31st birthday!

My heart is overflowing with God's greatness.  I have had the wonderful opportunity of spending my 31st birthday in Oahu with friends.  My b-day weekend started Friday when I flew to HNL.  Amber dropped me off at the airport where while talking with Uncle Don my boarding pass was brought to me.  While in the airport I caught up with Uncle Bill and then sat with Amy's mom and dad on the flight over.  Arrived, picked up car, and headed to Target to pick up a few things.  Saved over 16$ in coupons!  Reminded myself that it is ok to treat myself to a bag of dark chocolate.  Drove to Mililani where Momma Lisa made me dinner and Lauryn gave me an amazing facial while we caught up and played with the kiddos.  Didn't go to sleep until after midnight as I was so wired from the events of the day.

Reluctantly got out of bed at 6am on Saturday.  Lisa had oatmeal and papaya sitting on the table for breakfast.  Drove to the airport to pick up Bryant, Jeremy, and Bri (oh and Judah!)  While waiting I stopped at starbucks for my free venti mocha coconut frappachino and ran into one of the Nations girls who had come out on a mission trip to Molokai 5+ years ago.  She is now married and works at Starbucks!  Nice surprise as I have stayed with her parents several times.  Took Jeremy and Bryant to CC-Komo Mai and dropped them off at the "How to Walk" conference.  Bri and I then headed to the zoo where we spent a couple of hours strolling around looking at all the animals.  Judah fell asleep halfway through.  Went to Ala Moana and picked up my birthday gift at Sephora and some things for Jenn at the Lego store.  Bri treated me to lunch at Ruby Tuesday!

While eating lunch Jared called to wish me a happy birthday.  As I am thinking about our phone conversation my heart is heavy knowing all the things my brother is going through with his CO poisoning.  He mentioned that the dr's aren't giving him 10 years to live.  My heart just aches as my brother is so precious to me.

Lord even as I write that promises pop into my mind... You made Jared in a fearfully and wonderful way.  You created him with a plan and a purpose and you won't take him one day soon than your perfect timing.  Lord please give him your peace and comfort during this valley.  If it is in your plan... may you heal his body, brain, and heart, and protect him from the lies of the enemy that steal, kill, and destroy.  Lord thank you for your peace that passeth all understanding and your encouragement.

After lunch we headed to Mililani Costco for food for dinner and got HaggenDaz samples... and headed to the house.

Lauryn and family, Paul, David, Kevin, Dawn, and Bella came over for dinner and fellowship and red velvet cake and ice cream for dessert.  Who says God doesn't give us the desires of our heart?  We then walked to the park and let the kids play which they loved.  All of the women are such an encouragement to me.  As part of the evening, they roasted me and I was so humbled by the fact that almost all said that in the midst of hard times, I show joy.  That is such a reminder as I really struggle with joy.  I see myself on such an emotional roller coaster.  Oh the battle of flesh.  Now off to bed as my heart is overwhelmed by emotions!

A day at the beach

For the fourth of July weekend, a few of the Calvary Chapel families went to Papohaku camping. I was invited to come along but instead of camping, I chose to work til 5pm on Friday and then spend most of Saturday and Sunday working on the NAEYC program portfolio for accreditation.

I had a couple of "helpers" with this project.

By Sunday night at 10:30pm, my brain was fried with pulling evidence so I headed to bed with the intent of getting up Monday morning, hiking kalaupapa, and then heading to Papohaku for a few hours to visit with Bri, Jeremy, and the rest of the CC group. Well the hike didn't happen but the beach was amazing!

By the way this is a Molokai beach, fourth of July weekend! You can actually see the sand...

The sand, as Judah will tell you was a lot of fun. The water was crystal clear and so very nice.

Freedom

Recently a friend posted on fb- Freedom comes from 2 people: Jesus and the American Soldier... one gives us freedom from sin and death and the other gives us freedom to live.

On this independance day 2010, it is important to be reminded of the freedoms that God has blessed us with....

• We have the freedom to go and worship with other believers without fear of being arrested.


• We have the freedom to own a Bible (or several) unlike some of our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world that have to share one copy per village or hide a few pages just to read the Word.


• We have the freedom to share our faith without being stoned to death (but yet we fear the rejection of man so we don't share what Christ is doing in our lives... much less the gospel)


• We have the freedom to live and worship out loud but we have more enthusiasm for our favorite team than we do our creator, sustainer, and life-giver.


• We have the freedom to spend eternity in heaven with Christ. Why don't we share those freedoms as so many living around us are living in bondage headed to hell.

So on this independance day, I truly thank God for each soldier that has given his or her life for my freedom but I truly thank God for sending Jesus for giving me the freedom from sin and death.

Happy INDEPENDANCE Day!!!

Someone's in the kitchen with...

After some recent digestive issues and to make up for a coffee treat from Coffee's of Hawaii today I decided to experiment for dinner tonight. A couple of my kids had pizza and breadsticks for lunch and I was really desiring Pizza Cafe. The last few times of eating pizza from PC, it hasn't been pleasant with my digestive system so I decided to try a healthier option and we pray that all goes well in my tummy! :)

Had to stop by the Outpost and Friendly Market for a couple of items and this is what I came up with for dinner...

Veggie pizza- one for dinner, one for lunch tomorrow.... each has about 200 calories....

