Take out the Trash...and Leave it Out

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. (Mark 11:25, NLT)

I recently attended a women's conference where Andi Andrew was the special speaker. To learn more about her, please click in the link below.

http://www.nycreligion.info 

During her message, she discussed how a situation had arisen wherein she needed to apologize to her daughter. Mrs. Andrew said, "I am sorry, will you forgive me?" Her daughters response was, "I will always forgive." Mrs. Andrew told her daughter, "Then you will always be free."

Unforgiveness reminds me of trash. Yep, stinky...funky...who knows what's in those trash bags. On second thought, who wants to know…eek.

When my girls were old enough to start taking out the trash, their trash removal skills wasn't exactly meeting my expectations. I had grown accustomed to Mike taking out the trash. He was like a trash can fairy. One moment trash was in the can. The next moment, the can was empty with a fresh, new liner. No more signs of trash anywhere.

When my girls first started taking out the trash...let's just say…additional training was required. A typical scenario went something like this. The bag was torn while it was being pulled out of the can, instead of carrying the bag they pulled the bag across the floor (leaving in it's trail…nasty liquid trash something), and a trail of trash (that was falling out of the growing hole as it was being dragged) from my kitchen to the dumpster as two little munchkin voices were protesting in unison, "Ohhh this is disgusting!" And "WHY do WE have to do this?!"  They would have to pick up all the stray trash, take bleach and clean everything the trash touched as well as all surrounding areas, and then scrub their little hands to remove all possibilities of whatever lives in there. As a result, my girls trash taking abilities have vastly improved, thankfully.  

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I want to forgive, but I just can't" or "Oh I will never forgive them." And the best one of all, "Oh I will forgive but I will never forget because they owe me!" 

Is it just me or does that remind you of dragging trash around? 

I've heard one of my fathers in the faith repeatedly say, "Forgiving someone is like unlocking the prison door…and freeing yourself."

If you've been having difficulty forgiving someone, declare by faith that you forgive them. If the offense attempts to arise again, declare, "Nope, I forgave them by faith, I believe I receive forgiveness as I forgive others. I refuse to waver." (James 1:6) 

Once we "take out the trash"…we do not drag it back inside. 

As you determine to forgive and consistently declare, supernaturally, forgiveness comes. What you are saying will be established and light will shine on your ways! (Job 22:28) You will no longer be dragging unforgiveness everywhere you go. You will no longer be dragging unforgiveness along the floor of your heart and there will no longer be a trail of unforgiveness funk! 

You will always be free!

Free: Not under the control or in the power of another (Mahalo google!) Who is in control of you? Father, thank You for teaching us how to walk in freedom. Thank You for forgiving us as we forgive others. Thank You for remembering our sins no more as You removed them as far as the east is from the west. But most of all, thank You for Your Son, Jesus. He is too wonderful for words! We are so thankful for Your love and the gift of Him! Hebrews 10:17

Psalm 103:12 

John 3:16

A Little Background

I grew up in Oklahoma and worked my way through college at a great Law Firm. After graduating with a B.A. in Criminal Justice, I moved to Alaska where I worked as a Transport Officer via bush plane flying between the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage transporting incarcerated offenders to and from court appearances and correctional facilities. 

I reluctantly left Alaska in 1996 and returned to Oklahoma. I met my husband, Mike, shortly thereafter. It was a once in a lifetime storybook romance! A year later we eloped to Hawaii and got married barefoot on Anaeho'omalu Beach on the Big Island! 

We love to travel and we've been very blessed to spend time in Niagra Falls, Washingtonn State, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Alaska, Missouri, and Canada. We are so grateful to have spent a lot of time scuba diving in Puget Sound, British Columbia and Cozumel. 

We moved to Oahu in 1998 where I taught scuba on Hickam Air Force Base. Mike and I also started our own business at that time. You can learn more about our businesses at this link: www.starterman.com In 2005, we moved to Missouri where I attended Life Christian University. In 2010 we moved back to Hawaii. 

