Patience, Lacking Nothing!

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4, NKJV)

Last Saturday, Mike (my husband) and I ran a Spartan Race. 

We have ran many races, (5k, 10k while pushing a baby jogger, etc) but the Spartan Race is unlike any other we’ve ever done. On their website (www.spartan.com) they say, “You’ll know at the finish line.” 

Yuh. Huh.

The Spartan Race is a race with obstacles…really, REALLY, hardcore obstacles. 

To give you an idea of what it is like to be a Spartan, it took us over 1/2 hour to walk from the parking area to the tent where we picked up our race packets. 

Yeh.

Just LOOK at that ocean!

At the starting line, there was a really cool MC playing loud music pumping everyone up for the race. 

Do not be tricked by that! 

At the starting line, the runners can see a trail leading up a small hill. 

Do not be tricked by that!

Earlier this year, our pastor challenged us to go out and do things we had never done before. We love our pastor, a lot. But before the end of the this day…I would seriously question his challenge. As well as my acceptance of said challenge. Plus, maybe smack him in the back of his head…please don’t tell him! 

We love you pastor!

Mike and I were super pumped about the task that lay ahead and about challenging ourselves by doing something we had never done before. 

The day was still young.

A little more loud music and pumping up by the MC and we were off!

A small run up a small hill and then down again into some trees and we were feeling good!

And. Then. Our. First. Obstacle.

We had to walk in a muddy creek, neck deep and the water was cccccccccold!

Hey, no problem right? We’re Spartans! 

And...we are five minutes into the race. 
Adrenaline if flowing like a raging river, we got this!

Once the guy in the lead was waist deep, he turned around to the rest of us and squealed, “Oh man, this is so cold!"

Some participants were slowly emerging themselves into the creek to adjust to the cold temperature.

Not. Me. Bro.

I dunked myself up to my chin and screamed, 

“I’M ALL IN!!!"

That motivated some…while it freaked others out.

In my defense, once I began my initial dunk in that cold water, I had to scream something other than, “OH SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME NOW!!!”.......like a girl.

A woman behind me was upset at the creek obstacle. She kept screaming, “But I’m short! But I’m short! But I’m SHORT!”

Yuh. Never saw her again. Moment of silence please.

After about five minutes, we made it out of the creek…better known as, first obstacle under our belts.

At that point…it was all up hill…in Kualoa Ranch...on Oahu. This would be the same ranch where movies such as...Lost, Jurassic Park, and Wind Talkers were filmed. 

Just to give you a visual.

In a word…steep. 

In another word…muddy.

And getting muddier by the second as all the dripping wet runners were going up the trail.

About ten minutes later, we made our way up the hill to find our second obstacle…a cargo net.

A cargo net anchored over a steep, long ditch.

I said to myself, “Self, what do you suppose we are to do with that cargo net?”

When the moderator at that obstacle screamed, “Climb up the embankment using the cargo net, if you fall, you pay…15 burpees!”

Ok. I borderline despise burpees…with a passion.

Needless to say, I scaled the cargo net with the ease and expertise of Spiderman! 

Ok. Maybe not as pretty but the end result was, NO BURPEES FOR GENICE! 
Everybody cheer!

After the cargo net, we had to climb a hill on a muddy, grassy trail to our next obstacle…a mud hole.

I am convinced, this was no ordinary mud hole. It was a mud hole…much like a crawdad hole one would find in Oklahoma with 5’ sides. 
Ok a crawdad hole in Oklahoma…on steroids!

I was only slightly muddy at this point…and I really preferred to keep it that way…so I wondered how I could maneuver through the mud hole with only slightly touching the mud…hopefully, only up to my knees.After all, parasites live in mud! In it’s center, the mud hole was only about 3’ deep. 

I thought I could crawl down the side, gently enter the mud hole, walk slowly across the center (minimizing my contact with the mud…at least my upper body), and gently crawl up the other side to exit the hell hole….oh, I meant…mud hole.

