 of them per round!) It also is the place where I can generally forget about everything and enjoy the fellowship of others regardless of my score. You might play with friends or someone you've never played with before. Each time is a new chance to just be a child of the King, enjoying what He has given you for the moment. We need those places in our lives where we can relax and recharge. Golf happens to be one of my 'places.' Enjoy this day that the Lord has made for you and find time to recharge with Him.
Aloha -

What does it take to be green?

I know this title sounds like a song that Kermit the Frog should be singing, or a seminar on financial freedom,or maybe a folk-song about being eco-friendly or something, but I'm thinking about green as in the color of Maui after a week of rain. Maui is such a beautiful place, but it's not always sunshine and warm. Today is rainy and a little cool (to our northern friends, that's 65 degrees for us.) It takes the rainy days to have the green mountains, lush flora and the cascading waterfalls. The rainbows are on the outer edges of the rain like escorts to the nourishment. What does it take to be green, to grow, to be transformed from dry and brown? Just a little rain. I like the rain because I know that it has its purpose, too. If your standing in a little rain, I hope you'll be encouraged to keep looking for the rainbow. It's coming.
Aloha -

Mellow Maui Monday Mornings

I'm not sure if I'm just mellowing out or if it has something to do with Maui, but Monday mornings aren't a stressful time of day any longer. For instance, I left the house in Wendy's car this morning to take the kids to school and head to the office. I realized after I left the house and began the 15 minute ride into town that I did not have my office keys. Hmmm - I thought they must be in my truck where I always leave them. Wendy took my truck to school this morning so I'll swing into the school after dropping off the kids and get my keys. Great plan. I drove to her school, shot a shaka at Uncle Harold (the crossing guard) and parked along with all of the many moms and dads that were making the "child drop" at Kam III school. After walking onto the grounds and finding the truck, I rummaged through it only to find that I couldn't find my keys. Ha - Back to the car I go with the plan just to go on to the office because I know that Andy will be there (he's always really early) and I'll borrow his keys. Pulling into the church - what, no Andy, yet. Hmmm - back to the drawing board. I also need my key to the rest room, by this time. Ok. Back to the house I go. The traffic is fair - I caught a couple of lights. I get to the house and located my keys in my briefcase that I should've taken to the office in the first place. What - now the phone is ringing. On the phone, back in the car, heading to the office - can I forget something else? Oh - I have to stop by the post office and the bank because they are open now after all of this driving around Lahaina. I ran my errands, picked up an Arizona green tea and I'm now in the office writing this to you and you know what - It's a great day. I have meetings and appointments and emails and letters and phone messages and I have to take Wendy's car to the mechanic and whatever else may come along, but it's all going to be just fine. What has happened? Have I mellowed out? I'm not sure, but I really don't feel a need to worry about it. I'll leave that to someone else. Join me in a blessed day.
Aloha -

Deep in thought

I had a friend many years ago that whenever I would exclaim, "Well, well, well," he would reply with, "Such a deep thought for such a shallow mind." I've been reading a good book lately that has me deep in thought, but I would recommend this book for anyone that is interested in the discussions over science and reason with religion and faith. The book is entitled, "What's So Great About Christianity?" by Dinesh D'Souza. It is very well written and explores the difficult questions with amazing clarity and readability. If you get the chance to read it, let me know what you think about it (if your head clears!) Have a blessed Thursday and a hui hou.
Aloha -

From my window

Today is a beautiful day outside. When I woke up, it was about 69 degrees but quickly warmed up to 72. The clouds are few and the sun is bright. It's on days like this that I really wonder what heaven is going to look like and how all of that is going to be. If this is beauty to our eyes, how much more incredible will heaven be? I'll be glad to enter in when that day comes, but until then - I'm happy and blessed with what I have. Hope you are too.
Aloha -