The Honolulu Zoo

The second week that we were here in Hawaii I purchased a membership to the Honolulu Zoo. I have truly gotten my money's worth! I've gone about once a month and enjoyed each visit. Our membership expired on January 31st. Since we are moving home, I let it expire, but on Friday, January 31st, I needed to take one last visit.

The sloths were moving a little:

The Komodo Dragon

The Sumatran tigers.

 

 

The Meerkats

There are two rhinos, the other one was playing in the mud but I couldn't get a good shot of him!

The chimpanzees were very active - I think it was lunch time and no one seemed inclined to share...

Porcupine

Giraffes and Zebras

Flamingos

Elephants with Diamond Head in the back ground

 

Tortoises

Spider Monkeys

Gibbons

The Siamang Family.  Baby Haumea was born in 2012 and they had been off exhibit for a long time.

Rusty, the orangutan

The highlight of the day was my final stop - the cheetahs.  Their enclosure is built in such a way that it is rare that I even see them.  I think it was my fourth or fifth visit to the zoo before I saw them the first time.   But as I walked up on Friday, they were on the alert...

And here's why - two sheep from the petting zoo were out and the cheetahs could see them.

They circled back, slowly stalking

Then realizing they couldn't get out!

And they circled back again!

Of the many memories we have made in Hawaii, the Honolulu Zoo will be one of my favorites.

Uh Oh!

Just as we are preparing to return to the mainland this week, this headline popped up:

Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow on Sunday and predicted six more weeks of winter, much to the chagrin of those hoping for an early spring. 

After a year of continuous Spring/Summer, six weeks of winter is going to be tough!  My only hope is that California will get some rain during that time.  We are in desperate need!

How has winter treated you this year?

No Way, Murphy!

We are wrapping up our time in Hawaii.  A week from Friday, February 7th, we will fly home.  Les will continue working for DRC and will make periodic trips back, but not for any extended stays.  We have enjoyed our time here and we are looking forward to being home.  We never got "Island Fever" and if it was God's will, we would stay.  We have truly learned to be content in both states because we have each other, a great God and great churches in both places - and that's what really makes a place home. 

 

Of the many things that we need to do before our return, we need to sell our car.  We listed it on Craigslist Monday evening.  Someone looked at it last night, but was running some kind of scam, so we walked away from her and went to Bible study.  (It was another excellent lesson - "The Dumbing Down of the Church.")

On our way home we heard a thump, thump... we had a flat tire!!  I couldn't believe it.  It felt like a Murphy's Law moment!

Les pulled over, changed out the tire for the spare - which was also flat!  We limped to the closest gas station.  Something was wrong with the spare, it wouldn't hold air at all.  Les pumped up the tire and found the valve stem was broken.  Now what? Sis. Marybeth from church just happened (?) to pull up.  She sweetly loaned us her spare.  We made it home safely, about two hours later than expected.

I was at Lex Brodie's when they opened at 7:00 this morning.  We knew our front left tire was bald - ten months of going one direction in a parking structure will do that to a tire.  I told them I needed to replace the tire, have the flat and spare fixed.  I explained that we were trying to sell the car and I didn't want to spend a lot of money!  Less than $80 got me a new tire, two fixed flats, tires rotated and balanced.  Take that Murphy!

Ka'ena Point

Saturday morning, as usual, Les was up early and off for a bike ride.  Instead of coming home, he headed to the North Shore.  I drove over and we had lunch at Cholo's in Haleiwa.  The best Mexican food on Oahu!

Of course we needed ice cream after spicy Mexican food!

Then we headed to the end of the road on Oahu - Ka'ena Point.  There is about a 5-6 mile stretch that is not paved.  From the North Shore, it is about 2.5 miles to the actual point.  We decided to walk/hike to the point and see what we could see.  The waves were spectacular!

It was really windy...

The unpaved road was muddy in places and we saw several jeeps having a great time.

As we got near the point, we noticed a lot of commotion in the ocean.  Whales!!  Of course you can't see them in any of our pictures - they come up and are back down very quickly.

At the point there is an Albatross nesting ground.  It is protected with a fence that keeps mongoose, rats and cats from killing the young.

 

 It is also a "pupping" area for Hawaiian Monk Seals.  We didn't see any of those.

 

Pointing at the point.

The Wai'anae side of Oahu.

When we finally got to the car, it was dinner time!  We made our way back to Fumi's Shrimp Truck and enjoyed amazing coconut shrimp.

Another beautiful day in paradise!