I am involved in various operations of our businesses on Oahu, Maui, Big Island & Kauai; however, my priority is home school. God continues to bless us in all areas of our lives!

My Space

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, NLT)

My girls are in martial arts and last week our martial arts family had a beach get together. We were to meet at one of the busiest beach parks in Honolulu. Our sensei told us to get there prior to 8:30 or there would be no parking at the beach. My family has been fighting off some sort of "bug" and Gracie decided to stay at work with Mike while Mikea and I went to the beach bash.

We pulled into the beach park at 8:20 and there was already a line of cars. We drove around the parking lot twice and the lot was completely full. I said, "Buggie, agree in prayer with me for a parking space." Buggie is Mikea's nickname. She said, "Ok Momma." We said, "Lord, thank You for providing us a parking space." 

I don't normally pray for parking spaces because I don't see parking as a big deal. I normally just park wherever and enjoy my walk. I mean...this is Hawaii. But that day, Mikea really didn't want to be late for the beach bash. And that day, since I was feeling under the weather, I really didn't want to walk all the way from the nearest parking which would have been the mall and we were told walking from that parking area is about a quarter of a mile to the beach. My friend and I had gone paddling the day before. We had paddled for about three hours so I was still tired and a little sore so I didn't physically feel like walking that distance.

We drove the parking lot one more time and still no parking. Mikea said, "I don't see any parking Momma." I said, "God will make a way for us."

We turned the corner and there was a space directly in front of the tents where our martial arts family were setting up. We drove to that space and parked but saw the curb in that space was painted red which means it is a no parking space.

I told Mikea we would park there long enough to unload and get her to her event on time so she didn't miss anything. Once unloaded, I would find a space and be back. We unloaded our chairs, food, etc. I told her not to leave the area and I would be right back.

True story:

I walked back to my car and got in. Once I was inside my car, the van in front of me (who was in a parking space) pulled out of their parking space and I pulled forward and parked. I started laughing and thanking God. The parking space was about twenty steps from the beach bash. I also found it comical it was the only parking space. Directly in front and in back of the one space, the curb was painted red. 

Another true story:

Last year, I tore my rotator cuff in my left arm. I didn't know what a rotator cuff was much less know it could be torn. Suffice it to say, you do not want to tear your rotator cuff. I was in a sling for weeks, for three nights in a row I slept sitting up because it was too painful to lay down. I was on pain medication for days. My family had to help me shower and get dressed/undressed.  

This year, as I was carrying my stand up paddle board, I felt it start to rip again. I immediately put my board down and said, "You STOP IT right now, you MAY NOT tear!" 

The next day, my shoulder was slightly tender but no sling, no pain meds, and I was able to shower and dress/undress myself which brings to mind…you don't know what you've got until it's gone!

Jesus said, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea," and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too" (Mark 11:22-25, NLT)

What are you saying today?

Father, You are so gracious, loving and good. Thank You for giving us everything we need for life and godliness. Thank You for authority and for teaching us to use our mouth for Your glory. Thank You for the gift of faith. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking us and for holding every detail of our lives in Your hands. You are our God, our Father, we love You!

Psalm 67:1

1 John 4:8

Psalm 136:1

Luke 10:19

Matthew 12:37

1 Corinthians 10:31

Romans 12:3

Deuteronomy 31:6

Colossians 1:17

1 John 3:1

Light it Up

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12, NLT)

Light has taken on new meaning for me lately. We are a homeschooling family and we've been studying cells this school year. We took the plunge, did our research, and purchased a "king daddy" microscope!





I have to tell you…it ROCKS! We've played with it everyday. We study "prepared slides" and next week, we start making our very own slides! We've studied kosher salt, q-tips, dog hair (Hey, my dog is very clean.), household dust (no comment), human hair, dead bugs, and yesterday I asked for my oldest daughter's pillow…but alas…she refused. I won't go into detail…personal family joke.

