This is my life. This is what God taught me. Counseling from God’s Word

On Sunday I will only have a month and a half left in Hawaii.  My hope when I leave is that I’ll have served the people here the way God wants me to and that I will learn what it is that He wants me to learn.  I know my life will not be the same when I leave.   God has brought so many people in my life here to teach me things and to help me to become more like Christ! One person is Stacy Hirano.  God knew how much I needed her in my life!  She is one of the sweetest, encouraging, and godliest woman I’ve met!  I knew early on in this trip that God was going to use her to teach me so much and to encourage me and she has! I’m thankful for the opportunities God has given me here in Hawaii!  Opportunities to serve in many different areas and to learn so much!   I’m thankful that I have been able to learn how to teach youth and how to work with youth. Not many people would have given me this opportunity. People sometimes see the outside and make judgm...

I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I came to Hawaii.  I love the people here and the way of life here.  Most of all I love what God has taught me here.  I love how He has stretched me and challenged me and brought me out of my comfort zone to help me become more like Christ.  I’m thankful for growth because if we’re not growing then what are we doing?  Every day is a day to spend time with God and to know and love Him more; to love and serve others and to die to self.  That is what He is teaching me now.  It is difficult sometimes but it is worth it because it helps you to become more like Christ and it is God glorifying! One of the most important things to me lately has been studying God’s Word more and learning more about it.  I want to know what it says and I want to know what it says to me.  I want to be open to God’s leadership in my life Moment by Moment.  I’ll never forget my mentor Mary Kaye Wonner saying “order my ...

"They say home is where the heart is.  And for most people that consists of four walls and a welcome mat.  But for me its the ocean with the warmth of the sun on my skin." Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer.   <-----This is me!  When I'm at the ocean I feel like I am at home.  I love the waves, the sand, and the sun on my skin.  It is so peaceful and so amazing.  It is so evident that there is someone greater that created all of this.  I don't know how people can look at the beauty of the ocean and not know that there is a God who created all of this.  One of my favorite songs is by a singer Jessica McLean is called Ocean Song.  One of the lines in the lyrics is, "How can they say this beauty just appeared?  How can they say you're not real, when I feel you here?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T49qWKGo15w "If I take the wings of the morning  and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10  even ther...

God has taught me a lot since I’ve come to Hawaii.  He’s taught me a lot about ministry, He’s taught me a lot about myself and He’s taught me a lot about Himself.  This is something I should know and probably did know but it has just become more apparent to me here.  When you are in ministry people look at you more and hold you to a higher standard.  Things that others may be able to get away with you are not going to be able to get away with.  I think it’s good that you don’t though because it allows you to grow.  It helps you to look more like Christ and less like the world. What I’ve learned about ministry since coming to Hawaii? Ministry is hard.  It is full of joy and it is amazing but it can also be really difficult and frustrating and make you wonder if you even know what you are doing.  There have been moments when I’ve come here that I’ve wondered why I came here, that I couldn’t possibly be the right person for the job but then there h...

I can’t believe that on Tuesday I’ll have been in Hawaii for two weeks.  I know that God is going to use my experiences here to stretch me and grow me and to make me more like Christ.  I’ve been able to do things I never thought I would do and being here has helped me to learn how to really trust God more and to die to self daily because it’s not just about me but I have been put here at this moment to love and serve God and others.  It has also taught me a lot about myself and has stretched me to do things that I never thought I could do.   Since I have come to Hawaii Dr. Paige Patterson has been terminated as the president of Southwestern.  It has been rather heartbreaking to me because Dr. Patterson has been a father/grandfather type figure to me.  He has prayed for me and when I’ve felt discouraged and like I was at my lowest sometimes he has encouraged me and shown me that God has a plan for me and wants to use me. There is no doubt in my mind that h...