Forgiveness

I finished the book of Genesis with today's Bible reading.  The forgiving spirit of Joseph is beautiful.  It does make me wonder about Potiphar's wife.  Where was she when Joseph came into prominence?  Could he say to her, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."  She was part of the plan to put Joseph in prison as well.

Forgiveness.  Jesus and Peter talked about it in Matthew 28:21-22 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

I've often thought of that as 490 different offenses that must be forgiven, but lately I've realized that there are some offenses that need to be forgiven over and over.  We say, "I forgive you," and mean it.  The offender goes away forgiven, but our hearts are still battered.  The letter is thrown away, but the words are imprinted in our minds.  And we must forgive again.  And again.

I know.  I've struggled with this in the past year.  I was the recipient of such a letter.  Harsh and cruel words, lashing out at me.  I could have defended myself and pushed the blame back, but I just said I'm sorry.  The letter writer then asked my forgiveness and I gave it.  The letter is long gone, but some mornings I wake up with its entire contents flashing before me.  I don't think they have any idea how much they hurt me.  And the cost of forgiveness?  Seventy times seven, because I refuse to wrap myself in bitterness to make the pain quit hurting.

There are times we all want to lash out.  Please don't.  President Lincoln learned to control the impulse to lash out.  His anger occasionally consumed him, making him pour it out in letters to critics, errant generals, and others.  But he never sent the letters.  I know there are scriptures about going to your brother to resolve an issue, but the words of Jesus are "be reconciled to thy brother," not "get it off your chest."

It's a new day.  Start it fresh with forgiveness, even if it's seventy times eight.

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
― C.S. Lewis

Wordless

Last night Pastor McGriffin concluded his series on the Battle of the Mind. I have many pages of notes, but my damaged hands make typing a little difficult so those will have to wait. I just wanted to share one funny example he gave:

In talking about the battle of the mind, we also must talk about what comes out of our mouths. The old rule still applies, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  Then Pastor McGriffin quipped, "Some people would become mute!"

Ouch!  The truth hurts sometimes!

Compassion

I've written before about the many homeless that are in Honolulu and Waikiki.  They really break my heart.  I wonder how they got here, where are their families, do their families even know where they are.  Was it drugs, alcohol, or mental illness that drove them away?   Behind each face is a story.

This morning I went out for a run.  I was tired, but hadn't run since Saturday so I pushed myself out the door.  I picked up the pace and ran my first mile in just over ten minutes.  And that was the end because 30 seconds later I tripped.  I went down hard!  I'm fine although both hands and knees are scraped.

As I sat there on the ground trying to catch my breath I heard a voice, "Are you okay?  Hey, are you okay?"  "I think so..."  I looked into the eyes of a homeless woman.  She had probably slept on the nearby sidewalk, possibly a bench.  I got up and assessed the damage.  She came over, "you sure you're okay?"  "I think so, is that restroom open," I said as I showed her my damaged hands.  "Yes... I have some bandaids.  You need some peroxide."  I thanked her and said, "I live across the street and have what I need there."

Not what you have in mind when you think of a homeless person, is it?  Her caring and compassion really touched my heart.  If I would have needed help getting up, I know she would have given it. I've never considered myself to be prejudice.  I was raised to love everyone, no matter their skin color.  This year has taught me to also love those whose skin has been colored by life on the streets.

Full Moon Friday!

I haven't post a single picture this week!  What a blabber mouth I've been!  I ran under a full moon yesterday and today.  Yesterday I ran at Ala Moana Park and enjoyed the moon reflecting off the ocean...

And setting behind the harbor.

Today I ran up Tantalus and enjoyed the moon from a little higher up.

And in case you're wondering, I carry a light and wear reflective gear on dark mornings...

Can You Survive the Takeaway?

We were blessed to have the Gleasons stay over for our Sunday night service.  Bro. Gleason preached a fabulous message called, "Can You Survive the Takeaway?"  I take better notes during Bible study, but here are a few of the thoughts I wrote down:

Job 1:20-22 says, "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

Everybody is going through something.  Everybody has a problem, just came out of a problem, or is getting ready to go into a problem!

Life's song has three verses:

1. The Lord gives
2. The Lord takes away
3. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

We are all happy to sing verse one.  We will all sing verse two.  But we've got to learn to sing verse three.

You are going to be hurt in life, but will you be offended?  When you sing "blessed be the name of the Lord," you are learning to survive the takeaways in life.

Hebrews 10:9 says, "He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second."  When God takes something away, He is doing it to make room from something better.

Marriage Enrichment Retreat

Here are some of the notes I took during our retreat.