What is so amazing about a microscope? I am so-so glad you asked! The precision is amazing. We can view specimen at a magnification level up to a thousand or we can decrease it down to forty. And the light on the microscope is so bright that when it is shining on a specimen, every intricate detail of the specimen is illuminated. The light on the microscope is, at times, so bright, we have to turn it down in order for our eyes to tolerate the light.

Yesterday as we were viewing specimens, I better understood how God's light reveals the intricate details of my heart. In His light, nothing is hidden anymore. It "all comes to light" and change comes when God shows me what needs to be corrected…even in the very intricate details of my heart. He knows precisely how much light to shine, precisely where to shine light and precisely when to shine light. (2 Peter 3:9 and again I say, 2 Peter 3:9)

The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. 

No, He is being patient for your sake. 

He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9)

Most loving and gracious Heavenly Father, thank you-thank you for always being faithful to me all the days of my life. Thank You for life giving Light! Thank You for showing me and teaching me not to conform to the patterns of this world but to renew my mind daily. Thank You for Your marvelous Light and for showing me the areas in my heart to correct and thank You for Your perfect timing. You truly are so good! Father, I pray for every reader right now and I thank You for completing your good work in them, in the name of Jesus! 

Psalm 89:1

Romans 12:2

Ecclesiastes 3:11

1 Peter 2:9

Psalm 100:5

Philippians 1:6

Psssst, hey...homeschooling moms! If you need help buying a microscope, I highly suggest Home Science Tools. I placed their link below for your convenience. They helped me decide which microscope was best for us as well as the accessories we needed without pushing me to buy more than what we required. Great product, great customer service!

 at www.hometrainingtools.com

That's Messed Up

From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:16, NLT)

Last month, I wrote a blog post entitled, "Clean it Up."

Since that post, there has been a tug at my heart to explore another side of "Clean it Up". 

I've been wondering, have you ever seen someone (friend/family{church family or biological family} /pastor/worship leader/their spouse or kids/neighbor/someone at Walmart or on Facebook) carrying a burden that is just too heavy? Has this burden made them accidentally bump into something or someone, making the matter worse? 

Have you seen their huge mess that they have to correct when they are already in a hurry and already have a growing list of things to get done while they are running short on time?

Please, stop what you are doing, run to that person, and I hold them tight. Please listen to them wail for a moment (Hey, we've all needed to wail at one time or another.) Then, tell them, "Everything will be ok, I will help you clean this up."

If you need help helping them, make a few calls/send a few texts…get some help! Work together to clean up the mess, it will only take a few minutes since others are working together.

Help gives hope!

Pray with and for the person, stay in prayer covenant with them until fruit manifests, show them how when we are in hurry and make a big mess, God holds us when we need Him, He draws near to us (James 4:8), and He shows us proper perspective. (Colossians 3:1-4) 

Be the person who rushes in when you hear something has gone wrong and then do everything you can to make everything ok. (Ecclesiastes 4:9) And in doing so, God is blessed as He watches His children love and help one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Galatians 6:2, 1 John 4:7, 1 Peter 2:21, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:32)

Clean that mess with your whole heart unto Him! (Colossians 3:23, Matthew 6:3, Matthew 6:16) Bear the burdens of someone else's mess and give them hope. (Proverbs 22:9, Matthew 10:42) It will bless the LORD! (Psalm 103:1)

We are not alone. Oh…the enemy would love for us to think we are. (John 10:10) Don't believe that lie. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Numbers 23:29, John 8:44) 

Please don't take this as a license to rescue. Stay out of the ditch on both sides! Please take this as "For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all it's various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part (with power adapted to its need) is working properly (in all its functions), grows to full maturity, building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:16, AMP)

Father, I pray for eyes to see and ears to hear, for myself and every reader. We thank You, love has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost! (Romans 5:5) I pray we are not so consumed with our own lives that we miss an opportunity to give the least of these a drink of water, in the name of Jesus. (Matthew 25:40) Thank You for supernaturally downloading love, charity, generosity, and love-love-love in our hearts! By faith, we receive a passion for the lost and we receive a passion to help others…in and out of Your kingdom…when we feel like it…and when we don't…when we think the other person deserves it…but especially when we don't think they deserve it. In the name of Jesus, I will be more like You! In the name of Jesus, I will be more like You and operate like You in everything I think, say, and do!