Once I reached the top of the side of the mud hole…it was quite a bit more slippery than I had anticipated. As a result, I slipped, fell…and rolled down the side…into the mud hole…face first…with all the elegance and gracefulness of the...Three Stooges…yes, all three!

The mud pit moderator yelled, “YEAH! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALK’N ‘BOUT! EMBRACE IT!”

My initial thought was…”I will EMBRACE your neck, with my bare hands!” 
But…this was a race, and ain’t nobody got time fo’dat’….or jail.

And then, I saw the sports photographer clicking away with the speed of a machine gun operator! Thanks for that, I appreciate it. 
That is most likely seed-time-harvest, I’m a big girl. I can accept that.

(Pictures should be ready in seven days. I will post them when we receive them.)

Completely and totally drenched with caked on mud, I continued my trek up the hill.

Up, up, up, up…the muddy, grassy trail…I started to see signs of the participants who had gone before me. Shoe inserts. Huh?! Yes, people had started to throw their shoe inserts on the sides of the trail. What was this? Perhaps a Spartan tactic? Did they know something I didn’t know? 

I may have followed suit; however, that would mean I would have to stop and bend over. At that point, I had a concern if I stopped, I might not start again! And if I bent over, I might not straighten up again!

Yes…it IS THAT brutal.

Plus, I have great running shoes! They are cool, and I’m not going to abandon them on the trail like yesterdays trash! As you can see, I am very attached to my running shoes!

Participants began to drop like flies. All along the trail there were people sitting and laying on the ground.  

About a fourth of the way up the very steep, muddy, grassy, mountain (notice how the hill suddenly turned into a mountain…hey, don't judge) I saw our next obstacle. A mud pit…although not as deep…but draped with barbed wire. Real barbed wire. With real barbs. Sharp barbs. Needless to say, I was shocked! Barbs can scratch people! I haven’t seen barbed wire since I left Oklahoma…in 1998! And I had never crawled under barbed wire...through mud!

With all seriousness, (trying to hide my underlying panic) I turned to my race partner, knowing he was previously an Army man, and said, “How is the best way to get through to the other side?!”

His response, “Crawl and roll.”

Ok…I do not "crawl and roll". I was wearing pink nail polish! Girls with a pink mani and pedi do not…”Crawl and roll”…through the mud…under barbed wire! 
(Insert squeaky voice.)

Until. Now.

I estimated the, “Crawl and roll" requirements to be about ten rolls across. I’m a goal setter. Deep breath. Composure. I am going to finish this!

Roll #10

Crawl

Roll #9

Crawl

Roll #8

Crawl

Roll #7

Somewhere midway crawling and rolling in the mud…I got dizzy, really dizzy. 

Picture it. 

There is barbed wire zig zagged across the top of me. 

Mud beneath me. 

Racers in front of me (under barbed wire…in the mud).

Racers behind me (under barbed wire…in the mud).

And I’m dizzy, really dizzy. 

I had no other alternative but to crawl and roll on.

Mike helped me up once I was out from under the barbed wire. I told him I was dizzy. He told me to rest. I was bent over, trying to catch my breath while not looking like a wimp….a difficult task indeed.

Ok…let’s just establish, Mike is way tougher than I am. In my head, I thought…I don’t want to hold him back but I know he won’t leave me.

I looked up at him and said, “Ok, I’m ready to…”

Everything got real swirly and fuzzy. So I bent down and said, “I gotta catch my breath.” Yea…breathing, really good plan. 
Passing out, on the side of the Kualoa Mountain range on a grassy, muddy trail…not a good plan.

I caught my breath (more importantly, didn't pass out or throw up) and we made it to the top!

As I was catching my breath (yes, again), I looked around and saw the most amazing sight. A full blown view of the pacific ocean. I cannot even tell you how much I appreciated those ocean breezes! When all of the sudden, my moment was interrupted by the sounds of ambulance sirens. Ambulances? Yes, participants were being taken out by ambulance. Three ambulances to be exact! I determined…I will NOT be one of those!

We took off, rounded a group of trees and saw our next obstacle. We had to carry or drag (but not roll) a truck tire that was connected to a rope and anchored in the ground, run back down the rope, and pull the rope to get the tire back to where we started. 

