Update on My Dad

I talked to my Dad this morning and he is doing much better. He has another infection in his back and they are treating him with antibiotics.

At this time we don't know how long he will remain in the hospital or if he will be going into a rehab center near UCSF instead of going back to Fresno. We want him wherever he will get the best care.

Thanks again for the many prayers!

The Honolulu Zoo

Earlier this week, I spent the day at the Honolulu Zoo.  If you've been reading this blog for long, you know that going to the zoo is one of my favorite things!  I bought a membership so we can go anytime we want for the next year and not pay again!  I took over 100 pictures which you can see on my Smug Mug page here.

 

I really enjoyed the variety of animals at this zoo - lions, tigers, chimps, orangutans, zebras, giraffes, elephants, a huge Komodo dragon, and a variety of birds and reptiles.  There was even a Keiki (children's) zoo!  Three lion cubs were born in December but are not on display yet.  I'm really looking forward to seeing them!

It was a little rainy while I was there and this orangutan did not want to come out!  He turned over once, but took his tarp with him.

The Indian elephants live under the shadow of Diamond Head!

I had a staring contest with the Sumatran tiger.  There are three tigers at the zoo - one male and two females.  The females are kept in separate quarters because they fight! 

Many of the animals had a reddish tint to their skin.  This comes from Hawaiian red dirt!

{Nearly} Wordless Wednesday - Flashback!

We were out walking on Saturday and crossed this street:

Paoakalani Avenue!  Les immediately recognized it.  It is the street we stayed on during our honeymoon in 1991!  "Wasn't it the Aston something?"  "Aston Waikiki Sunset?"  We were on our way to another bike shop, so we didn't take the time to investigate.  On Monday, I returned to the scene.  Still there:

I remember being on one of the highest floors, with a view of the ocean.  We were only a couple of blocks from the beach!

Prayer Request for My Dad

My Dad is on his way to back UCSF.  He was taken to St. Agnes hospital in Fresno by ambulance last night.  They ran numerous tests including an MRI, a CT scan and lots of x-rays.  The doctor showed Kim the x-rays and he has some fluid around his lungs and some fluid in his belly that probably has something to do with his recent surgery.  The doctor from St. Agnes contacted Dad's doctor in San Francisco and they agreed that it would be best for Dad to be transported there right away.  The ambulance left St Agnes about 4:45 this morning to take him to San Francisco.

 

We have been very concerned for several weeks now, Kim and I spent much time on the phone yesterday talking about him and trying to figure out what to do next.  Kim had even called his doctor in San Francisco yesterday morning.  We feel very confident that this is the best thing for him right now.

 

Please keep him in your prayers.

Date Night

For almost 22 years, Friday night has been date night for Les and I.  We don't always do something big, but it's my night off from the kitchen.  Last Friday night was our first in Oahu (we arrived late the previous Friday, but just came straight to our hotel.)  After dinner at Outback and ice cream at Lappert's, we were slowly making our way back to our hotel when we noticed quite a few people sitting on the beach facing one direction. After inquiring, we learned that the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a fireworks display on Friday nights.  Yay for free Friday night entertainment!

Do you and your spouse have a date night?  What do you do for fun and free or inexpensive entertainment?

Church! Finally!

We finally made it to church yesterday.  It felt like it had been forever.  Les was just too sick last week for us to make it.  Before we got there, we had a little adventure...

The Bus doors - "Push to Open"

We are staying about nine miles from New Life Pentecostal Church.  Nine miles?  Piece of cake!  Well it is when you have a car...but we have been relying on our feet or The Bus to get around.  It took over an hour to go those nine miles via bus! 

We were doing great until we got off one stop too late.  Then we had a bit of a hike to make it to church!  We left out hotel at 4:30 and walked in right as service was starting at 6:00.  We are seriously talking about renting a car on the weekends!

I was really glad I wore comfortable shoes!

Once we finally made it to church, I was so glad!  The first song was "I Came to Magnify the Lord" and I felt right at home.  We were greeted by so many smiling faces - a great reminder of how important it is to greet every visitor when they come to church, no matter what they look like.

Pastor McGriffin preached about "Eating a Jezebel's Table" from I Kings 18.  He talked about having a "whatever" attitude.  The word whatever is not in the Bible!  God wants us to be concerned about what His Word says, not just pick and choose which parts we like. 

The Hicks family graciously offered us a ride home last night after service.  I was thrilled because it was pouring rain!  We would have been dry on the bus, but the walk to the stop would have been less than exciting!

How was church for you yesterday?

