A Gift for Everyone

 With anticipation and excitement, I look across a sea of athletes as I walk out to the starting line of what will be my 3rd marathon.  I'm always  amazed to see so many participants come together for this massive event.   The Honolulu marathon is the 4th largest marathon in the country comprising about 30,000 participants.
Some marathons have qualifying times which means you would already have to run a marathon before AND within a certain time before you can even sign up for that event.  Honolulu marathon happens to be an open event so there are no qualifying times.  Everyone and ANYone can participate.  I love to see runners from all levels and backgrounds.   This year, I have a friend from church who ran his first marathon, while another friend who's been running for years ran it enduring an injury.  As long as you have the desire and faith to believe, then you can run this marathon.  
During Christmas we celebrate the greatest event of all time, when God entered this world as a baby boy.  Isn't it great to know that this event was for EVERYone, and anyone.  No qualifying times here!  All levels! All backgrounds!  The broken and all.  God so loved YOU that He sent his son for YOU!


This month's blog will come to you keeping with the tradition of that beloved holiday letter format, so here ya go.....

It has been an eventful year, thanks be to God.  Let's see,
After surviving a false missile warning '(oops, my bad) and the impending doom of preparing for a category 5  Hurricane,  I can say the good Lord is definitely looking after us. Hashtag blessed!   I just could not start without recognizing and giving props to our good Father above. 

Micah our youngest, turned 7 this year.  After 6 years of keeping his hair long, he got his first 'boy' haircut like his brothers.  He spent the summer visiting his aunty and uncle and cousin in Santa Ana.   He is just as smart and creative as ever.  He still enjoys  imaginative play with his action figures AND watching Teen titans go.  He is looking forward to going back to swim lessons this year.

Nathanael has gone through a growth spurt, graduating from 6th grade and turning 12.  He enjoyed his 'Stranger Things' themed birthday party in July and his minecraft Xbox even more.  During the summer, he attended the youth church camp on the Big Island for the first time.   He participated in the Great Aloha Keiki run and even joined me a 'fun' run- the foam glow 5K.   He started basketball this year at his school, but unfortunately,  his playing time had to be cut short due to minor head injuries placing him out on concussion protocol.  

Andrew turned 15 this year.  He was inducted into the National Honor Society. He enjoys his Japanese and AP History classes the best.  He continued on the Varsity basketball team.  He continues to be active in his church youth group and even led his first devotional.  He is studying for his driver's permit so we will need lots of prayers there!

The biggest change in the Brunken household was losing our stay at home nanny, aka my husband and father to our kids, dad.  Daniel returned to the working field after being our full time dad at home for so many years.   He now works for the Honolulu liquor Commission ensuring the  citizens of Oahu drink responsibly or something like that.  All I know is he is gone by the time I get home from work and then later around 4 a.m. a mysterious man suddenly appears in the shadows and comes into my bed.  I'm always relieved to know it is my husband.   We did get some alone time (both conscious) during fall break when we made a quick escape to the Big Island for a weekend.  Good times!

And me? blessed beyond measure.  This will be my fourth year at the Kaiser Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. I traveled to visit family in the mainland early this year satisfying my craving for a good taco, then made it out there again in June to visit with family.  As you know already,  I completed my third marathon, but I have to say my biggest achievement this year is staying sober and I couldn't have done it without the grace of God.   He answered my prayers and placed me in a wonderful step study group.   Every Wednesday night this past year, I met with a  a group of beautiful women, each with their own struggles like me. We completed this 12 step study based on the eight beatitudes and witnessed powerful transformations taking place.   It's been my prayer to be in this group for some time especially since I started this before over ten years ago but never completed.  After getting called away to residency, I eventually got  lost in my own denial,  and fell into one long relapse with alcohol.   After God had brought back Celebrate Recovery into my life again, I was determined to complete it this time ensuring that I would never relapse again!  But of course its  not that simple.   I've learned many things about my recovery this year, but one thing I learned, is  it takes work.   Life still goes on with its stresses and circumstances, missiles and hurricanes alike.   It is a journey!  kind of like a marathon!  How do I continue the journey  despite these circumstances?   The love of Christ, God's gift to us, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

This Christmas holiday season, I  pray that you will accept this precious gift that God has brought into our lives that first Christmas.    I pray that as we all walk to the starting line of the new year, that we look forward to the gift of Christ present today in our hearts with excitement and anticipation.  I pray that you enjoy the journey as He carries you to the new year and throughout 2019. 

Thank you for letting me share. 
-HOPEful girl, sober for 3 years, 5 months and 2 weeks, hopeful for one day more.