Aloha Monday, again!

What a blessed day yesterday was! That may not be good English, but it's true! Yesterday morning began as a beautiful day of worship and transitioned into the afternoon with baptism and fellowship with the church. We were honored to celebrate three baptisms after church, Ruth, Maile and A'aliyah. As we share our baptisms on a public beach, Kamehameha Iki, we were able to be witnesses to the life-changing power of Christ in the midst of beach-goers and surf schools. Keep us in your prayers as God is moving us from the areas of our comforts into His light and we are growing to reveal Him in all we do for Him. Have a blessed Aloha Monday!
Aloha -

Olympic Fever

Have you caught the Olympic fever, yet? Every four years, I catch it and watch hours of coverage during the evenings. But, this Olympic's bug is going to be much worse than ever before. It's not my fault - the television has too many options! NBC has coverage on a 24+ hour basis and there is always something on, not to mention that we have a DVR and I can record any of the events that I'm afraid I might miss. If you have any good recipes for chicken soup, let me know - I'm feeling a little feverish.
Aloha -

School Redefined?

As I now have a junior in high school (Lahainaluna!) and a seventh grader in my house, I am learning that the concept of 'school' has been redefined. The old saying of "School Days, School Days, dear old 'Golden Rule' days, reading and writing and 'rithmatic..." has been replaced by "Social Days, Social Days, 'Do what I want to do" days, texting and ringtones and no homework" - you get the picture? We are engaging in lively discussions over the importance of school as an educational thing, not an interpersonal relationship thing. Or, try to reason with a 12 year old over the need to close one mouth and open two ears for the maximum learning experience.
But, wait a minute - something is starting to really sink in - this has to do with me! Now I can begin to appreciate how God feels when He looks at me - I'm constantly trying to redefine 'life'. You'll have to excuse me for a little while. I think I have created a thought too big for my brain to handle this morning. Let me know what you think about it. Be blessed.
Aloha -

A Great Board Meeting

Many times the phrase "board meeting" brings scary thoughts to mind. In Hawaii, it means that get-together with your buddies at your favorite surf break - get it - surfboards - board meeting - it just a figure of speech. But this morning, I had a great time with Tom and Andy, two great brothers in the Lord and some pretty awesome surfers, too. We had a chance to talk about what God is doing in our lives and encourage each other in our walks while we enjoyed some nice waves. We also had an opportunity to share Christ with a guy named Paul in the parking lot who is involved in a cult. He wanted to debate, but we just wanted him to get to know Jesus according to the truth of the Bible. I'm reminded of what Walter Martin, author of 'The Kingdom of the Cults' said: "...we are to have compassion and love for those who are enmeshed in the teachings of the false prophets, but we are to vigorously oppose the teachings, with our primary objective the winning of the soul, and not so much the argument.” Pray for Paul that the Word would guide him into the light of the truth about Jesus. Have a blessed one and a hui hou.
Aloha -

Did I ever tell you about the time...

Not long ago, a friend gave us a dvd of Christian comedians called "Thou shalt Laugh." All were funny, but one, Michael Jr. really cracked me up. One of his jokes was about how people seem to be finished with their conversation, when the words, "Did I ever tell you about the time..." come from their lips and a whole new conversation begins all over again. He related that to his pastor saying, "In conclusion, - did I ever tell you about the time..." to which he replied, "Pastor, did I tell you what time the football game was coming on?" I started thinking - blogs are like saying, "did I ever tell you about the time.." except it never ends. God has given us a new technological opportunity to share our amazing stories about Him in our daily lives and we can always go on to more. If you get a chance, pass your stories on to me - I would love to hear them. Some of you already have blogs, so send me your link and I want to catch up on what God's doing in your life. Have a blessed day and we'll talk again soon.
Aloha -

Another Aloha Monday

Monday is here - thankfully, it always follows Sunday. You know what I mean - Sunday's are usually great days, or at least I think so. My Sunday usually consists of: A cup of coffee (black Kona or Maui), great morning of worship and fellowship at church with da braddahs and sistas, lunch! (maybe BaLe's Chicken Pho - #23!), a little tv (football season is here again!), a nap (or two or three), a little more tv, hangout time with the family and then a collection of odds and ends of little jobs and projects that I always have going on. Sundays are made for worship and rest and I'm doing my best to be obedient! God is so incredibly good! So, Mondays are usually pretty good. I'm already loving this one - hope you are too.
- Aloha -

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my sweetie's birthday - we celebrated Wendy's #^th birthday! I have been blessed to be with Wendy for 19 years, 17 of them as her husband. She must either be really tough or have an extra measure of grace from God! Regardless, I hope we celebrate many, many more.
Aloha -

Summer is almost over!

Aloha to you and I'm sorry I have been away from the blog. This summer has been jam-packed and busy! Summer has flown by and now school is beginning again. The Lord continued great things during these months and I anticipate that He will provide more as we are faithful to follow His plan. During June and July, we had a chance to have a summer missionary at the church. Corey Perkins came in the end of May and just left last Sunday to return to Arkansas. Corey worked hard to build relationships and understand the ministries found throughout Maui. Prayerfully, we will have Corey back soon.
Rick Coram and his family are with us again during our special revival services. Rick has been faithful to proclaim and teach God's Word and the church is experiencing a refreshing from the Lord. Continue to pray that our Father will use us for His glory in the days ahead. Keep looking up!
Aloha -

May is here!

Aloha to you and I hope you were ready for May! We are moving through this year and God is continuing to bless us each day. As we finished our study on "Keeping Our Heritage Alive" many questions have come up about wanting to know more of the great Hawaiian heritage that surrounds us. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to find the answers with you. We are very blessed to have such a rich Hawaiian heritage and a solid Christian heritage. Keep on growing in Christ and have a wonderful day.
Aloha -

Right On Time

It has been a few days since I have placed a post - time seems to go by faster than ever!  All is well and God is solidly moving things in His direction.  Today brought a little rain to Lahaina and that reminded me that we always receive what we need in the time we need it.  I really had not noticed that the grass was dry and the hillsides were a little brown, but God's automatic sprinklers took care of it once again.  Mahalo Lord for meeting our needs - even the ones we fail to notice.

Aloha -