Loving and Missing

Some things I'm loving about our new adventure:

I'm here with my best friend!  The thought of Les taking this job and me not being able to come was absolutely out of the question for us.  He wasn't coming without me and I wasn't staying home!  He is feeling better each day, I'm thankful that this flu is about over!  He's been sending daily pictures from his office window.  Today's was "Gorgeous Hawaiin Morning"

The soft speaking tones.  "Aloha" and "thank you, ma'am" and "Mahalo" are such sweet words when spoken by Hawaiians and Filipinos and Japanese.  Lily, our housekeeper, said that Les and I match (I agree with her!)  Her accent is very strong, but her smile and laugh are so sweet.

People watching.  A cruise shipped docked yesterday, so there were people everywhere.  The NFL Pro Bowl is here on Sunday, so there will be people everywhere.  What am I saying?  There are people everywhere all the time!

What I'm missing:

Victory Tabernacle!  I miss our church family.  Another week of revival has come and gone, and we weren't there.  I especially miss it because we didn't go to church here on Sunday since Les was so sick.  Really looking forward to church this weekend!

My kitchen!  Our hotel room has a small refrigerator and that's it.  Not even a microwave.  I'm already tired of eating out.  Where are my pasta maker and my blender and food processor and crock pot??  I saw this recipe yesterday and wanted to cry!  Somebody please try these dinner rolls and tell me if I should be buying a crock pot ASAP!

Mom's Bible!  I'm sitting wanting to close this post out on a positive note and cannot remember a particular quote that I know is in Mom's Bible!  I have my own Bible here, but not hers.

In case you're wondering, I'm not complaining!  I also found the quote I was looking for, I had posted it on July 26, 2008:

Not the greatness of our troubles, but the littleness of our spirit makes us complain.
- Mom's Bible

My troubles are not great, and I pray my spirit is not little!

A Little of This, a Little of That

We are on day six of our new adventure and it hasn't gone as expected.  Les woke up Saturday morning with the flu!  Fever, cough, runny nose, body aches, the whole nine yards!  It was horrible watching him so sick.  He finally went to the doctor Tuesday afternoon and after just one day of antibiotics, he was feeling much, much better.  I've had a slight touch, but nothing serious.

Blog Updates
I noticed that now that my blogs are private, there isn't an easy way to see when I've posted. When I check my Blogger Dashboard Reading List, the blog name shows up but I get this message:
You have followed this URL, but we couldn't find a feed for it.
Please check that the URL is correct: http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/
If you want to update configuration please use Manage page.
When I followed the Manage link, it showed the blog, but no updates.

If you check a Blog List or Blog Roll that lists blogs with the most current post at the top, I don't show up.  My most recent post shows "Be Back on Sunday" from last week.

I think the best way to know when I've posted something new is to sign up for email updates.  I moved the Follow By Email box near the top of my blog on the right.  Please let me know if that does not work!

Otherwise, I guess you'll just need to check my blog each day.  I usually post Monday through Friday and sometimes on the weekends.

Hawaiian Winter
While chatting with a store keeper the other day, she said, "This is our cold season, we call it 'Three Blanket Nights.' "  It certainly isn't cold to me.  We are getting rain today.  I was out exploring the International Marketplace when it started sprinkling.  About halfway back to our hotel, it started pouring!!  I was soaked to the skin but never cold.  I wish my camera could capture the rain as it is coming down right now.  An umbrella wouldn't be much good since it is coming down sideways!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods??

Somewhat Wordless Wednesday

I guessed I've blabbed enough the past three days.  Here are some pictures from the beginning of our adventure!

Here are all our suitcases!  Les brought one of his bikes and we packed for 3 weeks.  Our plan is to leave everything but our carry-ons here.  Our two large suitcases just squeaked in at the weight limit - one was 50.5 pounds and the other was 50.2 pounds!

Five and a half hours later, Les' boss met us at the airport to take us to our hotel.  She gave us beautiful leis and made us feel so welcome.

 I believe they call that the "Aloha spirit"

Our bed at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach.  Just steps from Waikiki Beach.

The Outrigger

The pool

Saturday afternoon we went exploring.

Our destination - a bike shop, of course!

Hawaiian style bike seat!

Us!  Waiting to ride the bus back to our hotel.  We do not have a car and so far haven't really needed it.

I went for an early morning run, this was my view

Monday night sunset

 Les' view from his office.  That's the Pacific Ocean out there.

This little guy was determined to get his bag through the sand!

Diamond Head at sunrise:

Diamond Head at sunset:

Monday morning found me ironing!  I got on a roll and did all our clothes...

Our leis a couple days later.  Mine was so fragrant!

What is the Will of God?

