Mainland USA Driving, Four States in a Day

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the Heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One who is over all things. (1 Chronicles 29:11, NLT)

We are well under way and blogging our Full Return adventure. Early this morning, my Bestie gave us a ride from Ada to Oklahoma City. As always, we had a great trip. Any time spent with her is like being on vacation. Within five minutes of being with her, I was relaxed, laughing, and ready for our great adventure. Since we are separated by over 4,000 miles and have been besties for almost 30 years, we made a commitment to one another to meet up somewhere at least once per year. I'm really looking forward to that. It seems as if life spins at a very accelerated rate, please make commitments today and purpose to spend fun times with family and friends.

A side note, if you ever need a hotel in Ada Oklahoma, choose the Laquinta Inn. It is a very nice facility with a pool. It is super clean and their staff is courteous, friendly, and helpful. Thanks ya'll!

Another side note, during our Ada stay, we took a road trip with my baby brother to Krebs Oklahoma and had dinner at Pete's Place. The salad and service is great. Totally worth the road trip. Highly recommend.

Once we picked up our rental in Oklahoma City, we headed to Brick Town and ate Italian at Zio's. Another highly recommend. Brick Town is very pretty and the food at Zio's is top notch.

We were treated to many sights along the way and my girls were able to see things they've never seen; such as, coyotes, the Canadian River, and Tinker AFB. They also learned they were in "America's corner".

After lunch we stopped by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. If you are in the area, please stop. You will be glad you did. The link below will give you more information www.OklahomaCityNationalMemorial.org 

The pictures below are taken from the sight.

The twin gates, The Gates of Time, are located at the east and west entrances of the memorial. The East Gate, 9:01, represents the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate, 9:03, represents the moment Oklahoma City was changed forever. There is a reflecting pool that holds shallow, gently flowing water. There is a field of empty chairs with a name etched in glass symbolizing loss of life, including children. The Survivor Tree is a 90+ year old American Elm that witnessed the violence. The message there reads, "The spirit of the city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us." A fence was installed to protect the Murrah Building site where people still leave tokens of love and hope. 

Across the street from the memorial is a statue depicting Jesus.

Hopefully you can see from the pictures, the memorial is done very well and worth a visit if you are in the area.

Next state: Kansas

Oklahoma Highlights

Mike: Chocolate milkshake at Braums with extra malt (yuck).

Genice: Precious time with my Bestie

Mikea: Uncle Ferm's farm

Gracie: Seeing Auntie Babs, Uncle Ferm, and playing with my cousin

Immediately crossing the Oklahoma/Kansas line, we were blessed with another rare treat. We saw a big buffalo ranch. My girls were very excited because being island girls, they'd never seen live buffalo before. We also saw windmills, drove past the Eldorado Lake, and crossed the Neosho River. Cool Kansas names, with brown water. 

Mike's "take" on Kansas: 

Rolling plains covered with brilliantly colored flowers. Huge racked bucks lurk behind every corner. Turkeys gobble from behind every tree. Truly a sportsman's paradise for hunting, trapping, fishing. For anyone who enjoys the great outdoors, Kansas calls their name!

And of course, we had to stop and visit Bass Pro Shops.

Next state: Missouri

Kansas Highlights

Mike: Bass Pro Shops

Genice: Resting in the "wife waiting area" at Bass Pro Shops 

Mikea: Seeing the buffalo

Gracie: Same as sissy

Ahhhh, my girls got to smell something they've never smelled before, a skunk...three different times. They are not a fan.

Crossing the Missouri state line made me miss my Missoura peeps. Missouri is like a second home state to me. By the time we got into Missouri, it was dark so we didn't get to see much except the beautiful city lights.

Next state: Iowa

Missouri Highlights

Mike: Anticipating our road trip

Genice: Chatting with my friends

Mikea: Crossing the state line

Gracie: The building with all the changing lights 

It is currently nightfall so by the time we cross the Iowa line, we won't be seeing anything but city lights. Tomorrow we will include pics and Iowa information.

Thank you all for joining us on this amazing road trip!

Most loving Heavenly Father, thank You for all the amazing sights we were blessed with today. You are great, powerful, glorious, victorious, and Your majesty is shown in Your beautiful creation! Everything in the Heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is Your kingdom! We adore You as the One who is over all things! Thank You for all the beauty You created for us to enjoy. We look forward to tomorrow as You continue to direct our steps. Thank You for blessing us beyond anything we could ask or think, we love You!

1 Chronicles 29:11, NLT

I Will Show You

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

Next week, we had planned to write a series of blog posts entitled, "Full Return" in celebration of our upcoming anniversary at Key Tov Blog and to kick off our free drawing.

We had an amazing surprise for our readers. Full Return was to document our trip wherein we would fly from Hawaii to Minnesota, rent an rv, go exploring, then fly back to Hawaii, Full Return. Taking you, our faithful readers, along with us every step of the way. Our heart's desire is to always tell about God's wonderful goodness and this is the perfect opportunity to show the phenomenal wonders of God's beautiful creation.

In light of recent events in our personal lives, we prayed and asked God what He would have us do. We considered canceling the series due to the path set before us but canceling just didn't reconcile with our hearts.

We believe God wants us to press on with the series but add this week's travel as well.

So instead of Full Return starting next week, God is supernaturally enabling us to begin the series today. As a result, your likes/shares/posts/comments results in your name being entered into our free drawing starting today up to May 31st, 2013.

Please note: To insure your name is entered into our free drawing, please insure we acknowledge your likes/shares/posts/comments with a thank you via social media. If we do not thank you, please bring it to our attention so we can get all your entries in the drawing.

Since I am in the air and on the road, the team at Totally Totes has so graciously agreed to keep a record of the names for our free drawing. If you do not get a thank you from me acknowledging your entry, please "like" Totally Totes at www.facebook.com/totallytotesmissouri and confirm your name is entered.

Instead of flying from Hawaii to Minnesota, our Full Return series will include flying from Hawaii to my hometown in Oklahoma, spending enough time with family and friends to get my accent back, then driving to Minnesota to walk out Full Return to completion.

It has been spoken over us, we receive and we believe God will be showing us many great and mighty things during this trip, of which we will be sharing with you.

One of the most beautiful things we've witnessed thus far is the outpouring of love encouragement, support, and most importantly, prayers from you, our family, and our friends. At times like this, encouragement, support, and prayers are no small thing. Please know we truly appreciate every one of you. When one of you tell us you are praying for us, we stand confident in knowing we are covered in prayer. When one of you tell us to contact you if we need anything, we know it isn't just something nice to say but a promise that we stand on. There is nothing better than true friends who step up in a time of need without us having to ask.

We laid down in peace last night as we slept and we are walking in His perfect peace that passes all understanding. The only way that is made possible is by and through your prayers and God's unfailing mercy, grace, and love. Thank you for all your calls, emails, texts, prayers, and your outpouring of love.

E Como Mai as we take this journey together expectedly awaiting His great and mighty things!




Also please note, we are aware most of our readers already have, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense" by Dr. Larry Ollison, in their library. If you win the drawing and already have this book, you may choose any book by Dr. Larry Ollison for the same price. You may check out all Dr. Ollison's books at www.faithman.org.

Just a reminder, Totally Totes has teamed up with Key Tov Blog during our anniversary celebration and the winner will also receive one of their great totes. You may check out their selection at www.facebook.com/totallytotesmissouri

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!”