Connections

So we're being integrated into working with the youth groups at church. I'm excited and a lil nervous for these next steps and putting my heart into this new church community. God is opening doors and hearts and it feels good. It will be a new experience for me and my husband to get involved together as well - good stuff! The youth (jr. high/high school) program is a little unstructured at this time but the leaders are lining up curriculum and activities for the coming year, and I'm blessed to be a part of it.

We're even getting to know a few surfers around town too, just cuz we all surf and always welcome a companion with which to do so. Glad to see familiar faces out in the line up too sometimes. The swells are up even in the south right now since there are mighty winds so we went out yesterday and it was a rough session but always worth it.

I'm trying to get mentally prepared for the surf camp next month. I've sent my booking form and payment in full so there's no turning back now. I just need my plane ticket and to make my packing list and I'll be set. (Except for the part where I'll be missing my hubby a lot.) I feel like I'm at the level I wanted to be at before the surf camp and I just hope I can really take advantage of the time, waves and teaching I'll be getting over in Maui. This should be a once in a lifetime experience.

Speaking of once in a lifetime experiences...I swam with dolphins at Sea Life Park. Not free swimming but hung out in the tank and exchanged kisses with a big ol' dolphin, then they give you a ride across the pool. SO FUN. There was a turtle habitat and a penguin habitat as well - my faves. My boo surprised me with that adventure. He's the best.

Good night world...

Little steps & Bad dreams

I woke up at 4:00am on my day off because I had a bad dream. Bad dreams, of the demonic kind, are not strangers to me. I've had a few that left me terrified to sleep for months at a time. The past few nights I've had bothersome dreams and weird dreams, but tonight was straight up scary. Long story short, my friend was being distant because she was being possessed - yeah, no good. So I woke myself up, and started reading my bible and praying out loud. That is the best way to recover from a nightmare. God does not ignore your request for His presence, and demons tremble at the name of Jesus.

I've been meaning to write about more progress with church and just our lives here in Hawai'i. I received a call about serving in the youth ministries at church since I filled out a card indicating that is my interest. It sounds like there is a need to someone to step in, and it makes me excited but scared at the same time. I know God has me here for a reason, but subconsciously I've been scared to fulfill that purpose. Have you ever been hesitant to take those first steps because you know it's a commitment and it's gonna be big? This is an occasional pattern in my life. Even if it's gonna be great, if it's gonna be big, I may take longer to dive in. And this isn't necessarily discernment, but more often out of fear. I'm growing.

I'll be meeting with the youth pastor next Sunday for more details and to begin getting involved. This week we'll be meeting with the worship leader and maybe his wife to hang and talk story. Hopefully we'll be joining their small group on Wednesdays as well. I'm excited to be moving forward in our walk together and our church; it's a new experience for us to share.

Well, I better try and get some more sleep...

Hearburn & Church

Been experiencing fairly frequent heartburn the last two weeks, and especially the last 3-days - yuk. And I did myself in by drinking plenty of coffee at work this morning. Last night I tried generic tums with little effect. Tried some pepto bismol with no apparent relief. Tried a spoonful of apple cider vinegar which did seem to help, but either my stomach was already headed in the other direction or the vinegar didn't mix with my food and other remedies so the results were miserable in the end.

I looked up some home remedies. The most popular were various doses of vinegar, and also water with baking soda. One person suggested laying on your left side to keep the acid from rising up. I did see one I decided to try: lemon juice with a little bit of luke warm water. Sounded fishy since lemon juice is technically acidic, right? Hmmmm... I added about 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar too for added neutralizer, just in case.

Results: I feel better after just a few sips!

Concluding remedy: 1/2 cup luke warm water + 1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar.

~ ~ ~

Heartburn can be triggered by increased fat intake, and some people even get it when they eat certain foods like onions. And of course, STRESS is another heart burn trigger. I'll be cutting out my onion bagels for a week or so and see how that goes. But yesterday we went to church and the message helped me see some things I need to work on too.

Pastor Mark preached on I Kings 19:1-16; an episode in the story of Elijah. Elijah experienced major miracles and provision from God, and yet even he let little things get in the way of his appreciation and great faith he had built. Instead of turning to God, he ran away in a time of trouble. He forgot who had his back in all things if he would just call on his Father in Heaven. For me, I had to ask, "Why am I stressed? What am I trying to do without God?" God whispered to me, as He did to Elijah, and I'm ready to give those things to Him asap.

I can't do it on my own. I can't bring my marriage to where it should be spiritually on my own. I can't worry about or miss my family and friends on my own. I can't rely on our finances on my own. I can't manage my time on my own.

I know I'm not alone, so I guess I shouldn't continue to live like I am...

