Flat Dustyn Says Aloha!

We had a wonderful time hosting Flat Dustyn.  I sent him on his way yesterday, but wanted to share the little story I put together.

When Flat Dustyn found out he was going to visit his cousins in California, he was really excited.  But he was in for a surprise when he arrived.  Les and Kathy were packing for Hawaii!

Once onboard Hawaiian Flight #3, he checked out the other airplanes waiting to depart…

Then he buckled his seat belt.

It was a smooth flight, but very wet when they arrived. Hurricane Ana had passed by the Hawaiian Islands earlier that day. Thankfully there was no damage, just lots of rain.

There is a saying in Hawaii…
“No rain. No rainbow.”

There is so much to see and do in Hawaii, so he stowed away in Kathy’s purse as often as possible.

He had to see Beautiful Waikiki Beach and Diamond head, of course…

There was shopping at Duke’s Marketplace

 
Trying out different foods at the food court at Ala Moana Center.

Hanging out with surfers…

But even on vacation, you have to do laundry!

There was Sunday brunch at the Hula Grill, where Dustyn met his own Hula Girl!

A waterfall at the Hilton Hawaiian Village was his final stop.

After a fun visit, Flat Dustyn started missing his friends and family, so he packed up and flew back to Georgia.

I emailed this to Dustyn's teacher, Miss Ashlee, yesterday and had a sweet email and picture waiting when I got up this morning.

"Thank you so very much for the adventures! My class enjoyed your pictures! You did such an amazing job!!!! Thank you, thank you!!!  You rock!"

Health Check

I had my annual physical last week and was very pleased with the results.  I am Vitamin D deficient, but other than that I'm good for another year.  I had my first ever bone density scan (now that I'm 50) and my bones are A+!  I attribute this to a good, but not perfect, eating plan and consistent exercise.

My Bible reading this week included 1 Timothy 4:8, "For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.” 

This verse has been used by many to justify a sedentary lifestyle.  When the Apostle Paul wrote that verse, there was no such thing as a sedentary lifestyle!  They walked everywhere.  "In the 2008 United States American National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 36% of adults were considered inactive. 59% of adult respondents never participated in vigorous physical activity lasting more than 10 minutes per week." (Wikipedia)  That was not the case just 150 years ago.  Active lifestyle meant getting up before dawn to feed the animals, spending the day in the field or doing laundry by hand.  The entire family was included.  Modern conveniences were still in the future.

While trying to get more commentary on this verse, I found a fascinating site called Spirit Filled Fitness.  The article "Bodily Exercise Profits Little?" is so well written. It answers every question regarding this verse.  I can't do it justice here, do yourself a favor and read the whole thing (here clink THIS LINK.)  Here is just part of the recap:

1. The Apostle Paul was warning the young Apostle Timothy of a heretical movement of philosophy known as Asceticism of the Roman-Greco culture that used severe austerity in subordinating the body to the control of the moral attributes of the mind.  This was the bodily exercise Paul was referring to and not the athletic boldly exercise of the Hellenistic culture (i.e. Olympic games, athletics, etc…).
2. A deep and honest pondering of our heart and conscience in this hour can reveal to many of us that we have used this misquotation of “bodily exercise profits little” in excusing ourselves from really pressing in and dealing with the our lack of fitness and body fat mass index.  We have limited ourselves to not press pass our comfort zones because we might be displeasing God if we worked out too much during the week.  …Or we would be judged by fellow believers as spending too much time focusing on exercise when we had more important “eternal” issues at hand.
3. This liberating truth can now set all of us free that bodily exercise whether it be manual labor or fitness orientated workouts is not only approved in the Scriptures, but is a highly employed theme for believers to engage in.  Not only are the health benefits optimized when our temples are properly taken care of, but also we learn many character issues about endurance, perseverance, and control that can be applied to encourage us in the mastery of our lower nature by the Holy Spirit and thus not become castaways in our faith (see I Cor. 9:24-27).