Done. Like a boss.

The prior ambulance scene gave me my second wind and I was off…down the hill. But going down was almost as hard as up! I told myself, “That’s ok, I can do this.” 

Only to come upon Spartan trail tape leading us into thick trees! The trees were so thick there was only one way in and one way out. The kicker…the trail “hole” that got us through to the other side was full of thorny branches and so we had to walk through bent halfway over. 

My lower back was screaming, “You gotta straighten up!” 
My lungs were screaming, “I gotta have more air!” 
My inner being was screaming, “I gotta slap your face for doing this! 
What WERE you thinking??!”

Then. It. Started. To. Rain.

We made it through the forrest of terror, (insert attitude) only to see multiple sets of monkey bars. But not at all the fun kind of monkey bars you see at parks. These were big macho man monkey bars, tall and stretched across at least four times longer than fun kid kind monkey bars. I had to jump up to even reach the first bar. 

I am not gonna lie to ya…I did not make it all the way across…burpee time…I accept it. Don’t even care.

Patience…lacking nothing.

Once the monkey bars/burpees escapade was over, we were headed straight to the finish line….or. so. we. thought.

Nope…a not so quick detour back up the hill…yes. Back. Up. The. Hill….uuuugh. 

Patience…lacking nothing.

When much to my dismay we were met with a very large man (who I am STILL convinced is related to Goliath) shouting, “Grab the sand bag and get up the hill! If you want to be a tough, grab two sand bags! And if you want to be an over achiever, you can grab me and carry ME up the hill! HAHHAHAAHAHAAHAHA!"

Yea. Needless to say, I grabbed my sand bag and ran away from him as fast as I could! Who knew all my Oklahoma days of carrying 50 pound bags of horse feed would come in handy?!

"As fast as I could” quickly turned into a snail’s pace. Mike kept saying, “I will carry your sandbag if you need me to.” I repeatedly refused. Not to be stubborn and refuse help, but this race turned into a race I was running against myself.

Patience…lacking nothing.

I made the circle up the hill, back down again, and gladly dropped my sandbag for the next victim-slash-race participant. I turned toward the finish line.

And then, got dizzy again. I really didn’t know how much further I could go without throwing up and/or passing out.

I had to stop and rest. I gained my composure and took off for the finish line. The finish line seemed so close in comparison to where I had been.

I rounded a corner of trees and saw…yet another barbed wire mud pit, except this one was even longer than the previous one.

My immediate response was, "You have GOT to be kidding me??!! This race just doesn’t let up!! Even near the end!” 

But then I decided, either I am going to run this race or I am not going to run this race. I didn’t decide which obstacles would be thrown at me; however, I was going to finish this race to the best of everything that was in me. (Hebrews 12:1, Ephesians 1:3)

 In many ways, the 2nd barbed wire mud pit was more difficult than the first. I was tired, I was nauseous, I was dizzy, and did I mention...this pit was even longer than the first.

I slowly got down on my hands and knees to roll under the first barbed wire into the pit. Rocks in the mud kept hitting the soft tissue by my knee caps, making my knees give away resulting in me falling flat on my stomach. 

Patience…lacking nothing.

I’ve never heard so much moaning and groaning in my life. Most specifically mine. Not the whining kind, but the I am being pushed to my absolute lengths of everything I am. Exactly what am I made of?

Patience…lacking nothing.

This race was a mind game beyond mind games. With every obstacle, I thought it was my last obstacle and I would soon be crossing the finish line. Only to (by this point) walk closer and see yet another obstacle. 

Patience…lacking nothing.

This time, it was an 8 ft wall. We had to climb the wall using only the frame on the sides. In other words, the wall was made with boards that met perfectly and was completely flat except the frame on both ends. 

Mike put his hands on the wall and let me use his hands for foot holds.

Told you he is tough!

Once I straddled the wall and was sitting on top, I discovered….not only were there no footholds climbing up but there also were no footholds going down. Sitting on top of the wall gave me a very clear indication of precisely how high 8’ really is. 

