A Good Day at Sea

Dear sisters-in-Christ,

When I wrote last week I told of a visitor we were soon to have for a whole week. This week I decided that to do a recap of the whole week would fill volumes - and there are the pictures taken. So I have included two photos and a little explanation of each. The first is taken at sunset on Thanksgiving Day - after a very meaningful day of fellowshipping and meeting new people and eating scrumptious food at the church and after a little nap we went to a favorite spot, Old A and watched the sun set. Here is DH and DD together. The next pic is taken the day after Thanksgiving - a snorkeling trip to another fabulous favorite spot Honaunau Bay - Arrive and a pod of 12 dolphins are on the surface. Into the water we go and enjoy the hour snorkeling with the dolphins and turtles and fishes. Yes, each day was filled with another memorable experience. God is so GOOD and in the everyday living we get glimpses. Of course there were the conversations and banter between mom and dad and daughter. And there was the story sharing of our lives. Yes, the week long visit from our daughter is, was, and will be shared in pictures and thoughts. To pick out just one moment in all the moments is impossible - I will enjoy all of them and thank God for His Goodness and Kindness and Faithfulness.

Heavenly Father, in the midst of all the memories and thoughts may I once again come before Your throne of Grace and say thank You for such times as these which fill up my thirsty soul. For it is You alone who directs and blesses and brings about such wonderful things which we take great delight in. Lord, oh most Sovereign Lord, may I always remember that it is in You. Lord thank You for Your Provision for both our daughter and us during this time also. Lord, oh most Sovereign Lord I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ that her memories and thoughts of each situation and circumstance would be filled with Your Goodness and Kindness and Faithfulness for it is in You alone where we have Joy and Hope and Love. Thank You Abba Father for the precious memories. In Jesus Name, Amen.


Until next week,

Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ

Thanksgiving Dinner

Greetings dear friends and fellow sisters-in-Christ,

It is not Wednesday but my room is going to be occupied tomorrow morning and I do not want to disturb the special person who will be sleeping in the bed that I have set up for her. Our daughter, youngest child of three and the only girl, chose to spend Thanksgiving with us this year. We are so thankful for her and to her husband and children for sharing her with us. My room has been rearranged into a place of rest for her. So to the title "Thanksgiving Dinner" I have to admit that I have never been one to actually have to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for x amount of people. I will also admit to the fact that I am not a very good cook or should I say a creative food preparer. Before moving here, our family traditionally had dinner at my parents or at DH's grandfathers house in Nebraska. Let me tell you about some of my "Thanksgiving Dinners". The sound of Mom in the kitchen preparing the turkey at 0-dark-thirty in the morning. The sound of children greeting their greatgrandfather Thanksgiving morning, spending time with him. The smile on my son's face when he has finally shot his deer (I'll explain at a later time). The enjoyment of making snow angels on a freshly fallen snow. Listening to the conversations throughout the day, as so many gather together. Yes, I do so enjoy "Thanksgiving Dinner."

Heavenly Father, Gracious and Mighty Lord, Great is Your Mercy, Great is Your Faithfulness, GREAT is Your GRACE. Thank You for this day, thank You that this day is going to be absolutely Awesome for You have Made it and You have filled it with Your Tender Mercies. Lord I pray that as each dear friend and sister-in-Christ awakens to this day and enters into this day that she remember HOW BIG her GOD is. Lord I pray that her "Thanksgiving Dinner" is filled with food to sustain her through the famines in her life and with the living water that sustains her through the deserts in her life. In Jesus Name, Amen.


May you Thanksgiving Day be Blessed.


Until next week,


Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ

A Day at the Beach

Good Morning, Hello and Greetings my dear sisters-in-Christ,

Do you wonder what you look like on the outside? This past Sunday I went to the local beach with some friends from church. After visiting for quite some time my friends left to do other things. I wanted to get into the water for just a little while. Sitting in the sea water is very healing. There is a calm little cove to enter in where children usually play and where anyone can come and just stand, sit or splash in the water. There was a boy of maybe 8 or 9 and toddler girl in the water quarreling about bogie boards. There were two boards and the girl wanted one but her brother was not wanting to share. I let the father handle it - and he did a nice job by the way. The girl decided to play with something else and leaves the water to sit on the shore. I am just sitting in the water and enjoying myself, trying to stay out of the way of the bogie boards and the boy when I hear, "Aunty, hide me!", I looked around to see that it was just the boy and myself and once again he says, "Aunty, hide me - I'm going to sneak up on my sister." He was comfortable enough to call me Aunty, (wow). That is a showing of trust here on the island - that is what I am told by the locals. Which got me to thinking - about the question I asked in the beginning. I do ask of God that my life would reflect Christlikeness and that it is not about me.

And in case you are wondering - I did move so he could get behind me and we tried to sneak up on the sister but she moved away before we could get to her. It was a nice little game that I got to play.

Heavenly Father, Abba, Praise You, Thank You, how Glorious and Grand and Good are You our most Sovereign Lord. As I come before You this day I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ. Oh Lord, may her communion with You be sweet - may she dwell upon the things which bring victory in her life. May she be consistent in her prayer life, confident in her knowledge of You and concrete in her Faith. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,


Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ

A Lesson Learned at Walmart

Greetings,

Yes, God had a lesson for me to learn at Walmart but right up front let me adamantly tell you I was dragged. I needed some cleaning supplies and personal items and my husband needed bird litter (he gets a special kind) I was not going to go to Walmart on a Sunday afternoon, [no way!!] Here on the Big Island our choices are Walmart or KMart. My choice was KMart - so off I go. When I get to KMart I find some of my things and go to the pet aisle to pick up the bird litter. I'm looking for the third time in the pet aisle, okay I'm searching in the aisle on either side of the pet aisle. I talk out-loud, Lord please let it be here I do not want to go to Walmart - my husband is at a friend's house and I know that he left his cell phone at home on the charger - I have his friend's cell phone number so I try calling him to see if he would please take a different kind this time so I don't have to go to Walmart - I get the answering machine. Okay so I have to go to Walmart to pick up the bird litter - I'm not happy about this at all. Entering into Walmart - walking down the main aisle and in comes a mother, darling young lady, in the shopping cart is a little boy - the mom has placed him in one of those padded seats for shopping carts and he is sitting ever so upright and he is looking at him mom - he has his eyes on her like a hawk. I'm thinking to myself that this is pretty interesting and continue on my way - I encounter them a couple more times in my attempting to get to where I need to be- She stops in the main aisle, leaves the shopping cart and the boy and goes down a side aisle (now this is where I find it very interesting) the boy sat ever so upright but I knew where his mom was exactly because he had his eyes focused on her completely. She came back to the cart and looked at him and he smiled and they continued on their way. We continued to encounter each other for a few more aisles.

My Lesson Learned at Walmart - First was to realize that God had been telling me, "come to Walmart I have something I want you to see, even when I tried KMart, He still was wooing me to Come to Walmart, I want to show You something about you and Me. You are my child - keep your eyes Focused on Me - Even when I leave you in the middle of the aisle - Keep your eyes upon Me. You can sit up straight and grip the cart handle and let me guide you through the hustle and bustle - and when I let go - just keep your focus on Me.

Heavenly Father, Abba, Praise You above all else, Hallelujah my LORD. Thank You for Your Outstretched Hand which reaches to the end of the earth and back again to Embrace me. Lord I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ this day and in the days ahead that she would let You guide her into the places where You will show her Your Power and Peace and Presence and Provision and Purpose. Lord Jehovah GOD may she allow You to show her something about You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,

Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ.