Buckets

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. (John 16:13, AMP)

A close friend recently told me, a key person in her life called her a wimp. I told her to create a word bucket for herself. She looked puzzled. I explained.

First, I asked her if she thought she was a wimp. She looked at me, as if she was in shock. She thought I was going to say, “Oh that’s not true. You’re not a wimp. They don't know what they are talking about.” 

It matters less what I think about her than it does about what she thinks about her.

Word Buckets:
People say a lot of things. Words are sometimes used to hurt so they fit in the hurt bucket, not the truth bucket. Words are sometimes used in order to attempt to control us. Those words go in the control bucket, not the truth bucket. Only true words belong in the truth bucket. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Listen, sometimes people just say stuff. And a lot of days, most people say too much stuff. They may say things out of anger, or frustration, their own hurt, or whatever. I always say…now remember this, this is so important…write this down, 

"Just because someone says something, doesn't make what they said, true."

Ok...the other side. Sometimes, people say some things that are true. And it hurts. It hurts because it is true. How can we productively handle these situations? Regardless of how it was sown (intended), we take it to our Father, He is the one who can make permanent change in us. Don't get caught up in how the words were "delivered". Use the words to work things out for good. Say, "Lord, please search my heart. I invite You by Your Holy Spirit to show me areas that must be dealt with. Give me a new heart, and renew a right spirit within me.” He’s always faithful! 

Father, I pray for every reader today. I pray wisdom in the name of Jesus. You word says if anyone lacks wisdom, all we have to do is ask and You give liberally. Thank You Father for the wisdom to know which bucket to put words into. But most of all thank You for Truth!

James 1:5

John 16:13

If I had a Favorite, This would be It.

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20, NLT)

This morning, my girls and I studied the parable of the prodigal son. We were all brought to tears (so much so that my eight year old couldn't even speak) when we read verse twenty in Luke chapter fifteen, 

So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, 

his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; 

he ran to his son, 

threw his arms around him and 

kissed him.

Is there anything more filled with power than that? Just meditate on that for a while, meditate on it until it becomes part of who you are. Write it down on a card and read it throughout the day over the next coming weeks and months or however long it takes for it to become part of your very core.

First, the son came to himself, (Luke 15:17) then he got up, and went to his father.

The father's reaction:

• filled with compassion
• ran to him
• threw his arms around him
• kissed him

The bible says the father ran to him. The father didn't wait until the son walked up to the porch. The father was so excited to see his son, he couldn't wait and so he ran!

That's true unfailing love…

That's the love our Father has for us!

No matter who tells us what (even if we are the ones telling ourself), no matter where we've been or what we've done….God, our Father always wants us!

That's the love our Father has for us!

Father, thank You for this parable. Thank You for being filled with compassion for us. Thank You that when we "come to ourselves", You are always approachable and willing and desire to wrap Your arms around us even when we've rolled around in pig stuff! I pray for every reader right now, as well as myself, that from Your glorious, unlimited resources, we become empowered with inner strength through Your Spirit! We are rooted and grounded in Your great love! I declare we have the power to understand and we will all come to know how wide, long, high, and deep Your love is! You are able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think! All glory, honor, and power to You Father, in the name of Jesus, Amen!

A little side note: Please don't ever ask me to study this verse with you face to face because it makes me bawl every time...yep, every time! And I must have been teaching it with much emotion because my ten year old sincerely said, "Wow...you should be teaching this in a stadium right now."

She always thinks in terms of huge, just like her father, earthly and Heavenly!

Life: The 8 Second Ride

From time to time, we host a guest and invite them to write a blog post. My husband, Mike, the love of my life and God's gift to me straight from Heaven wrote today's post. Enjoy!

Life is like an 8 second bull ride! (James 4:14)

You have to ride like there's no tomorrow! (Psalm 90:12)

You have to hang on for all you've got! (Matthew 6:33)

You have to live for the moment! (Philippians 4:6, 7)

And don't wait around to hear the buzzer! (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Father, in the name of Jesus, we pray for every reader today. We understand our life is compared to a vapor, we holdfast to You and Your law of love. Continue to teach us to number our days, our heart's desire is to have a heart of wisdom. We commit to seek You and Your kingdom first in the name of Jesus! We are bold and strong! We are not anxious for or about anything, but in everything we make our requests known to You with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving! Thank You for peace! Your peace that surpasses all understanding that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! 