Yeh, it’s tall.

Mike ran around to the other side of the wall and told me to let go and he would catch me. I did, he lost his balance, shoving himself into me, then us into the wall and I hit so hard my back popped.

I was winded but so close to the finish line so, “Tally-Ho!"

After a few minutes I was able to trot towards the finish line when I saw our next obstacle. A wall approximately 15-20' long, with blocks for hands and feet. We were to scale the wall using the blocks and weren’t allowed to touch the top or fall off the wall. 

One question. 
Who on earth is the Spartan creator??? 
And what is wrong with him/her??? 
And who actually pays for this??? 

Oh….that would be me!

And that's three questions but who is counting?!

I decided, just shut up and do it. 
In my mind, I was thinking…truly, this has to be our last obstacle.

Nope.

Patience...lacking nothing.

That was when I saw…a huge muddy pit with a frame, really high in the sky. All across the frame hung ropes that we were to climb, ring a bell, climb back down, jump in the muddy pit (waist deep), then climb out of said pit and continue on to the (now in sight) finish line.

I tried and tried to climb the rope but my hands and shoes (well, my everything) was so muddy I could not get a grip. Even if I had been able to get a grip, I highly doubt I could've  made it all the way to the top. 

Again, not going to lie, couldn’t make it to the top. 

Could, however- crawl out of the mud pit!

The finish line was calling me like a dinner bell to a pack of hungry, rabid dogs!

We were almost there. We could only see four more obstacles! We can do this!

My shoes had gotten very muddy and the back of my socks had slipped down to the middle of my feet. I could see the finish line and I didn’t want to stop and fix my socks. I was so close. Besides, my everything was caked with mud so stopping to fix my socks wouldn’t really have changed much.

I was midway between the rope-climbing-mud pit-bell ringing obstacle and the spear throwing obstacle when…IT happened.

My left ankle popped and I fell down. Mike said, “I heard that pop, what was that?!”

I was hurting so bad, I thought I might throw up. I didn’t know what to do, I did not want to admit defeat. I knew Mike couldn’t carry me and finish the race. There were four more obstacles and I wasn’t sure I could finish. I said, (in pain, through gritted teeth) “You are going to have to call Medical and have them take me out of here.”

This may seem like a rabbit trail; however, there is a point. I truly, wholeheartedly, and endearingly love Hawaii’s people. They are a bunch of family oriented, loving, helpful people who have always been so welcoming and good to us. 

I was so disappointed. About the time, I thought I was going to have to quit and give up (I thought my ankle was broken) two local boys walked up and said, “Everything ok here?” I told them I would be ok and thanked them. They said, “We are so close to the finish line. You are going to finish. We are going to get you across the finish line if we have to carry you. We leave no one behind.” 

(Insert tears & immense gratitude.)

These local boys, who I had never seen before and will most likely never see me again, hoisted me up on their shoulders, (along with Mike) and carried me to the next obstacle. 

They put me down, I threw my spear, and wondered how I would get to the next obstacle when…there stood my local boys and said, “Let’s do this!”

They carried me to the next obstacle, which was using a rope to climb over an a framed wall.

I made it up and over the wall. 

Warning: It ain’t pretty.

My local boys were waiting to help Mike carry me over the fire pit.

Once we were over the fire pit, I told them I was sure I could crawl under the catwalk. 
A great big shout out to local boys always willing to help a fellow comrade! 

I was able to crawl through unassisted and Mike and I crossed the finish line together.

Mike helped me to the First Aid Tent where I told them I needed to see Medical. I was still in a lot of pain so two men carried me to an RTV and drove me to Medical.
(That was a rough ride. Everything in Spartan is rough!)
Medical evaluated me, elevated and iced my ankle. Thankfully by the time they drove us to our truck I thought I would be able to avoid an emergency room visit. 

Thank God for friends and family members in the medical field who told me what to do to care for my ankle. And thank God for pray-ers who cover me and declare wholeness! I’m getting stronger every day!

