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))

In the Crack

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor. (James 4:10, NLT)

Last week, we flew from the Big Island to Oahu. After getting our rental car and while driving away from the airport, I looked up at an overpass and saw a beautiful, colorful, bush, growing in the crack of the overpass. The picture below doesn't really show how pretty and colorful the bush was but it does give you an idea of its surroundings.

The bush was not only living in the crack but was thriving in the hard place, surrounded (on all sides except one and the top) by concrete. I couldn't see any soil and I couldn't figure out it's root system. I could see, it was positioned to receive a lot of sun. I pondered that for quite a while and I was reminded of Joseph, the man with the coat of many colors.

His brothers:
Hated him. (Genesis 37:4)
Hated him some more. (Genesis 37:5)
Hated him all the more. (Genesis 37:8)
Threw him in a pit. (Genesis 37:22)
Sold him into slavery. (Genesis 37:28)

Joseph:
Was falsely accused of rape by (of all people) his master's wife. (Genesis 39:14)
Thrown in prison. (Genesis 39:20)
Forgotten about. (Genesis 40:23)
Wept loudly. (Genesis 45:2)

Like the bush, Joseph experienced life in the crack (hard place).

Hard decisions are never easy to make.

When Joseph's life was in the hands of his brothers, they intended evil. But when the life of his brothers was in the hands of Joseph, he made the decision to not only forgive them, but went further and kept them from starving. That's some powerful character right there.

Have you ever been in the crack (hard place)? Like Joseph, you are not alone. The Lord is with you. (Genesis 39:2).

If you are currently in a hard place, position yourself to receive a lot of the Son! He will make you succeed in all you do! (Genesis 39:2)

Your Race is Set!

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)

I read this scripture today and I saw something I've never seen before. 

"the race that is SET BEFORE us" Does this mean, we aren't just haphazardly bouncing from place to place but we have a race that He has set before us? 

What happens "in the natural" when a race is "set"? The Ironman was just completed on the Big Island. The Ironman is one big race! I've never been involved in setting a race so I am unsure of what all goes on behind the scenes prior to race day. I do know, for the Ironman,  there are parades, community events, highway and street closures, road blocks manned by police (do not ask me how I know that *grin*), store and bank closures, flights, hotels/resorts are booked, and there are no rental cars available. Triathletes fly in from all over the world to compete with local triathletes. There are Ironman Tshirts and memorabilia available for purchase everywhere we look. 

To further elaborate:

An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. Most Ironman events have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race, where the Ironman race starts at 7:00 AM, the mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim is 2 hours 20 minutes, the bike cut off time is 5:30 PM, and all finishers must complete their marathon by midnight. The name Ironman Triathlon refers to both the original Ironman triathlon and the annual Ironman World Championship. Also called Ironman Hawaii, the world championships of the event, held annually in Hawaii since 1978 (with an additional race in 1982), are now preceded by a series of qualifying events. Ironman Triathlon became known for its grueling length, harsh race conditions, and television coverage.

Thank you Wikipedia!

So, experiencing the sights and sounds of Ironman and witnessing the preparations I COULD actually see made me think of "the race that is set before us".  The race that is set before us is no small event. 

• He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing! (Ephesians 1:3 NKJV)
• He has commanded His angels to keep charge over us in all our ways! (Psalm 91:11, NIV)
• His race is perfect! (Jeremiah 29:11)
• We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses! (Hebrews 12:1)

He has set the race for you!

My Stepmother

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. (James 5:13, NKJV)

I was raised, in part, by my Dad and stepmother, Louise. When I was with them and when I became disappointed over a situation, “LouLou” would put her arms around me, flash me a million dollar smile, bat her huge brown eyes and sing,

“Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Cooooooooount your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings see what God has done!”

Did I mention, she had a very thick Okie accent? She always knew how to make me smile!

I am so thankful she taught me that song and I’m so thankful for those memories because now, when I’m faced with an obstacle, I start singing this song and list all my blessings from God as I recall the look on her face. As I make a mental list of my many blessings, the temptation to be bogged down by the cares of this world fade away quickly and give place to singing psalms.

