Friday Fall Florals (Hawaiian Style)

I was out for a walk this morning and stopped a bunch of times because the flowers were so pretty!  We won't be seeing leaves turn red and orange, but there is a lot of beauty here.

Campus Ministry International

Bridnie is a young lady who attends New Life Pentecostal church here in Hawaii. She is also a student at the University of Hawaii.  Last year she got a Bible study going with several of the students.  Les and I were invited to one of the final studies of the semester last May and really enjoyed it.

Fast forward to about a month ago when the students returned from summer break.  The first Sunday that Bridnie was back in town she was back at church with two of the girls (Anna and Lexi) who were in last year's study.  With our crazy travel schedule we missed the first Bible study, but we were able to go last night.  It was awesome!  Along with Bridnie, Lexi and Anna, were C.J. and Adam.  Brycen (who came last year) made a brief appearance but didn't stay.  Part way through the study, Dakota wandered in and asked C.J. what was going on.  He stayed for the rest.  Also in attendance was a large part of our Hyphen (college and career age) ministry from NLP.

We had one other guest that many of my readers will know from Pacific Coast Camp - Bernard Puller!  He has been in Hawaii for work and met Bridnie at our concert with Mark Yandris last week.  It was great to see him come right in and connect with these students.

God blessed us in another way, too.  Les and I had ordered pizzas to take with us.  It was suppose to take about 20 minutes but it took quite a bit longer.  While we were waiting the manager came out to us and handed me a receipt. She said, "I'm sorry this took so long.  I'm giving you your money back."   You can't out give God!

Les and I are enjoying getting to know these students.  They are so sweet and smart.  We are excited to see what God has in store for their lives!  At the end of last night's study Les asked them to submit questions for future Bible studies. Please help us pray that seeds will be planted that will bring forth much fruit!

Impact Music Workshop

The past few days have been super busy here in Hawaii.  Les and I flew in on Wednesday and Thursday night kicked off the Impact Music Workshop with Bro. Mark Yandris.  Thursday and Friday nights started at 5:00 with sessions for keyboardists, then the choir came at 6:00.  Saturday we had choir practice from 9:00 to 11:00.  And last night we blew the roof off in church!  I know at least one received the Holy Ghost and one was baptized at the end of service.

If you're looking for good, godly, gospel music for your church - Mark has a great CD that has been out for a couple of years.  He also has a Christmas album and an EP with four songs on it coming out this month.  They will be available on his website and through iTunes.

If you know me well (or have been reading this blog awhile) you know I've been involved in music forever.  Singing, playing, directing choirs, I've kind of done it all.  But there is nothing I enjoy more than just standing in the soprano section and singing my heart out!  I loved that the only responsibility I had was to know my part.  The choir was made up of members from at least five of the churches on the island and it was fun to be able to sing in unity with this great group.  Can you imagine how fun it's going to be singing in the heavenly choir?

Remembering 9/11

Repost from 9/11/08:
This was one of the most sobering days of my life. Since I was not alive during World War II, this was the first attack on American soil in my lifetime - and what an attack it was. I was working at Amgen at the time and was on my way to work when I first heard the news. Both Towers had been hit, along with the Pentagon. What in the world was going on? What an eerie feeling, so sobering and frightening.

We in California were blessed that none of the attacks occurred in our state, but the impact was still felt. As the day progressed, word spread that an Amgen Clinical Development team had been in Washington, D.C. The team was there for meetings with the FDA regarding approval for a new drug. Later in the day, team members checked in, reporting they were okay, but stranded in D.C. for the time being. They had been scheduled for a Tuesday afternoon flight. Then we got word that Dora Menchaca, the team leader, had changed her flight to Tuesday morning. She, of course, was on American flight 77 that flew into the Pentagon.

Dora took the earlier flight for one reason - to be with her family. How that simple, sincere decision changed the life of her family! There was no way Dora could have known what the terrorists planned for that morning.

I went for a run this morning and reflected.  Our world has never been the same.  The beautiful patriotic song "America the Beautiful" floated through my mind.  I only knew the words to the first verse and came home to find many more.  I love our country and my heart breaks over her current condition.  If we ever have a hope of making America great again, we must humble ourselves and pray.

America the Beautiful
Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

Friday Fashion

A headline on USAToday.com grabbed my attention this morning - "Queen Elizabeth II tops 'Vanity Fair' best-dressed list."  The writer of the article seemed to be poking a little bit of fun at her, "Yes, the British queen. She's 90, and hasn't really been a fashion icon since ... well, maybe the 1950s or 1960s."

Her "resolute sense of style" across a century is worthy of admiration, says Vanity Fair special correspondent Amy Fine Collin.

“She has consistently represented who she is and what she stands for, without wavering from a standard she set a long time ago,” says Collins. “Politics, culture, and class structure in the empire — all of that shifts constantly, but she doesn’t. She’s a beacon.”

I'm not one who closely follows the royal family, but I do appreciate the classy way the queen has dressed through the years. 

How about it, ladies?  Do we represent who we are and what stand for in our attire?  Fashions come and go, but modesty is timeless.  And don't forget, a smile is your best accessory!

Friday Foodie Fall Favorite

We flew home from Hawaii on Wednesday night.  We got off the island ahead of two hurricanes and a visit from President Obama!  The first days of September in California are teasing us with beautiful weather.  It was 58 when I got up this morning.  We head back to Hawaii next week, so I'm soaking in as much of this weather as I can. 

My list for the grocery store yesterday included ingredients for my favorite Fall muffins - Weight Watchers Pumpkin Muffins.  Unfortunately, the shelf space for canned pumpkin was empty.  This happened once before and I improvised by making Spice Muffins with canned sweet potatoes, and that's what I did again yesterday.  It's been so long since I posted these I thought I'd share them again.

Pumpkin or Spice Muffins

Makes 18 muffins
1 Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz. can Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) OR
1 15 oz. can Sweet potatoes in light syrup


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease cupcake pans.  Puree sweet potatoes in the blender for about 30 seconds.  Mix ingredients (no egg or oil, just the cake mix and pumpkin or sweet potatoes) and pour in prepared pans.  Bake according to mix instructions for cupcakes, using the full amount of time (approximately 25 minutes).

Remove from oven and enjoy while still warm!


These will be long gone before we need to pack for our next trip!