Friday night, Bro. Gleason:

A wedding is a snapshot.  A marriage is a movie.  So many focus on the wedding instead of preparing for a lifetime.  Couples either grow together or apart.  There is a problem when one of the couple is only seen in the snapshot.

Don't focus on finding the right person, focus on becoming the right person.  Marriage isn't about you, it's about the person you married.  It's not about taking, it's about giving.  {This is when he talked about change in the pocket.}

Marriage is about Love, Trust and Commitment.  The most important is commitment.

It is not possible to love God and not love your husband or wife.  There are 15 verses in the New Testament the tell us to "love one another."  There are many others that talk about how to treat "one another."

Saturday morning, Bro. Gleason:

I Timothy 3:1-5 says, "This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)"

These verses are not just to those who are in the office of a bishop - they are the qualifications for someone who is used by God.  Leading a family is a proving ground for being used of God.

Even the most shy person has the potential to impact ten thousand people in their lifetime.

Bro. Gleason talked about his parents and how they raised four children and kept a marriage together for over 50 years:

• They modeled the behavior of Jesus Christ - everywhere.  Not just at church, but in the home, in the car, on the job.  Everywhere.
• They had dinner together as a family.
• They had family prayer every Saturday morning after breakfast.  No one was going anywhere until they had family prayer.

When Bro. Gleason's father was dying, they gathered as a family.  They didn't waste time apologizing for past hurts - those had already been taken care of.  There was peace and blessings from their patriarch.

Saturday morning, Sis. Gleason - "The Blessing of Giving Honor"

We dishonor with our words and actions.  If a wife fails to submit, she reverses God's order.  Submission is not a dictatorship.  The opposite of a submissive wife is a dominant wife.  A submissive wife builds up her husband and his leadership.

Helpmeet is your other self.  You complete each other.  There are designated roles for each spouse, we were created as a team with different roles.

In Genesis when Noah and his family entered the ark they went in Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives.  When it was time to leave the ark, God said in Genesis 8:16 "Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee."  But in verse 18 we see that "Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him."

Our priority must be God first, husband/wife second, and children third.  By having his sons go second, Noah did not honor his wife as they left the ark.

1 Chronicles 16:27 says, "Glory and honour are in his presence."  Make the home a place for God's presence.

Ways to honor the family:
Have dinner together.  Set the table with flowers and nice dishes, have soft music playing.  This lets the family know they are special.
Have prayer together.
Celebrate birthdays.
Take vacations together.
Have family gatherings.
Have a tradition that belongs to your family.
Guard your time together - phones need to be off, especially at the dinner table!

Saturday evening - Banquet and Fellowship
We enjoyed a fun time of fellowship and a delicious Hawaiian meal of Kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, rice, purple sweet potatoes and veggies.

A number of door prizes were given out during the retreat - Les and I won a gift card to Ruby Tuesday - Date Night!

Bro. Gleason had several questions that were turned in.  He said the best book on marriage is the Bible.  Many of the questions were "Why does my husband... ?"  "It's a guy thing!"  We are created differently - men are like waffles, women are like spaghetti!

This was a wonderful time.  I believe every couple in attendance (35 couples total) went home blessed and ready to make their marriage better than ever.  I, for one, want to keep putting change in Les' pockets!

Marriage Enrichment Retreat ~ Cha Ching!

There were so many good things talked about during our Marriage Retreat, but one example set the theme...

On Friday evening, Bro. Gleason talked about "Change in the Pocket."  Every time you do what you say you're going to do, you're putting change in your spouse's pocket.  When you do something special, for no reason - change in their pocket.  The goal is to fill their pockets - they should be running over with change.  Keep putting change in because sometimes you are going to forget - a birthday or an anniversary or some other special event. 

Marriages fall apart when you run out of change.

On Saturday morning we had a little exercise.  The men were given three words - delicious, exciting, and stunning - and were to compose up to three sentences about their wife using those words.  The ladies did the same using the words handsome, responsible, and sweet.  Bro. Gallimore then went around the room and had everyone read their sentences.  Some were funny, others were extremely sweet.  As the more creative ones were read, you could hear "cha ching!" across the room.  Change in their pockets!  Some even got double cha chings!

Honey can I get you something to drink?  Cha ching!
Here, babe, let me carry that for you... Cha ching!
You look so pretty/handsome!  Cha ching!

Of course it has to be done in sincerity.  We should all be able to tell the difference between sincerity and buttering up.

