Blog Bash say what?????

Aloha! I saw something that was new to me on a fellow blogger site, so thought I would join in.
Courtney, at Women Living Well Ministries, is hosting a blog bash.
This is a first for me, and thought it would be a good idea to meet some more of you fellow blogger's and participate.
My name is Paula. I am a child of God, saved by grace. This is a picture of me with my Angel Momma. I was adopted as a baby by my angel Momma & Father at 6 months of age. I have been married to my best friend, and husband for 24 years. We have two grown children, son Jason, and daughter Leah. I also am blessed with a daughter in love Samlouay. There are no words that can describe the immense love I feel for my family. My husband and I have two businesses which keeps both of us busy. But what really gets my motor going is being used by God in a BIG way :-) Using the gifts and talents that are uniquely created in me. My Angel Momma and Angel Grand momma taught me the joy of cooking, and using that joy to serve others. I also LOVE to create with art, music, crafts, food, gardening. I love the simple sweet things in life. My quiet devotional times, small group, friends, A good book, sunsets, walks on the beach, cup of coffee, a good meal, animals, my dogs, nature, gardening, helping others, and writing to my four sponsored children. I also have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to central and south America for missions projects, and to also participate in orchid research. Currently I live in the middle of the pacific ocean in the state of Hawaii on the beautiful North Shore of Kauai. My blog came out of the necessity to share with my husband, family, and friends the progress on our business here, and well, it took on a life of it's own! LOL! God has used blogging to not only minister to me, but to have the opportunity to make heart felt friendships, which have been such a blessing and a life line at times :-) My inspirations are many, almost always pointing back to what God has either created or brought about from grace.

Pets have always been a big part of my life, and currently I have two dogs. Ruby & Maggie. Ruby is a parsons Russell terrier, and Maggie is a smooth fox terrier. It is my opinion that they keep me humble. ;-)

When I sit at my computer and blog, I get to look out a window into my yard and at two citrus, mango, and papaya trees. The birds love to come and sit in the branches, looking for a treat amongst the hina hina (Hawaiian for Spanish moss). There are many sets of wind chimes throughout this place, so my view is not only beautiful and green but musical as well!
It's exciting to me to watch as God uses something as modern as the internet to connect people, and to share his good news. I look forward to meeting you all online, and hopefully can figure out how to link into the blog bash!
Aloha!!!!!

Love and Loss

Living in the middle of the pacific ocean has it's good points and bad points. Today is hard for me as my Uncle Dale passed away and today is his memorial. I so wanted to be there for the family, and to have a chance to honor him. But was unable to leave this island due to responsibilities. My Uncle was a worker and deep in my heart I know he would of wanted me to take care of my responsibilities, and yet my heart aches, wanting to be with the family. Here is an article that was written about my Uncle Dale

"Dale Thomas Jones was gruff but generous and centered his life around the goings-on of Orting, where he served in city government for more than two decades.

The former mayor died Oct. 7 of congestive heart failure. He was 71.

“Dale was a character. He loved his city,” said Mayor Cheryl Temple, who had campaigned against him several times since 1988. “He still called me every other week just to see how things were going.”

Jones was a fixture in Orting.

He was born there Jan. 1, 1940 – the first baby born in Pierce County that year. He attended Orting High School and first asked the woman who would become his wife on a date while she picked strawberries in a field. He served on several city commissions and operated a trucking business for 20 years or so. He raised three daughters in the city.

Jones may have been a longtime city councilman, but he was not a typical politician. He accessorized with a stogie and large belt buckles. He spoke his mind, even if it was crude and even if it got him in trouble.

“He was colorful. What he said wasn’t always nice, but he said what he wanted and he got his point across,” Temple said.

While he may have had rough edges, residents remember him as a champion for Orting.

Jones used his equipment to fill in holes at the sporting fields, hang holiday garlands and event banners and expedite community and civic construction projects.

“My respect for Dale went far beyond his public service as an elected city official. It was everything he did behind the scenes that went unseen, without thanks and recognition, all for the love of his hometown,” resident Rhonda Madison wrote on her blog “From Orting, With Love.”

Jones owned and operated Dale Jones Trucking for the better part of two decades, using 28 semi-trailers to haul building materials across four states. When he let the business go eight years ago, he bought an RV and storage business.

He didn’t have time for hobbies and never learned how to relax. To unwind, he’d light a cigar, pop open a beer and dine on clam chowder or hamburgers with the boys.