In closing, a couple weeks ago we were hiking (sometimes crawling) the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska (which is so far beyond my element) and I just THOUGHT that was tough! Glacier hiking is a baby walk compared to a Spartan race! Spartan brings a whole new definition to tough.

Today, as I lay in my bed, (ankle braced, elevated and iced) I realize my “first aid drawer” (my drawer that holds my ankle brace, shoulder brace, Rock tape, Doterra deep blue, and anti-inflamitories) now runneth over. What does all this mean?

It simply means I have risen to the challenge our pastor gave us earlier this year…go out and do things you have never done before. 

What can you do that you have never done before?

We would love to hear from you, no matter how great or how small, do something you have never done before and share it with us!

And may we all have a servant's heart like the heart the Hawaiian people live by!

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))

High as a Kite

From time to time, I welcome a guest to contribute a blog post. Today's blog post is written by my nine year old daughter, enjoy!

I was at the beach on the pretty island of Oahu. And as I was flying my kite, it fell in the water (because it was too high). And then I had to get in the water to get my kite.

After that I thought for a second. Then I said, "Mom, I have a new blog!" I said, "You know how I fly my kite? I wanted to fly my kite high. Then once I got it like I thought I wanted it, it fell in the water. When we don't read God's word, we are low like the kite. And when we are too high, we have pride so we go down. But when we are in the middle we are wise in what the Lord says."

So what have we learned in this story? Post your comments on Facebook and Twitter!

Demolition Derby Time!

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, NLT)

I have read and read and read that scripture. I have confessed and confessed and confessed that scripture. But this week, that scripture has come alive to me in a new way!

Our store on Oahu, Central Pacific Rebuilders, has an upstairs living quarters. This week, our friend Joseph has been renovating the living quarters area.

It is our Palace O'Da Key Tov!

The building was built in the sixties. I'm extremely positive it has not been touched since that time. God has given me a wonderful vision for this project! Not a vision in the biblical sense, a vision as in how to renovate it.

The first thing Joe had to do was gut the whole upstairs. There was hammering and sawing and banging. It was like a demolition derby, except with men instead cars! At the end of day one, I looked around and I thought, now THIS is what the Lord intended by demolishing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God!

Seeing the results of the "gutting" made me want to further my study of the word demolish (mahalo Google) and I found:

Verb

• Pull or knock down (a building).
• Comprehensively refute (an argument or its proponent).

Synonyms

• destroy - wreck - ruin - tear down - pull down

This is my new translation for 2 Corinthians 10:5!

We demolish-pull down-knock down-comprehensibly destroy-wreck-ruin-tear down-refute all arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ!

When we are tempted with thoughts of:

• Anxiety
• Hurt
• Frustration
• Confusion
• Condemnation
• Anger
• Offense

We run to Jesus and demolish 'em!
We don't run to our friends &/or Facebook and amplify 'em!

We replace:

• anxiety with "Lord, I cast all anxieties on You, because You care for Me!" (1 Peter 5:7)
• hurt with "I fear not, for You are with me; I am not dismayed, for You are my God! You strengthen me, Yes, You help me! You uphold me with Your righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
• frustration with "Thank You Jesus for bringing to my remembrance to refuse to grow weary of doing good! Thank You for Your promise I will reap in due season when I refuse to give up!" (Galatians 6:9)
• Confusion with "Father, thank You for Your wonderful Spirit of truth! He guides me into all the truth! (John 16:13)
• Condemnation with "Thank You Jesus there is no place for condemnation in me! You have made me free from the law of sin and death! (Romans 8:1, 2)
• Anger with "Father, You gave me emotions! I handle my emotions in a healthy, godly manner! When I am angry, I refuse to sin! I put my trust in You! (Psalm 4:4-5)
• Offense with "Father, thank You for teaching me to walk in forgiveness which makes me free! Thank You for showing me how to avoid the terrible trap of unforgiveness!" (Mark 11:25)

Friends, it's demolition derby time!

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)

Moving On

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (Psalm 37:23, NLT)

Earlier this year and quite out of the blue...I kept "seeing" Oahu. I would be busy about my day and the picture would pop up in my spirit. It was a picture of the map of Oahu.

