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 -