Proper Elevation

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7, NKJV)

We consistently see really great rainbows at our apartment on Oahu. 

We never see rainbows at our townhouse on the Big Island.

Some days, we see double and even triple rainbows. 

As I was shooting a picture of this rainbow, the following question quickly ran through my mind, "Why do we see amazing rainbows at our apartment almost every day, but have never seen a rainbow at our townhouse on the Big Island?" 

God gently spoke to my spirit and said, "Proper elevation".

Proper elevation is critical for rainbows.

Proper elevation is critical for us as well. 

There has been so many times when I've thanked God for not allowing me to do something I thought I was ready to do…but I wasn't at the proper elevation. So many times, had He allowed me to do what I wanted to do…it would have been detrimental to others as well as myself. 

His timing, His protection, and His order is always perfect.

As we learn how to submit, and then submit…and then submit…and then, actually submit…to the authority He placed in our lives, (Being a doer of the word and not a hearer only. (James 1:22) He exalts us in due time.  Proper elevation, in conjunction with God's grace, enables us to be and do way beyond anything we can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)  Proper elevation produces wonderful "rainbows". (Matthew 13:18)

Father, we continue to thank You for teaching us powerful messages through Your gentle Spirit and Your Word. Our heart's desire is to imitate You and walk in love. On behalf of myself and every reader right now, I declare we are not deceived, not by others or ourselves, in the name of Jesus. We walk in Light and refuse fellowship with all darkness. Thank You for teaching us to walk circumspectly. We gain wisdom through Your Word and know what Your will is. We submit one to another and we make the decision to love and respect one another. Thank You for the authority You have placed in our lives. In the name of Jesus, we commit to be a doer of Your Word independent on and regardless of human imperfection, walking in submission to our authority, and in doing so, ultimately submitting to You.  Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray blessings on every reader, every person positioned in authority and under authority. I declare each of us have a new understanding of being in authority and under authority, and for each of us to rise to the proper eleveation in our positions, in the name of Jesus. Thank You Father, for this life changing lesson! We continue to light our way with Your Word! Thank You for giving us all we need for life and godliness through Your divine power! (Ephesians 5:1-33, Luke 7:8, Psalm 119:105, 2 Peter 1:3))

Indescribable Focus

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5, NLT) 

My dog, Bo, has an indescribable ability to focus. At times, I think my focus needs to be more like Bo's focus.

For example, when we take him to the beach (or anywhere for that matter) as we are leaving our apartment, he continually makes eye contact with me. He disregards whatever is going on around him and constantly "checks in" with me by watching my every move. He stays at my heels until I give him the command to get in the car.

As we walk downstairs to leave, my girls are excited and saying, "Come on Bo! Come! Come!" But Bo, very obedient, ignores them, focuses on me, walks at my side, and waits for my command/direction. That has to be difficult for him because he is so excited when he gets to go with us. But he maintains self control and proper focus.

We currently live on one of the main roads in Honolulu at one of the busiest intersections in the city. You know what that means…traffic…major traffic. Again, Bo ignores his surroundings, keeps his eyes on me and waits for my direction.

As we walk to our car, people walking on the sidewalk greet us. At the beach, beach goers are engaging in water sports and playing ball games. Bo really likes ball games but he still maintains focus and self control. He checks in with me via constant eye contact, staying at my heels, and waiting for my direction.

If I were a jealous person, I'd be tempted to be jealous of Bo's focus!