Excavating

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. (Galatians 5:19-26, NLT)

Last night I had a dream about excavating. In the natural, I know very little about excavating. In fact, I know next to nothing about the subject. I can use common sense to piece together how it might work but I don't even know the name of the heavy equipment that would be used in excavations so please bear with me as I try to explain the dream. 

I saw top soil that was dry, hard, and rocky. Then I saw a big excavating machine, like heavy machinery, digging down and pulling up dark, rich soil. The bucket on the machine would dig deep down through the top of the ground, then slowly pull it's contents up as bugs, roots, and rocks fell out of the bucket. Underneath was pure, fresh, life giving, mineral and nutrient filled soil that would be used to grow life!

One definition for excavate provided by Free Online Dictionary states, "to remove by digging" and "remove earth carefully and systematically from an area in order to find buried remains".

Once we received Jesus, we were given a new heart and a new spirit! Our stony, stubborn heart was taken out. Now we have a tender, responsive heart. (Ezekiel 36:26) We may not have known that prior to today. We may not have been taught that prior to today. We may have been taught that but forgot about it. But today is a new day! Now we've heard it, seen it in His Word, and now we do it because we are wise! We immediately begin practicing what we learn, never to return to yesterday! (James 1:22, Isaiah 43:18, 19)

As we allow the Holy Spirit to systematically remove rocks (sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these)

from our lives, what is left is pure, fresh, life giving, mineral and nutrient filled soil (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)!

He is the vine and we are the branches. We remain in Him, producing much fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Today is a new day. We've been taught the Word, we abide in Him, and we produce much fruit because He is teaching us to number our days and we are gaining a heart of wisdom! (James 1:22, Psalm 90:12)

We practically apply this to our daily lives in the following manner. When we are tempted to be hostile, we crucify that by producing gentleness. When we are tempted to quarrel, we nail that temptation to the cross and we replace quarreling with kindness! When we are tempted to operate in dissension, we refuse to feed the lustful nature. Instead we operate in the Spirit and pursue peace! (Psalm 34:14)

Brother Kenneth E. Hagin gives powerful advice in his book, Growing Up Spiritually. He writes about sitting at a table with his son and a pastor, when the pastor, "got to talking about some of the church members, airing some of their faults and failures.." Brother Hagin responded with, "I would rather you'd curse in front of him." (Hagin's son) "That wouldn't register on him." But for the twelve years I pastored, he always thought every member we ever had was an angel." "They weren't-any more than all his members were." "He never heard his parents say one word about any deacon, Sunday School teacher, superintendent, or church member. You need to be careful what you say around children, and other people as well." 

Interesting side note: 

In 2 Timothy 3:16 through 17 we are taught, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

I believe it is important to deeply examine the fact that, sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, drunkenness, wild parties, are all clumped together in the same passage as hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy…….and other sins like these.

That's food for thought and a whole other blog post. 

Most loving, faithful, and gracious Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we welcome You to come and excavate our hearts and our lives! Thank You for this wonderful new day, a new day to abide in You producing much fruit! Thank You for removing the rocks in our lives and replacing them with pure, fresh, life giving, mineral and nutrient filled soil! Instead of producing rocks, we shall produce life! We are hearing and doing Your teachings and we are gaining wisdom! We are building our homes on our Solid Rock! We operate in Your law of love completely excavating all religious law. We belong to You Christ Jesus and we have nailed the passions and desires of our sinful nature to the cross and crucified them there! We live by Your Spirit and we follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives! We are never conceited and we do not provoke one another! We continually stand amazed by You, King of all Kings, Jesus! 

Matthew 7:24:29
Galatians 5:19-26, NLT

Crisis Pregnancy

See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. (1 John 3:1,2)

Last week, I stopped by to catch up with a friend who works at a Crisis Pregnancy Center. It had been a while since I had seen her and she lives out of the way so I stopped by her office because I drive by the center on my way home.

I had my two youngest girls with me, ages eight and ten. It didn't even occur to me we had never discussed a crisis pregnancy nor did it occur to me they would even read the sign.

After leaving the center, on the way to the car, my ten year old seemed very distracted. I asked if she was alright. She sadly said, "Mom, how can a pregnancy ever be a crisis?" 