We would love to hear from you! What does your long list of blessings look like?

Perspective

My favorite all time song is, Heaven on Earth, performed by Micah Stampley in Nigeria. The guitar player in this You Tube video shows exactly how I feel when I hear this song, enjoy!

http://youtu.be/jbfTNqMc328

Certain aspects of that song strike a very deep chord with me. 

In particular:

Heaven is calling for you to come higher!

To see everything from a new point of view!

To be seated with Jesus in Heavenly places!

From His perspective everything is made new!

In order to see things from His perspective, we must know what His perspective is. 

For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6, NLT)

For, "Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16, NLT)

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19, NKJV)

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3, NKJV)

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. (Psalms 2:4, NLT)

When I speak according to the Word and will of God, heaven responds. (Mark 11:23-24, NLT)

 I have been justified by faith, and I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1, NLT)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV)

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9, NLT)

Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out. (Mark 13:31, The Message)

How about you? 

Are you operating according to your perspective? 

Or are you operating according to God's perspective? 

The Fruit Bowl

One of my daughters recently accepted an invitation to write a guest post for Key Tov Blog. Below is one of her assignments from school. It is a lesson in refusing to be envious.

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1, NKJV)

The Sad Apple

One day a banana was in a fruit bowl. An apple was in the bowl too. While the banana was sitting in the fruit bowl, the apple that was in the bowl with the banana was crying. And the banana said why are you crying? And the apple said I don't like who I am. You don't like who you are?! Said the banana. No. Said the apple. But I like your green color! Said the banana. But the fruit at the store made fun of me! Said the apple. Don't listen to them! Said the banana. Yea I guess they were wrong. Said the apple. You should be happy for what you are. Said the banana. You could have been a smoothie! The End!

She gets her outlook on life from her Daddy, *grin*

Say What?!!

Generally, when someone comes to me for prayer, it is a result of an issue they are struggling with over something someone has said. Or over something someone hasn't said.

"Mom told me I have a big head."
"When I was 9, Dad told me I am lazy."
"My third grade teacher said I would never amount to anything." 

If that's you, I have GOOD news for you! What God said about you overrides everything  everyone else has ever or will ever say! 

• If you are in Christ, you are new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• You can do all things! (Philippians 4:13)
• You are an overcomer! (1 John 5:4)

But wait, there's more!

• He is for you! (Romans 8:31)
• He will never leave you! (Hebrews 13:5)
• He is your strong tower, your shelter! (Psalm 61:3)

If you are asking, "But wait a minute, if all these things are true, then why have bad things happened to me?"

• There is a robber, killer, and destroyer. (John 10:10)
• You have an enemy. (1 Peter 5:8)
• The "someones" in your life, are not the core issue. (Ephesians 6:12)

But, God has set you up for success! He has empowered you!

• Don't worry! (Matthew 6:34) 
• God has a good plan! (Jeremiah 29:11)
• Jesus has given you authority! (Luke 10:19) 

If you are asking, "But how do I apply His Word and change my life from what it is to what God said it is?"

Here's how:

• Receive by faith believing without wavering!  (James 1:6)
• Take every thought captive! (2 Corinthians 10:5)
• Meditate on His Word! (Psalm 19:14)
• Guard your heart with all vigilance!  (Proverbs 4:23)
• Only speak life! (Proverbs 18:21)

Take what God said about you (His Word) and override what everyone else has said or failed to say.

Now, what are you going to say?

Here!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. (Hebrews 12:1, NLT)

We have a dog named, Bo. He is a wonderful family dog. He also is a Certified Visitation Therapy Dog. His primary work is to visit patients in a long term care facility. You can learn more about Bo’s work at the link:

http://www.facebook.com/KeyTovDOGography

For the past several months, we have also been training him to hunt birds. One key element in hunting birds is the “here” command. Once we give him that command, he is to run to our feet as quickly as possible.

I apologize to all cat lovers in advance before making the next statement. Bo has a very strong dislike for small furry creatures, including cats. It may be because he thinks they are mongoose, which he also strongly dislikes. He knows how to shakes hands, he sits, holds, and comes here, but for some reason, he has not enveloped the “don’t chase the neighbor’s cats” command. 

