Hawaii District Ladies Conference Banquet

I can't believe it's been two weeks since Ladies Conference!  The days are just flying by - it's the last day of March already.  As I mentioned last week, the theme for the conference was "BE."  Everyone was asked to wear black, yellow, and white to the banquet on Thursday night.  Prizes were given for dressiest, funniest, and best of the theme.

When I saw the theme, I started Googling for ideas.  There were lots of skimpy bee outfits, then I stumbled upon a Bee Keeper!  The idea was great, but it took quite a bit of searching for me to pull off the entire ensemble.  I had the skirt and jacket and Les had the hat.  My bees were felt from JoAnn's Fabric store.

Here's a close up of the back of my jacket and hat.  I bought netting but it was just too hot, plus I knew we would be eating and I just didn't want to deal with it on my face.

In my "honey pot" (the ice bucket from our room!) were chocolate covered bees (ordered here) and Bit-O-Honey candies (ordered from Walmart.)  Sis. McGriffin said I could use them to buy votes!  When the time came for voting for best of theme, I hollered out, "I trade candy for votes!"  Many of the ladies didn't know me so it was a fun way to meet them.  And I won for best of theme.

I did not get a picture of the other winners - they were super cute.  As were all these beautiful women of God!

It was a super fun time!  I enjoyed the entire conference and loved spending time with my roommate the one and only Sis. Gallimore.

When I saw this quote the other day, I thought it was very fitting.

Remembering Sis. Carmen Hood

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Sis. Carmen Hood.  Not for her sake, but for the many who loved her, especially her little girl.  Les and I were talking about this loss on Saturday.  It would be easy to question God.  This is one of those things we just don't understand.  We aren't meant to understand why a young woman would suffer so much pain and not get her healing.  This is when we have to say, "God, we trust Your will."  My devotion from yesterday morning brought clarity to my thinking:

Scripture is actually filled with those who are physically handicapped. Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life after his midnight wrestling match with an angel. Mephibosheth's body was hopelessly twisted and crippled. King Jereboam had a withered hand. Even Paul suffered from an unnamed "thorn" in his flesh. In addition to their challenges, all of these had something else in common: not one of them was miraculously healed. 
So many times we gravitate toward the miracles of the Bible, and there were many. But there were many more who lived day to day with all kinds of indignities, pains and disabilities. A lot of people live without a miracle. But who is to say that the power of God cannot be even more dramatically displayed in the life of one who struggles, but remains steadfast - who seeks to make sense of what appears as nonsense? I believe the power of God is displayed all around us, in the lives of exceptional people who never experience a life-changing miracle. They are not changed. They change us.

Sis. Hood was one of those exceptional people who never experienced her life-changing miracle.  But she was an example of one who faithfully worshiped her Creator.  We will never know how many times she came to service with little strength but gave what she had in worship.  The times she sang and played for an altar call and then went home completely drained.  Her sweet smile never told how sick she truly was, but she remained steadfast.

If we can learn anything from Sis. Hood, let it be an unwavering praise for a faithful Savior.  She is now free of all pain and I believe her reward is great.  Please remember her family in prayer.

Our God Is Risen!

Rejoice! Today is the day we celebrate the single event that had the power to split time!

By His stripes we are healed
By His nail-pierced hands we’re free
By His blood, we’re washed clean
Now we have the victory.

The power of sin is broken,
Jesus overcame it all,
He has won our freedom,
Jesus has won it all.

Hallelujah!
You have won the victory.
Hallelujah!
You have won it all for me.

Death could not hold You down
You are the risen king
Seated in Majesty
You are the risen king

Our God is risen, He is alive
He won the victory, He reigns on high!

Have a blessed day!

Praise for the Perfect Potter from a Grateful Vessel (Part 3)

Continuing my notes from Hawaii District Ladies Conference with special speaker Claudette Walker. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here.

