HOPEful girl

  Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our inequities; the punishment that brought us peace was him, and by his wounds we are healed.  Isaiah 53: 4-5  It was a Tuesday morning that started out like no other, routine for me, up at 5  am.  I venture out half a mile into my run, into the dark abyss of the world still asleep.   The cool air was on my back this Hawaiian winter morning.  I was now just getting  warmed up and my stride became light.  I was feeling hopeful, electronic playlist blasting in my ears, feeling fantastic, thinking, ’Maybe I can run that half marathon after all’. Then suddenly, I see a light flashing out in the horizon,  coming from one of the windows of the high rise ocean side resorts in the distance.  It looked peculiar, I thought as it stood out so muc...

Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.   -Hebrews 10:22 My right leg continues to give me problems so I did not run the full Honolulu marathon this year.   Rather,  I ran the first 6.2  of that 26.2 mile run in the ‘start to park’ 10K race.  This enabled me to finish early and go cheer on some of the other runners as I walked up ahead along the course route around the south side of diamond head.  In doing this, I was rewarded with a  spectacular view of the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean (see pic above).  I even got to see the elite runners up close as they were coming up just over a mile before the finish line.   As I watched the first place runner, I noticed he kept looking back.   Anyone who is a runner knows, you are not supposed to look back as th...

They say laughter is the best medicine, but I say gratitude is essential for total health and healing.  Since moving to Hawaii, I’ve made it a point to do something new and adventurous for my birthday. You know, to keep me young and all.  The first year I went shark cage diving, another time I went on a glider ride.  And this year, I went on a kayak adventure.  That’s right, I traveled by myself to Kailua to make this great expedition  kayaking to small Moku islands, 2 miles  off the coast of the north shore.  We had a guide and fortunately there was someone else traveling by herself  in our group that I got paired up with so I wouldn’t have to kayak alone in one boat.  I was very excited but as the safety instructions were being given, I started to get nervous. ‘If a wave comes toward you, head directly into it.  Do not swerve or put boat to its side as this will  surely cause the wave to tip you and your kayak over’. ...

As I reflect on this  past month, I am reminded that God is always working even in the hidden places we don’t expect.  This past month was very full and busy for me. So full, I’m late in posting this blog.  A close friend of my mine pointed out that I wear many hats and it is true.  So before I’m off to my next responsibility or hat,  I have a few minutes to push out some thoughts.    For sake of time, I’m going to take what I’ve learned this month in our church leadership class and  just let the Holy Spirit run with it.   One highlight this past month was getting together with my life group, sister friends with for potluck to celebrate not only my birthday but each other.   Since I don’t get to do this too often, I was excited to host and cook for them.  It was a great time of reconnecting and worshiping, singing praise songs into the night.  It reminded me of the time when Jesus was with his disciples in the upper r...

96 year old male New patient to me,  history of multiple medical problems,  chief complaint: weight loss.    Chart review revealed this had been going on for months.   Before I stepped in the room, I already knew what to expect, another depressing emaciated face staring back at me, surrounded by a family member or members who could not carry on caring for their aging parent/grandparent.  I already had a few of these visits this past week.   I stepped into the room to a thin man, but who immediately stood up as I entered the room and held out his hand in to deliver a firm handshake.   I looked around for the other family members ,but no one else there.    He came here on his own.  “I’m on my way to the grave’ was his frank response when I asked how I can help him today.   He was speaking the truth, however his statement was in discordance with the countenance it came from- the brightest toothless grin I’d ever see...

WHAT ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR? Lately,  I’ve been searching youtube videos on how to improve my swimming form,  so I can become a better, faster swimmer. In my quest for this endeavor,  I invested in getting some professional help and actually paid for a swim lesson.   After all, it has been some time since I had any formal coaching (my swim class in college) and   I wanted to be sure my form was effective, especially if I wanted to increase my speed.   My experience in endurance from running enables me to swim for hours, but was I really fast?  My coach was the sports club director here in Koolina  and  a former triathlete himself.   After he’d seen me swim out and back at the lagoon, he immediately identified my problem.    I was not following through long enough in my stroke, or I was selling myself short so to speak.   In order to remedy this, he went through some drills and told me that I had to reach out ...

‘Don’t get wise, bubble eyes!  I’m the boss, chili sauce!’   Is what my mom would tell me in response to my childhood defiance.   I couldn’t help but think of that as I read the verse above, another Godly reminder that He (and moms) truly knows what’s best.  So why don’t we listen the first time?!  Because sometimes I feel like that’s exactly what we are, His beloved children running amuck, given to disobey, just trying to figure our way out in this crazy world.  But there is hope! There is always hope!  This month marks my sobriety birthday.  On July 12, I will be four years sober.  Although I am not currently attending celebrate recovery meetings, I try to ‘work the steps’ as best I can—daily making a conscious decision to turn my life to the will of God, taking daily personal inventory, daily prayer and meditation to improve contact with my father, God, seeking his will in ALL areas of my life, this blog, work, family, church. ...