Bo has taught me a very valuable life lesson. 

• Be obedient
• Maintain self control
• Keep proper focus

No matter who or what surrounds me at all the busy intersections of life, I commit to ignore external forces, focus on God, and wait for His command/direction. (Matthew 6:33)

Father, thank You for blessing me with my dog, Bo. He teaches me lessons I never would have thought of had You not brought him into my life. He is a blessing! Father, in the name of Jesus, as I submit my spirit to Your Holy Spirit, please quicken me and remind me to maintain focus. When I'm at a busy intersection in life, when life's traffic seems to be buzzing around me, when people play games, whatever the case may be that temps me to steal my focus from You, I know You will fulfill Your promise and draw closer to me as I draw closer to You. (James 4:8) I pray this same prayer for every reader. Thank You for strengthening us to maintain correct focus, You! We love You so much LORD! Our heart's desire is to bless and honor You!

Bo, the recipient for the Best Pooch Ever Award!

You are not a Human Ahi!

And (Jesus) said to His disciples, Temptations (snares, traps set to entice sin) are sure to come, but woe to him by or though whom they come! It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea than that he should cause to sin or be a snare to one of these little ones (lowly in rank or influence). Pay attention and always be on your guard (looking out for one another). If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him. (Luke 17:1-3, AMP)

My husband, Mike, is a manly man. He enjoys hunting and fishing. He enjoys it so much, he will get out of bed at all hours in the middle of the night to hunt/fish. For example, today, he got out of bed at 3:00 a..m. and went fishing with a buddy. That's hardcore. But, his tenacity constantly pays off in the woods and on the water. Today they caught a really nice yellow fin tuna. Now that's a good looking fish right there. Come to think of it, that's a very long fish right there. Mike is almost six foot five inches tall and as you can see, the fish is almost as long as he is tall! Way to go guys!

Yellow fin tuna, also known as ahi, is a very fascinating fish. It is a very versatile fish. It is used in sushi and sashimi. It is also great grilled and enjoyed with a really nice mango salsa. And, we've eaten ahi in fish tacos as well.

We've been told ahi (Which, by the way, sounds like awww-hee…ok, probably not all that drawn out so maybe more like aw-hee.) is Hawaiian for fire. Thus so named because of several reasons. One reason is because in ancient times, Hawaiians used a bone for a hook, and a rope for a line. Once the ahi took the hook, the ahi would dive down so fast, the rope would catch on fire because of friction between the rope and the boat. 

The website for Kona Fishing Charters (www.konafishing4u.com) tells a similar tale (Hahaha, fish tale pun fully intended).

"Ahi means fire in Hawaiian, in reference to what happened to Hawaiians in olden times when fishing from outrigger canoes. The line would go out so fast over the side, it would smoke the sides of the canoe." 

I am unsure whether or not the rope caught fire or the rope smoked, either way, that is some major friction going on. 

I find it very interesting that ahi dive down but marlin come up. You may have seen marlin jump up out of the water once on the line. but ahi dive down as deep as possible. Today's ahi went down and took out three-fourths of the fishing line that was on the rod by the time Mike could pick up the rod. Mike is very fast but so is ahi.

We've also been told another reason yellow fin tuna is called ahi (Please keep in mind, the Hawaiian translation for ahi is fire) is because once the fish is hooked, it dives down, and fights so hard, it literally cooks inside. Let's pause for a moment and think about that one…the fish fights so hard it cooks it's own insides.

Below is a picture of the ahi Mike and his friend caught today. While cleaning the fish, we cut the darker red colored meat off and threw it away because it isn't good to eat. You can see, the ahi literally burned its insides up by fighting. The darker red colored meat is because of an interior force, not an external force.