We must take care of our bodies.  Does that mean you need to sign up for a marathon?  No.  But taking care of ourselves means we will live longer and can do more for the kingdom of God.  Our bodies are not gods, but they are the temple of the Holy Ghost.  Christ dwells in us and we need to give Him a strong place to dwell.

I know that I feel better when I exercise.  My mind is clearer, my blood pressure is lower, I sleep better and I want to eat better.  You don't need to do a lot to make a big difference.  Start small and know there will be great rewards to reap.  Your bones and heart will thank you!

Adventures with Flat Dustyn

 

We received a visitor in the mail yesterday all the way from Buford, Georgia - Flat Dustyn!  This is our third "flat" visitor.  We hosted Flat Claire in 2005 (before I had a blog) and Flat Hannah in 2008.  Flat Hannah had quite a time - she went to Key West, Florida with Uncle Les and up California's central coast with Uncle Les, Aunt Kathy and her dad, Lance!

The original story is "Flat Stanley" written by Jeff Brown in 1964 - the year I was born!  I didn't know the book had been around that long until today.  "Stanley Lambchop and his younger brother Arthur are given a big bulletin board by their father to display pictures and posters. He hangs it on the wall over Stanley's bed. During the night the board falls from the wall, flattening Stanley in his sleep. He survives and makes the best of his altered state, and soon he is entering locked rooms by sliding under the door, and playing with his younger brother by being used as a kite. One special advantage is that Flat Stanley can now visit his friends by being mailed in an envelope." (from Wikipedia.)

Flat Dustyn arrived just in time - we are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow!  I know we'll have a great time and we'll send him back so his "luggage" is post marked Honolulu.

Have you ever hosted a "Flat Stanley?"

Engrave It In Stone

Last week, after looking through Mom's Bible again, I was reminded of how important it is to remember the good times and let go of the bad times.  I've told this before, but this particular Bible was given to Mom on January 1, 1987.  It was the year she became "Grandma."  She carried this Bible for the next eleven years, through a cancer diagnosis and treatment, through the loss of her youngest son, and through four years of cancer returning with numerous treatments.  But she didn't write about the bad times, she consistently wrote about faith and trust and answered prayer.

Joshua chapter 4 tells us about memorial stones:

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

I don't know where I originally heard this story, and I couldn't find the author, but it applies today.

Two friends were walking in a desert and they got into an argument. Finally, one of them became so angry that he slapped the other in the face. The one who was slapped stopped, bent down, and wrote in the sand: 

 “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

Later they came upon an oasis and stopped to bathe, when suddenly the one who was slapped began to sink in the mire. His friend pulled him to safety. Immediately recuperating, the slapped/ saved one found a large stone on which he inscribed: 

“Today my best friend saved my life!” 

On inquiring why he wrote one in sand and the other in stone, he answered: “When someone hurts you you should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for you, you must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

We cannot avoid people who hurt us in life - it's going to happen.  Sometimes even our best friend slaps us in the face.  But we can choose how we react.

What will you engrave in stone today?

The Power of A Soft Tongue

My Bible reading today concluded with just one verse in Proverbs, chapter 25 verse 15:

By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

I immediately turned to my favorite commentary, Matthew Henry, and his words made it so clear:

Two things are here recommended to us, in dealing with others, as likely means to gain our point:

1. Patience, to bear a present heat without being put into a heat by it, and to wait for a fit opportunity to offer our reasons and to give persons time to consider them. By this means even a prince may be persuaded to do a thing which he seemed very averse to, much more a common person. That which is justice and reason now will be so another time, and therefore we need not urge them with violence now, but wait for a more convenient season.
2. Mildness, to speak without passion or provocation: A soft tongue breaks the bone; it mollifies the roughest spirits and overcomes those that are most morose, like lightning, which, they say, has sometimes broken the bone, and yet not pierced the flesh. Gideon with a soft tongue pacified the Ephraimites and Abigail turned away David's wrath. Hard words, we say, break no bones, and therefore we should bear them patiently; but, it seems, soft words do, and therefore we should, on all occasions, give them prudently.