I must say, I was nearly floored by her comment as well as her demeanor. 

I must also say, I'm so thankful she will never know the fall out of being unwanted by her parents.

This is not a stab at abortion, or medical professionals who perform them. 

This is a bold statement to decree and declare to you, two undeniable, impenetrable, absolute truths.

1. God loves you. (John 3:16)
2. God has such an amazing quality of love, He loves you and calls you His child! 

If you have been told or if you've found out, you were/are not wanted by:

• your earthly parent(s)
• a spouse
• a friend

Today, that all changes along with all the baggage that accompanies it because the Creator of Heaven and earth wants you, loves you, and calls you His child!

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader in this situation today. I thank You for taking what the enemy intended for harm and working all things together for good for those who love You! I thank You for causing them to triumph in Your perfect plan for their lives! I thank You for being strong in their weakness and I thank You for sending Your word and healing and rescuing them! Thank You for giving me the boldness to proclaim, "It is finished!" because I do not waver! I am not tossed to and fro! I ask You and You do anything for me because of Your great love for us! 

Please make this confession out loud with me.

"Independent of who wants me and doesn't want me on this earth, I am thankful God wants me! The enemy intends rejection to harm me but he is a liar and I thank God for working all things together for my good! I praise God who causes me to triumph in Christ Jesus! When I am weak, God is strong! God sent His Word and healed me of everything that attempts to rise up against me. I thank God, no weapon formed against me shall prosper! I thank God He never leaves or forsakes me and enables me to be strong and courageous! THANK YOU KING JESUS!"

Genesis 50:20

Romans 8:28

2 Corinthians 2:14

Jeremiah 29:11

Psalm 107:20

Isaiah 54:17

John 8:44

John 14:14

James 1:6

Deuteronomy 31:6

Passenger Excitement!

For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NLT)

I always have so much fun traveling on inter-island flights between the Hawaiian Islands. The plane is always buzzing with excitement as tourists are amazed at being in Hawaii. Some people who come here have saved and waited for most of their lives just to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Some are staring and pointing out the windows at the beauty of paradise while others are looking over maps trying to get their bearings while others are busy asking locals questions wanting insider information. 

It always prompts me to think about how exciting it is going to be when we see Jesus coming! Can you imagine that day? I sure can and think about it often! Some have waited most of their lives just to see Jesus coming from Heaven with a shout! Some will be staring and pointing at the awesomeness of Jesus while others try to get their bearings while others ask questions wanting information.

Every night when I go to bed, I think…"Well, Jesus didn't come today, hopefully we will see Him coming tomorrow." Jesus is coming soon! I shout, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)

What will you do when you see Jesus coming down from Heaven with a shout? If I'm able, I want to dance like king David danced, but I may just stand still in awe. Until we see Him coming, may the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you! (Revelation 22:21)

Have you accepted Jesus? If not, I encourage you to receive Him now. He came so that we can have life and have it in excessive abundance! (John 10:10) Make the decision today to make Him Lord of your life! Eternal life starts now! If you want to receive Jesus, please contact us by emailing us at keytovblog@gmail.com and will be help you. We will also help you connect with a bible based church near you. If you feel uncomfortable contacting us, we highly suggest www.faithman.org for more information. 

Know the Drill

For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. (Hebrews 5:13-14, NLT)

My girls have been traveling since they were three months old. Currently, they are eight and ten years old. When they were younger, I had to instruct them how to maneuver through airports. I taught them how to stay hydrated, take advantage of every bathroom location, keep an eye on the monitors for flight changes, locate departure gates, and how to successfully get through security screenings.

On one occasion while in the Kauai airport, my scuba dive computer (which also serves as my watch) caused me to alert TSA and experience a pat down. I cannot define the joy of the experience as Mikea loudly protested with all the drama she could muster up, "She's innocent, she is innocent!" Although I found her antics quite amusing, the TSA agent did not. Thankfully, now Mikea understands there is a time and place for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Through training, she now now skilled to know what to do…and what not to do, when dealing with TSA.

Helpful hint: TSA pat down is not the time for joking.