As a single teenager and young adult, I thought often about finding the will of God for my life.  At that time, the will of God for a single Apostolic female = a husband!  I think most of us thought that once that was done, the rest of life would just flow right along.  Let me tell you, that is not the case!

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
~1 John 2:17

Les and I will both be turning 50 in the next 15 months (if you want to start planning our surprise parties, Les is on August 19, 2013 and I am on April 27, 2014) and we have been through a major time of seeking the will of God.  It really comes down to this:

The will of God is not a place to dwell but a path to follow.
~ Mom's Bible

This life is a journey.  We don't turn 25 and suddenly "Aha! Here is the will of God for the rest of my life!  I'll never do anything else!"  I was in the children's choir when I was 10, the youth choir as a teen, and the adult choir since then.  I would look awfully silly still singing in the children's choir now just because it was the will of God when I was 10!  Careers change, families grow, friends turn their backs, LIFE throws you a curve.  How can you know you are in the will of God?

1.  Prayer and fasting are a must!  God can't tell you anything if you're not speaking to Him.  It also helps to quit talking and listen to what He has to said.  I kept telling God, "Anytime now You can reveal Your will.  I know you want us to stay here."  When I finally stopped talking, I felt so strongly that His plan was taking us to Hawaii.  I don't know the purpose, but I am at peace right here, right now.
2.  Reading the Bible. Are you planning something that goes against the Word?  Is that special someone an unbeliever? (See 2 Corinthians 6:14) It's not going to be the will of God no matter how much you want it.
3.  Seek wise counsel.  Les talked to Pastor White about this job from the very first discussion he had with the company.  We weren't going anywhere without his wisdom and prayers.  Pastor White left a message on Les' cell phone Friday morning.  Among the many things he said the one that meant the most was, "I'm sure praying for you and believe God is in it."  Those words meant so much.
4.  WAIT.  This is so hard.  We waited and waited.  Money wasn't coming in and no job was coming.  I truthfully thought that God was going to open a door locally.  About halfway through our time of waiting, my sweet friend Jen Lord posted this:

I can see to the corner, but God sees around the corner... don't worry
~Mom's Bible

5.  SIT STILL.  I worked on this post last week and thought it was finished. Then Bro. Disotell said something during revival. Micah 7:8 says, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."  He said when you are sitting in the darkness and you cannot see the next open door, be still.  Trying to move when you should be still will cause you to be hurt.  Sometimes when we are waiting, we are still moving, trying to make something happen.  Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God."

We know that God doesn't change, but His plans for us are more than we can know all at once.  We can trust that He knows where we need to be, who we need to meet, how long we need to stay, and when it's time for a change.  Follow His path, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6.  While you're praying and seeking counsel, while you're waiting in the hallway, and while you're sitting still, remember this:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Peace of God that Covers

My post yesterday was really the end of a chapter.  Today, I'll tell you about the chapters we have lived since September.  In September we had our annual Youth Alive services.  That Friday night the choir sang "Cover Me" by Mark Condon:

Peace of God, cover me
Cover me, cover me
Peace of God, cover me
Through the storm, cover me.

Only in You I am safe
Only in You I'm secure
Only in You I find peace
So cover me, cover me 

Cover me when I am hurting
Cover me when I'm not strong
Cover me when I am going through the storm
Cover me when it all seems hopeless
Cover me when my faith is gone
Let the peace that passes all I understand

As I stood on the platform singing, I thought of friends who were hurting.  I sang for them.  But sometime in that song I felt like I was singing for me.  I didn't know it that night, but my life was getting ready to be stormy and I would need peace like never before.  I haven't blogged about every part of the storm we went through, but here it is...

Peace of God, cover me

Cover me, cover me

On the following Saturday, September 15th, Dad was hospitalized in Fresno, then transferred to San Francisco.  This started a very long journey that we are still on today.  Dad spent 7 1/2 weeks in San Francisco (hospitals and rehab center) before returning to Fresno.  He was back in San Francisco in December for surgery and is now back in Fresno.

Peace of God, cover me

Through the storm, cover me.

On the weekend of October 7-8, Les and I traveled to Fresno.  That Saturday Kim and I drove to San Francisco to visit Dad.  On Sunday morning, Les and I went to church in Truth Tabernacle.  We drove home that afternoon with plenty of time to make it to church that evening.  When we got home, we discovered that our house had been broken into.  Nothing was taken, the police said they were looking for cash and jewelry.  But it was a horrible feeling!

Only in You I am safe

Only in You I'm secure

Only in You I find peace

On October 22nd, Les was laid off his job.  In today's economy, we knew it might be a while before he found something else.  That ended up being three months.  But during that time, everyone of our needs were met.  We paid our bills, we had food on the table.  We were covered.

