Decisions, Decisions

Thank you so much for your warm welcome as we move into this new season of blogging! We really appreciate you and your encouragement!

Today’s blogpost is a continuation from our previous blogpost. To catch up, please read our last blogpost, thanks!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

We decided buying was better than leasing. We set our hearts on a three story log cabin that was for sale and located right down the road from where we had been leasing. Unfortunately, three weeks and almost $500.00 later, the contract fell through because of extensive repair issues.

We were very disappointed because we had our hearts set on a log cabin located on the side of a mountain in Alaska! Isn’t that everyones Alaska dream?

We were quickly approaching the end of our lease. So we got back into the house hunting game. We found a charming retreat like home. It wasn’t exactly what we had our hearts set on but it was in a great location. It was more than we wanted to pay for a home but we were growing a little weary from work, and homeschool, while at the same time shopping for a home. We built a great relationship with our realtor and he kept encouraging us to keep going! 

*For confidentiality purposes, we won’t publicly disclose our realtor's information. However, if you are in the Anchorage Alaska area and need a really great realtor, please email us (staff@starterman.com) and we will be happy to give you a referral. 

Lastly, the home was older than we had wanted to buy, but it had a really great yard. Mike (my husband) and I, kept trying to make this house fit us.

Twenty-four hours before the contract expired (and another $500.00 later), we decided to submit a termination of agreement due to a long list of issues. Mike and I were in agreement…we just could not get peace to buy this house. 

At that point, we found ourselves with 24 hours remaining on our current lease, no home to buy, and no home to rent (in one of the busiest rental market seasons in Alaska). At that point, I didn’t know much but I did know I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus, God provides all my needs, He has never failed me, and He wasn’t going to fail me now. (Romans 8:37, Philippians 4:19, 1 Corinthians 1:9)

Please join us in our next blogpost as we share with you how God ordered our steps in a life changing direction into this exciting new season of our lives! (Proverbs 16:9)

Seasons Come and then, Seasons Go

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:"(Ecclesiastes 3:1, KJV)

If you are a follower of Key Tov Blog, you may have noticed we had taken a sabbatical. I was in a season where I needed more time for my children and since they are my first mission field (immediately after my husband), I recognized the need to temporarily step away from blogging in order to maximize and prioritize my time.

Now, we are entering into a new and exciting season and we have a lot of God’s amazing goodness to share with you! (Ecclesiastes 3:1, Psalm 100:5)

• First, God enlarged our “house” (Isaiah 54:2) and we opened another location (www.starterman.com) in the great Last Frontier, Alaska!
• Secondly, we’ve seen many changes over the last eight months since sharing our time between Hawaii and Alaska, as I am sure you can imagine!
• Thirdly, we are excited to bring you along with us as we blog about the most recent upcoming season in our lives!

Our first season in Alaska was an exciting time of leasing an amazing log cabin in the Chugach Mountain Range!

*For confidentiality purposes, 

I won’t disclose the location or the landlord’s name; however, 

if you find yourself in need of an amazing vacation rental in Alaska and 

want to do business with a really great landlord, 

please email us (staff@starterman.com) and 

we will be happy to give you a referral.

As that season (leasing the log cabin) was coming to a close, we were making decisions on where the Lord was leading us next. Lease another location, or buy? 

Please join us in our next blogpost as we share with you how God ordered our steps in a life changing direction into this exciting new season of our lives! (Proverbs 16:9)

*We are currently in a remote area so internet is not very reliable. 

As a result, we will post when we can. 

Thank you!

My Year of Doing and Being Different

 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39, NKJV)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19, NKJV)


Earlier this year, our pastor challenged us to make the year 2014 different. He encouraged us to go out and do things we had never done before. His challenge excited me, I accepted his challenge with my whole heart and I did as many different things as I could squeeze into one year! I kept a list so that I wouldn't forget anything. 