Right after I started consistently "seeing" Oahu, my oldest child started talking about and listing all the reasons we should move to Oahu. It was mostly said in jest with a little bit of seriousness. I didn't share with her, or anyone else, what I had been seeing.

Several weeks later, and almost last minute (I believe it was about three days prior) I received notification about a special healing service being held on Oahu by an evangelist. My spirit jumped and I knew I needed to be there. Initially I had a concern about being able to make late travel arrangements and inter-island airfare had been between $100.00 and $300.00 but discovered online flights were only $69.00. I called Mike, asked his opinion, and he immediately told me to go.

While researching travel arrangements (air, car, etc), my nine year old woke up and told me she had a dream. She said she dreamed, "we moved to Oahu". I found the dream and the timing very interesting.

I went to the service and it was a very powerful service. A man who could hardly walk with his cane, stood upright and walked very quickly across the platform without the cane! A little ten year old girl who had been deaf from birth, received her hearing!

A pastor prophesied over me that we would return to Oahu. That I have "radical faith", Mike and I are "pillars, and God was bringing us full circle, back to Oahu."

A couple months later, Mike started tossing around the idea of us going to Oahu to work. I told him we would do whatever we needed to do and I knew he would make the best decision for our family.

I didn't share any of this with anyone except my spiritual mom. I told her because I wanted prayer agreement. I didn't discuss it with Mike because I didn't want to influence him one way or another. I simply wanted God to work on our behalf. It is my heart's desire to be exactly where God wants us to be and when He wants us to be there. I trust His timing to be perfect. I wanted this move (or the decision not to move) to be all of God and none of me.

Last month, the final decision was made and everything is in place. We depart very soon and will be posting Bible Studies from Oahu! Currently, we are unsure if this is a permanent move or only for a season. We wait on Him! (Psalm 27:14)

Please continue to pray for us and Key Tov Blog as we embrace this wonderful and exciting adventure as He directs our steps!

Treatment Plans

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12, NLT) 

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) 

During a routine dental exam, my children were referred to an orthodontist. We were told the orthodontist would create a treatment plan for them that we agreed with and at the end of plan, they would have beautiful teeth. 

I thought, hmmmm...treatment plans. That is how we fight the good fight of faith and press on, we build a treatment plan! 

A few days later, I saw a post by Pastor Nick Van Rensburg on the Christian Family Church Hawaii Facebook page. After reading his post, I was inspired! Blessed! Invigorated! I wanted to share it with you so I asked for permission to use it in this blog post.  Thank you Pastor Nick! 

While we are on Oahu, Christian Family Church is our home church. You can find Christian Family churh at the link below.

 (http://www.jesushawaii.com/Family_Christian_Church_Hawaii/HOME.html)

Time to Get Serious

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee.... I [will] remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. (Psalm 63:1,6)

If you're going to live in divine health, there are going to be times when you'll have to be downright extreme about the Word of God. Times when you may be facing a sickness so severe that you need more than just a few moments in the Word and a quick prayer to receive your healing. 

I want to tell you, in very practical terms, what I would do in a situation like that. 

- The moment I woke up in the morning, before I did anything else, I'd take Communion. I'd say, "Lord, I dedicate my body all day today to the service of my Lord Jesus Christ. I take Jesus' pure blood shed for me." 
- Then I'd put the devil in his place. I'd say, "I rebuke you, Satan. You're not going to put any sickness and disease on me today. Regardless of the symptoms, regardless of what my body thinks about it, by the power of Jesus through His Spirit, I have overcome this sickness because He that is within me is greater than he that is in the world." 
- Then, all day long, I'd thank God for my healing. I'd choose some teaching tapes that would fill my mind and my spirit with the anointed Word of God, and I'd listen to them throughout the day. In the afternoon, I'd praise God and receive Communion again to remind myself that the blood of Jesus is in my veins, that I'm part of God's family. 