Have you ever known anyone who was"cooking their insides"? I do. That. Was. Me. I was a human ahi. Before receiving Jesus, I was so full of offense, frustration, and anger, I was literally sick most of the time. I had over the counter medication in my purse, in my car, at my bedside, and in my desk drawer at my office. I could have been a walking billboard for Tagamet, Tums, and Tylenol!  At one time in my life, I was on antibiotics every other month. Wow, what a way to live…not! (John 10:10)

When I was very small, my Daddy said something to me that I didn't comprehend until much later in life. He said, "Sister, bitterness will burn you up from the inside out." Had I understood that sooner, I could've saved myself so much money on medication and countless doctor's visits as well as prevented several abdominal surgeries. I won't even mention sleep issues I use to deal with! 

But, praise God! Once I was born again, everything…every thing in my life, changed. As I submitted myself to Him, He made my path straight! (Proverbs 3:6)  I believe God led me straight to a life changing book. If you've followed this blog for long, you already know what you are about to read! Yes, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense", by Dr. Larry Ollison. (www.faithman.org) 

God taught me through this book how I was making myself physically ill by living in offense. Here is the kicker…I wasn't even aware I was living in offense. (1 Peter 5:8) 

I thank God I no longer cook my own insides. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8-9, Matthew 6:14) 

Let's reiterate:

• The ahi is hooked.
• It dives down as far as possible.
• It fights so hard, it literally cooks it's own insides.

Don't be an ahi!

• Don't get hooked!
• Don't get caught up in friction!
• Don't dive down as far as possible!
• Don't fight so hard, you literally cook your own insides!

Do:

• Be a child of God, not an ahi! (Galatians 3:26-27)
• Refuse offense! (Luke 17:1)
• Just say no to friction! (1 Timothy 6:11)
• Look up not down, where does your help come from?! (Psalm 121:2)
• Don't cook, cast. Cast your care! (1 Peter 5:7) 

Some could argue the "internal cooking" is because of an external force, as well as an internal force. For example, what if my bother (or sister/mother/father/friend, etc) isn't sorry? Dr. Larry Ollison would most likely say, "Big woo, forgive them anyway." And I wholeheartedly agree. 

There is a saying, I'm not sure who the quote belongs to, (if you know please give them credit in the comments below), "Forgiving someone is like opening the prison door and setting yourself free". 

Don't get hooked. Be free, today, in the name of Jesus.

A short time back, I was asked, "Okay, I get what the bible says but how do I practically apply it to my life." I am so glad they asked!

Father God, I wholeheartedly forgive and thank You for forgiving me. In the name of Jesus, I take my every thought captive. My thoughts are mine, I have control over my thoughts, I capture each thought and bring every thought into submission to Your Word. I only meditate on whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, and that which is praiseworthy! Thank You for Your peace. I declare I walk in the life in excessive abundance that Jesus died to give me. I will be robbed of nothing…no thing, Jesus has given me. I receive it now by faith. Thank You for Your Son Jesus, thank You for the Blood of Jesus. Thank You for teaching me that nothing…no thing, is impossible for me!

(Matthew 6:14, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8-9, John 10:10, Matthew 21:21)

That's Heavy

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:30, NKJV)

Today, I was in the kitchen and Mikea was standing near the trashcan talking to me. As I was cleaning, I picked up some things that needed to be thrown away. I threw them to Mikea for her to place in the trashcan. 

She braced herself because she thought I was throwing something heavy. But once she caught the items, she smiled really big and said, "Oh…that's not heavy at all."

I believe that is exactly why some people tend to steer away from Jesus. Wrong thinking, bad teaching, and/or negative prior experience, may leave them thinking following Jesus is just too "heavy".

But once we experience Jesus, truly experience Him, we all learn…He really IS easy and light because in Him we live, move, and have our being! (Acts 17:28) He carries us! (Psalm 68:19) Folks, it's time to smile really big, let Jesus carry you, experience how easy and light He truly is!