Cover me when I am hurting

Cover me when I'm not strong

Cover me when I am going through the storm

The same week that Les was laid off, Dad had his worst week in San Francisco.  For several days we were very concerned that his body was just shutting down.  His chemicals were completely out of balance.  The doctors were concerned about his heart.  After a few days back in the hospital, he started doing better and returned to the rehab center.

Cover me when it all seems hopeless

Here we are four months later and the peace of God has covered us through the storm.  There were days that I felt I was barely hanging on, but the peace would come.  Days when I worried, until I prayed and found peace again.  It's been a journey, but one that I never walked by myself.

Cover me when my faith is gone

Let the peace that passes all I understand

 Peace of God, cover me

Cover me, cover me

Peace of God, cover me

Through the storm, cover me.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:7

A New Adventure!

McMoments and Memories and McMarathon Moments are now private blogs.   Welcome faithful readers.  And now for the explanation you’ve all been waiting for:

Les is taking a job with a company in Hawaii!

Yes, it’s true.  Les is joining a company in Hawaii.  For the next six months or so, we will be living in Honolulu for 3 out of every 4 weeks as Les goes through an “immersion” period.  After those six months we will come home and Les will work from our home in California, with some travel.

Why the privacy?  Les’ new job is not a big secret.  We have counseled with our pastor about this every step of the way, so we’re not running away or anything like that!  The main reason for the privacy is that our home will be sitting empty much of the time (we will have someone coming in once a week and a neighbor keeping an eye on things.)  I don’t know if there are any stalkers reading my blog, but I didn’t want to risk it.  I don’t want to worry about blogging about what’s going on in Hawaii and wonder if someone is breaking into our home in California!

How did this major change come about? Les was laid off his job on October 22nd. We had a feeling that might happen, but it wasn’t easy when it did. The job search began immediately. He looked for work locally and no doors opened. We spent much time in prayer about this decision and asked God to close the door if it was not His will. Well… this is the only door that opened. His first day of work is tomorrow, January 21st, one day shy of three months without a job.

In some ways, this might seem like a fun adventure, and it is.  In other ways, it’s a bit scary leaving the comforts of home, including our home church. Being even farther from our families is not ideal, but we truly feel that this is God’s will for us.  I felt in prayer that God has a plan that we just can’t see.  I have prayed that this will be a time of growth for us.  That we will be a blessing to the church we will be attending.

I’ve thought more than once – why would God wants us to go here?  We are so involved at Victory Tabernacle.  How can this be God’s plan? But I also realized we are very comfortable where we are and maybe we just need a little shaking up.

I’m sure there will be many posts as we travel and settle in.  We arrived in Oahu Friday evening.  For now we are in a hotel, but we'll be moving to corporate housing soon (I hope!)  I’ll be giving the grand tour at that time.  Please feel free to ask questions via comments or email me directly (kathymmc@yahoo.com)

I have used the phrase, “The Adventure Continues” many times on my blog.  Well, here we go again!  The Adventure Continues!

Be Back on Sunday!

As most of you know, my blog will be going private on Sunday.  I won't have time to blog between now and then, so this will be the final public post.  During the "going private" process there will be some time on Sunday that my blog will be private before I can send the invitations out.  Please be patient as I work my way through that process.

How this will work:
1.  Between now and January 20th, anyone who wants to continue reading my blog(s) can either leave a comment or send me an email (kathymmc at yahoo dot com) requesting an invitation.  If you want to read both blogs, please let me know.  I will send you an email confirming your request.  The blogs will still be public at that time.  Please note:  I will not publish comments that contain your email address.  I will use your email address to contact you personally, but I won't make it public on either blog.
2.  On January 20th, my blogs will go private.  Everyone who requested an invitation will receive an email generated by Blogger that looks like this:

The Blogger user Kathy McElhaney has invited you to read the private blog: McMoments and Memories (or McMarathon Moments)

To view this blog, visit:
http://www.blogger.com/i.g?inviteID=  there will be a bunch of numbers here that are unique to you.

You'll need to sign in with a Google Account to confirm the invitation. If you don't have a Google Account yet, we'll show you how to get one in minutes, or you can view the blog as a guest for up to 30 days.

Kathy McElhaney's blog was created using Blogger, a free service for easily communicating and sharing ideas on the web. To learn more about Blogger and starting your own free blog visit http://www.blogger.com.

3.  Do I have to have a Google account?  Yes, but that does not mean you will have to change your email - I still use Yahoo for my email, none of that had to change.  If you have a blog of your own hosted by Blogger, you already have a Google account.   