Traveling with an eight and ten year old is a whole lot easier than it was back when I had my baby in the front pack, while wearing a back pack full of baby supplies, and pushing my toddler in a stroller. I no longer have to instruct my girls step by step on airport travel. Through training, experience, and maturity they know the drill. Much in the same way, as we study God's Word, we grow from "milk to solid food" every day bringing us closer to knowing the drill (spiritual maturity). 

Traveling with an infant may be difficult, but that never kept me grounded. While my girls were infants, I front packed one, carried what they needed in my backpack, and pushed the other one in her stroller. Thankfully, I am not currently front packing an eight year old, they no longer need a backpack full of diapers, and I'm not pushing a ten year old in a stroller. But I didn't expect them to get out of the front pack, diapers, or stroller before the time had come. On the other side of that coin, I certainly taught them when and how to get out of the front pack, diapers, and stroller as they matured. 

It is through training that spiritual infants gain the skill  to know the difference between right and wrong. Spiritual infants must be taught how to stay well hydrated (John 4:14, John 7:37--38), take advantage of every bathroom location to dump what needs to be dumped…no pun intended, (Matthew 6:14, Luke 17:1), keep an eye on the monitors for flight changes, (Matthew 24:4), locate the gate (John 14:6), and how to easily get through security screenings (Matthew 24:42).

Lord God, thank You for calling us out of darkness into Your marvelous Light! Thank You for being forever faithful toward us and never slack! Thank You for surrounding us with favor as a shield! And thank You so much for placing the spiritual mature in our path to give us milk and then solid food at Your appointed time. And thank You for teaching us to not only hear but do what as Your Word instructs us. I pray for every reader right now, both the believers on milk and solid food. May the ones on milk rise up and receive training becoming skilled. May the ones on solid food be strong in You and the power of Your might! And may we all walk in everything You have called us to walk in, and never grow weary in doing good. I pray all these things in Your Son's name and I thank You for all things You are working right now together for our good!

1 Peter 2:9

2 Peter 3:9

James 5:16

Ephesians 6:10

Galatians 6:9

Romans 8:28

Hawaiian Ipu

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26, NLT)

Over the weekend, we attended a really great ancient Hawaiian Cultural Festival. The festival offered lei making, canoe paddling, hula, Hawaiian music, and ipu making.

Gracie decided she wanted to make an ipu so we got in line to pick out a gourd. For more information on the Hawaiian ipu, please click the link below. It is very interesting.

http://www.kaahelehawaii.com/pages/culture_ipu.htm

Once she picked out her gourd, we received instruction on how to clean it which involved going to the shoreline, filling it one-fourth full with sand and three-fourths full of salt water, then swishing the salt water/sand mixture around in the gourd, emptying it, then repeating the process. And then repeating the process, and then repeating the process…and…then…repeating….the…process.

This process took well over an hour and it wasn't an easy process. I was wearing new white shorts on a black sand beach so I had to make sure sand and water didn't come into contact with my shorts. We were bent over for a long period of time (we didn't bring a beach chair). We dealt with wave after wave pushing us around. We were in a cove like area with ocean on one side and a huge hill on the other so it was quite hot. Plus, we were on summer break, working this hard was not on my radar! I was thinking more along the lines of sand and sun while laying in a hammock!

Several times,  Gracie grew tired of the process, took the gourd back to her teacher for inspection and was told, "Just a little more." We had to insure all the inside contents of the gourd was washed out; otherwise, it would rot and be useless.

Over two hours later, the time had finally come and the gourd was completely cleaned out on the inside. Gracie had finally earned her scraping tool which was a coconut husk. She was sent back to the shoreline to use the saltwater/sand mixture and the husk to remove all loose particles from the outside of the gourd. 

Once the inside had been cleaned, the outside cleaning was extremely easy.

Cleaning the inside took well over two hours while cleaning the outside took approximately ten minutes. Once the outside was cleaned, Gracie's teacher congratulated her on a job very well done, wiped down her gourd with coconut oil, then taught her how to tie string on the outside so that we could hang it up and display her beautiful ipu. 

About two hours into the cleaning process I thought, "Man…I am so thankful God didn't make it this difficult for us to become one of His kids! He just gave us a new heart and put a new spirit in us! Thank God for sending Jesus!"