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray against anything and everything that has ever risen up against every reader today. I thank You in advance for revealing Yourself to them. I thank You for showing them, you are so easy and light. Thank You for carrying us! Thank You for your redemptive work on the cross so that we can live life in excessive abundance! We receive it all by faith right now, in the name of Jesus!

If you've never received Jesus into your heart, or if you've prayed this prayer before but didn't really commit to Him, you can pray this simple prayer and start eternal life right now!

Father, in the name of Your Son Jesus, I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that You are God. I believe Jesus is Your Son, I believe He died for me, and on the third day, I believe You raised Him from the dead. I will never deny Him. I will never deny You. Thank You for calling me out of darkness, into Your marvelous light!

Please find a bible based church, read your bible, and renew your mind daily. If you need help, please contact us in the comments below or email us at keytovblog@gmail.com. Welcome to our family!

Going Backwards

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:14, NLT)

Today, I went to Hokulani Bakery at Restaurant Row to pick up an order of cupcakes in celebration of a friend's birthday. They are an excellent bakery by the way! (www.hokulanibakeshop.com) If you are in Honolulu, you will want to make them one of your stops. This blog post isn't about cupcakes, but aren't they so lovely?!

They taste better than they look! We will just leave those right there for now.

A lot of the parking in Honolulu is garage (high rise) parking. Most of the driving in a high rise is one way. As I was leaving the parking area, the exit was about five feet behind me so I had to drive forward from level A to level D to find an exit. I wanted to back up the five feet where the  nearest exit was; however, that would be illegal backing. So I "bit the bullet" and drove forward as all the signs indicated.

I don't like taking the long way around. I don't like "going backwards". I like to set my sights ahead and move on. But in this case, I couldn't. I had to drive up the three extra levels in order to reach my goal which was to find the exit.

Thank God we don't have to "go backwards" with Him! We press on and go forward! We don't have to look behind or even have "behind thinking"! Nope, His Word tells us to forget the former things and press on to what lies ahead! (Philippians 3:13)

How about you? Been going backwards? Been taking the long way around? Well, forget that and press on!

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader today. I pray Philippians 3:13 and 14 be illuminated in their hearts on a deeper level. I pray they walk fully in Philippians 3:13 and 14 right now in the name of Jesus! Past mistakes, whether things were said and/or done, will no longer be in the forefront of their minds because they forget and press on! (Psalm 19:14, Philippians 4:8)

It's a Dud...

I am the vine, you are the branches: He that stays in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NLT)

Today is the 4th of July, a celebration of freedom! Picnics with family and friends, BBQ, and fireworks!

I like fireworks, I like fireworks a lot. Every Friday, a resort near our apartment in Honolulu shoots off fireworks and we can hear the crashing boom and see the sky light up. It is a wonderful display of lights and flashes of color!

During their display, there is rarely ever a dud. You know what a dud is right? It's when the firework is launched, a flash can be seen flying higher, higher, higher…waiting, waiting, waiting...but no explosion of color.  No huge colorful lights in the sky.

That made me think, as we let our lights so shine before others bringing glory to our Father, we will never be a dud as we seek Him first and we stay in our Vine. (Matthew 5:16, Matthew 6:33, John 15:5)

Father, thank You for being our ultimate Vine! Continue to lead us and guide us, show us ways to let our lights shine before others and in doing so they will glorify and praise You! Thank You for teaching us to seek You first! Our heart's desire is to stay in You! We stand in awe of You and Your Word! In the name of Jesus, please prompt us to stay in You as we acknowledge You in all our ways! Please continue to make our path straight, saying and doing only what we hear our Father say, drawing others to You through Your unfailing love!

Stay: Remain in the same place; secure or steady, a period of staying somewhere. 

Mucho mahalos for the photo provided by Photog Genius, David Johnson.  http://www.dejphotos.com

The Good Report

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8, NLT)

We are a homeschooling family. Recently, I had gotten in a bad rut with my girls. Throughout the day, I fixed my thoughts on and had been keeping mental notes of the character issues in my children that I had dealt with that day. (The opposite of 1 Corinthians 13:5.) Then, I would take my mental list to our principle, Dad, who addressed each point with our children. (The opposite of 1 Corinthians 13:5, multiplied.)