Adonai M'Kaddesh - The Lord Who Sanctifies and Sets Me Apart
Isaiah 48:10, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
We get excited when we think about being set apart by God.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, was set apart.  She had divine favor.  Mary, what was it like to have that divine favor?
"My fiance doesn't believe my story.  My friends think I'm a fornicator.  I'm nine months pregnant, riding on a donkey and it looks like I'll be giving birth in a cave."  It didn't stop there.  During Jesus' earthly ministry He was told his mother was waiting to speak to him.  He asked, "Who is my mother?"  And finally, she was found kneeling at Golgotha.
There is a price to pay to be used of God.

Adonai Saboath - The Lord of Hosts
This is when the Lord stands up and blows your mind.
I think I could write an entire post about Adonai Saboath!  Sis. Walker told a story about being home alone on a snowy day (14 inches!) when they lived in Cincinnati. She heard a knock on the door that she ignored.  Not long after, she heard a sound in her basement - two men had broken in to her house.  To make a long story short, after she screamed at them, she called her prayer partner (because she couldn't remember how to call the police!)  Her prayer partner called the police and when the police arrived the house was empty.  They showed her where the would-be burglars had torn the handrails from the wall as they made their escape through the basement!  Later she learned that another friend prayed specifically for her that angels would come and protect her!
I sat there in awe listening to this particular story.  Seven years ago I experienced a very similar situation when our house was broken in to while I was home alone.  You can read the full account here and here, but to make a long story short, the would-be burglars were only in our house about 15 seconds when they went running out.  I have always wondered what caused that and truly suspected God had something to do with it.  This message confirmed it!  Adonai Saboath showed up in my home that day and I am so thankful!

Adonai Nissi - The Lord Who is My Banner
Song of Solomon 2: 4, "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love."
It takes a lifetime to learn how much God loves me.  
I have no idea why, but these are the only notes I have on this point!  It was Saturday morning, and although I'd had some coffee, I guess my hand wasn't awake yet.

Adonai Rohi - The Lord Who is My Shepherd
You can't hear when you have fear.  When His rod and staff comfort you, He uses the rod to throw at any enemy for protection and the staff to put around your neck and draw you to Him.  Adonai Rohi says, "I will not let you make a mistake."
God wants to lead and guide us.  This is built on hearing His voice:
1.  We must desire to hear Him.
2.  We must practice with the written Word.  Get into the Word.
3.  We must be quiet.  Be still.  God speaks in our silence.
4.  We must believe.
John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Isaiah 30:21, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."
Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
It's not enough to have the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost must have you!

Adonai Tsidkenu - The Lord Who is My Righteousness
This final point was so good!  Sis. Walker talked about as a child fearing that she would miss the rapture.  Songs like "There's an All Seeing Eye Watching You" and "Sin Can Never Enter There" frightened her young heart.  Sis. Walker told of the first time she went to youth camp.  A message was preached about missing the rapture.  Later that night something scared her and she just knew she had missed the rapture.  She was terrified.  It was many years before she understand that God did not want her to be lost.
While is it important to have a fear of God, we need to know that it is His righteousness that is going to save us, not our own.  Grace is the process when His righteousness is applied to my life.
Deuteronomy 6:25, "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us."
Titus 2:12, "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."
However, we must remember that grace is not a license to sin. 
Jude 24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."
In spite of my faults, when I stand before the presence of His glory, He will have exceeding joy!  

Just re-reading and typing these notes has reminded me of the wonderful time we had in God's presence last week!  I am a grateful vessel. 

Praise for the Perfect Potter from a Grateful Vessel (Part 2)

You can read Part 1 here.

Before I go into the next part of Sis. Walker's lesson, I want to give a little of her background.  She grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, the daughter of Bro. and Sis. Raymond Kloepper.  Bro. Kloepper was at that time the superintendent of Tupelo Children's Mansion.  She married Marvin Walker on March 16, 1974 - they celebrated their 42nd anniversary while in Hawaii last week.  They have been involved in various ministries through the years, including over 20 years that Bro. Walker was North American Quiz Master. He was also the president to Tupelo Children's Mansion for two years. They have now pastored in Troy, Michigan since 2001.

When Sis. Walker was 17 years old she became very ill.  It was at that time that it was discovered that she did not have a second kidney.  For the past nearly 50 years, she has dealt with a number of serious health issues.  I won't share all the details, although she did share many in her teaching.  Just know she has suffered greatly and she knows what she's talking about when she speaks of her Healer, Protector and Defender.

