Killing Giants

I like to read funny blogs like "Stuff Christians Like" and I like to read decorating blogs like "The Nester" but when they have serious posts, I usually just skim them if I read them at all, yet here I am about to write a serious post. I guess I've just felt a little more serious lately, like for the last 14 months to be exact.

A few months back we had a guest speaker at church who talked about killing the giants in our lives. He used examples like the giant of pornography, or the giant of unforgiveness. As I listened to the altar call to come and kill your giants, I asked the Lord what my giant was. I didn't really get a clear answer. That doesn't mean I don't have giants to kill, I just couldn't discern what the Lord wanted to speak to me in that moment. I left the service with the thought of dead giants swiftly leaving my brain. A few days later, I was on a walk when the word INDULGENCE popped into my head. Hmmmmm - strange, I thought. But the longer I walked, the more I felt impressed to stop and look up the word. It means: An inability to resist the gratification of whims and desires - foolish or senseless behavior - intemperance. It was that last word that got me - intemperance. Growing up in the 80's, I learned all my Bible verses for Missionettes from the King James Version and I recalled the Fruit of the Spirit verses ending with temperence. When I was 10 - I didn't know what that really meant, but I learned it so I could get more badges than my sister (but that's a whole different post). So if temperence was a Fruit of the Spirit, then IN-temperance probably wasn't. Then God wrote in the sky, "INDULGENCE IS YOUR GIANT!!!" Ok - He didn't really write it in the sky - but it felt that strong.

An inability to resist the gratification of whims and desires. Wow, where wasn't I being indulgent in my life? We tend to make out indulgence to be a good thing like, "You had a hard day - you deserve to indulge in a little chocolate, or some mindless TV!" I was able to justify all of my indulgences!! I just had to move away from all of my friends so I deserve to eat Cheetos whenever I want! I have to get up soooo early now that I deserve the extra sleep that is replacing my devotional time. My life is so busy that I deserve to lie on the couch and watch TV instead of exercising. My circumstances are difficult so I deserve to wallow in self pity any time the mood hits. But guess what - I don't deserve it!! That is living a life with no moderation and I am supposed to be a living example of the Fruit of the Spirit! Intemperance is the opposite of a Fruit of the Spirit.

I know that I need to make changes, but I don't want to! It's so much easier to INDULGE myself! I had convinced myself that after a year of living here, I would be in the groove - I would be happy and have things handled, but I keep feeling farther and farther away from that the longer I live here. It is in no small part because of the indulging of my flesh. How can I feel happy when I live in the mire of self pity?? How can I feel strong when I am treating my body worse than any time of my life so far?? But how am I supposed to change? Well, one thing I have learned in these 42 years of life is that I cannot do it alone and God doesn't want me to. It is indulging my pride to think I could do it by myself!

So I am asking God to renew my mind and give me HIS strength to kill the giant of indulgence. I am also asking you, my peeps to help me. To admit that I am not good at something is not really something that I love. Far from it. If I am not going to be good at something - I don't even want to try it! But it is not like my indulgence isn't being played out in my body for the world to see every day - so I will take off my rose colored glasses and admit that I have a problem with indulgence. I comfort myself with food and sleep and TV. I have a tendency to lean in to self pity instead of renewing my mind with God's Word. My next post will give a bit of an outline of what my plans are and how you can help, but for now, I'm asking that you pray with me for strength and if there is something that I can pray with you about, please let me know.

If you have read this far - WOW - I am impressed!! Thanks for listening! More to come.

Date Night

Lately, things have been a bit crazy. Ok - maybe it always seems crazy and it has just been crazier, but Jake and I found ourselves together last night while the girls and Brian were at the youth production called "Hotter than Hell". I told him we could do whatever he wanted and crossed my fingers that it would not mean me watching Youtube videos about Minecraft. He wanted to go to the grocery store and pick out his dinner and then watch a movie. Dinner and a movie! It's date night! He may not be my favorite date partner, but I will take what I can get.