My Year of Doing and Being Different:

• joined a gym 
• started making handmade cards (Let's just say I have been craft challenged.)
• started running 
• drove the Oregon Coast
• visited Yosemite
• significantly lowered my sugar intake
• ran the Happiest 5k on earth
• signed up for Lavaman
• started training for said Lavaman
• went glacier hiking (at times, that was glacier crawling)
• bruised my butt bone on said glacier
• ran the Gecko Gallup (5k) in Honolulu (with my youngest who spiked a fever midrace)
• opened another location in Alaska (www.starterman.com)
• due to geographical location, cancelled my Lavaman registration (awww shucks)
• kissed a pirate
• hung out with Superman
• danced with Rod Stewart at 70's Night at my church
• learned how to cross country ski
• hiked to the top of Hunter's Pass (Eagle River Alaska)
• addressed some major relationship issues
• lost 12 pounds
• finished a Spartan Race
• sprained my ankle
• taught homeschool in my bed for the next 2 weeks to keep my ankle elevated 

During the Spartan Race (mentioned above), I did a list of things I had never done before.

• walked in a creek for approximately 1/4 mile...neck deep (in very cold water)
• climbed (some may call it crawled) a cargo net that was draped over a ditch
• slid down a 6' berm into a mud pit
• swallowed mud
• crawled underneath barb wire draped over a mud pit
• carried 25 pounds of steel shot up a hill...and back down again
• pulled a huge truck tire up a hill
• crawled underneath barb wire draped over a mud pit...again
• swallowed mud...again
• threw a spear
• used a rope to climb over an a frame wall
• hopped across the finish line...with assistance

All this caused me to come very close to throwing up three times and almost passing out twice. I had thrown up before...but not passed out. Both are added to the list for effect. 


As I look back over the year 2014, I see:

• many things I didn't think I could ever do
• somethings I thought I could do but were way more difficult than I had anticipated
• some things I had to do that still come as a total shock to me

As I look forward to the year 2015, I see:

• I am more than a conqueror 
• God delivers me out of all affliction
• nothing can separate me from God's love

How can I make such a bold proclamation? Because God says I can. (Romans 8:37-39, Psalm 34:19, 2 Timothy 3:16, Numbers 23:19) And if you belong to Him, (1 Corinthians 7:23, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) you can make the same bold proclamation. Please don't allow another day to go by without God as your deliverer! (Psalm 18:2)


If you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord, please pray this simple, life changing prayer with me. 

Father, in the name of Jesus, I acknowledge Your Son Jesus. I believe You are and I believe You are a rewarder! I believe Jesus died for me and on the third day, He rose again! I believe Jesus concurred death, hell, and the grave! Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart as my Lord and my Savior! Thank You for saving me! Old things have passed away and You make all things new! Jesus, You are my good Shepherd, please guide me, teach me, and show me Your perfect plan for my life...my life starts now! Thank You for calling me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light! 

If you have accepted Jesus in the past; however, have been walking with something or someone other than Him as your Lord, please pray this simple, life changing prayer with me. God always wants you back!

Father, in the name of Jesus, please forgive me for going my own way. Thank You for always wanting me back...no matter how far I think I've gone or the bad I think I've done. Thank You that the Blood of Jesus is always enough! Thank You for always loving me! Thank You for always accepting me! Thank You for always wanting me! Thank You for choosing me! I boldly proclaim today, today is a new day for me! I will never go back to my own ways, but I will walk in Your Word all the days of my life! And I will spend the rest of my days honoring and blessing You! Thank You for calling me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light! 


Now that you are empowered with God's promises, what are you going to do different this year? We would love to hear from you!




Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:17
John 10:11
1 Peter 2:9
Isaiah 53:6

Oregon Coast

Yosemite National Park

I'm a Survivor!

Happy-Happy-Happy

Proof that I hung out with Superman!

Kissing my Pirate

Hiking Alaska

Hiking/crawling on Matanuska Glacier

My night with "Rod Stewart", his backup singer and "Donna Summer"

Hiking Hunter's Pass

It's a Trap

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 

(Proverbs 4:23, NLT)

A while back, my youngest child decided she wanted to trap a wild bird for scientific (but mostly fun) purposes. 

She constructed her (very unsophisticated) trap, using two plastic bins, packing tape, string, a toilet paper core and some bird seed.

One look at her trap and I was thinking, “This will never work.” But much to my surprise, she trapped four birds in a very short amount of time.

Another thing that greatly surprised me, was the fact that the birds just kept coming back to the trap. The trap was not elaborate or camouflaged in any way. Other birds perched in the trees near our deck and watched their bird friends get caught in the trap. But seeing all still this didn’t deter the birds. They kept willingly hopping right into the trap. It seemed they were lined up waiting for their turn in the trap!

