He speaks and knows my heart even when I don't acknowledge it outwardly.
From today's "My Utmost for His Highest"
Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason—a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in the world.
The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character, and we encounter many changes in the process. We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed. We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes. A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles’ wings, but is a life of day—in and day—out consistency; a life of walking without fainting (see Isaiah 40:31). It is not even a question of the holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test. Abraham is not a type or an example of the holiness of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith—a faith, tested and true, built on the true God. "Abraham believed God. . ." (Romans 4:3).
Friday, March 19, 2010
Coffee Shop Talk
I'm sitting here at Banyan Breeze Coffee Co in Waikiki where Olivia works. Wait... I work here too now!! I've worked three shifts so far, part-time. This place keeps me busy and is consistent in my non-consistent schedule. After not working for two months, it's nice to have something to do even if it's kind of far from where I live. Taking the bus hasn't been so bad, it just takes more time out of my day.
I rented a car the other day for two days. I cannot explain the joy I felt driving off from the car rental place. There was a freedom in getting to go where I wanted and when I wanted.... so niceeee!! I was proud of myself for being able to get around the island for the most part. I got lost a couple times but I either figured out where to go or had friend's guide me. It makes me really really want a car. Too bad I couldn't just drive my car to Hawaii. ;) Gas (& everything else) is expensive here so I think I want to find a fuel efficient vehicle here although having a SUV sounds fun too.
Anyway --
I had two plans in mind when moving here. Either 1.) go to school and get a certificate in Hawaiian Studies or 2.)get a full-time job. I've actually applied for two jobs at Hawaiian Air already. I don't know, it just sounds like an ideal job to have, doesn't it?
Last week I went and spoke with the financial aid person at the community college my cousin attends. I only wanted to do the school thing if I didn't have to pay for it but it turns out that having a degree already is turning against me in terms of the funds I can receive. The only funding I could possibly receive is if I pursued a study in Agriculture. Uhhh.... no thanks. =)
I guess that leaves me with finding a full-time job which isn't so bad but one goal I have while here is not to be consumed with a job that that's all I do.
We'll see what happens! =)
I rented a car the other day for two days. I cannot explain the joy I felt driving off from the car rental place. There was a freedom in getting to go where I wanted and when I wanted.... so niceeee!! I was proud of myself for being able to get around the island for the most part. I got lost a couple times but I either figured out where to go or had friend's guide me. It makes me really really want a car. Too bad I couldn't just drive my car to Hawaii. ;) Gas (& everything else) is expensive here so I think I want to find a fuel efficient vehicle here although having a SUV sounds fun too.
Anyway --
I had two plans in mind when moving here. Either 1.) go to school and get a certificate in Hawaiian Studies or 2.)get a full-time job. I've actually applied for two jobs at Hawaiian Air already. I don't know, it just sounds like an ideal job to have, doesn't it?
Last week I went and spoke with the financial aid person at the community college my cousin attends. I only wanted to do the school thing if I didn't have to pay for it but it turns out that having a degree already is turning against me in terms of the funds I can receive. The only funding I could possibly receive is if I pursued a study in Agriculture. Uhhh.... no thanks. =)
I guess that leaves me with finding a full-time job which isn't so bad but one goal I have while here is not to be consumed with a job that that's all I do.
We'll see what happens! =)
Friday, March 12, 2010
Aloha
Wow. I can't believe it's been a month since I've moved to Hawaii. In some ways time has flown by really fast and in others, it feels like I've been here longer than a month.
I still find it hard to decipher if I am "homesick" or just people sick. I definitely miss my parents and my friends but am finding the balance with family and friends here. I noticed right away that having one of my best friends, Olivia, here makes Hawaii feel more like home because we both bring a familiarity in this new season of our lives.
Let's see if I can break this down somehow.
I've been living with my cousin, Ilima. I'm so thankful that she's opened up her home to me and is letting me live with her and her family. She has two sons, one in the Air Force stationed in Washington and the other a junior in high school. She's a full-time college student getting her certificate in Hawaiian Studies with all three emphasis'; Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian History/Culture, and Hawaiian Sciences. When she's not busy with her morning and night classes, she's volunteering at the elementary school down the street teaching kids about gardening. When she's not busy volunteering she's managing her non-profit organization, God's Country Waimanalo, and raising community awareness about aquaponics and sustainability.