As Sis. Walker taught about nine of the compound Hebrew names of God she told stories of how God has shown Himself to her in that particular way.  I am including some of the stories she shared in a much more condensed version!  At the end of each part of the lesson, Sis. Walker asked those who had a specific need in that area (financial, physical, peace, etc.) to stand and we all prayed for them.

Adonai Tsura - The Lord my Provider
Because of my relationship with my Provider I am always financially secure.
Sis. Walker shared a story of her parents needing a new washing machine.  This was after many, many years of ministry.  They didn't have the money and were going to go to Sears to try to get one on credit (something they had never done!)  The Walkers were serving at Tupelo at the time and a new lady had come to work there.  She told Sis. Walker about some of the stuff she had from her previous home that she didn't know what to do with.  This included a brand new washer and dryer.  When Sis. Walker offered to buy it from the lady, she refused and gave the set to Bro. and Sis. Kloepper.  Adonia Tsura provided!

Adonai Rapha - The Lord my Healer
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
These verses mean a lot to Sis. Walker who has suffered physically for so many years. His strength has been perfect in her weakness.
In 2002, after moving to Michigan, Sis. Walker needed to find a new kidney doctor.  She was very sick at the time.  The doctor told her, "Nephrons do not resurrect."  Many cells in our bodies do resurrect, but nephrons, the vital filtering and excretory units of the kidney do not resurrect.  A dying kidney will not get better.  The doctor ordered a series of seven tests.  The night before the seventh and final test, a man from their church told Sis. Walker, "I am praying that your one kidney will work like two."  Sis. Walker said she thought, "I'd be happy if it would just function like one!"
During that final test, the miraculous took place.  Adonai Rapha came into the room.  A few days later when she met with her doctor he looked at the results in amazement.  He said, "Your one kidney is working as two kidneys!"  I love when God surprises doctors!

Adonai Shammah - The Lord Who is There
You will not find Him at the mall, on Facebook, Twitter or your phone!  You meet God when you are alone.  We need to set aside time to meet with Adonia Shammah.
God will not waste your pain or one minute of your suffering.  Charles Spurgeon said, "I have learned to kiss the wave that crashes me against the Rock of ages."

Adonai Shalom - The Lord Who is My Peace
You won't find this until you are in need of it.  There are prayer requests that are "unspoken," things that we face, requests that steal our peace.  We need the peace that passes understanding.  What it means to understand - somebody who can stand under the load you are carrying.
The only perfect communication is not between husband and wife, or family or friends, but it is when we are praying in the Holy Ghost and the natural man is silenced.
In every storm God is always on the boat.  The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.


I will finish with the last five tomorrow!

Praise for the Perfect Potter from a Grateful Vessel (Part 1)

I'm breaking up Sis. Walker's lessons from Ladies Conference to make these posts a little less lengthy!

Jeremiah 18:2, 3, 6:
"Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel."

Isaiah 64:8:
"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."

What we could learn if only clay could talk!  There are twelve steps in creating a vessel from clay:

1. Selection - earth is mixed with water.
2. Seasoning - the clay is put in a ball and put on a shelf in the back room.
3. Kneading - this removes the bubbles, if it does not happen clay will explode.
4. Shaping - this takes place on the wheel and can be disorienting.
5. Separating - impurities are removed.
6. Cutting - the potter uses a knife to design the vessel.
7. Seasoning - the clay is put back on the shelf, often feeling lonely and rejected.
8. Heating - only in hot fire are vessels purified to a maturing temperature.
9. Naming - the potter writes his name on the bottom of the vessel.
10. Heating - the fire is turned up even higher and the glazing becomes brilliant colors.
11. Cooling - the vessel is delivered to a place of use.
12. Usefulness - the vessel is finally ready for use.

Of these twelve steps, eight of them hurt the clay.  It isn't easy becoming a vessel that is fit for use.  If you're going through one of the painful steps, don't despair!  The Potter is at work in your life.  We all go through these steps if we are willing to be used by the Potter.  The difference between us and clay is that this process is repeated over and over in our lives.