 

This invitation is to everyone!
I have had several requests from people who I do not know personally but have been reading my blog.  I said yes to all those requests.  If you stumbled upon my blog from the blog of a friend or friend of a friend (that's how blogging usually works) please don't hesitate to request an invitation.  I'm not trying to get rid of anyone!

Look for lots of posts next week!

Miraculous and Ridiculous

If you want to receive the miraculous,
You have to be willing to do the ridiculous.
~ Evangelist Michael Disotell

We started our third week of revival last night.  Bro. Disotell preached "God Didn't Bring Us Here to Die."  His text was from Exodus chapter 14 when the children of Israel came to the Red Sea as they were leaving Egypt. Verse 11 says, " And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?"  We know that God had a miraculous plan of escape as He led them through the midst of the sea on dry ground.  No matter where you are, God didn't bring you there to die!

While out running this morning, I was thinking about what Bro. Disotell said about the miraculous.  Moses experienced his share of the miraculous power of God.  God told him to do something ridiculous and it became miraculous...

• His rod turned into a serpent and when he picked it up by the tail it became a rod again.
• His hand became leprous and became clean again.
• The waters of Egypt turned to blood
• Plagues of frogs, lice, flies, murrain (disease on the cattle), 
• More plagues of boils, hail, locusts, and darkness.
• The slaying of the first born in Egypt.
• Deliverance of the children of Israel.

Finally Moses stood at the Red Sea. "But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."  I kind of think that Moses reached a place that when God said to do something ridiculous, Moses just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay!"  What would happen if you did the ridiculous today?

Every miracle begins with an impossibility.
~Mom's Bible

Unspeakable Joy

Don't forget!  This blog will be going private this Sunday, January 20th.  If you still want to read it, please go here for the all the details!

While driving to and from Fresno last Monday to visit my Dad, I listened to satellite radio. I bounced between "Praise" (black Gospel) and "The Message" (contemporary Christian.)  The morning DJs seemed like they were still asleep.  Both stations played one slow song after another.  Things picked up on the way home.  I heard an old, old favorite, it's a classic 80s song and I woke up humming it today.

UNSPEAKABLE JOY

Verse:
When I think of how He brought me through
and how, how the Lord changed my life;
my soul, my soul is overwhelmed.

Chorus:
I've got joy, joy, joy,
Unspeakable joy.
I've got joy, joy, joy,
Unspeakable joy.

Bridge:
Joy unspeakable, full of glory,
Joy unspeakable, pathway bright.
Joy unspeakable, full of glory,
Joy unspeakable, burdens light;
Every time I think of the goodness of the Lord.

Vamp:
Sopranos:
I've got joy, unspeakable joy;
I've got joy unspeakable.

Altos:
Joy, unspeakable joy,
I've got joy unspeakable.

Tenors:
Unspeakable joy,
I've got joy unspeakable.

~Douglas Miller

If that doesn't bring joy, you might need to check your pulse!

Keep Going

Don't forget!  This blog will be going private next Sunday, January 20th.  If you still want to read it, please go here for the all the details!

We have really been having winter around here this year.  I can't remember when we've had so many days with lows in the 30s.  This is what I got up to this morning:

I dressed appropriately and headed out to run.  It was COLD.  Then I had a big surprise - there was ice on the ground!  I skated across a couple of patches, then became very careful.  As I always say, I run for my health.  Slipping on ice would not be good for my health!

I couldn't help thinking that's what happens so often in life.  We're humming along, everything seems fine, then we hit a slippery patch!  We have to adjust our stride, but we can't stop.  We're in a race to the finish.

Bro. Disotell preached a great message last night titled "Where Do You Go When You Get Nothing?  You Go Again!"  Whatever you're praying for, waiting for, hoping for - keep it up!  Don't give up now.  Your next prayer may be the one that brings the answer.

As I pushed the pace on today's run, I reminded myself that running in the wind always makes me stronger.  The next time I run without wind, it will seem easy.  It's never time to quit!

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

I had to add this quote that came from Runner's World this morning:

I realize that I have been blessed with health and strength to overcome not only the miles on the road, but also to overcome the hard times in life when you want to throw in the towel. When I cross the line now, it is a celebration of the fact that I didn't quit.
~Tasya Lacy, U.S. Navy Human Resources Officer

One More Week

One week from today my blog will be going private.  If you haven't already requested an invitation, please do!  Read all the details here.

Happy Birthday, Rick and Ryan!

My oldest brother turns 52 today and his son is 26.  Funny that Ryan was Rick's gift on his 26th birthday and now Ryan is that age.  Time just keeps moving, doesn't it?

January 1989

Aunt Kim and Ryan, October 2011

Rick & Diana, October 2011