We headed to out new and exciting Safeway and a miracle occurred! I did not have make up on, being as it was my day off, and I DID NOT SEE SOMEONE I KNEW!!! I seem to always see someone I know when I am going au naturale. This was shaping up to be a great night! We shopped around, had to pass on the $8.29 gallon of chocolate milk, and ended up with fish sticks. Now that's good eatin'! We were looking at all the boxes and he said, "Mom, I have to have the one with the picture of the fisherman on it!" He has a very discerning palate. We also got some microwave popcorn, because what goes better with fish sticks than popcorn??? As we drove back to the house, he filled me in on deadly insects. This is one interesting date! We went gourmet and cooked Jake's fish sticks in the toaster oven instead of the microwave and he tasted them and said what every chef wants to hear, "They taste like we cooked them, you know?" Wow, thanks!

Our movie choice for the night was a definite crowd pleaser, "The Croods". A heartwarming story about caveman. It was actually pretty cute and I laughed out loud quite a few times. With dinner and a movie over, I didn't know quite where this date would go, but I should have know it would head in the direction of "Deadly Encounters"! Jake loves shows on the discovery channel and with Netflix, his choice is endless! The "Deadly Encounters" we watched - and I say "we" loosely since I was reading a book on my phone - was about stupid men who look for giant deadly snakes so they can measure them. That sounds like a dream job! I wasn't paying much attention until the stupid man, slogging through bat fecal matter and gagging at all the deadly ammonia from the bad urine, got bitten by one of the snakes in the lower buttock region. Seriously - who thinks that is a cool job??? And to make it worse, he was a two hour hike away from his truck and then a couple hours away from a medical clinic. After he was healed up - SIX WEEKS LATER - he went back in to measure more snakes.

The moral of the story is that boys are weird, whether fish stick loving 10 year olds, or stupid snake measuring 30 year olds. Yet, we can't really have date night without them! I'm just happy my little date still likes to hang out with his mom!

My "Thrilling" Life

A couple weeks ago,  Katelyn was a zombie in the Maui County Fair Parade. I watched her go by from our fried ice cream booth and I seriously got a tear in my eye. She was having so much fun doing something she would not have had the opportunity to do had we not made this crazy, adventurous move. There are times I miss my old life, but then I see Kate doing the "Thriller" dance, or I catch Jake lifting his hands in worship, and I begin to think maybe the old life wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Sometimes I think we look back with rose colored glasses when our current circumstances aren't going as planned. I know I sure do! But what is God trying to teach us right now? I can say with my mouth that all of my sacrifices are worth it for my family to be growing closer to God, but when I'm complaining in my head the whole time, am I nullifying my words? I AM glad they are drawing closer to God and I have had to make sacrifices (see my first post) ;) but am I learning what I need to learn in these hard circumstances to make the sacrifice worth it? The other night I couldn't sleep and I was going over, in my head, my well documented list of sacrifices, when I heard that still small voice whisper, "Obedience is better than sacrifice."Am I doing what God asks me to do each day, or are my sacrifices in vain? This crazy adventure isn't just for my family - it is for me too. I often say to Brian, "I think God got confused when he had me marry such an adventurous person!' But God is not surprised at my being literally stuck on an island, and He has great plans for me and great plans for you - whoever you are! He promises that!

So today, I will choose to put aside my desire to have free time - while shopping at Target - and buying milk for under $2 - and be thankful in all circumstances so my words will match my heart.

A Day in the Life

5:19 - Wakey - Wakey! It's so dark at 5am but at least I get to look at pretty fall leaves on my phone! I miss fall leaves. 

5:32 - There are two little black dots below my light fixture. They are flying bugs and they invade my bathroom every morning. This is just two. I kill between ten and twenty every morning. It's super awesome.

6:04 - I come into my kitchen to find branches on my counter. Guess what they are..................................................................................................................................................

PLUMERIA!! My sweet husband got them to plant on my deck. :) Can't wait to smell the flowers!

6:05 - Yes, it has come to this. I am a coffee drinker. I held out for 41 years, but this 5am wake up call has made coffee essential in my life. I should have taken a picture of the amount of cream I have to add to make it taste good! It's not a small amount. ;)

6:25 - Sunrise. The view here is amazing. I never get tired of it.

6:33 - This little girl lies outside my bathroom door while I get ready. She's guarding me from whiney teenagers. Sometimes it works. Most times not. They still find me.