I was watching as she trapped bird after bird. I wondered, “How does this happen? How does she keep trapping these (obviously intelligent) birds?” 

The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said,

“The birds only see the bait. They don’t see the trap.”

Oh hello...somebody stand up and shout!

The birds were so focused on the bait…they completely ignored the trap.

Bait (defined by Merriam-Webster and for our purposes today) is, "to try to make (someone) angry by using criticism or insults” and "to use dogs to make (an animal, such as a bear or bull) angry or afraid”.

Trap (defined by Merriam-Webster and for our purposes today) is, "something by which one is caught or stopped unawares” and "a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape”. (Emphasis are mine.)

Bait comes in different forms. Birdseed was an effective bait for the birds; however, what bait can effectively be used to trap you? 

Every day, in every circumstance, life and death is placed before us. The power in that is…we get to choose. We choose life, blessings, prosperity, good, or curses, disaster, adversity, evil. ((Deuteronomy 30:15, NLT, NKJV, NASB, YLT) 

At times, some of us have been trapped into doing what others believe we should do...even though, we know what to do and not do in order to guard our hearts. Listen, at times...you are the only one who will make diligently guarding your heart a priority. Don't allow anything rob you of that.  If your life hasn't been on the course you want it to be on...examine yourself to insure you have been guarding your heart.

I pray for every reader today to, immediately recognize the traps that are set before us and for each of us to look straight through the bait and see and avoid the trap. In the name of Jesus, I declare we choose life!

DISCLAIMER: No birds were harmed in this scientific study or blogpost.

Church Work is W.O.R.K.

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. (2 Corinthians 9:10, NLT)

I’ve done a lot of church work. 

My first “ministry” was baking cakes every Sunday morning for our church’s fellowship time which required me to get up at 5:30 a.m. 

On Sunday…every Sunday.

I had an infant and a toddler at the time. *Nuff said*

I’ve scrubbed toilets, cooked meals (under direct supervision), washed dishes, ushered, greeted, spearheaded a fundraiser, coordinated Operation Christmas Child, insured church bulletins were prepared and submitted, organized a weekly play group for toddlers, worked in the audio department/video department/nursery/taught high school Sunday school, and provided photography services for fliers/websites/promos, and shot events that required me to be at every practice as well as work 10-12 hours shooting…that does not include editing time (which is generally 3-7 minutes per shot). 

Yes, I counted. 

All free of charge. 

I only mention the monetary statement because that is generally the first statement someone makes when they are required to do more than they feel like doing. 

“What? You expect me to do what?! I’m not even getting paid for this!”

I don’t at all mention my “ministries resume” to toot my own horn. I know where my help comes from. (Psalm 121:2) I merely mention it to validate, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I have put in enough time to qualify to speak on the matter.

I know people have jobs, kids, car issues, and can be short on funds and energy. I can completely relate. My life isn’t, nor has it ever been perfect and/or easy by any means. 

But I also know that I know this, when I give…my God gives unto me…with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, poured right in my lap! (Luke 6:38)

“It" what? Supernatural blessings, in every area of my life! 

Supernatural is the only way to effectively explain my life! 

(John 10:10)

When all is said and done, whether at home, or on the job, or in church, 

I don’t work for man…I work for the Lord. 

Either I want to serve with my whole heart, 

or 

I don’t want to serve at all. 

When I serve, it is my responsibility to insure everything I think, say, and do...glories the One who called me. (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Galatians 1:15)

Everything else is checked at the door. 

When I am at church and someone asks, “Can you…..?"  I've made it a personal goal to do my best to say, "Yes ma’am/sir, I can do whatever you need me to do.” After all, I wouldn’t even have seed, had God not given seed to me to sow. (2 Corinthians 9:10)

In addition to agreeing to fill a position comes the responsibility to submit to that authority. (1 Peter 2:13-14) I am not called to argue against, talk about, or reason with authority. 

Since I'm on a roll, here is a hard topic. Sometimes we have to jump in and do something that isn’t within “normal” realms but is completely outside our comfort zone.

It is outside our comfort zone where we learn 

what we can really accomplish.

I use to be one who didn’t like change and I certainly didn’t like sudden change. That is until I heard Pastor Slavic Sagach teach a message at Walk on Water Faith Church. He made a statement long ago that I still live by today. He said, “The way you handle change, is a direct reflection of your character.” 