“Dale was a very hard-working person. He was raised to work and that was it,” said Madeline Jones, his wife of 51 years. “It wasn’t even fun for him to go on vacation.”

She admits he could be gruff and that she wanted to throttle him plenty of times. But she knows he was a good man, a strong man, a loved man.

“I feel so blessed,” Madeline Jones said.

The city is flying its flags at half-staff in Jones’ honor. Funds are being collected to plant a tree in his honor near the Orting Depot. And the reader board at the city limits reads, “Dale Jones, we will miss you.”

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/10/13/1862833/former-orting-mayor-jones-loved.html#ixzz1ahTdUfMc

Rest in peace Uncle Dale, and give my family in Heaven my love

I do I really really do!

Nuff said!

He is the Light

Psalm 104:2
"The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent"

Psalm 37:5-6

⁵Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

⁶And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

A Morning Walk

The other morning the sun came up glorious, so Maggie and I put on our walking duds, grabbed the camera and out the door we went! Care to join us?
c

Abandoned...or Ambassador?

Orphans generally are viewed simply as abandoned children. It is true that they have been abandoned, but the story does not stop there. God loves these kids and knew their names before they were conceived. From eternity He had great plans for them, and even though their parents discarded them, God has not. In fact, He wants to engage these kids in some of His greatest purposes.

Abandoned...or Ambassador? How do you view these kids? How do I? If we only view them as abandoned, then our involvement will be limited to feeling sorry for them and giving them some food and clothing. But, if we view them as ambassadors, then the sky is the limit, the future is exciting, and only God knows the incredible impact that these kids may bring to His Kingdom! And for those of us who support these kids…why not take up the challenge? Why not think, and better yet, pray BIG for these kids? Let’s believe that God wants to do, and will do, great things for them and through them, for the advancement of His Kingdom in Nepal!

I pray big prayers for these beloved souls

Mighty Creator

The last two days I have been working on letters and art for the 4 children that our family sponsers through Kidstown international. I decided that the best way to communicate with these children from Bhutan is to share stories of the bible with them. That way they can learn about the Lord, and we have a foundation in which to share. This months letter was centered around the creation story. And truthfully this is where I feel closest to God. In HIS creation. In nature. I pray that these children will come to see the Lord in the trees, the birds, and animals around them, and through our relationship with one another

"If God’s creation helps you see
What wonders He can do

Then trust the many promises

That He has given you". —D. De Haan
Creation is filled with signs that point to the Creator.I have also been making shell boxes for my nieces. Sure hope they like them

Ke Aloha O Ka Haku, The Queens prayer

This morning as I was giving thanks for all the many blessings in my life, I was thanking God for the support he has sent me through the kindness of people who I have never met in person! This has been a rough couple of years for me, and just having lost my mother the first of the year was especially hard. Kindness can be in the form of such simple things ,and when the heart is open God can use those kindnesses in such a big way!
In January I recieved a care package from my friend and in it was a book called the Aloha Quilt. Well I just finished the book last night, and was touched by the friendships that the characters in the book shared, which made me think and give thanks for the friendships that God has placed in my life.

Another topic in the book that really touched me was the mention of Queen Lili`uokalani , and the quilt that she made while imprisoned and in exhile. She was a loving and noble woman, not only did she give herself for her people of Hawaii nei, but she was very creative and talented as well. I am taken with her song writing. Here she was held against her will, and still was able to compose such beauty.

Queen's Prayer (Ke Aloha O Ka Haku) - by Queen Lili`uokalani
`O kou aloha nô
Aia i ka lani
A `o Kou `oia `i`o
He hemolelo ho`i
Ko`u noho mihi `ana
A pa`ahao `ia
`O `oe ku`u lama
Kou nani ko`u ko`o
Mai nânâ `ino`ino
Nâ hewa o kânaka
Akä e huikala
A ma`ema`e nô
No laila e ka Haku
Ma lalo o kou `êheu
Kô mâkou maluhia
A mau loa aku nô
`Âmene

Transalation
Your loving mercy
Is as high as Heaven
And your truth
So perfect
I live in sorrow
Imprisoned
You are my light
Your glory, my support
Behold not with malevolence
The sins of man
But forgive
And cleanse
And so, o Lord
Protect us beneath your wings
And let peace be our portion
Now and forever more
Amen

This song (mele) is so beautiful and the words really touch my heart as to the example that the Queen is today.
The picture above is the quilt the Queen made while in exhile.