Dear most gracious and loving Heavenly Father, thank You for saving us by Your grace, thank You for Your miraculous gift! (Ephesians 2:8) Thank You for giving us a new heart and putting a new spirit in us! (Ezekiel 36:26) Thank You,  when we became ingrafted in Jesus, You made us a new creation, a new creation altogether! The old passed away and behold, fresh and new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) You are such a giving God, and we thank You for You, Your Son, Your Holy Spirit and thank You for leading and guiding us into all truth!

Gives: Freely transfer the possession of something to someone. Thanks Google!

Blackberry Patch Lessons

From time to time, we are blessed by a guest blog post. Enjoy the following by one of my sweetheart girlfriends, Shila Barker. Every summer, she picks blackberries then sends me mouth watering pictures of her bountiful harvest. 

Now THAT is a fine looking blackberry!

Recently she excitedly shared with me about what God had shown her in her blackberry patch.

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NLT)

I learned something in the berry patch today. We can think about fruit, talk about fruit, and plan for fruit all year long; but, if the vine or the connection to the vine isn't healthy, the fruit just won't produce. Connection to the vine is crucial. 

Pruning out unfruitful weeds (distractions, life sucking attachments) is absolutely necessary or even with the best intention, fruit won't produce properly. 

I am so thankful for a vine that is continually faithful to feed and nurture the branches where fruit almost effortlessly produces because of the massive love that flows through the vine!


In Him,
Shila Barker

Chemical Reactions

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” (Psalm 126:2, ESV)

Today in homeschool, we learned about chemical reactions. We concocted a recipe and once we added the last component, our mixture boiled over and out of our bottle as squeals and laughter ensued!

The experiment reminded me of one my best girlfriends, Bambi! When we met, we just clicked and it was like we had always known each other. She's a Texas girl so we "get" each other. We spend a lot of time together and once she is in the mix, there's a lot of boiling over as squeals and laughter ensue…as is evidenced in this picture!

"Hey Genice, watch this AND take a pic!" SPLAT...SPLASH! Ohhhh, that's gonna leave a mark...hahahaha!

She also teaches me how to paddle Texas girl style! 

She is a divine connection, truly a gift from God. She came into my life during a very confusing, difficult, discouraging time. She consistently spoke clarity over me, gave me solid counsel filled with anointing, spoke the Word over me, produced good treasure, but most of all, she made me laugh…and laugh…and laugh, until we saw victory! (Psalm 37:30, 31, Luke 6:45, Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10)

Not every connection in our lives result in this kind of reaction. I don't get this "reaction" from all people. I'm sure some people in my life have found it easier to love me from afar. That's ok, at times, wisdom says love from a distance.

The Lord laughs! (Psalm 2:4) Today, make a date with a best girlfriend and imitate the Lord as much as possible! Well, unless you are male…in that case, well…hopefully there rest goes unsaid!

Father, thank You for creating friendships and thank You for sending friendships to us at precisely the right time, all in Your perfect timing. Thank You for like minds to share all the great things You have done and continue to do in our lives! I pray for friendships for every reader right now, may we always be watchful to honor, love, and bless those friends who You so graciously place in our path. Thank You for all good things!

Homeschoolers, our recipe is below:

5 drops food coloring

2 tablespoons warm water

1 squirt dish soap

1 teaspoon yeast

1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

Place ingredients in a small bottle, turn 'em out in the yard and ENJOY!

Light!

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105, NLT)

If you've followed our blog for very long, you know we have a love for God's living Word. (Hebrews 4:12) And a love for reading! There are many great authors who expound on God's word and offer advice on how to practically apply the bible, teaching us how to live the abundant life!

It has been on my heart to share with you six books that have changed my life.  They are listed below. I have read, re-read, and re-read these books. God has used these authors and these books to change my life from daily defeat to daily victory!

• Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Dr. Larry Ollison
• Battlefield of the Mind, Joyce Meyer
• God's Opinion of You, Dr. Terry Mize
• The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
• Who Switched Off My Brain, Dr. Carolyn Leaf
• Prayers that Avail Much, Germaine Copland

We highly suggest these books for living victoriously! Most of the books in this list may be found at www.faithman.org and clicking the Lighthouse Bookstore tab. If you have any questions, about any of these books or authors please feel free to contact us at any time in the comments below or by emailing us at keytovblog@gmail.com.

Happy reading and happy living! Light be, in the name of Jesus!

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))

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)