HOPEful girl

  Happy New Year!  So I was going to make this month’s blog a video blog , but I didn’t like the way I looked. I  kept having to start over again and I’m really a writer anyway so there then.   (I do have pics and a short video though) This got me thinking how most of us don’t like looking at ourselves in mirror or how we look on video.  I think some of us had to just get over this in this day and age  of zoom video and conference calls.  But seriously I’m not one to take selfies.  However, we really can not avoid looking in the mirror before leaving the house or just starting our day.  We need to.  I mean, how would we know how to fix ourselves or comb our hair or had something on our teeth.  And it wouldn’t make sense to just look in the mirror , see something wrong and not do anything about it.   James 1:23-25 says For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, w...

  Hashtag lucky we live in Hawaii , I see often in social media posts with  these idyllic pictures and views taken throughout the island.  Yes, its true, I feel blessed and lucky to live in Hawaii. But to quote George Clooney’s character in the movie, The Descendants, life here is not a permanent vacation like were all sipping Mai this and shaking our hips. Five years ago, my life was not so idyllic , I was lost in my addiction, my marriage was on the brink of ending, and I was depressed and anxious in a new place where I hardly knew anybody, a whole ocean away from my family and only home I knew. This year has not gone as planned leaving us with a less than idyllic place to be.  It makes me think of that night when Jesus came to this world. No room at the inn. I’m sure Mary and Joseph didn’t plan on that.  Baby Jesus born in a manger, a feeding trough for farm animals.  Not idyllic at all.  Like he came into the world,  Jesus comes into our broke...

  I was blessed to be able to visit my family in California this year before thanksgiving. It was nice to reunite with my parents, brother and sister and their families.  There’s something about going back to your roots to help you move forward in the next season of life.   Going back to the places I spent growing up, catching up with loved ones and sharing funny stories from our past  not only reminds me of who I am, but  also provides an opportunity to reconnect with my family relationships.  Overall, it was a much needed and great trip.  The two words that were given to me this month for this blog were: Roots and thanksgiving. It all started with this political madness  of the elections. Yes I found myself getting upset again at the state of the world.  Then God reminded me I was spending too much time on social media and forgetting who I was.  I was convicted after hearing an excellent sermon  by Pastor Rick Warren on Jesus and ...

So like many plans cancelled, I wasn’t able to go to the Women physician in Christ (WPC) conference in person this year. It would’ve been my first time, held in Newport Beach.   I was so looking forward to this weekend away by myself,  in a nice hotel, visiting friends I haven’t seen in awhile, just me. And just what I needed to be refreshed in a time when I was starting to feel burnt out.  Instead, this conference was held virtually.   Although, I didn’t get to see this in real time on the weekend it was supposed to be held as there was some mix up with my email so I didn’t get the link in time but, I was still able to listen to the recorded talks in the days that followed.   So for the past month and a half, I’ve been listening to these treasure of talks and my, how God has used them to really speak his message to my heart.  It’s Halloween time and gosh darn it if I’m gonna let Covid ruin my pumpkin season fun.   Unfortunately, the pumpkin patch ...

  Well it finally happened. My worst fear.  I’ve caught the fever.   No, not Covid.  Island fever!  Yet,  I do have covid to thank for it.   Don’t get me wrong, I still agree with my friend and lagoon buddy, John who says the worst day here in Hawaii is better than the best day anywhere else.   John is from Alaska by the way.   But I miss my family.  So I finally broke down and bought tickets to see my family back home in Cali in November.   Meanwhile, back on the rock, Covid life continues.  My youngest Micah is in distance learning, planning to go back soon.  My older two boys attend in person at their private high school with strict safety precautions around every corner.  We are nearing the end of our second lock down. And it couldn’t come soon enough. I miss going to our community pool. I miss eating in a restaurant. I miss shopping at other stores besides groceries or Walmart.  Thankfully the lock down has ...