To help him overcome the temptation to chase a cat when he sees it, I say, “here”. I keep saying “here” until he pays attention to me instead of the cat. Once he looks me in the eye, I talk to him until his focus is fully on me and not the cat. Once he is refocused and the temptation has passed, we are free to continue our stroll.

What are your temptations? Once a temptation rears its ugly head, immediately run to the feet of Jesus! Keep your eyes on Him! And you will be free to continue your stroll!

The Big Island of Hawaii

Green sand, black sand, and white sand, life really is a beach! 

We are thankful to call the Big Island of Hawaii our home. We live on the phenomenal Kohala Coast which has some of the best beaches and best weather available. 

Just name your color!

Hapuna, white sand. 

Punaluu, black sand. 

Papakolea,  green sand. 

Hapuna Beach

http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/hawaii/index.cfm?park_id=44

Punaluu Beach

http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/regions-neighborhoods/kau/punaluu-black-sand-beach

Papakolea Beach

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papakolea_Beach

Because of the Big Island's diversity, during certain times of the year, we can snowboard on Mauna Kea and scuba dive at Holoholokai Beach on the same day. Mauna Kea is also great for star gazing and sunsets. 

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/visiting.shtml

The Big Island has it all from boogie boarding to big game fishing to hunting. From the top of Mauna Kea down the waterfalls of Waipio Valley to the deep blue waters and sandy shore of Hapuna Beach, the Big Island is our paradise!

http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/waipio-valley/

When big game fishing, Mike fishes with Captain Neal on the Anxious. Captain Neal is a wonderful captain and friend. 

http://www.alohazone.com/

Kahaluu Beach Villas is a great spot to stay for those wanting to stay in Kona town. It is a new facility right across the street from Kahaluu Beach Park, one of the easiest snorkel spots on the Big Island. 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60592-d2005406-Reviews-Kahalu_u_Beach_Park-Keauhou_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

The Waikoloa property (Hilton or Marriott) is a great place to stay for those preferring to be out of town. Waikoloa is about a half hours drive from Kona. This property has great beaches, Kings Shops and Queens shops (dining and shopping). The Queens Shops offers many fun activities,  (hula shows, lei making, coconut painting) at various times. 

Our favorite resort is The Mauna Lani Resort because they have the friendliest staff on earth. It is a very nice, small, quiet resort. 

http://www.maunalani.com/

In our opinion, The Beach Tree is the best overall dining experience. The food, service, and atmosphere is absolutely second to none. The Beach Tree is much like a lanai (deck) quite literally right on the beach. Watching for whales as the sun sets is one of our favorite pastimes. 

http://www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/dining/

When eating in Kona, we always go see Sam at Krua! 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60872-d1503725-Reviews-Krua_Thai_Cuisine-Kailua_Kona_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

A drive from Kona down the Saddle Road to Hilo is where we drive to see Rainbow falls. Akaka falls is our favorite waterfall because it has a nice hike. Again, we have small children so their safety and well being is always a priority. This is a very easy hike. 

http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/regions-neighborhoods/hamakua-coast/akaka-falls-state-park

We recently took a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian helicopters where we saw numerous waterfalls and flew over Volcano National Park. That flight is a trip of a lifetime. Blue Hawaiian knows how to tour Big Island!

http://www.bluehawaiian.com/bigisland/tours/

Earlier this year, we spent the night at the Kilauea Lodge. It is a very beautiful lodge and the food, service, and atmosphere was amazing. 

http://www.kilauealodge.com/

We are so thankful to live on the Big Island. The Big Island is a much slower pace than Oahu and Maui. We often talk about how living here is like living on vacation. We've had so many great opportunities to travel and live in various places, for us the Big Island is the best of the best!

A few fun videos:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vWGL8pY6N1w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPUttL15fKA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Happy One Year Anniversary Key Tov Blog!

This week we are celebrating Key Tov Blog's first year anniversary. We want to thank you, for your love, prayers and support, which have been absolutely beyond anything we could've imagined! Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts, you are a blessing! We declare Proverbs 11:25 over you in the Name of Jesus!