I want my words to be soft!  On all occasions.

More people have been hurt by a careless tongue than by a sharp sword.
~ Mom's Bible

What Breast Cancer Awareness Looks Like to Me

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - the month of pink ribbons.  They're everywhere, from candy to t-shirts, from NFL players to coffee mugs.  I don't need to see pink to be aware of this disease.  Here's what it looks like to me:

A stunning diagnosis, followed by faith:

Grandma, carrying on, reading to her grandchildren:

Good reports after hard days:

 Mother of the Bride, 13 months after her diagnosis:

She also made our wedding cake:

A smirk while wearing "Another Bad Hair Day" hat:

A note taped in her Bible that came with flowers from Rod when she finished chemo:

Hair that grew back:

And a faith that grew stronger:

No pink ribbons here, but a flood of memories.  Sixteen years ago today, Mom finished the fight with courage and faith.  And I still believe the final score - Mom (and God) 1, Cancer 0!

Fun on Las Llajas Trail

Yesterday morning I went for a trail run.  Three and half miles uphill, then it's all downhill on the way back.  I started seeing bear tracks just before the two mile mark.  These tracks were a little different than normal.  I usually just see tracks that are going UP the trail.  Those are the tracks I saw at first, then the tracks reversed direction and they were coming back DOWN the trail.  It definitely made me wonder where in the world that bear was!  Poor thing, if he's looking for water, he's not going to find it.

I made it to my turn around point and started down.  About a quarter of a mile later, there was Les on his mountain bike! A quick "Did you see the bear tracks?" and we went our separate ways.

Just before the four mile mark, I felt a sting on my upper right arm.  I looked down and there was a bee!  He was stuck to my top, trying to sting me.  My arm is still itching this morning, so he succeeded.

Not long after that, Les reappeared.  We traveled side by side for about 2 1/2 miles - enjoying our own sport and each others company.  It was a beautiful morning to be out and, as Les put it, "Better the bear running from you and the bee chasing you than the other way around."

Weekend Getaway

We took a road trip this past weekend and it was a whirlwind!  We drove up to Fresno Friday afternoon.  Les was up bright and early Saturday morning and headed to North Fork for the 22nd Annual Grizzly Century bike ride.  I got up not too long after he left and went for an eight mile run.  Then it was time to get ready for Ladies Day at Truth Tabernacle.

The guest speakers at Ladies Day this year are very dear to my heart - our very own Pastor and Sister White!  Sis. White did an excellent job as she spoke about prayer.  There is nothing more powerful than a praying woman.  Sis. White had Sis. Caroline Rogers and her daughter, Stephanie Barnes, sing the song "If I Have To."  There's no "if" about it - we have to stay on our knees.

I'll stay on my knees if I have to
I'll fight to the bitter end
I will not be defeated
Cause I've put all my trust in Him
So say what you please
I'll stay on my knees
Praying for you… if I have to.

Pastor White's title was "Thank God for the Preacher's Wife."  Such a powerful message!  From the time I was 8 until I was 27, I did not have a pastor's wife, but I have been blessed by many preachers wives who have helped me in my journey.

The Tarazons and I were the last ones out of the building!  So many friends to see and hug and talk to!  From one month old Avaughna Mantooth (I taught her mother, Tara, in Sunday school) to dear Irene Wilkinson (who taught me in Sunday school) and so many in between.

Les and I enjoyed Sunday morning service at Truth Tabernacle, our first since Elder Morton retired.  It is wonderful to see the church in good hands with Bro. and Sis. Tim Lackey.  It's always good to sit with my aunt and uncle, Joyce and Ken Gilstrap - I'm so glad they are part of Truth Tabernacle.  

We didn't get to visit with very many because we had lunch reservations with Kim, Rodney, Lauren and Krysten, so we slipped out before service was completely over.  We met for lunch at Sakura Chaya.  Catching up while watching our chef prepare our meal was a lot of fun.  And we even took a few pictures before hitting the road!  We made it home just in time for Sunday night service in Victory Tabernacle!

