I love Uncle George! I love when he's not traveling because he surprises us at church. This time the surprise was on me because he sang a mele, and Kahu said to dance (and everyone knows I can never say no to Kahu)! What a fun, special day...Uncle George and I also had the opportunity to perform together again on Christmas Eve. Mahalo ke Akua!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~ Jeremiah 29:11
ʻAe, ke Akua has a better plan for me than I could ever imagine, so I'm reminding myself to place it all in His capable + loving hands...
Today I feel very grateful as I reflect on this past Easter. My ʻohana was there, as they always are. I am so blessed to have such an incredibly affectionate, funny, loving + supportive family! Yes, that day I danced for the greater ʻohana that is ke Akua's...but as always, I danced this mele especially for my very own ʻohana. Mahalo ke Akua no kuʻu ʻohana makamae!
Mele ʻOhana
...just got booked as the solo dancer for an incredible entertainer that I have long admired + respected. We'll be performing close to one of my favorite cities. Mahalo ke Akua!
Well gang ~ If you haven't heard by now...I was feeling really nauseated, thought it was the flu, went to my doctor, who confirmed the flu but also sent me for an ultrasound (no, NOT hāpai)! They found a gall stone so big the gastroenterologist said, "you're going to the hospital right NOW." I was so caught off guard that I had the worst anxiety attack EVER. I was in tears, especially since I knew Dad was on his way with my boys + I didn't want them to see me like that - they were already scared enough by the fact I had to have surgery! How totally messed up. Anyway, I was supposed to stay two nights, which I wanted to do because I was still in so much pain. But then another nurse came in + said I had to go home. WHAT! Apparently she didn't get the memo that they just pulled my whole gall bladder out through my piko as opposed to just zapped a gall stone with a laser (which is an outpatient procedure)! So...there I was, kicked to the curb a mere 24 hours later. I'm still on a mostly liquid diet; thank God for Jamba! Oh + hey, don't even get me started on having to take two weeks off from a job I just started! I love it + thank ke Akua every day that everyone is so wonderful. I hate that this had to happen right when I was getting into the swing of things there. *sigh* My medication has kicked in again so it's la la nighty time for me...Love you all, KKLL + mahalo for all your prayers! *:)
We just enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day + I was reminded of how blessed we are, so I'm dusting off one of my favorite posts to share a message that is still close to my heart...
Having grown up with just a younger sister, I was not prepared for having two boys. They constantly surprise me with the things they do + the way they think - never a dull moment! There truly is something to that men=mars/women=venus theory.
It's been just the three of us (+ my parents) since my boys were 1 + 3 years old, so we are especially close...they're 13 + 15 now, but I still feel so blessed that we have in incredibly special bond. We're an affectionate ʻohana that frequently says "I love you" + fills each other's "lovetanks."
When my sister had her first child, my niece filled a space in my heart I didn't even know existed. She's my sweetiegirl + I'm her auntiemommy...she's come to church with me since she was three months old, and my choir director loves that she's the "keiki alto." She's my little shadow, a true child of my heart. She now has a little brother who's really great at filling lovetanks...I feel so blessed to have these four keiki to bring so much joy, laughter + love into my life.
ʻAe, mahalo ke Akua no nā keiki. I am so grateful for such precious blessings!
he makana
A valuable and lasting lesson from my mommy: "catch your child doing something right." Focus on the positive, not the negative.
Mahalo ke Akua no kuʻu makuahine, no nā makuahine i keia ao...thank you Lord for my mommy, and for all the mothers of this world.
It's a given right? No one likes the stress of being without a job! First, for myriad reasons, you don't have the one you depended on. Second, you have to hunt down opportunities...then set up interviews + pray for the callback or offer.
a leap of faith
I stayed at my last job for nearly four years + the one before that for seven, so I'm definitely not a social butterfly when it comes to employment. However, I made a major career move on April 1 to work with wonderful people + better provide for my family. We'd just started to feel safe + believe in a secure future when my position was unexpectedly, traumatically cut due to budget constraints...so for the second time in four months I had to comb through the classifieds.
keep the faith
We are very blessed to have 'ohana to lean on, but I really hate to depend on anyone. So I prayed...+ I hustled! I got my name out there + reconnected with the very people I'd declined employment with back in March. It's really tough to stay positive when you're stressed about where your next paycheck will come from, but you have to make a conscious effort to keep the faith. Ke Akua has a better plan in mind than anything we could think up for ourselves!
faith-full
I started my new job today; it's also a brand new career. The people are wonderfully warm + 'ohana-oriented. Like my last one, this position will open up exciting new horizons for me to explore. I may have gotten here in a roundabout way full of potholes + speed bumps...but ke Akua has pulled us through once again + we are full of faith in His goodness and guidance. Mahalo ke Akua!
Let freedom ring
Let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong
Let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away
Let the guilty pay
On Independence Day
- as sung by Martina McBride + later Carrie Underwood
Happy Fourth of July! As you celebrate with your family + friends, please be wise - don't drink + drive.
a beautiful memory
This day also holds special significance for me for another reason. In 1992, it was the day I found out I was hāpai with my first son. When I was a little girl, all I wanted was to grow up to be a mommy, so it was one of the greatest blessings ever.
Mahalo ke Akua.
I call my dearest girlfriends, related by koko or not - "Sissy." We've all been through a lot together, and our hearts stay connected even if we don't see each other often. My Sissy here on Maui is a Hawaiian Protocol Specialist + is very akamai. I love the way her heart and soul shine through her words. Today's makana is an excerpt from one of her "Morning Manaʻo" radio spots.
he makana
"We have been focusing on mahalo, gratitude and thanksgiving. We can express mahalo through pule. Pule translates as prayer, incantation, blessing, grace, to worship, say grace, ask a blessing. Pule was a part of our ancestors' daily routines, daily life. Everything was accompanied by pule. Sometimes we think of pule as a time to ask Ke Akua for blessings. Sometimes we forget that pule is also a time to give thanks and recount all the many blessings ke Akua has given us. In our family we have Pule ʻOhana, family prayer, in the morning and again in the evening. It is a time when we gather together as ʻohana and offer pule. Everyone participates, from the youngest to the oldest. During pule ʻohana we are often reminded of the many blessings we have and we are able to mahalo aku, express our gratitude. Often, the most poignant pule comes from the mouths of our children as they mahalo aku ke Akua. So, the next time you prepare to pule, remember to begin with mahalo. Imagine if we all took the time today to offer a pule mahalo, a prayer of gratitude!"
You see? I told you she was smart! Get more "Morning Manaʻo" at http://www.thehawaiianlearningcenter.com/. Mahalo Ke Akua no kuʻu Sissy.
Ke Akua pū, a hui hou.