Here is a bit of her history, In 1895, an abortive attempt by Hawaiian royalists to restore Queen Lili`uokalani to power resulted in the queen's arrest. She was forced to sign a document of abdication that relinquished all her future claims to the throne. Following this, she endured a humiliating public trial before a military tribunal in her former throne room.
Convicted of having knowledge of a royalist plot, Lili`uokalani was fined $5000 and sentenced to five years in prison at hard labor. The sentence was commuted to imprisonment in an upstairs bedroom of `Iolani Palace.
During her imprisonment, the queen was denied any visitors other than one lady in waiting. She began each day with her daily devotions followed by reading, quilting, crochet-work, or music composition.
After her release from `Iolani Palace, the Queen remained under house arrest for five months at her private home, Washington Place. For another eight months she was forbidden to leave O`ahu before all restrictions were lifted.
She abdicated her power so that no harm would come to her people. She sacrificed herself for her people. Much like my Jesus did for me!

Findings

Life here in the valley has been busy with all the usual proceedings of living life in the tropics. The land always is producing, growing, hosting a muriad of other life forms. I have been so grateful for the chance (as I have mentioned before) to watch the Shama thrushes raise their young. Being able to wittness it so up close and personal is such a blessing. Being separated from my own family makes me appreciate the parents tending to their young all the more. Even after the chicks fledged from the nest, the parents are still feeding them, and teaching them how to find safe places to roost, feed, drink, and find cover and safety. I can hear the chicks call to the parents constantly. It makes me laugh as I can relate and feel that is what I do with my God all the time!! When the chicks fledge their tails are so small and stubby, as an adult they are very long and elegant
This little guy was pretty big for his feathers. I found him by the gate that lead out of the yard to the road. The day they fledged I thought for sure all of them were goner's as we have a lot of feral cats here that are really really good hunters. I can hear at least three of them so those darn little birds have made it and made me happy that my prayers for their safety was answered

On one of my supply trips into town I stopped to drop off some things at the Humane Societies thrift store, and ended up coming home with a few things. The japanese childrens dictionary is a lot of fun, and I grabbed it thinking I would cut it up for soul journal pages, but now dont have the heart to destroy it. Such great detail is in this publication. The other book is on Ecuador. I have traveled there , and have no problem cutting this book up! Inside were leaflets from a bullfight. Yes they do those sorts of things there. And old newspaper articles from the 70's. The sewing basket has a real jade ring on the top. It needs some cleaning, but will be useful non the less.
I also found a super cheap ice cream maker that I have been having fun with. So thankful for super fun ingredients that I can pick on my walks with Maggie or from my yard. Bananas, coconut, passion fruit, papaya. YUM!
Will close with a few pictures of my Maggie, my dear sweet companion. She makes me laugh, teaches me patience, keeps me active. Can you just see it in her face. Come on mom take me to the beach!

Grateful

I give thanks, for being able to watch these beautiful birds develop right by my kitchen door. Thank you God for your amazing birds. Please wait till the end of the video for a little surprise. There were four chicks with this last clutch, and we have had two clutches this season. They fledged the other day and boy were the parents busy with protecting these little chicks from the local dogs and cats. They had a bit of help from me, sorry orange feral kitty, I only threw that rock at you to keep you from eating the baby chick ;-) I got pictures of the chicks around the yard after they had fledged but for some reason blogger is not letting me upload pictures tonight, but I can load the video.

New colors & Guest

Last week my husband and I painted the cottage. Really happy with how the colors turned out. For some reason I am really intrigued with the names of colors, so much so I want to have the job the comes up with the names! The bedroom we painted in Orchid mist (yea no surprise there right????) and the main area is called Whetstone Grey. I found faux duponi silk drapes on sale, in a light grey blue. The cottage is now so grown up!!! Will miss living there. Oh yeah the other thing that happened was I got moved into the main house. Still in the process of unpacking boxes, and organizing, and purging. Can't get over how much STUFF I had in that little cottage!

It has been a challenge moving as we had to use the front door because by the back kitchen door, a shama thrush has laid four eggs in a basket that I have hanging by the back door. The eggs hatched, and we went from four to three to two, and now there is only one baby chick in the nest. I found one dead in the driveway and cried for two hours. The solo chick gets really vocal when the male come close and calls that dinner's on!!! The kitchen has been on the dark side because I keep all the curtains closed to not spook our feathered friends.

Gods creation is such a wonder to me, and I never get tired at marveling at his handy work.