Ingredients- Ezekiel flat bread, 1 tbsp prego pasta sauce, grated zucchini, sliced tomatoes, and pressed fresh garlic.

Cooked in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes!

Outcome... (not comparing it to PC pizza because theirs is the best pizza on Molokai!) I give it an 8... the zucchini was still a little crunchy and had too much garlic (I used 2 cloves on each... oops!)

Overall this might become a new favorite dinner! Try it for yourself and let me know.

Reminder: One Year???

Six months ago we were challenged with the question... If Christ were to come back in one year, what things would I need to get taken care of? Now it's not a to-do list but as I prayed about what God would have me do this year there were a few things that He laid on my heart...

• live a healthier God honoring life
• daily be in the Word
• be debt free (ie pay off the house)
• invest in the lives of the children God has given me
• share what God is doing in my life

How am I doing? Definitely not perfect, some days are better than others but moving forward to do what God has called me to. At this point I want to challenge you... in the next 6 months of 2010, what would God have you do for His kingdom?

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your prescence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:10-12

My daddy!

On this father's day 2010, I think it is fitting to honor the best dad in the whole wide world.

Growing up mom always joked, that I was a spitting image of my father (without the beard) but we didn't know who my mother was. (By the way momma, I have more of your characteristics than you ever realized!! I am definitely your daughter. Love ya!)

Yes I look like my father but the part that I love most about my daddy is the way that He images our heavenly Father. Dad raised Jared and I to trust in the Lord by the way he lived his life. He was the physical example of Christ to me.

What my daddy (and momma) taught me...

• love- no mess that I ever got myself into could separate me from my father's love


• strength and the value of hard work- on a 20 acre farm we all had to pitch in and help... from push mowing... to pulling weeds... to hauling firewood... to shoveling snow out of the living room... it truly takes a family to make a home work!


• fun and adventure- the Easter scavenger hunts were the best and most memorable "egg-hunts" of all time


• compassion- No matter the animal... a dove with a broken wing, a bunny that had been carried in by the cat, a ferret that needed a "new home", a dog with a bullet in its chest, an owl who had fallen out of a tree.... there was always room for another critter at the Calhoun's.


• teaching me to sing through the pain- I will never forget the time, we were out getting straw for the flower beds and I slid off the wooden trailer and filled my leg with splinters. Dad patiently took the tweezers and picked out every splinter while teaching me new songs to sing.


• creativity- our backyard was every child's dream playland... from culvert pipe tunnels, ziplines, swings, a gargantuan (sp?) sand pile, a gnome tree, a creek, a huge see-saw, and miles of bike trails


• perseverance- if you try something and you fail, pick your self up and try it again (even if you have a concusion).


• independence- Dad's motto was "if someone else can do it, so can you with some work!" ... cannot was not an acceptable word growing up


• equality- If Jared had to learn to do something... I had to learn and vice versa. At this point in life I really wish I had paid more attention when dad was working on projects like changing filters in the car or installing tile.


• quality time- the Saturday morning trips to the autopart store... just my daddy and I... followed by an icee were a highlight, Wednesday night trips on the Harley to choir practice... the discussions on the ride home from school on friendship and dating...


• the value of marriage- Mom and Dad set aside time every week (Saturday evening) that was time to build and strengthen their marriage... rarely did they go "out" on dates but every Saturday was mom and dad time... normally this meant steak dinner with corn and baked potatoes while watching Lawrence Welk... Jared and I were invited on occasion but normally it was just mom and dad. This taught me that the world didn't revolve around me and that marriages take work to build. Through thick and thin... they have made it 36 years and are a living testimony of what a godly marriage looks like!
• the love of music- from the gift of my first "oldies" cassette tape to encouraging me to sing with you at church... you are the reason I played alto saxophone because that was your favorite instrument
• perseverance- sticking with things until they were completed the correct way. I wanted to follow through on commitments (like band) even when times were not the easiest because I didn't want to let you down.

Momma and Daddy- You will never know how much you truly mean to me. I am publicly stating these thing because you two have made me into who I am today. Thanks for all of the lessons lived and taught over the years. I don't say it often enough but I am truly blessed to have you two as parents! Love ya bunches!

Precious moments on this side of a closed door!

I simply love those precious moments when God allows us a glimpse of something that He has been working on for a while.

Several weeks ago, I blogged about all the doors that had been closing and how I was tempted to start opening them on my own. Today as I sat listening to Pastor Randy's message on "A Repentant Heart" and the heart of David after he had truly sinned against God... it hit me why God closes doors.

Just as gates are put up to keep children safe from the "unsafe" things outside... animals, cars, stairs, etc., God places closed doors in our lives. Looking back on certain doors that I was fighting against being closed... would I have made the best decisions if the door had not closed but I was told I couldn't have what was on the other side??? I would like to say I would have obeyed like a good child but knowing my strong will... I probably would have had to learn the hard way. God knows that about his stubborn daughter and to protect me from heartache he closed and locked that door.

Praise God that He is the alpha and the omega... a loving and just father who cares about the well-being of His children... He is also a gentleman that allows us the choice to obey His voice... He doesn't force what is right upon us. Just as David had several opportunities to make a choice to do what was right before God... we are given daily choices- to follow God or to not!

So with the door in front of me closed and locked for security purposes, I will turn around and make the choice to be content with what God has for me for such a time as this, trusting that in His time bigger and better doors will open. Oh just to trust and obey! The theme for 2010!