7:00 - Time for breakfast! I get to go in a half hour later on Thursdays so I have time to sit and enjoy. Madison was eating with me but she wouldn't let me take her picture!! She just got up and all -  but still. She said, "You can write about me but don't take any pictures." Well, that's just a challenge for me! I will get a picture at some point!

7:48 - Our daily trek to King's Cathedral for school and work.

7:57 - My office in the finance department. The last place my brother would have thought I would end up when he was helping me with my math homework in High School!

8:07 - Paying the bills for all the extensions from Alaska to Arkansas.

8:30 - Prayer time with all the office ladies. Every morning we pray together. These women are a blessing to me!! The one on the left is my partner in crime in the finance office. Her name is Shayvon and she's amazing. So thankful for her!

10:06 - Thursdays I get to work in the music department for a few hours but when I showed up, my boss wasn't there yet!! I think he's going to have to take me to lunch now! When his mom was visiting we painted his office. We went with gray because what else really goes with purple carpet?? Looks like I have some cleaning to do today!

11:48 - He did take me to lunch! And at one of our favorite spots - Cafe O'Lei. It has a beautiful view of the West Maui Hills which is where we live. Another perk is the fact that the lunch special is cheaper than a McDonalds meal and it comes with a nice salad! My mom would appreciate that!

2:17 - Driving home from work and school. :)

2:38 - Spelling words on the deck with this handsome, freshly showered boy. He informed me during our study time that he now has armpit hair and he would like to use deodorant. Can you spell
 S - T - O - P - G - R - O - W - I - N - G - U - P!!!!!

3:06 - Next is spelling with this ray of sunshine who also doesn't want her picture taken! She's covered in a blanket because it's fall here and it's freezing. Like 82 degrees. Brrrrrrrrrr.

3:32 - Time for some reading and maybe napping if the mood hits.

5:15 - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. It's what's for dinner.

5:52 - Listening to this cool new album and car dancing to embarrass my kids on the way to worship team practice.

6:12 - Ladies of worship. We have so much fun in rehearsal!

8:22 - Had to stop at the store for party food for school tomorrow.

9:41 - A little TV with the hubs before bed.

10:00 - Turning off the lights - I wish everyone could see the beautiful city lights in person!

 

10:06 - This girl is going to bed! Gotta get ready for a new adventure tomorrow!

Occupado!

Today I went into the bathroom stall at work and found a VERY large cockroach standing in front of the toilet. I said, "I'm sorry! I didn't know this stall was occupied!" and I went into another stall.

The End.

Hair Today - Orange Tomorrow

I'm not typically an adventurous person, yet when it comes to my hair, I have no problem jumping in to something new and crazy. This was all well and good when I had a professional at the helm, but since I have been on my Hawaiian adventure, I can no longer afford the luxury of getting my hair cut and colored at a salon. This has led to a few misadventures of late. This week alone my hair has been three colors. It started out with grown out - unnaturally blonde colored - highlights. Since they were grown out, you could not only see my roots, but my my new and exciting gray hairs. Growing old is awesome! 

This was the unnatural blonde highlights at least a month ago, so image bad roots! And my awesome shirt is another post altogether!

Anyway - I needed to cover my highlights so I chose a light brown. Seemed harmless. While the color was on my hair, I was wandering in the kitchen and Brian says to me, "Are you trying to dye your hair red?" I said NOOO!!! and ran in the bathroom only to see my light brown was looking ORANGE! I rinsed and blew it dry and looked in the mirror and just laughed. Not my junior high laugh that comes out when I'm nervous, but a maniacal kind of "How is this my life now?" sort or laugh. So I thought to myself, it is fall, though it doesn't really feel like it on Maui, so I'm just getting into the swing of things! Pumpkin spice latte colored hair! 

This doesn't even do justice to how truly orange it really was!

This lasted three days and I just couldn't handle it. I couldn't wear pink! Perish the thought! So I have moved on to medium brown. It's dark, but not orange. 

Waiting for the magic brown dye!

I'm so happy it's not orange anymore!

Madison loves it - says it makes my eyes pop, but Jakey says, "Why didn't you just keep your hair like it was??" How do you explain to a ten year old boy that grown out highlights and gray hair doesn't feel very beautiful? If only I could view myself through his eyes!