I Peter 4:12-13, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

I Peter 5:10, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

Claudette Walker's version of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time of selection and a time of seasoning, a time to knead and a time to shape, a time of separation and a time of cutting, a time to season and a time to heat, a time to name, a time of heating and a time of cooling, a time of usefulness.  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.

There are three goals for every vessel:

1.  Know Him
Philippians 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"  This is one of many verses that Sis. Walker called "Wow, ouch!" verses.  We read the first part about knowing Jesus in the power of His resurrection - Wow!  Then we read about knowing Him in the fellowship of His suffering - Ouch!

2.  Be Changed into His Image
2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

3.  Make Him Known
Isaiah 64:8, "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."  

Sis. Walker spent the rest of the lessons teaching about nine of the compound Hebrew names of God.  The last thing I wrote after Saturday morning's session: "The more priceless the vessel, the hotter the fire."

To be continued...

Coming Soon...

After dropping Bill off at the airport on Wednesday evening, I went home to pack!  The Hawaii District Ladies Conference was held on the Big Island this year, so I flew over on Thursday morning and returned on Saturday evening.  Our guest speaker was Sis. Claudette Walker, a lady I spent many hours with back in the 90s at National Bible Quizzing Tournaments.  Bro. Walker was with her as they are headed to New Zealand today to teach at a marriage retreat.

The theme for the conference was "Be" and we attended our Thursday night banquet in our best black, white and yellow.  I'll tell you about my outfit in another post, but this little guy...

I have pages and pages and pages of notes!  Sis. Walker blessed us all so much with her three part series "Praise for the Perfect Potter from A Grateful Vessel."   It will take me a few days to process it all in my brain and get it typed up!  I know I'll be feasting on this for a long time to come.

I sent Les this picture with "greetings from the scorekeeper's table!"

Midweek Photo Dump!

We have had a very busy few days and we aren't stopping yet!  We were up super early Sunday morning and headed to the North Shore for the Pineapple Hill Sprint Road Race.  I volunteered, helping with registration and Les raced.  He got second in his age group!

On Sunday evening Les' dad, Bill, flew in from Guam.  He had been on Guam revisiting where he was stationed in the Navy during the 50s. He extended his stay and has been with us for a few days.  On Monday we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center - something Les and I have wanted to do but never had!  There is so much to see there as you visit the different cultures of the islands of Polynesia - Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Aotearoa.

We watched the canoe pageant:

Bill met some new friends...

We met wood carvers....

And watched Samoans climb a coconut tree.  This was no easy feat since it had been raining very hard for about 30 minutes!

We went on a canoe trip....

And after a buffet dinner, we watched the show "HA: Breath of Life."  This told the story of Mano as his family moved from each of the Polynesian islands.  No photos were allowed during the show and this is the only picture I got of all three of us:

Yesterday we rented kayaks and kayaked around the bay here in Hawaii Kai.  It was a beautiful day for it!

I'm wearing my newest running skirt from Mod Sportswear

We woke up to a little rain this morning and enjoyed this beautiful rainbow.  If you look closely, you'll see a second rainbow and Diamond Head.

More adventure awaits!

As You Adjust Your Clock...

I realize for many this weekend was a bit painful ~ Daylight Saving Time began.  The dreadful "Spring Forward" when you lose an hour of sleep on Sunday.  We didn't have to change a thing here in Hawaii!  My devotional the other morning included a short story about time: 

We're like the fellow on the bus who refused to tell another passenger what time it was. After being asked several times, he turned his back, and the young man went on and asked someone else. At the next stop, someone who had seen the exchange scolded the man, and this was his rationale: "If I had told that young man what time it was, we would have struck up a conversation, and I probably would have liked him. Before long, he would have gotten himself invited to supper, and my beautiful daughter would have met him. The two of them would probably fall in love, and want to get married - but I don't want my daughter marrying a man who can't afford a watch!" 

The point of the devotion was getting involved, but it struck me as funny that the man went from "what time is it?" to "May I marry your daughter?" without even knowing the fellow passenger's name!  There are so many things wrong with this man's thinking.  Perhaps the young man's watch was in the repair shop.  Perhaps he had a girlfriend, or was even married.  You can't judge a book by its cover and you certainly can't judge someone based on whether they have a watch or not!