It was a fun time, but it is very true for all relationships.  Spouses, parents, siblings, church family.  We are all human and are going to say and do things that hurt others, but if we've spent more time putting change in the pockets of those we love, they are going to more easily forgive us our short comings.

Want to know what I wrote using handsome, responsible and sweet?  "I cannot be held responsible for my actions when my handsome husband whispers sweet nothings in my ear!"  Cha ching!!

Starting at the End

We had an amazing weekend!  I have so much to blog about - Friday night and Saturday was our Marriage Enrichment Retreat. Pastor and Sister Stan Gleason from Kansas City, Missouri, were our guest speakers and it was outstanding!  Pastor Gleason also preached at New Life Pentecostal last night. I'll get to all that in the next few days, but let me tell you about the end of last night's service...

Right after we take up the offering on Sunday nights, we have "Meet and Greet." Everyone gets out of their pew to greet visitors and saints. {I love that we do it at this time - we catch any late comers, but also catch any who might leave before service is completely over.} I greeted Danelle and her family. They seemed so happy to be with us in service. 

Danelle was really touched during the altar service. I prayed with her and when service was over spent time getting to know her. They have lived on Oahu for six years and have been searching for a church. They have visited many denominations and haven't found what they've been searching for. Many non-denominational churches have told her they are "like Pentecostal" but it wasn't enough for her.  She prayed that God would lead her to the right church. 

A few weeks ago Danelle started working for a cleaning company. She was cleaning a home and saw a card that said "New Life Pentecostal."  It was Pastor and Sister McGriffin's home!  Danelle knew this was the church she wanted to visited!  She was not disappointed when she came last night.

Think there aren't hungry hearts searching for God?  Think again!  My Bible reading today included Matthew 9:37-38, "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

The Ultimate Battle

I enjoyed the holidays, but I sure did miss mid-week Bible Study!  We had a special New Years service on Saturday night, but hadn't had our Tuesday night service in a few weeks.  Pastor McGriffin started a new series about The Ultimate Battle - The Battle of the Mind.

Philippians 2:3-8 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

To win the battle of the mind we need to develop and maintain the mind of Christ.  We are bombarded daily - it's a territorial battle that is never ending.  Developing the mind of Christ will allow us to have a daily God consciousness.  God won't force you down the right path.  He will nudge you, and when you're thinking is like His you will follow His path.

Whoever controls the mind, controls the body.  The fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16) are not targeted at your feet, they are targeted at your mind.  Satan is a master at making himself sound good.  No truth comes out of Satan's mouth.

How can you tell the difference between truth and a lie?  Know what the Book says!  Be a student of the Word. If all you get is what comes from the pulpit, you will not win the battle of the mind.  You have to get into the Word for yourself.

The mind of Christ will never deviate from His Word.  If your thought process does not line up to the Word, that means your thoughts are being controlled by the enemy.  When your thoughts are controlled by Satan, you will be led in the wrong direction, away from God.  God will always take you to a higher place.  The devil never leads you up - he always brings you down.  Any path away from God is a path downward.

You have to be on guard. Guard your mind.  Put up signs, build a fence around your mind, don't let the devil influence your thinking.  2 Peter 1:13 says, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind."

God does not intend for you to be happy and victorious only at church.  It's easy to shout and smile when everyone else is.  God wants you to be full of peace, full of love, full of joy - all the time!  God wants us to enjoy our salvation, to rejoice in the Lord always!

Too many Christians who don't have a clue how to enjoy Jesus.  Many live with a "dos and don'ts" mentality, always looking for a list of what to do and not do.  There are clear principles in God's Word, when they are in your heart you will have true joy.   Jesus in Matthew 11:30 said "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." When you live for God hard, it is easy.  When you live for God easy, it is hard.

When the battle of the mind is on, and you're losing, you must go back to what you use to be.  When you're losing the battle your spiritual perceptiveness is not what is use to be.  When you give up the battle of the mind it is called backsliding.

When you are walking with Christ daily and you start slipping, you will know it.  When the old man is resurrected you need to re-gird your mind. When the children of Israel were told to gird themselves, that meant they secured their clothing so they would be ready to escape or move quickly.  Clothes left ungirded hindered movement and were dangerous.

If your mind is scattered, not under control, you cannot move swiftly in the Spirit.  To gird up is to take control of your mind.  You can gird up your mind.  You have to learn to control your thought life.  The enemy is committed to telling you things that tear down your mind.  He wants to sow seeds of doubt.  He tried it with Jesus, he will try it with you.

The way to gird your mind is to understand what causes it to be un-girded.

