Wordless Wednesday ~ 4th of July Hawaiian Style

Maui R & R & R

A few weeks ago we flew to Hawaii.  Instead of our usual Hawaiian Airlines flight #1 to Honolulu, we flew to Maui.  It's been a while since we went to one of the other islands and had some down time.  Of course for us it's never just Rest and Relaxation, there's always some Recreation involved, too.

Our first stop on our way from the airport was Maui Cyclery in the town of Paia.  The store is the sponsor for Cycle to the Sun - a bike race UP Haleakala Crater.  If you've ever been to Maui you've seen lots of ads for riding down the crater, but there are some who ride up it, and others who even race up.  The ride climbs 10,000 feet over 36 miles and reaches gradients up to 18%.  We stopped at the store so Les could pick up his race packet - yes, Les would be racing up the crater on Saturday, but I'll get back to that...

By the time we left Paia, we were ready for some food.  Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop has become our favorite stop on our way from the airport to Ka'anapali.  I had their amazing Avocado and Cucumber Sandwich.  I can't remember what Les had, but I do remember we both had pie.  Our vacation was off to a great start!

This is not Leoda's, but it does describe what happens when you eat too much pie...

We checked in to our favorite Maui condo - The Aston Mahana at Ka'anapali.  There was a slight glitch in our reservation, but we were finally in our room and ready to relax for a while.  The views from our ocean front room just can't be beat!

Molokai island

We arrived on Wednesday and took Thursday and Friday as full on R & R.  Les got his bike ready and went for a short ride and I went for a short run, but there was a lot of napping involved, too.

Lanai island

We had an early start on Saturday morning to get to the race on time.  We both knew quite a few of the riders (the race is capped at 200.)

After an Hawaiian blessing, they were off!

I knew I would have plenty of time to wait, so I headed to the nearest coffee shop.  I ended up spending two hours with a lady whose husband was also in the race.  We shared stories about family and adventures.  My plan was to drive to the summit and hopefully see Les a few times along the way.

I stopped at the Visitor Center and watched Les go through.  Then I drove a few more miles to see him again.  I cheered for every rider who came by.  It's a grueling race and I know even a few words of encouragement can mean a lot.  I was at the summit when Les came across the finish line!

He had been sick for about 3 weeks leading up to the race.  This is no easy ride at 100%, so I was happy to see him finish with a smile!  This was Les' fourth attempt and fourth successful finish on this ride.

It was a very clear day at the top.  In the distance are Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii...

We had all day Sunday to enjoy ourselves before heading to Oahu on Monday.  I went for another run, while my cyclist got some much needed rest!

We found a fun new breakfast place - Slappy Cakes.  This is one of the rare times when neither of us had a phone with us and we wanted to take a food picture!  We got to make our own pancakes right at our table.  We chose our batter and our toppings, then had fun cooking and eating.

That's our vacation in a nutshell!  What are your summer vacation plans?

Repost: The Shunammite Woman

On Sunday night Pastor McGriffin preached about the Shunammite woman found in 2 Kings chapter 4.  Her story is only found in part of one chapter of the Bible.  I went back and reread what I wrote about her when I studied her story in 2015 (you can see my complete study of Women of the Bible here.)  Her post is one of the longer ones, but I want to repost it today.  What a great woman!  I want to be able to say, "it is well," no matter the circumstance.

 I find the nameless people in the Bible are often so interesting!  This Shunammite woman is no exception.  The first mention of this woman calls her a "great woman."  No other woman in the Bible receives this distinction.  According to John Gill's commentary, she was "of great wealth and riches, of great benevolence and hospitality, and of great grace and piety; that feared sin, as the Targum paraphrases it; a woman of great credit and reputation on all accounts."  Wow!  She definitely needs to be studied.

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

We only know this woman was married and had one son, the names of her husband and son are not given either.

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?

There are three events that occur in this chapter regarding the Shunammite woman.  Each begins with the phrase "it fell on a day."  There is no time given, just "it fell on a day."

The first time we read about the Shunammite woman was when Elisha passed by and "she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread."  She was mindful of the man of the God.  "She had observed him at all times pass that way, and guessed by his habit and deportment that he was a religious man, and therefore took an opportunity to invite him into her house, and take a dinner with her." (John Gill)

She wasn't content with giving the man of God food, "she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.  Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither."  