If I've learned anything while being around so many homeless in Waikiki, it is there are rich hearts under poor coats.  Sadly, there are also poor hearts under rich coats.

P.S.  We are now three hours behind our friends and family California (instead of two) and five hours behind Tennessee and elsewhere.  So if you send me a text or email early in the morning I'm not ignoring you, I'm probably still asleep!  I'll do my best to respond before you go to bed...

Friday Foodie

It's been a long time since I posted a new recipe (January 2nd of last year to be exact!)  I tried one this week that I was sure would be a winner.  It's another variation of Chicken Crescent Casserole ~ I've made two others (here and here) and apple dumplings using crescent rolls (here.)  The recipe comes from Plain Chicken, one of my favorite sources for new recipes.  I forgot to take a picture before serving, but if you go to her site you can see what they look like.

Chicken Alfredo Rollups
serves 4

• 2 cups cooked chopped chicken
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 jar (15-oz) Alfredo sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Combine chicken, cream cheese, garlic and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Top the large part of the crescent triangle with the chicken mixture. Roll crescent rolls up.

Place crescent rolls in dish. Pour Alfredo sauce over crescent rolls. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.  (I added the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese after about 25 minutes so it would get too brown.)

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

This is a super easy dish to prepare and it tasted great!

Mia Bella Vita

Venice, 2011

When I realized that we would be spending a lot of time on Oahu this year, one concern I had was not having a bike.  Cross training on my mountain bike has worked great for me over the past couple of years.  So, without further delay, I'd like to introduce Vita!

This is a Specialized fitness/hybrid bike called the Vita Sport.  The tires are smaller than my mountain bike's but bigger than a road bike.  Hawaiian roads are not always in the best condition, so Les thought this would be a perfect fit.  From Specialized's website: "With its lightweight frame and efficient gearing, you’ll become a speedy, hill-climbing machine, while vibration-damping Zertz take the edge off any rough roads."  I'm going to have to become a hill-climbing machine just to get back to our house!  This is the last little climb, but anytime the road changes from asphalt to concrete that means it is super steep!  This one gets up to about 15%.

I took her for a short spin this morning and felt like I was flying.  So much lighter than my mountain bike.  I didn't go far, I noticed my seat was a little too low which was putting pressure on my knees.  I don't need to mess those up!  I know it's an easy fix, but I want Les to help me get it right.

The first of many pictures of Vita with Diamond Head in the background

Mia Bella Vita is Italian for My Beautiful Life.  I have to say that is a perfect description!  I don't have a perfect life, but it is beautiful.  I'm looking forward to many beautiful miles on my new ride.  And since we're going to Italy (and Greece and Turkey) in May, I now have an Italian phrase to use!

Is He Your Shepherd?

Last night was a tremendous Bible Study at New Life Pentecostal.  Pastor McGriffin read just the first two verses of Psalm 23.  He said this is a very familiar passage, but many of us suffer from short term memory loss so it's a good idea to take notes in church.  I'm so glad I was taking these notes!

The Lord is my shepherd...

This is a personal and interactive relationship.  It becomes a relationship based on our confidence in who our God is.

I shall not want...

Because I have confidence in His shepherding skills I do not have to worry about my needs or wants.  When my focus is correct I do not have to fear.

Is He your Shepherd? Or are you, in your mind, just one of the flock? When there is daily interaction with the shepherd the automatic by-product is the sheep trust the shepherd and have no fear.

Anxiety should speak volumes to us.  That needs to be repeated.  Anxiety should speak volumes to us.  Are we really trusting the shepherd?

There is a difference between receiving what God has for me and not getting what I want.  The vast majority of Americans don't know what it is to be in want.  We take things for granted.  Sheep that are confident don't get distressed over what they don't have.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...

God doesn't make us do anything.  The word "maketh" here does not mean to force but to have made provision for.  God made a place for us to lie down.  Sheep do not like to lie down - they sleep standing up.  We are the same way when things aren't going our way.  The Lord maketh (provides) a place of rest.  