Not much is new

Oh no! I've really been slacking on my blogging. Well, I was sick off and on for all of last week; from a stomach virus, to an apparent cyst rupture, to monthly cramps, I just couldn't win. But other than that just been working 2-4 days a week, and surfing every day my hubby and I are off at the same time. I've been switching back and forth between long and short boards, and I'm definitely not ready for a 6-0 yet. 6-8 has been good. I wanna get a 6-2 in the future I think. We got a used 5-11 ...and did our own custom paint job! I'll post the before and after pics next blog (sooner than later). I'll be dong my longboard too when I decide how to design it: girly or more classic.

I am up late again, and I'll be waking up at 7:30, not too bad, but I'll be tired. I can sleep and sleep and eat and eat lately. It's highly improbable that I'm pregnant, so I'm guessing this will pass this week. Around "that time of the month" these are just a couple of the adjustments I make to my body. Luckily I was off today so I slept in again and got my banana pancakes with a side of corned beef hash **droOOol**.

Been bad at keeping in touch still too, which apparently includes blogging. I sent a postcard out today but now I'm out of stamps - oy! Too lazy to get to the post office, or to the bank to get quarters for laundry. Living on this little island makes you lazy when it comes to distance. A 15 minute drive here is debatable and postponable until completely necessary, lol. Anyways, hopefully I'll get some phone dates lined up with my Seattle ladies this coming week. Word.

♥ a hui hou ♥

I really should be sleeping

I am scheduled to work at 5:30am, which is only 5.5 hours from now, which actually means I have a chance of getting 4.5 hours of sleep at the most at this point. I can't sleep when my husband isn't here. I hate night shifts! It's getting worse for me, trying to sleep and failing until the wee hours of the morning. Not simply because I miss him, but because of course I'm less secure when he's not sleeping next to me, and I really can't explain what other trouble it causes me. I just can't go to sleep until I'm super tired and I knock out hard. Sucks.

And in these wee hours I think and think and think...

I miss home (Seattle). I miss my cat, my family, my friends. I miss my favorite restaurants. I miss my sweat pants and thick blankets. I miss dancing on Wednesday nights, and rehearsing last minute for fun performances. I miss early Saturday meetings & bible studies that always run later than they're supposed to.

I try to deny these things. I can't. I don't want to be ungrateful for the life I have here. I mean, I live in a place that some people wait their whole lives to spend a week or retire here. There's sun, surf, beaches, ocean, palm trees, entertainment, culture. I will miss it when we go back, but home is home, and home is Seattle.

But while I'm here I should be savoring it and diving in. I got the beach and surf part down. And I'm tasting the best of O'ahu I'm sure. I need accountability to get involved in my church, community and some sort of dance scene.

Oh boy, now let's try and sleep...

My Reviews | Episode 1: Honolulu

*COFFEE*

Banyan Breeze Coffee Company (Ohua St) - wide variety, great coffee & food, wifi & internet

Island Vintage Coffee (multi) - awesome but pricey

Seattle's Best Coffee (multi) - same as in Seattle, just ok, wifi

Starbucks (multi) - same as everywhere, over roasted and/or too much syrup, wifi

*BREAKFAST*

Duke's, breakfast buffet (Kalakaua) - the usual items, reasonable price, nice views

Smorgy's - (Kuhio St) gross, avoid unless desperate

*PHO*

Pho Old Saigon (Kuhio St) - overpriced for same pho

Pho 38 (Kapahulu) - out of most everything we ordered, will try again sometime

*THAI*

Thai Express (Waikiki Intl Market Place) - good Thai, nice staff, avg price

Phuket Thai (McCully) - great noodles, avg price, will visit again

Keo's - not what they say, small portions, no flavor

Chiang Mai Thai Cuisine - not very good, overpriced for portions

Siam Square (Lewers St) - best so far; price, taste, portions

*NEXT REVIEWS*

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Boots & Kimo's (Kailua)

Original Pancake House (Kapiolani)

Burgers & more!

Hale, surf, dining in

Leaving Seattle was kind of hard again, but easier this second time around. Life is back in local motion here and I'm torn more than ever between my two worlds.

Been surfing the last two days and it's been sweeeeeeeet. It's quality time with my babe and the ocean. I'm getting better and feeling more confident, especially when it's minus the butthole surfers. Choice waves during sunset: mmmmm.

But the biggest news that is not news at all is that my hubby and I overspend on dining out. DURRRRR. We're at a point where we're feeling it and need to pull back for about a week until next payday or face overdrafting and/or transfer out of savings (which is the wrong way). Bad timing for our search for a nice new longboard...*sighhh.*