Matthew Henry's Commentary said, "So well pleased was she with her guest, and so desirous of his company, that she would not only bid him welcome to her table, but provide a lodging-room for him in her house, that he might make the longer stay, not doubting but her house would be blessed for his sake, and all under her roof edified by his pious instructions and example - a good design, yet she would not do it without acquainting her husband, would neither lay out his money nor invite strangers to his house without his consent.  She suggests to him, 1. That the stranger she would invite was a holy man of God, who therefore would do good to their family, and God would recompense the kindness done to him; perhaps she had heard how well paid the widow of Sarepta was for entertaining Elijah. 2. That the kindness she intended him would be no great charge to them; she would build him only a little chamber. Perhaps she had no spare room in the house, or none private and retired enough for him, who spent much of his time in contemplation, and cared not for being disturbed with the noise of the family. The furniture shall be very plain; no costly hangings, no stands, no couches, no looking-glasses, but a bed, and a table, a stool, and a candlestick, all that was needful for his convenience, not only for his repose, but for his study, his reading and writing."

Verse 11 also begins with "it fell on a day."  Elisha had returned and he wanted to do something good for this kind woman.  He was willing to speak to the king on her behalf, but she replied, "I dwell among mine own people."  "She was content and satisfied with her present state of life, and the situation she was in, and with her friends and neighbours she lived among, and did not care to remove, though it was to a higher rank of life, and to greater dignity and honour; and she had no suit to make to the king or general, nothing to complain of; and she had friends enough to speak for her, should she want any assistance."  (John Gill)

 Elisha did not speak directly to the woman, but through his servant Gehazi.  When she did not ask for anything Elisha said, "What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old." 

Elisha then spoke directly to her, "About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid."  "The expression, “do not lie,” which is harsh to us, accords with the plain, straightforward simplicity of ancient speech. It would not mean more than “deceive.”  (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)

Verse 17 says, "And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life."  Just as Elisha had told her, a son was born.  The shame of her barrenness was gone.

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
Finally, verse 18 says again "it fell on a day."  Her son was now old enough to work in the field with his father, John Gill said he could have been as young as six or seven.   He quickly became ill and by noon had died.  How she responded to this great sorrow shows how great she truly was.  She didn't sit and mourn but "laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.  And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again."  "Here is the sudden death of the child. All the mother's tenderness cannot keep alive a child of promise, a child of prayer, one given in love. But how admirably does the prudent, pious mother, guard her lips under this sudden affliction! Not one peevish word escapes from her."  (Matthew Henry)

She showed great faith when telling her husband that she needed to get to the man of God.  She said, "It shall be well." She did not waste one second but told her servant, "Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee."  She had one focus - get to the man of God.  Elisha saw her coming and sent Gehazi to find out what was going on.  "Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well."

When she finally reached Elisha she fell at his feet.  Gehazi tried to stop her, but Elisha quickly recognized her grief.  "Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?"  "Great grief shrinks from putting itself into words. The Shunammite cannot bring herself to say, “My son is dead;” but by reproaching the prophet with having “deceived” her, she sufficiently indicates her loss." (Albert Barnes)

Elisha sent Gehazi ahead, but "the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her."  A beautiful miracle took place when Elisha arrived.  Elisha, "went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.  Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes."  "Not from any virtue imparted to it by these motions and actions of the prophet, but from life being infused into it by the Lord, which caused an heat in the several parts of the body." (John Gill)

Her response to the miracle?  "Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out."  "In reverence of him, and with the most profound gratitude and thankfulness for the mercy received: she went out with great joy and gladness."  (John Gill)

That is the last that we read of this great woman, but I think Elisha must have continued coming to their home.  She must have shared the story of her son's birth and resurrection over and over!  Her faith-filled "it is well," became reality.

Happy Independence Day, America!

It's been a long time since I was in school, a really long time!  So I thought I'd look up some facts about July 4th and its true meaning.   From ConstitutionFacts.com:

The Declaration of Independence

We celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year. We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation.

But July 4, 1776 wasn't the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare independence (they did that on July 2, 1776).

It wasn’t the day we started the American Revolution either (that had happened back in April 1775).

And it wasn't the day Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence (that was in June 1776). Or the date on which the Declaration was delivered to Great Britain (that didn't happen until November 1776). Or the date it was signed (that was August 2, 1776).

So what did happen on July 4, 1776?

The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They'd been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes.

July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.) It’s also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new nation. So when people thought of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 was the date they remembered.

In contrast, we celebrate Constitution Day on September 17th of each year, the anniversary of the date the Constitution was signed, not the anniversary of the date it was approved. If we’d followed this same approach for the Declaration of Independence we’d being celebrating Independence Day on August 2nd of each year, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed!

How did the Fourth of July become a national holiday?

For the first 15 or 20 years after the Declaration was written, people didn’t celebrate it much on any date. It was too new and too much else was happening in the young nation. By the 1790s, a time of bitter partisan conflicts, the Declaration had become controversial. One party, the Democratic-Republicans, admired Jefferson and the Declaration. But the other party, the Federalists, thought the Declaration was too French and too anti-British, which went against their current policies.

By 1817, John Adams complained in a letter that America seemed uninterested in its past. But that would soon change.

