While my mom and I are opposites in many, many ways, it is a blessing how 2 very different personalities can be united in prayer, because we serve, worship, and love the same God. As I had mentioned in my last post, my mom and I have recently enlisted each other as prayer partners...and we both have a very important prayer request for the upcoming week.
Since October of this year, I had already been sensing that there will be some sort of big transition happening again in my family's life. It is becoming more and more apparent to me as time progresses, and this time, it has also become apparent to my mom. This coming week will be very exciting (but not easy), one that we'll be capable of facing by the grace and power of God. God has truly been directing our steps, and I am looking forward to that next step which we have specifically asked that He would reveal by the end of next week. We have been prayerfully waiting and seeking out His plan for our family, and there have been quite a few developments in the last week or so. Can I please be more concrete?
Okay - for example, I am strongly considering moving back to Hawai'i. My heart has always longed to go back, yet I find myself torn right now. I want to be absolutely sure that this is what God wants - it's not about what I want. It's not about me. I have asked, I have sought, and I have knocked. Now, all I have to do is trust God. I don't own the results, He does! Isn't that great?
I completely trust that He will direct our path just in time. I can't wait to blog about it and reflect upon it in the future, bringing to remembrance God's sovereignty and love. Which reminds me - exactly 20 years ago was the time our family had left Guam...and exactly 2 years ago was the time our family made a decision to leave Hawai'i. I'm such an island girl with an island fever!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Just A-S-K
My mom and I have recently enlisted each other as prayer partners. Aside from Scripture, we have been reading "Partners in Prayer" by John Maxwell. I've been reminded about "how to ask" when praying. It's simply "A-S-K": ask - seek - knock.
As I face yet another transition in my life, I have learned to ask, seek, and knock. I have asked, I have sought, and I have found a few different avenues. I have prayed for guidance re: which avenue to take, but I guess I'll never know until I "prayerfully knock".
Right now, I'm at a crossroad. I don't know where I'll end up geographically, but one thing I do know: that I desire to always be in the center of God's will. I constantly ask Him to lead me where He wants me to be and do what He wants me to do. So, whether that be here in Orlando or back in Honolulu or even in the North Pole - wherever He leads, I'll go.
Earlier today, I showed up for an appointment that did not give me any clarity prior to the event. The lady on the phone did not want to disclose too much information, but I went anyway, just to check it out. Apparently, it's a different type of career service where they charge you an upfront fee of $3K-$7K, regardless of the results. I politely thanked the "counselor" and left. Later on today, I have a 1PM conference call with my previous employer in Honolulu. If God decides to completely open this door, I'll be moving back to Honolulu, in God's time.
Wherever He leads, I'll go.
As I face yet another transition in my life, I have learned to ask, seek, and knock. I have asked, I have sought, and I have found a few different avenues. I have prayed for guidance re: which avenue to take, but I guess I'll never know until I "prayerfully knock".
Right now, I'm at a crossroad. I don't know where I'll end up geographically, but one thing I do know: that I desire to always be in the center of God's will. I constantly ask Him to lead me where He wants me to be and do what He wants me to do. So, whether that be here in Orlando or back in Honolulu or even in the North Pole - wherever He leads, I'll go.
Earlier today, I showed up for an appointment that did not give me any clarity prior to the event. The lady on the phone did not want to disclose too much information, but I went anyway, just to check it out. Apparently, it's a different type of career service where they charge you an upfront fee of $3K-$7K, regardless of the results. I politely thanked the "counselor" and left. Later on today, I have a 1PM conference call with my previous employer in Honolulu. If God decides to completely open this door, I'll be moving back to Honolulu, in God's time.
Wherever He leads, I'll go.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Don't Give Up!
My son's Scripture memory verse for the week in school is Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing shall be impossible."
Here's a story worth sharing:
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion, he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It’s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.
(From: bethei.blogspot.com/2007/07/determination.html)
Here's a story worth sharing:
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion, he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It’s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.
(From: bethei.blogspot.com/2007/07/determination.html)
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