You don't have to wait until Sunday to receive Communion. Jesus just said, "As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me." And if you're facing a serious attack of the devil, you need to remember Him all day and all night. You need to consider Jesus until thoughts of Him push the thoughts of that sickness right out of your mind ... That night before bed I'd receive Communion again, then I'd praise myself to sleep. If I woke up in the night, I'd reach over and get my Bible and read all the healing scriptures and make the devil sorry he woke me. 

When the devil launches a serious attack against your body, don't mess around. Get serious about the Word. Put yourself under its constant care and it will take good care of you!

Oahu, The Meeting Place

Oahu is my first love, island style. We lived on the gorgeous Kaneohe Bay in the small town of Kaneohe, located on the windward side of Oahu. Kaneohe is nestled up against the one of a kind Koolau Mountain range and is next to a great beach town, Kailua. 

Our youngest girls were born in Kailua at Castle Medical Center. If you live on Oahu and are looking for a place to give birth, Castle Medical Center is like a birthing resort! Our room was complete with wood flooring and stunning mountain views. Their staff took great care of us as a family. 

Honolulu is on Oahu and is my favorite major city. Honolulu is the most beautiful city I have ever seen, offering the greatest in shopping, restaurants, and history. The world famous Waikiki Beach is a fun hotspot in Honolulu. Many refer to Honolulu as a concrete jungle. I've never seen it that way but instead, I see it as full and buzzing with opportunity. 

Our favorite restaurant on Oahu was The Palomino but sadly has closed. 

Our favorite lodging on Oahu is The Hilton Hawaiian Village, which is close to downtown. The village offers everything from great beaches, pools, shopping, restaurants, and a spa.

When we prefer to be out of the hub bub of downtown, we stay at the Koolina Resort which is located on the leeward side (west side) of Oahu. Koolina is a slower pace offering three beautiful lagoons for swimming/snorkeling, 5 Star Restaurants, and an amazing spa, the Ihilani. 

Our favorite scuba spots are Shark's Cove and Three Tables on the North Shore; however, these sites cannot be used in winter months because the waves are too high making the surf too rough but is great for photo ops from the shore.

For extremely seasoned divers Cathedrals (east side) is a great dive spot but only in perfect weather conditions. Diving Cathedrals required us to walk down a road in very heavy traffic, completely geared up in full scuba, humped our gear across the road, walked through a culvert, then onto a huge rock. Entrance is a giant stride in, once we reached about twenty feet in depth, we turned right and swam through the cathedral made by lava. It is a phenomenal site but entry and exit is very strenuous. 

Hanauma Bay (east side)  is a great snorkel spot but if you are not kamaaina (state resident) there is a charge.  Blow Hole (east side) is a great spot for photo ops. Portlock in Hawaii Kai, (also on the east side) is a great dive/snorkel spot. Portlock requires perfect weather conditions. I learned that lesson the hard way. One winter, I entered using a giant stride and the ocean literally spit me back out and slid me on my behind across the (thankfully) smooth rock shelf. One side of my body was a most beautiful purple hue so prior to diving this spot, we always insure perfect weather conditions. 

 Electric Beach (west side) is an ideal dive site. The entrance can be a little rough so timing the sets is crucial upon entry and exit. At this site, we have swam with wild dolphins, spotted a Hawaiian monk seal and watched tropical fish clean green sea turtles. 

When diving on Oahu, call the surf report at (808) 596-7873. Flat to a foot with light to moderate trade winds is always the best conditions. 

There are so many gorgeous beaches on Oahu from Kailua Beach to Waimea Bay.  I suggest you set aside a day or two to explore the whole island allowing time to stop off at various beaches, etc. And if you want to hit a mall, my all time favorite without a doubt is Ala Moana. Also, when on Oahu, a visit to Pearl Harbor is an absolute must.

Another Oahu must see is the Polynesian Cultural Center. It is a large property set up like small villages in the Pacific. Each "village" offers food, dance and games associated with the village. It also has one of the best luaus on Oahu. 

Pros

Oahu offers everything!

Cons 

Honolulu is a large city so with large cities come higher crime rates, heavy traffic and huge crowds.

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!”