After the War of 1812, the Federalist party began to come apart and the new parties of the 1820s and 1830s all considered themselves inheritors of Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. Printed copies of the Declaration began to circulate again, all with the date July 4, 1776, listed at the top. The deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, may even have helped to promote the idea of July 4 as an important date to be celebrated.

Celebrations of the Fourth of July became more common as the years went on and in 1870, almost a hundred years after the Declaration was written, Congress first declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays, including Christmas. Further legislation about national holidays, including July 4, was passed in 1939 and 1941.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday!  

Repost: I Believe in Youth Camp

It's summer time and that means a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me it will always mean Youth Camp time!  I'm combining parts of two posts that I wrote in 2008.  "I Believe in Youth Camp" and "Our Anniversary, kinda, in a way..."

In June of 1974, a little blond haired, blue eyed girl attended Youth Camp at Bethel in the Hills in California. On the first night, June 18th, after hearing camp evangelist Bro. Randy Keyes preach, she received the gift of the Holy Ghost for the first time. I am so thankful for that initial outpouring and so glad that God keeps filling me with His Spirit time and time again.

This was my second year to attend Youth Camp and I became a regular. I never missed a camp (Junior or Senior) and some years went to Junior Camp as a counselor and Senior Camp as a camper. I am always to touched when I see children praying - I know that God is a keeping God, and seeing them get touched at a young age is beautiful to me.

Meanwhile, at a Youth Camp in Tennessee, a brown haired, blue eyed boy received the Holy Ghost on a Thursday night in June 1974...

August 18, 1989 was the final night of Camp Meeting in Santa Maria. I had gone for the week and was planning on staying for Senior Camp which started the next day. This was my final year of eligibility as a camper, having turned 25 the previous April.

After service, my friend Yvonne and I were talking to Ruby Wilson when we spotted "him". His name was Les McElhaney and I had been introduced (briefly) to him at Youth Convention the previous March. At Youth Convention I was already going out with someone else, so I wasn't extremely friendly to Les - much to Yvonne and Ruby's dismay! This time, I was "free" and decided to thank God for second chances! When Les didn't even remember meeting me, I was happy to start over! This night was the beginning of something very special that eventually led to our marriage on May 25, 1991.

We spent all week of Senior Camp getting acquainted and finding out our common likes and dislikes. Because I had been a Senior Camp fixture for so many years, and Les was actually on the staff, the rest of the staff was very kind to let us stay out later than usual getting to know each other. I remember Bro. Harvey Cantrell coming by, shining his giant flashlight on us, smiling and letting us continue sitting there!! And the Hoppers helped me out when a certain pest from Fresno wanted to sit in on all our conversations!

So now you know what happened to those two 10 year olds from those long ago camps in California and Tennessee. I could go on and on about this wonderful man I married, but for now I'll just say "I Believe in Youth Camp!" 

About 30 young people and children from Victory Tabernacle are currently in Ventura for Pacific Coast Camp.  Les and I are on our way to Hawaii tomorrow so we won't get to be there, but I'm praying that God will do great things in the hearts and lives of all in attendance!

Everything Dad

Happy Father's Day to any dads reading!

Everything Dad

A little girl needs her daddy
To love her with manly charm,
To soothe her when she's hurt,
And keep her safe from harm.

A girl needs her dad
To show her a man who's good,
To help her make right choices,
As only a father could.

A woman needs her father
Just to be aware,
He'll always be there for her
To sustain her and to care.

You've been all these things, Dad.
I hope that you can see
How much I treasure you;
You mean everything to me.
- Joanna Fuchs

This poem sums up how I feel about my Dad.  I sure do miss him!

Flag Day

Today is Flag Day in America. Sandwiched between Memorial Day and Independence Day, it commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.  The resolution called for the flag to "be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

I don't know about you, but it still bothers me when our flag is burned, trampled or destroyed in any manner.  I still place my hand over my heart when I say the Pledge of Allegiance.  Songs like America the Beautiful, God Bless America and The Star-Spangled Banner still have meaning to me.  No, she's not perfect, but America is still my home sweet home.

Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
~ Francis Scott Key

Flip Your Change, Dad

I don't remember exactly how or when it started, but Dad had a little game that he played with Rod and me.  We were young teenagers without jobs or cars.  Dad came home one Friday night with a bunch of change in his pocket.  I asked if I could have it.  Of course Rod wanted it, too.

"Flip your change, Dad."

This became a Friday evening tradition.  Dad in his chair.  Rod and me on the floor at his feet. Heads or tails.  Mine or yours.  Much groaning and gloating ensued depending on which way the coin landed.  But there was also laughter, so much laughter as the three of us watched each penny, nickle, dime and quarter land on the floor.

"Flip your change, Dad."

Dad could have easily said, "Just split the money evenly."  He could have been done with us in seconds and gone back to relaxing in his chair with the paper.  Mom was somewhere nearby, smiling as the three of us spent time doing something so small together.

