Aloha Friday: 10 Year Anniversary

Aloha! It's Friday!

This past February, Scott and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. The years have gone by so fast and have been filled with so many adventures. And yet, I remember that special day (02-02-02) and the 10-day honeymoon to Maui very, very well.



Old Lahaina Luau, Lahaina, Maui

The weeks leading up to our wedding were exciting. Beyond the wedding planning, bachelorette trip to Disneyland, and the stress of having to find a NEW wedding gown and dress for my mom just days before the wedding (that's another post for another time), my beloved Raiders were in the play-offs.

Superbowl was February 3 that year, the day after our wedding, the day we were leaving for Maui. My heart is pounding in my chest, just remembering the excitement and nervousness I felt. What was I going to do if the Raiders went to the Superbowl and I was stuck on a plane high above the ocean? I know you're laughing, but this was really a serious concern for me, and for Scott. I'd never missed a Raider game whether it was on TV or we were at the game, and now I might miss the biggest game of the year. So we made this plan: buy NFL Aloha shirts and drive as fast as possible to the nearest sports bar as soon as we landed in Maui.

But, then stupid Tom Brady, the referees and that ridiculous "tuck rule" booted my Raiders out of the AFC championship and I no longer had to worry about missing the biggest game of my life. (side note: the Raiders went to the Big Game in 2003, and my mom and I got to go!)

Anyway, back to the wedding and honeymoon. After our last dance to the "Hawaiian Wedding Song", we began our honeymoon. When we arrived at our condo the next afternoon, my heart fell. I'd stayed here before. In 1988 with my family. And while we were on that trip, my grandpa had died. It wasn't a memory I wanted ro relive on my honeymoon, but guess what? I did. A few days later, I got sick with bronchitis. And somewhere along there, our house in California sold and we would have to move out within 12 days of our return. My parents emailed us photos of houses they looked at for us and to view them, we went to the weirdo neighbors in the condo next door. They were an older couple, both professors of some sort, and both wore coke-bottle black-rimmed glasses. I don't think Mrs. Weirdo had bought a new outfit since 1965

But we had fun, too! We spent a night in Hana in this quaint bed-and-breakfast with floors made from coconut wood. The "town" itself was closed because of a funeral. That was so weird to us big-cty Californians. Now, having lived in North Dakota, it makes sense to us. Little towns are just that way whether on the prairie or on the islands. Then we did the unthinkable. We took our rental car and drove around the "forbidden" side of the island where the roads are really, really bad. Technically we violated our rental car agreement, but if you dont' tell, I won't either.

We did a lot of snorkeling and even snorkeled off Molokini, a volcanic crater just off the island. We swam with turtles and heard whales calling each other on that snorkel trip.

We went on these lava field hikes to snorkel along the under-water lava reefs and swim in the olivine pools.

 And we had side-by-side massages oceanside.



Oh, those were the days...

Avon, this is Ding-Dong calling!

Yes, that's pretty much how I feel today.

I dropped Adam off at school, then swung through the library drive through to drop off some books. At least one of them was overdue. The other ones I never got around to reading. About halfway home, I reached into my library bag to grab my card. My plan was to put it in my lap so I'd remember to take it into the house. I have some library searching to do and I like to request my items so they're ready for me when I go to the library.

I reach inside and what do you know, there's no library card. Not in the little wallet I keep in there. Not on the bottom of the bag. Just gone. So, I figure out that I must have returned it along with the books. Yes, that's what I must have done.

So I get home and call the library. The gal goes and looks in the bin. No card. She tells me she'll note my account and if it turns up they'll call me. Okay, fine, great. No problem.

Not even sixty seconds later, she calls. She's laughing.

She says, "Well, I went into your account to put the note in there, but there was already a note saying your card was left at the circulation desk on May 11."

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. Or at least a monkey.

So I gave a librarian a good laugh and even chuckled at myself.

The really funny thing? As I pulled into my driveway, this song came on the radio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nx5M1DPg6w

Aloha Friday: Mother's Day Edition

1989: Paradise Cove Luau, O'ahu



My mother is a ham. A total goofball ham. I mean look at her. There she is again, hamming it up with the slap dancers. And look at the guy next to her. Can you imagine what he's thinking?

My mom was hooked on Hawai'i the first time she visited. She'd start planning our next vacation pretty much the day after we got home from our last vacation. And her enthusiasm and love for the islands was highly contaigious. Within a few years of our first visit, she had the whole family, second and third cousins included, meeting up for Thanksgiving in Hawai'i. I even remember the time we had to go to the airport so she could buy our airline tickets at an extreme value. Geez. And I wonder where I get it from?