These three, right here, mean the world to me!  Love them SO much! (That can be said about the picture above and the picture below!)

The Thought Test

My Bible reading today included Philippians chapter 4.  I consider verse 8 the "Thought Test."

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Another way to look at it is to turn it around:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are untrue, whatsoever things are dishonest, whatsoever things are unjust, whatsoever things are impure, whatsoever things are ugly, whatsoever things are of bad report; if there is no virtue, and if there is no praise, QUIT THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS!!

Do your thoughts pass the test today?

Lately...

I just haven't been motivated to blog!  So here are some snapshots of late.

I have now finished 75% of my Bible reading plan for the year!  God's Word is so rich.

Having fun with Hillary and my iPad after church one night:

This quote caught my attention the other day...

Two baby boys joined the NLP Ohana in Honolulu:

I rode my mountain bike:

And saw a beautiful sunrise while out running:

Two more babies!  These are daughters of one of Les' co-workers.  On the right is Les' boss, Karen Yamamoto, we really like her.

Fire Season

Next Tuesday is the first day of Fall.  Many bloggers are writing about the changing season, the beauty of falling leaves, cooler temps, sweaters, and pumpkin everything.  Unfortunately for dry California this is fire season.  There are a number of fires burning right now.  The Courtney Fire is near Bass Lake and a friend of ours shared this picture:

It's beautiful in a way, but so scary.  Praying for the fire fighters and those affected by these fires.

Hawaiian Labor Day Weekend

We had a great long weekend while we were in Hawaii last month.  Saturday we went back to the Tropical Farms for some more macadamia nuts.  Then it was on to Kualoa Ranch...

Kualoa Ranch is a place rich with Hawaiian history.   Les and I took the Jungle Expedition.  Our guide, Joe, was very knowledgeable as we bumped our way through the beautiful ranch.

Ancient Hawaiians considered Kualoa one of the most sacred places on the island of Oʻahu. It was the residence of kings, a place of refuge and sanctuary – a puʻuhonua – and a training ground for royalty who were instructed at Kualoa in the arts of war, history and social traditions.

In 1850, King Kamehameha III sold approximately 622 acres of land in Kualoa to Dr. Gerritt P. Judd. Dr. Judd had previously been a missionary doctor who arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1828 and who served as personal advisor to King Kamehameha III.

The ranch is now approximately 4,000 acres and is still owned by the descendants of Dr. Judd.  It is a working cattle ranch and we saw a few of those cattle on our way back.

Saturday evening we watched the sunset from the Ala Wai Boat Harbor.  I never get tired of seeing the day end over the ocean.

We were up super early on Sunday so Les could participate in the Dick Evans Memorial Road Race.  This is a 112 mile cycling race - race, not ride.  There is a big difference!  At century rides there are multiple stops, usually including a lunch break.  Not this time!  At one point, Les said he didn't stop pedaling for 70 miles.  He said it was the hardest single day of riding he's ever done.

The race is in memory of Dick Evans, a cyclist who was killed while riding.  Les said they started with a moment of silence and he prayed for safety during that time.  I was doing the same many times through out the day.  This route is also the original route from the first Ironman competition and that's why the cycling portion is 112 miles.

After dropping Les off, I headed to the North Shore.  I volunteered to work at Feed Zone #2 in Kahuku.  I've never done anything like this before, but it was so much fun!  Every volunteer was either a cyclist who decided not to race or related to someone who was racing.

Our job was to hand out water bottles when the racers came through.  They would NOT be stopping.  They might slow down a little, but it was our job to get fresh water in their hands.  They were to toss their empty bottles just before getting to the feed zone.

We got word that there was a two man breakaway coming soon.  That breakaway got caught and before we knew it about 20-30 racers we headed towards us.  I was near the end of the line handing out bottles with Heed in them.  All the racers wanted Heed and it was a little scary handing them out and hoping we didn't drop one or cause someone to crash!

