Isn't it GRAND

Pictures from the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River, and Route 66 from Arizona!

Local beauty: Signs, fruits, and flowers

Sights in Sweden...

The only person that carries a "legal" weapon!  Had to get a picture.

Singin n the rain

Swedish trolls!

Pictures from the Netherlands...

On the way back from Uganda... I spent 30 days going halfway around the world.  At the time I was unable to post picts on the blog from my camera due to not having a computer.  So as the timing is right and my pictures from the camera are on my computer... and I have a working computer... I am updating  from my travels... so here we goooooooooooooooooo.....

A cool fountain in the neighborhood.

Going over a little world geography

Having fun in town!

Mixed emotions

Well I can't begin to express what my heart is feeling at the moment... but I know I need to attempt to share instead of keeping it locked up inside...

First and foremost... GRATITUDE...  to all of you out there... family and friends... that have come along side throughout this journey over the past few months and prayed for me... given me a place to stay for a few days...shared a meal with me... gave me a ride...asked me to share my stories...donated supplies and resources to my little brown eyed cuties... called me out when I am tempted to go down the wrong path... provided for me financially or provided for my basic needs...included me on a adventure with your family... walked with me... or just lent a listening ear over concerns or fears.. I AM BLESSED!  You know who you are and I am forever grateful!  You mean the world to me and have made this transition between worlds manageable!

EXCITEMENT... In three days... I will officially be done with the face to face classes for graduate school!  I still have a lot of editing and revisions to make on my final portfolio but the end is in sight.  Lord willing graduation day will come December 20th, 2014!

TREPIDATION....  As one cooridor is coming to an end in my life and the door is closing, I step with fear and trembling at all of the unknowns up ahead.  Before I left the village... I joked that I had a 10 week  plan but as the weeks went by and my 10 week plan became the 3 week plan and then the 2 week plan.... in all honesty started freaking out a little bit... plans were not turning out the way I thought... doors were closing but I didn't have the peace to walk through the open ones yet... and I finally reached the point where I threw up my hands!

SURRENDER... in this process, I couldn't do it and I think it was at that moment where I had two weeks left of "my" plan that I relinquished control to the divine creator.  He took my frustration and provided His perfect peace!  He also provided a reasonably priced airline ticket to go back to Africa. 

PEACE... So I now know where I will be for the next 12 weeks or so but I have also have a calmness in my spirit that he has it taken care of.  The plans at this point is to be in Uganda August and September... and He has provided some ladies to travel down and assist while I am in the village... then in October I will head to Egypt to lead a teaching conference as well as working at some schools there!  My ticket returns me to Honolulu and at that point we shall see where the Lord leads next as I do have some deadlines to meet for grad school and I want to walk with my cohort colleagues at graduation.

Please pray for wisdom, guidance, strength, and provision for me over the next few months!  And stay tuned to what lies ahead!

My right to choose

In light of the ruling in the Hobby Lobby case today...

It is soap box time!

Just to give fair warning... I have been in a public policy class for the past 3 weeks.  Most days I leave the class irritated by the depravity of man and the corruptness of our governing body.  I have come to realize that many Americans are brain washed into thinking that we have a perfect living system and are willing to roll with whatever media says is acceptable even if their basic rights are being infringed upon...

So my stance on the entire situation today...  do I think that it is a basic right for all to have decent healthcare?  Yes!  In a democratic society I also believe  I should have the freedom to decide what kind of health care is best for me and my family... whether it is going through the normal system or the holistic approach.... if you have the right to choose an abortion... I should have to right to not spend my hard earned dollars on such if I don't believe in abortion as a means of birth control. (On a side note... if you are thinking of abortion as your only means of birth control... before you do that... talk to me... I know of several willing couples that would treasure that little life that you are about to flush down the toilet!). 

It is my choice to stand up for what I believe in.  Because I live in the United States of America I have the freedom to write this and post it with no fear of the government stepping in and telling me to take it down or putting me in jail for talking about them... Did you know in many countries my life could be at stake for talking against the government system?  Unfortunately our freedoms and rights are slowly being taken out from under us and nobody seems to be noticing...much like the frog in boiling water...

Lately in our culture it is politically correct to be tolerant of everything except for what Christians believe.  Do me a favor and if you are going to tell me that I am being intolerant by the things I am saying... let me ask... are you being tolerant by judging me on my belief system that differs from yours?  Just a thought... I am a sinner saved by His grace.  It is not anything I have done but what He has done in and through me.  I may not like some actions of the people in my life... but I am called to love them.  Love means putting my opinion aside and following Christ's example that while we were yet sinners...Christ went to the cross, took on our sin, dying on the cross, only to conquer sin and death 3 days later.  I have no room to judge but I have lots of room to grow in love.

Ultimately in a decision like today... most people view the ruling as wrong because it doesn't match up with their tolerance policy but I challenge you to think whose freedoms are you limiting by being intolerant of another's belief system that is different from your own.