It's about time!!!

Aloha!!! After 8 months on the island I thought I could finally post something on our family blog. Forgive me in advance for not being as articulate as my beter half. Fact is after a day of which many hours are spent in front of a computer screen I'm often reluctant to get in front of another one you know?

Anyways, here is a Wow God moment for you. After pulling an all nighter in preparation for our Easter series at church (which begins this Sunday by the way) I walked into our regular staff meeting on Tuesday morning. I had spent several hours in a few passages of scripture that talked about the disciples call to drop their nets and follow Jesus. You may know the story "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men!" That morning I asked Alan one of my staff to read some scripture from a devotional booklet. Wouldn't you know it but the scripture assigned for that particular day from that particular devotional booklet was the very passage I had spent the night with just hours earlier!!

As we walk (or for those of you who live by the ocean wade) into the Easter season I pray that all of us begin to live a life that shows our God we are worthy of His call on our lives. Live with a Ressurection mindset my friends ... not just at Easter but every day God breathes life into you!!

Pastor Ed

My Blue Valentine

Uh, please pass the "comfort bag". I think I'm gonna be sick.

Dramamine, Bonine, no-name Superstore anti-emetic and anti-nauseant... whatever's in your medicine cabinet, you're gonna need it when you fly on one of these babies. No one "launched" during our flight (pun intended), but I think a few people were thinking about it.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, rated one of the best helicopter tours in Kauai. Cushy seats, huge windows, noise-controlling headsets, air conditioning and push button microphones to ask the pilot questions...like...could you turn around so I can get a shot of that? If you go, ask for the front seats, they are way-awesome. If they are taken, get the right side of the 'copter. That's where all the action is. Ed and I, mentioned we were kama'aina (locals with I.D. to prove it) and we were plopped right up front in seats #1 and #2. The best seats in the house. YAHOOO!!!

By far this has been my most extravagant and dramatic Valentine's day to date. A one hour mile-high (or more) adventure around the island exploring the inner most island secrets. Jurassic Park waterfalls and canyons...you could almost feel and hear the dinosaurs lumbering their way down the massive valleys to drink the pure thirst quenching liquid sunshine of the secret falls. The inner basin of long extinct Mount Wai'ale'ale's volcano crater. Dry from lack of rain, but during heavy rains.. known to look like the inside of a washing machine during the spin cycle. The majestic Na Pali coasts where every peak, jagged ridge and 1000 ft. cliff has been diligently carved out by the finger of God. It must have been like putty in his hands..but the results...in the words of our retired military pilot...are fan-TA-stic! Mama and baby whales dancing their first dance. See the footprint left behind Mama as she spouts. That's baby. Incredible!!

Honestly, it leaves you breathless and speechless. To see the beauty of God's creation, to fully understand that nothing goes on in this universe without his permission. Our greatest thoughts and actions are so feeble compared to the supremacy of God. In our ladies Bible Study, we've been studying the names of God. Last week was, El Elyon...supreme, sovereign Lord. He reigns over all...over everyone of us including the government, monarchy and not even Satan can act without beseeching the authority of God. That is FANTASTIC!!

The ride lasted an hour which was not nearly long enough...it could've easily been another 1/2 hour. However, the men who were green were glad to have their landlegs back.

The remainder of the day was very relaxing, but ended with a scrumptious dinner at Cafe Portofino. A waterfront restaurant in the port of Nawiliwili with lanai overlooking the ocean and inside...lush italian decor right down to the marble floors and dreamy live harpist. The restaurant appeared to be run by the Italian mafia. (just a joke) Every male employee had a thick italian accent and slicked back black hair. The restaurant seemed surprisingly absent of any other ethnicnicity beside haole which seemed strange as the Asians make up for at least 60-70% of the island's population. For appetizers we had an enormous portobello mushroom stuffed with tender hunks of steak(and I do mean, hunks) and drizzled with a bernaise sauce and a red wine sauce. YUM!! The salad was a mixed green salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, pine nuts, a brick of goat cheese (deep fried) with a creamy house dressing. For the celiacs, I had to... *sob* give up my goat cheese... *sob*. That was torturous. The meal was divine although I was sure I was going to suffer. Grilled Mahi Mahi with a delicate lemon picatta sauce, fresh green beans and cheesy potatoes. And dessert, a light selection of triple sorbets...papaya, mango and passionfruit served in a stainless steel champagne glass. Light, refreshing and classy. A perfect experience for the delicate palate.

(And for my celiac family...best of all, no real pain. Just some gurgling.)


**A HUGE MAHALO to our anonymous sponsors of the day. What a fabulous time we had!!**

Ed and the Strawberry Road Rash

For those of you hoping for an update on Ed, here it is....

Ed is recovering nicely from his wounds from last week's motorcycle accident. He gave them a good scrub today in the bath and they look wonderful....as wonderful as large, deep abrasions can look anyways! They look very nice with no signs of infection. Even his big toe is healing well which was of great concern because of the diabetes. We are being very diligent about putting the $700 gel medication on it. Gotta love the American healthcare system. Our private health wouldn't cover it but the Motorcycle Insurance company would!! It's about the size of a small Neosporin tube! Crazy! Ed still suffers from quite alot of pain in his right rib cage area but that may take awhile to heal due to deep bruising of the cartilage,rib bone and muscle.

We are so blessed to be a part of a family who regularly lifts us up to the Father in prayer. Thank you for your prayers. (The locals would say "Mahalo plenny"). They are being answered by our God of grace. Please continue to offer us and our ministry up in prayer.

Glass Beach

If someone told you that you gotta check out a beach near an old dump, would you believe them? And that stuff from the dump washes ashore...millions of pieces of broken glass from bottles, beer bottles and auto parts, would you go? The beach makes a lousy first impression. In the industrial part of 'Ele'ele, backed by huge, ugly tanks full of gasoline is a small little beach brimming with glass. "A colorful tapestry of sand and multi-colored glass" as quoted by the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook.

Ben and I (and Bela) decided to check it out. Ugly first impression is right...is there really a beach back here? Sure enough, a few cars randomly parked in the tall grass meant we had arrived but were not alone. Ben having survived a fairly short but bumpy dirt road piped up..."Where's the beach?" A tiny path revealed the rocky but pretty little beach. Definitely not a swimming beach or a strip-down-to-your-bikini-and-soak-up-the-sun kinda beach but a great one for beachcombing. Of course, I'm here with a pre-teen son with a very low tolerance for beachcombing and almost as soon as we've arrived...he's ready to go. But I am stubborn and persistent. We move on down to the shore. The sand is exactly as promised, bits of brown, white, green, blue glass and coral bits make up the pebble-like consistency of the beach. It's pokey to walk on bare-footed but not sharp. Each piece has been worn and weathered by each wave and change of tide over hundreds of years. Okay, maybe not hundreds of years..beer bottles and cars didn't really exist back then, but alot I tell you!!!

Ben and I had fun checking out the sand and the cool little natural "cave", took a few pictures and left feeling satisfied that another beach had been conquered and checked off our list of things to do and see.




Ben striking his Dad's GQ
pose.