This Friday, we will be celebrating with an exciting drawing. Please use this link if you would like to participate in our fun give away!

http://keytovblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/mahalo-nui-loa.html

Key Tov Blog is a blog of bible studies from The Big Island of Hawaii.  In celebration, this week we are writing about our amazingly beautiful home state that will provide our experiences of the Hawaiian Islands. We are so grateful to call Hawaii home and in celebration, want to share our home with you! 

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31)

The Scar

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, NIV)

When Mike and I got married, he bought me the most beautiful bedroom suite I have ever seen, before or since. We had spent a lot of time searching for the perfect set. When we found it, we were looking at a catalog in a furniture store and I turned the page to a set named, “Precious Memories”, we both said, “That’s it!” Marital agreement is a good thing!

We still have that bedroom suite. It has been transported many miles, from Oklahoma, to Washington State, across the Pacific to Oahu, back across the Pacific to Missouri, back across the Pacific once more to the Big Island. That is a lot of crossing!

Early in our marriage, during the move from Oklahoma to Washing State, the cedar chest that belongs to the suite was damaged by not being properly cared for by the people responsible for it. It still has a deep scar because we’ve never correctly dealt with it. The cedar chest did nothing wrong resulting in the scar. I know that may sound absurd, but there is a point to the statement.

The allegory being, at times we are scarred simply because we weren’t properly cared for and not by means of our actions.

All these years, all the moving, all the day in and day out of daily living, the cedar chest still has the scar. All these years, I have strategically covered up the scar with flower arrangements, my favorite clock, or candles.

Today, I researched how to correctly deal with the scar at Lowes.com. Below is a brief excerpt.

“When refinishing furniture, you must do the most unpleasant part of the job first. Removing the old finish can be a cumbersome and messy task. For a while early in the process, until you start getting down to the wood underneath the mess, you may feel that you have completely ruined the piece. Have patience. Once you get to the final stage of the wood, you will have graduated from making a mess to creating a masterpiece. When you are finished, you will be proud of what you were able to create.”

To read the instructions in their entirety, please use this link. The process is quite lengthy.

http://www.lowes.com/cd_Refinish+Wood+Furniture_39774404_

Today, I had to remove some flowers that covered up the scar and I was again reminded the root issue had not been dealt with. For over fifteen years, the scar remains.

But today, instead of cringing when I saw the scar, I smiled because God has changed my perception. Now, the sight of the scar reminds me of how deeply God has changed our lives over the past fifteen years. Today, the scar brings me joy unspeakable and made me sing, “Look what the LORD has done!”

I am no longer reminded of what the enemy tried to do. (John 10:10)
I am reminded of everything God has done! (John 10:10)

If we choose to hold onto offense, the list of emotional scars can be quite lengthy. We can decide to cover up the scars with pretty things, but the scar remains. Whether we were or were not properly cared for and a scar or scars resulted, God’s Word remains the same, forgive and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) God has set before us the choice to choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Dr. Larry Ollison's book, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense" (www.faithman.org) will help you walk out this process.

Dealing with emotional scars and furniture scars can be quite lengthy. When dealing with emotional scars we must do the most unpleasant part of the job first, removing the root, which can be a cumbersome and messy task. For a while early in the process, until we start getting down to the root issue underneath the mess, we may feel that we have completely ruined things. Have patience. Once we get to the final stage (deliverance), we will have graduated from making a mess to allowing God to create a masterpiece! When we are finished, we will be so well pleased of what God recreated! God doesn't cover the mess up, He makes all things new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

We don’t have to go through daily life covering up scars. Do your scars remind you of the wonderful goodness of God? Or do your scars bring pain that has just been covered up and not properly dealt with leaving the root issue intact?

I thank God we don’t have to go through the same process with emotional scars that we have to with furniture scars! Did you read all those instructions? Mercy!

He is easy and light! Fix your eyes on Jesus, forgive, receive His healing by faith, (Even if your mind doesn’t currently understand, just have confidence in His Word.), walk in the belief you were healed (1 Peter 2:24 & 2 Corinthians 5:7), and you will dance for your King and sing, “Look what the LORD has done!”