"Flip your change, Dad."

I'm the only one remaining in our family who was part of that tradition.  I don't know who got the most money each week.  And it really didn't matter.  That was just a small part of what was happening.  We were making memories that lasted.  The bond we shared over a couple dollars in change is one that I think about often. 

"Flip your change, Dad."

I wonder as his work week was winding down, did he start collecting a little extra change so he'd have more to flip?  He never ended the week without change.  It was a fun time for Rod and me, but I think it was just as much fun for Dad.  We were at the age where many kids start pulling away from their parents, but our relationship grew stronger in those moments over a few coins being flipped in the air.

"Flip your change, Dad."

Never think that if you can't offer a grand gesture, you shouldn't do anything at all.  Small things are building blocks in any relationship.

"Flip your change, Dad."

The Gift of Time

It's Father's Day week and of course the Father's Day gift ideas are flowing into my email box.  My Dad was a hard worker but he always found the time for his family.  I wrote about it on his 71st birthday in the early days of this blog...

I can think of so many "Dadisms" - his little sayings and the way he said them - but the thing that comes to mind is his great love for his family. An example is when Rod broke his femur when he was about 11. Because of Rod's hemophilia, the doctors could not operate to put a pin in the bone (they may have not even done that back then), so he spent about 6 weeks in the hospital with his leg in traction until the bone could begin mending (then another 6-8 weeks in a body cast). Dad would come home from work every night, hurriedly shower and eat dinner, then we'd be off to the hospital. EVERY.NIGHT. No matter how hard he worked that day, how tired he was, he wasn't going to let his little boy spend the evening in the hospital by himself.

Dad has rescued each of his kids and granddaughters when we've had car trouble, ran out of gas, or locked our keys in the car. He was a truck driver for many years, so if you need directions to anywhere in California, ask Dad! You will not get lost IF you follow his directions. The day of Kim's wedding, we were all there except the twins. They called Kim, not sure where they were. The phone went to Dad. After a few moments of listening (another thing he does well - he listens), he told them exactly how to get to us.

For my entire childhood, we always had donuts on Saturday morning. It was one of our traditions. Dad would go to Eddy's Pastries in Fresno. Being kids (and picky!) all four of us had our favorites and Dad would make sure we each got our desired donut(s). As kids we were always up before he went to get them, but as teenagers he'd come wake us up to get our order. Our teenage response to "Do you want a donut this morning?" was usually, "No, I want more sleep!" But when we would finally drag ourselves out of bed, our usual orders would be there!

My Dad would have done anything he could for us, but he somehow understood that the gift of time was the greatest gift he could give.

Friday Foodie

It's been a while since I posted a new recipe.  It's also been a while since I tried a new recipe!  Oh, I take that back - I tried a new recipe for our international picnic last month and I never posted it.  I made Kalua Pork that tasted like it had been cooked in a pit all day.  I'll get that up next Friday!

Stephanie at Plain Chicken posts a weekly meal plan each Sunday.  This week's dinner for Wednesday was Toasted Pecan Chicken.  I'm always looking for a new variety on chicken dishes and this one was a winner!  I apologize for not taking a picture, we were too hungry to wait.  Mine looks just like the original posted on Plain Chicken.

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp pepper
  
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Pound chicken thin between wax paper. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Cook chicken over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium, add whipping cream, marmalade, and mustard, stir well. Add chicken, sprinkle with pecans, and cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Serve over rice, if desired.

I didn't know if this dish would have a mustardy taste or more of an orange marmalade taste.  It was neither!  I'm not sure how to describe it, but the combination of the two was so good.  I did not have Dijon mustard so I just used plain yellow mustard and it was fine.  We had this with rice and green beans.

Children Learn What They Live

I recently finished a collection of three books by Charles Martin - "When Crickets Cry," "Chasing Fireflies," and "Wrapped in Rain."  I wrote about one of his other books, Long Way Gone, here.  He is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.  His descriptions of people and places are colorful.  His stories have humor, but there is always an underlying deeper theme in each of them.

"Chasing Fireflies" and "Wrapped in Rain" both contain characters who were abused as children.  Parts of these stories were difficult to read.  The author doesn't sugar coat and while his books contain hope, they are also very thought provoking.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about my own upbringing.  I am so blessed.  Correction I received as a child was appropriate.  We were never abused in our home - physically, verbally, or emotionally.  So much of who I am is because of how I was raised.

I know there are people who come from wonderful homes that leave it all behind for a life of recklessness.  There are also those who overcome against great ideas.  But more often than not, children learn what they live.  Pastor White mentioned this poem not long ago in a message.  I quickly remembered it hanging at Grandma Luella's house when I was a child.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D. 

What lessons are the children in your life learning today?