It seemed as if we were addressing the same character issues every day. What were we doing wrong?  (The opposite of Matthew 6:33.) We, as parents, were working so hard to insure our children were being educated while at the same time producing godly character but my mental list seemed to be getting longer and we were dealing with issues every day! (The opposite of Philippians 4:6)

One morning, after my quiet time with the Lord, I saw something that has transformed our homeschool (as well as our family). I had finished devotional and prayer time so we were about to start our homeschooling day. I reached for my iPod to turn on our music so we could start school and as I touched the "shuffle" button, Mynista's most recent album, "The Good Report" popped up.

That was it!!! GLORY!!! (Psalm 50:15)

I was meditating on everything we needed to correct instead of what we were all doing really well. How did I fall into that ugly rut?! I needed to stop fixing my thoughts on the bad report and fix my thoughts on the good report!

The first thing I did that morning, was grab a blank piece of notebook paper. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing. Throughout the day, I made a list of everything my girls did really well. I listed how well they handled their new concepts, areas they've shown improvement in, in other words...I only documented their, "Good Report". (1 Corinthians 13:7) If they struggled in an area, I focused on what they did well in the struggle.

I have to admit, more than once, I wanted to say, "Oh yeah?! Well, just wait until your dad reads what I'm about to write!" But I kept reminding myself, "I am on a mission! I am on a mission! I AM ON A MISSION!" I had to persevere because it was so tempting to include negative issues in our good report but I was on a mission! (1 Corithians 13:7) I truly believed God had given me a path and I was determined to follow it. (Proverbs 3:6)

That evening, when Mike came home, I handed him the paper. He played along perfectly (even though he had no idea what it was). He jumped and said, "Wow! LOOK at this Good Report!" Our girls ran to see what was in the good report! My whole family was so excited!

We've been using "Good Reports" daily for about a month. I no longer keep a mental list. Instead, our family enjoys our evening together discussing our good report. Our girls are excited about school and look forward to discussing their good report with him every day. And he really enjoys that time with our girls.

It really blesses me to see how 

focusing on the positive 

has eliminated the negative.

It also blesses me that even though I had not pre-empted Mike, he knew exactly what to do when He saw the good report. (Ephesians 5:1)

All this made me think...what IF we all were to focus on the positive in every relationship God has blessed us with?? Home! Church! Work! What if, instead of complaining about something that isn't quite perfect at home/church/work, we focus on the positive aspects of home/church/work? What if, even though no one pre-empts us, we know exactly what to say/do? (Ephesians 5:1) Let's take it one step further. What if, when someone comes to us with a bad report, we refuse to agree with it but instead, point them in the direction of a good report. Instead of being a multiplier of negative, let's be a magnifier of good! We are on a mission!

I know...I can hear it now...but there are REAL issues to be resolved. Dads have to be involved in daily child rearing. Hey, I get that. So let's resolve the issues in a positive way and focus on what the other person does really well! (Proverbs 15:1) Let's focus so hard on the positive that there is no room left for negative! I believe as we do that, dad's efforts in daily child rearing will look a lot different. At least it has in my house. I'd even venture to say, home/church/work would look a lot different as well.

What about you? Like me, has the negative aspects of your life overtaken the positive? If so, I say, "Get out of that rut!" You will be so thankful you did! (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

" No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."- Zig Ziglar


Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader right now to see and be thankful for all the good in their lives. I thank You for making our path straight and teaching us how to let our light so shine! I pray for relationships right now. Father, I ask You to quicken our spirits and teach us to be more like You and always operate in love. Show us even more, and empower us to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is!


(Ephesians 3:18)

* Disclaimer: Obviously an abusive/neglectful relationship does not fall into the realm of this blog post.