1. Pleasure Seeking.  Only living from one experience to the next.  You will never find enough fun.
2. Worldly Entertainment.
3. Aimless and Frivolous Reading.
4. Bad Associations - A person who has lost their fear of judgment and God will do everything in their power to make sin look good.  They have no conviction.  Find someone who is spiritually edifying to associate with.
5. Neglected Bibles - the Bible is God's thoughts on paper.  When you read God's Word, you are going to think about what God wants you to think about.  When the Word of God loses its appeal, you are putting yourself in a position for the enemy to play with your mind.
6. Neglected Prayer Life.  If you're not a praying person, you shouldn't be making any major decisions.  A neglected prayer life is an open door to the mind.
7. Careless Church Attendance - coming to church puts you in a better position to win the battle of the mind.

How to gird your mind:

1. Have a High and Determined Purpose in Life.  Know where you're going and concentrate on that goal.
2. Quick Decisions to do the Right Thing - lingering in decisions is a sign of an un-girded mind.
3. Love for the Truth - we will sleep better when we go to sleep with God's thoughts.
4. Have a Prayer Life - we cannot do it on our own.  Through God's Spirit we can pull down thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and gird up the loins of our minds.

I do have the ability - through Christ - to win the battle for the mind!

Manoa Falls

Sunday morning Les and I decided to take another hike!  This one was much easier than our Christmas day hike up Koko Head.
 

It's amazing what you can find less than 10 minutes from Waikiki Beach!  If you are ever planning to come to Oahu, please let me know so I can steer you away from the crowds!

The trees and greenery were amazing.

Our reward wasn't views of the island, but this wonderful waterfall!

 

How cold is it where you are?  It was a "chilly" 65 when I got up this morning and it's only 71 now!  Four seasons seem kinda overrated when you're in paradise!

Doable and Affordable

I found this quote on Bro. James Short's blog:

The will of God is always doable and always affordable.
~ Elder Gary Howard

Isn't that awesome?  I always want to do the will of God and knowing that He isn't going to ask us to do something impossible is very reassuring.  God knows exactly what we are capable of and how much is in our bank account!  That does not mean the will of God is easy or comfortable.  We may have to give sacrificially, but it is always doable and always affordable.

Great Peace

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!  That's a lot more fun to say than Happy New Year!  I hope you're starting this year off right.  I went for an early morning run.  I have found the perfect place for running prayer - Tantalus Mountain.  It's very distracting and busy when I run in Waikiki and around Diamond Head, but when I head to the mountain, it's peaceful.  I enjoyed a good run and a great talk with Jesus this morning.  I think running is a great time to hear from God - I'm too out of breath to do much talking.

I began a new Bible Reading plan this morning.  It has readings from the Old and New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs each day.  I didn't read my Bible all the way through last year and have every intention of doing it this year!

For the last couple of days, I have thought about a verse for 2014.  I asked God about it.  I don't expect Him to reveal what 2014 will hold, but this verse has been rolling in my brain and I thought I'd study it out a bit:

"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."  Psalm 119:65

We don't have to look far to find things that offend us.  Open up your favorite news website or newspaper.  This world is full of offensive things.  Jesus said "offences will come."  It's unavoidable.  When you walk through the door of your place of employment, or your school, or your church, you are walking into a place where you may be offended.  Relationships end because one party has offended the other.  Lawsuits occur because of offences.

How can we have great peace when we are being bombarded?  One commentator put it remarkably well:

Great peace have they -  They have great calmness of mind. They are not troubled and anxious. They believe and feel that all things are well-ordered by thee, and will be conducted to the best result. They, therefore, calmly leave all with thee. As a matter of fact, the friends of God have peace and calmness in their minds, even amidst the troubles, the disappointments, and the reverses of life. The love of God is the best - the only - way to secure permanent peace in the soul.
Which love thy law - It is the love of law, and the belief that the law of God is in accordance with justice, that gives peace to their minds. God’s government is a government of law, and therefore it is loved.
And nothing shall offend them - “They shall have no stumbling-block.” Hebrew, “And to them no stumbling,” or stumbling-block. The meaning here is, that they would not fall into sin; they would be kept safe; they would be preserved from the power of temptation. The meaning is not, as it would seem to be in our version, that nothing would pain, grieve, or irritate them; but, as above, that as long as they were obedient to the law, and disposed to obey it, they would be safe from the power of temptation.

My number one goal for 2014 is to:

Love His Law, so that
I will have Great Calmness of Mind;
Leaving it All in God's Hands,
I will be Kept Safe, and
Nothing will Cause Me to Stumble!