Mom's favorite island activity? Sunbathing. At the pool. At the beach. It didn't matter. She'd oil up, stretch out and soak in the rays.  She'd cool off in the waves or in the pool, but only briefly, and then back to the lounge chair or beach mat she'd go. Somewhere in one of my albums, I have a picture of her yelling and waving her hands at us, shooing us away, back into the ocean so she could relax. It's a hilarious picture. I'm sure she loves that I took it.  That particular day, we were suiting up to go snorkeling off Magic Sands beach on the Big Island.

Now I understand that day on a whole new level. With all of us in the ocean, she could finally relax. Smart move mom. Smart move.

Want to know what we loved to do to mom on these trips? Lure her into the ocean, usually at Hanauma Bay where the fish were so tame they'd swim right up to you, then all at once, we'd throw fish food or frozen peas at her. We'd create a ring of fish bait around her and then laugh as the fish encircled. She'd scream like a little girl and we'd laugh. Kinda cruel, but really hilarious.

Happy Mother's Day Mom. Thanks for the great Hawai'i memories. Sorry about the peas.

 1981

1991

1993

 2004

Culture or Nature?

The one commandment that Americans and modern day Christians struggle with the most is probably Commandment 10: Thou shall not covet.

But the question is, do we struggle with coveting because it's part of our American culture? Or is it part of our sinful nature?

No doubt Americans are the richest people (as a whole) on the planet. For goodness sakes, we feel good about the deals we get at the Dollar Tree when there are people in other countries who only make a couple dollars a day, and some who even make less than that. And part of the American dream is to always want more.

If you own a perfectly good car, you're happy with it until your friend gets a new car. Your yard is A-OK with you until your neighbor decides to put a pool in his yard. Your house is already too big for you to keep clean but you keep looking for a bigger one because the pile of stuff you have keeps growing. Even the pharmaceutical industry has capitalized on our covetousness. Now you can diagnose yourself with a myriad of real diseases right in your family room then go to your doctor and ask for the medication you think you need. And I won't even mention the ridiculous medications out there like the one that helps you grow longer, fuller eyelashes. Seriously?!

So definitely covetousness is part of our culture. But, I think there is a major problem in blaming it all on our culture. By doing that I believe we actually breed guilt, shame and even more discontent. Then we're even more covetous of the happy, fulfilled people we see. We're depressed. We're angry. And we might even covet people and cultures who have less and are happier with less!  Does that make any sense?

I think that covetousness is part of our nature. If it was only our culture than it would not have been one of God's commandments. I mean, it's in there for a reason right? Before the 10 commandments were given to Moses there was a lot of coveting going on. Jacob coveted Esau's inheritance and blessing. Joseph's gift and the favoritism his father showed him were coveted by his brothers. Cain coveted Abel. Sarah coveted Hagar. Leah coveted Rachel. And those are just the ones that come to me off the top of my head.

So covetousness has been a part of us since sin first entered the world. Our culture has, however, capitalized on our nature. Americans (and other cultures too) have made a lifestyle and a business out of covetousness. But our culture isn't the enemy. Fighting against it will not change our nautre.

It's a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute fight. We have to fight our nature while withstanding our culture. We should work on ourselves first, work on being happier with less while wanting more for others. I believe if we work at changing our nature in that way, we can actually change our culture which will further change our nature.

Our culture is not the enemy. Satan is. And he will have less influence on our culture if first we rob him of his influence on us. So let's work on ourselves, let's encourage each other. Let's focus on being happy with what we have and using it to further the kingdom. Then maybe we'll change not only our culture but the world.

White Sandy Beaches

Aloha Friday is here again!



Kailua-Kona, Big Island - November 1993
From Left: Baba, my sister, my mom, me and family friend Steve

You already know that my most favorite island of all is Kaua'i. But my second favorite island is Hawai'i also known as the Big Island. We visited the Big Island in 1991 and in 1993. It was the last Hawaiian vacation we took with my grandma, Baba. She died in 1995. Though we've been back to the islands since she died, we haven't gone back to the Big Island. And when I think of Hawai'i (the island not the state), I think of her.

Baba and I were always buddies. I'm sure we put my mom in the middle of a lot of things. (You know the saying: what do grandparents and grandkids have in common? the enemy in the middle) But Baba and I were kindred spirits much like my little Gracey is with my mom, Grammy. But on this particular trip, Baba and I spent a lot of time together.