I've been hanging out with my cousin Val and her boyfriend Kaika for most of my time down here. They have been so awesome with showing me around the island, feeding me, and making sure I have what I need (like taking me to Wal-Mart late at night & letting me watch her cable). Valerie is two weeks older than me but her mom, Lehua, is actually my oldest cousin. I'm so thankful that I have a cousin my age that lives near by and who I get along with.
When I'm not hanging out with Val and Kaika, you can find me in Waikiki hanging out with my bestie Olive and her boo, Jason. She's been in Hawaii for about 6 months already and has been showing me the ropes of Hawaii life. The week after I moved here, another good friend, Chasity flew down for her birthday. Since Chas grew up on the windward side she happily showed me different areas of Kailua and Kaneohe from her childhood when she was here. I also was able to meet her foster family that she often told me about. It was so cool to finally see a part of her life that she always talks about.
The tsunami warning was SCARY. I will never forget being woken up at 3:3am and being told to pack my things because there was going to be a tsunami warning and we were heading towards the mountain. It was so early that the only pictures going through my head were of Indonesia and a man hanging on to dear life on a palm tree. I packed what I felt was important and had to come to grips that my other stuff might be in water if the tsunami hit and our house got flooded. It showed me that stuff is just stuff and that my treasures are stored up in heaven. We drove up to the Pali and set up camp at a scenic point where we could see Kailua. I didn't know what to expect and it felt like we were just waiting, waiting, waiting. We brought my grandmother with us and my cousins (Val, Kaika, & Lehua) met us up there as well. All our waiting turned out to be nothing, which is good and a sign that prayer DOES work. So many people prayed and the tsunami never came. I don't think we were over-reacting.
More later.....
I still find it hard to decipher if I am "homesick" or just people sick. I definitely miss my parents and my friends but am finding the balance with family and friends here. I noticed right away that having one of my best friends, Olivia, here makes Hawaii feel more like home because we both bring a familiarity in this new season of our lives.
Let's see if I can break this down somehow.
I've been living with my cousin, Ilima. I'm so thankful that she's opened up her home to me and is letting me live with her and her family. She has two sons, one in the Air Force stationed in Washington and the other a junior in high school. She's a full-time college student getting her certificate in Hawaiian Studies with all three emphasis'; Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian History/Culture, and Hawaiian Sciences. When she's not busy with her morning and night classes, she's volunteering at the elementary school down the street teaching kids about gardening. When she's not busy volunteering she's managing her non-profit organization, God's Country Waimanalo, and raising community awareness about aquaponics and sustainability.
I've been hanging out with my cousin Val and her boyfriend Kaika for most of my time down here. They have been so awesome with showing me around the island, feeding me, and making sure I have what I need (like taking me to Wal-Mart late at night & letting me watch her cable). Valerie is two weeks older than me but her mom, Lehua, is actually my oldest cousin. I'm so thankful that I have a cousin my age that lives near by and who I get along with.
When I'm not hanging out with Val and Kaika, you can find me in Waikiki hanging out with my bestie Olive and her boo, Jason. She's been in Hawaii for about 6 months already and has been showing me the ropes of Hawaii life. The week after I moved here, another good friend, Chasity flew down for her birthday. Since Chas grew up on the windward side she happily showed me different areas of Kailua and Kaneohe from her childhood when she was here. I also was able to meet her foster family that she often told me about. It was so cool to finally see a part of her life that she always talks about.
The tsunami warning was SCARY. I will never forget being woken up at 3:3am and being told to pack my things because there was going to be a tsunami warning and we were heading towards the mountain. It was so early that the only pictures going through my head were of Indonesia and a man hanging on to dear life on a palm tree. I packed what I felt was important and had to come to grips that my other stuff might be in water if the tsunami hit and our house got flooded. It showed me that stuff is just stuff and that my treasures are stored up in heaven. We drove up to the Pali and set up camp at a scenic point where we could see Kailua. I didn't know what to expect and it felt like we were just waiting, waiting, waiting. We brought my grandmother with us and my cousins (Val, Kaika, & Lehua) met us up there as well. All our waiting turned out to be nothing, which is good and a sign that prayer DOES work. So many people prayed and the tsunami never came. I don't think we were over-reacting.
More later.....
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