Because of the faithfulness of the shepherd, the sheep trust him.  We repeated several times, "The Lord is my shepherd and I trust my shepherd."

There is no need for anxiety.  For sheep to lie down there has to be a tremendous amount of trust.  Sheep are vulnerable when they lie down, but they look to the shepherd for protection.

He leadeth me beside the still waters...

Still waters are hard to come by in our busy, over-scheduled lives.  There is a place of rest in a busy and crazy world.  We need both physical and emotional rest.

God wants us to have time to recuperate.  We need times of recuperation.   

We need to value hitting the pause button and taking trips by the still waters. We need to learn what it is to calm ourselves.  When we're hurting and feeling stressed, we must find a place of rest.  We need rest and calm to navigate life.

The opposite of still waters is a place of explosion.

God is doing everything to create a place of rest.  The biggest mistake you can make is believing you can work through every problem of life on your own.

There is a great need for spiritual lifeguards.  People who are looking for those who are drowning in the sea of life, who can bring calm to others.  We can't do that if we don't have calm and rest in our own lives.

We have the ability to be calm and bring calmness.  The church is a place of calmness.  This is a place to come in and lie down.

There are times when we are so stressed, our thinking is so messed up, we don't think we can even pray.

When we are in stillness God can send things to cleanse us of the parasites of life.  It takes the calm place to clean off what does not belong.  We have to learn the value of quiet time, a time to take a deep breath, listening for the still small voice.

At this point of the lesson, the Great Shepherd, the Prince of Peace took over.  There was such a beautiful, calming move of His Spirit that I put my pen down and closed my eyes, just listening to Pastor McGriffin.  He continued teaching a few more minutes.  The spirit in the building was so sweet as Pastor McGriffin began to sing...

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
There's just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus
Like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away
But there's something about that name.

The congregation joined in, singing softly with no instruments, but with such a spirit of calm.  It wasn't a time to shout, but to quietly absorb the Word that was spoken.  Pastor McGriffin closed with these words, "In a world spinning out of control, we need to find the place of rest in the calm of God."

I knew I would be blogging about this subject this morning.  I just didn't know I would be put to the test before I got a chance to write about it!  Les rode his bike to work this morning.  No big deal, I can watch his progress on my phone... unless he leaves his phone here like he did this morning!  So I had a choice, spend the next 45 minutes anxiously waiting to hear from him, or trust the Shepherd.  I chose to trust.  I prayed and said, "God, You were going to watch him whether he had his phone or not."  And I was able to calmly wait to hear from him.

Drinking From the Same Cup

A week ago Sunday, Pastor White told about an outing to Corregidor Island that he took during a recent visit to the Philippines.  He mentioned General Douglas MacArthur and that reminded me of a story Elder Morton told me that took place during World War II:

After the Japanese invaded the Philippines, it was decided to abandon Manila in 1942 and move the government to the island of Corregidor. Mrs. MacArthur packed a few necessities and, as she was leaving the apartment, she passed a cabinet containing the decorations awarded to her husband. She removed the medals from their cases, wrapped them in a towel and made room for them in her suitcase by discarding some of her own clothes.

Later, when the military situation on Corregidor rapidly deteriorated, the general informed her that President Manuel Quezon of the Philippines had offered her and their young son, Arthur, passage to Australia. ''We have drunk from the same cup; we three shall stay together,'' she replied. The MacArthurs and their 4-year-old son lived in an underground bunker during months of bombardment before agreeing to evacuation on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's orders. (From her obituary in the New York Times.)

"We have drunk from the same cup."  As a single girl, I thought this was sweet and romantic. As a married woman this touches me even more. The cup Les and I share has been filled with many things.  Joy, sorrow, peace, trouble, laughter, tears, adventure, and so much more.  But it's the sharing it that makes it so special.

Since Les started working for Decision Research in Honolulu in 2013, we have traveled and traveled and traveled.  But as often as possible that travel is together.  It's more than just being together, it's experiencing life together, drinking from the same cup.  

We've all heard the phrase, "You just had to be there."  Some things can't be explained, they have to be experienced.  I'm glad we have drunk from the same cup for almost 25 years.  Especially when that cup has shave ice in it!