She liked to play tourist. So do I. She liked to talk story with the locals. So do I. She liked to shop for random junk, kitchy souvenirs and good deals. So do I. And we did a lot of that on this trip. My mom and sister had lost their luggage so the two of them were busy shopping for new clothes, so Baba and I spent a lot of time together.

I remember going with her down Ali'i Drive to a farmer's market. And we went on a submarine ride which was totally hokey but so much fun. We learned about parrotfish on that ride. And we took tons of pictures of the Painted Church. And she and I wondered around Pu'uhonua O Honaunau (you say that like this: poo-oo-hoh-new-uh oh hoh-now-now) together, taking in the peaceful beauty of this historical site.

But what I remember most was trying to teach her to swim. She had this adorable floral print swimsuit, the only swimsuit I ever remember her wearing, and she looked so cute in it. She always was at ease standing in the pool or sitting in the hot tub, but she couldn't swim. So we'd hold hands and she'd kick her feet while I walked backwards around the pool. We'd giggle like school girls.

There's an Iz song that makes me think of Baba and Hawai'i. Of course, I cry whenever I listen to it. (Are you understanding that I cry easily?) You  can check it out here. And then take a look at some of the other pictures of Baba and me in Hawai'i.

1991 - The Painted Church

1989 - Honolulu

1989 - Honolulu

The Adventure Travels Upstream

Last week, we made a decision that will rock our world. But we knew with complete confidence that this decision was God-led. It is the path He's told us to walk down, and so we will go.

We've told a few people and are kind of shocked at the responses. Most have been very supporting and very understanding. But a few (and it only takes one to spoil a bunch) have not responded to our decision well, and even questioned if we're really doing what's right.

Honestly, we've been hurt by those responses. Hurt deeply. But as one friend deftly explained, "If they can't support you, were they really your friends to begin with?" Well said, friend, well said.

The bad responses have robbed us of our excitement and I've spent several nights in tears and turmoil. But then I "get a grip" and realize that I amd doing exactly what God called me to do, what He's been calling me to do for years and I've been skillfully ignoring Him.

So He went ahead and did what needed to be done. He allowed a door to be slammed in our faces, let our toes get stepped on and generally allowed us to become so uncomfortable with our current path that we had to change directions. Shortly after that door-slamming, toe-stepping moment, I found myself sitting in my car, crying and crying out to God. "Please God, I'll do this thing if that's what you're telling me to do. But please, give me utter peace so I know I'm doing the right thing." And I cried some more.

At supper, a few hours later, I felt relieved. I felt peace. I felt excitement and eagerness to get started. So I knew He not only heard my prayer, He answered it and I was indeed doing as He asked.

Yet, the comments from others still hurt, still enrage and still irritate.

On Sunday, I read the following message in my devotional book. And wow, what peacefull assurance I had that "going against the flow" was exactly what we were supposed to do. It's taken from the InTouch magazine and you can find it on the website by clicking the title below.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what our big life-changing adventure of a decision is, it's this: after this school year is over, we are going to homeschool our kids. Supportive comments only, please. :)

Going Against the Flow
Read | Psalm 62:1-6
A majority may rule in this world, but in your personal life, one Person rules--and that's God. It makes no difference if 10,000 people tell you what you ought to do. Once you have decided to follow the Lord, it's best to stand right where you are until you get marching orders from Him.
Does this mean we should never take godly counsel? No, it doesn't. It simply means that when we know God hasn't said "Move," we should not yield to the temptation to please others by following their directives for us. In other words, while seeking scriptural advice, believers should also listen for the Holy Spirit's promptings and warnings. For example, when dealing with your children, you may sense there's a time to bring up an issue and a time to hold off (Eccl. 3:7b).
Sometimes, however, a fear of failure may discourage us from doing things God's way, making us think, What if things don't turn out the way we planned or we're ridiculed by our peers? But ultimately, we must ask ourselves whether we're going to listen to God or the world. Remember, you never have to fear failure when you obey the Lord. He's the one who intervenes in times of hardship. And He promises to act in behalf of the one who waits for Him. (Isa. 64:4)
Remaining steadfast takes courage. That's why Paul said, "Be strong in the Lord," (Eph. 6:10). All the pressure in the world can't make you budge when you trust the Rock upon which you stand. If you wait for God's guidance, you can act with complete confidence of a successful outcome.

May Day is Lei Day

Aloha! Happy Lei Day! Go out and spread some aloha!