Les had a great time until about the last 20 miles when he experienced severe leg cramps.  He finished in 6 hours, 12 minutes and 31 seconds (18 mph.)  The winner finished in 5:02:08 - over 22 mph!  I had a lot of fun hanging out in the feed zone, I managed not to drop a single bottle or cause any crashes, and was able to meet Les at the finish line.  I didn't get a single action shot - we were too busy when the action was happening!

After a much needed nap, it was time for Fifth Sunday Celebration at New Life Pentecostal Church.  This is always a fun time of food and fellowship, followed by a service.  I was obviously very hungry and the food was so ONO!

For the first time, we didn't go back into the sanctuary for service.  We stayed on the lanai.  It was a pleasant evening and the Spirit of God was felt.  Pastor Mac had five of the young men each give a five minute sermon.  He told them to decide on one scripture passage to preach from so the thoughts would be cohesive.  For some of them this was their first time!  They all did an excellent job.  It was wonderful seeing our NLP Ohana.  There's a bit of a baby boom going on, five of the ladies are expecting!  Church growth!

Monday we had plans to go to the North Shore, but first decided to hike the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail.  The lighthouse was built in 1909.  The trail was steep and warm, but the views were worth it.

 

We didn't know anything about the locks, but evidently this is something that's done quite often in Europe.  They are called "love locks" and symbolize a couple's undying love for each other.

We stopped in Waimanalo for lunch.  We opted for Keneke's.  We were pleasantly surprised by the artwork on the walls.  You can read the history here.  This first picture was just the beginning, but I love the quote "What Single Event Had the Power to Split Time?"

There use to be Christian tracts on the tables that were often thrown away or blown away by the wind, now the walls are covered with verses!

Even the cups have verses.

Our plans for the North Shore just didn't work out.  Everyone else on Oahu was either there or headed that way and traffic was horrible!  We ended our visit at one of our favorite Hawaiian restaurants - Duke's, then it was time to pack.

It's been nonstop since we got home and I'll try to blog about that in the next day or two...

The Whole Duty of Man

I finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes this morning.  Chapter 12 verse 13 says, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  It's so simple.  Fear God and keep His commandments.  We can make it so difficult.  Fear God and keep His commandments.

Matthew Henry put it this way: 

The root of religion is fear of God reigning in the heart, and a reverence of his majesty, a deference to his authority, and a dread of his wrath. Fear God, that is, worship God, give him the honour due to his name, in all the instances of true devotion, inward and outward. The rule of religion is the law of God revealed in the scriptures. Our fear towards God must be taught by his commandments, and those we must keep and carefully observe. Wherever the fear of God is uppermost in the heart, there will be a respect to all his commandments and care to keep them. In vain do we pretend to fear God if we do not make conscience of our duty to him.

USA Today had a story this morning about six women who were born in the 19th century and are still living today (here.)  The oldest was born on March 5, 1898.  Each had tips for living long lives.  Gertrude Weaver is the oldest American.  Here's what she had to say:

So how has she lived so long? "Kindness," she told Time. "Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to you."
And strong religious beliefs. "You have to follow God. Don't follow anyone else," she told the local Camden News. "Be obedient and follow the laws and don't worry about anything. I've followed him for many, many years and I ain't tired."

So there it is, from 116 year old Gertrude Weaver, "Follow God, be obedient and follow the laws."  Sounds a lot like "Fear God and keep His commandments"  doesn't it?

Do Something!

We are packing up and heading home today.  It's been a great time.  We really enjoyed the long weekend and it will probably take a few posts to get it all covered.  But I want to leave you with the words to a song I've heard a few times.  "Do Something" by Mathew West has a great message.  The first verse talks about how he saw so much trouble in the world and said, "God, why don't You do something?"  Well, it's up to us!  Find this on iTunes or Amazon and try not sing along!

"Do Something"

I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, I created you”

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”
Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says,
“I’m gonna do something”

We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill (shine shine, shine shine)
But we’re never gonna change the world
By standing still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something 

Aloha until we get to California.