Oh hello. Somebody please help me now.

Taking his statement as a personal challenge teaches flexibility. Perhaps it taught me to0 much flexibility but that's a whole other blog post. *lol*

Coming in for a landing...the reality is, scrubbing toilets at church is no easier than scrubbing toilets at work.  

Let me bring it all home with this.

If a new girl comes to town, I've seen men move all heaven and earth and not let hell stand in the way to take that girl out on a date. How much more, must our affections be turned toward God and His kingdom?

That's a rhetorical question *grin*

Crossing the Border

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13, NKJV)

A short time back, my family and I drove the AlCan Highway from Seattle to Alaska (via the Cassiar Highway).

After crossing the U.S./Canada border, we still saw U.S. influence even though we were in Canada. 

However, the further we drove away from the border and the deeper we drove into Canada, we saw less and less of the things we were familiar with. Brand names, chain stores, animal crossing signs, wildlife, and landscape, were all different...the deeper we drove into Canada. 

Do you see the bear?

Once we cross any “border", we can identify "influence" directly across the line from where we were. But the deeper we get into where we are going, the prior influence decreases while our new influences increase.

When we are first born again (John 3:3, Romans 10:9, John 3:16), we cross over a “border". (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Please be encouraged, don’t get frustrated at things that haven't changed yet (the areas of your life where you are currently struggling). You have "crossed the border” but may still be dealing with “influence” from where you’ve been. (Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 12:1-2)

Renew your mind daily. (Romans 12:2)

Sometimes daily means hourly.

Sometimes daily means moment by moment. 

Also, please don't get frustrated at others when you see them operating in ways that aren’t agreeable with you. Stay fixed on Him (not them), pray for them, and lovingly correct with proper motivation when an opportunity arises. (Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 John 4:7, Proverbs 10:12, Mark 12:31, James 5:16) 

All this is not at all to use as a excuse to refuse to humbly accept or lovingly administer correction. (Ephesians 4:15, Proverbs 19:20) 

Always keep in mind, we are all walking out our own salvation…we are not walking out someone else’s salvation. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, [a]with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). Philippians 2:12, AMP)

Self Control

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, NKJV)

I have self control because God said I do. (Numbers 23:19, 2 Timothy 3:16) God's Words always override my words and how I currently feel.

Independent of people and/or circumstances,  I (me...myself...and I) always decide (choose) whether or not to operate in self control. (Deuteronomy 30:19) 


The same is true for ALL God's promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20) 

• Healing (Isaiah 53:5)
• Finances ((Luke 6:38, Malachi 3:10)
• Freedom (Galatians 5:1)
• Peace (John 14:27, Isaiah 26:3)
• Abundant life (John 10:10, 1 John 2:25, John 3:15)
• Love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)

"LOOPHOLE"!

We must consume (and teach) our whole bible (not just the parts we like), 

refusing to live in ignorance. (Revelation 22:19, 1 Corinthians 12:1)

You may currently be walking through the fire 

(opposition to receiving God's promises). 

That doesn't always mean you've done something wrong. (John 9:2-3)

Jesus told us we would have battles to fight 

and 

we would have temptations to overcome. 

He also told us to  be courageous and not be troubled because 

nothing can separate us from His love,

He won't ever leave us, 

and

He has already insured our victory! 

(Romans 8:37-39, Deuteronomy 31:6, Luke 17:1, 

Ephesians 6:12, John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 15:57)

SOLUTION!

If you are facing problems today...

• be strong and courageous because you are not alone,
• just believe,
• give Him is rightful place in your life, 
• stay connected to Him, 
• have faith God is on your side, 
• don't waver, 
• never-ever give up on what God has promised you, 
• and allow your spirit (what you know that you know to be true...God's Word) to rule your mouth!

(Deuteronomy 31:6, Mark 5:36, Matthew 6:33, John 15:5, Romans 2:11, Jeremiah 29:11, James 1:6, Galatians 6:9, Romans 4:17)








"But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." (Isaiah 53:5, NLT)

"Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." (Luke 6:38, NLT)

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!" (Malachi 3:10, NLT)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1, NLT)

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27, NLT)

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" (Isaiah 26:3, NLT)

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, NKJV)

"And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us." (1 John 2:25, NLT)

"so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life." (John 3:15, NLT)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NLT)

'but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8, NLT)