January in the Branch House

“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us,

 new, untouched, full of things that have never been.” 

― Rainer Maria Rilke

January was filled with many special blessings.

Becca, Jake (honorary member), Rachael, Mark, Karelin, Steph, and Andrew

My first-born daughter, Steph, came home for a short visit.  We spent some precious family time together for nine days.  We were able to squeeze in a bridal shower, beach days, and take some family pictures.  The next time we see her, we'll be in Portland for her wedding.  The March wedding day is fast approaching and my to-do list is long, but God has paved the way and His hand is on every detail.

The girls, back together before the bridal shower!

Beautiful morning at the beach before heading to the airport. *sniff*

The house continues to be a gathering place for young adults.  Our small group is growing every week and the beds and couches are always full of guests!

"Mama T" and "Mama J" - as we've been named

One of our guests was Danielle Teeter, a sweet woman from Kauai.  She is involved in a new retreat center that plans to run amazing camps and other events through the summer for teens.  She invited us to come over in May for a worship retreat.  So excited!  I know God has big plans for this special place, and is doing an amazing work through her ministry.  It is such a blessing to meet other like-minded people who love Jesus and are living all-out for Him. I loved hearing about her family. We have a lot in common.  It was great to meet a new friend.  She was just here overnight, but in the morning we took a fun hike up to the Lanikai Pillboxes.  We both think each other's island is the prettiest...

new sleeping loft

The community is growing closer every day.  We were able to build a sleeping loft in the studio to give Morgan and Tasha more private space.  We spent Superbowl Sunday (which was Morgan's birthday) together, projecting he game on the wall.  So much fun!

Building crew after a day's work

Football! (Note: people in photo are more excited than they appear.)

Training has begun for our fundraising half marathon and relay run.  The Kailua Nazarene Church will be going on a mission trip to Peru in July.  It's an expensive trip, so funds must be raised.  Mark and a few others will be running the 13.1 miles, and we are putting together several relay teams to share the miles.  Community racing!  I will share more about the trip as the details are available.

Yesterday, the gang took a quick hike up to the Pali lookout.  Up the ridge, there is a spot we call the Pali Puka (hole) where you can see through the mountain face.  It's a pretty scary hike (so I stayed home...) but they say the view is worth it.  Maybe I'll get the nerve to go the next time.

The girls on the way up!

Yeah, this is why I stayed home!

View from the top - that's the Pali Highway. See the dirt path on the edge?

The peak of the Pali

The Puka!

The famous Pali hair shot!

As I start this new year, I think a word that has been planted in my heart is hope.  Hope is the expectation of good.  I don't now exactly what will happen, but I know that my God is good, and His plan is good.  I heard a message by Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church recently say, "Faith sees, hope feels, and love never fails."  I love that.  Faith sees what will be before it is.  Hope feels expectation for good before it is known.  Love never fails even when it is not deserved.  He went on to say, "Hope gets you off the couch and onto the porch..."  That is so true.  We must live with an expectation of good in order to move on to a life of faith.  I can't see what God is doing yet, I just know He is always working for my good.  That is hope.  I've just begun to explore what this will mean for our year, but I know I wont be disappointed.

View from the Lanikai Pillboxes -  Yes, I did take this one!

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully 

look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our 

confident hope of salvation.  

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. 

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:1-5 NLT

My prayer for you is that you be filled with hope in 2013!  You wont be disappointed when your hope is in Jesus!

Enjoying the View is becoming more than a blog name.

When I started this blog, I searched for a name that would represent me.  Something that I've always loved is a great view.  I'll endure quite a bit just to see one (as you may have noticed by my hiking posts...).  But as with a lot of things in my life, the name is evolving to mean more than just a physical view of my surroundings.  A view can also be a perspective of life, like a world view.

This week, I'm busy working on retreat presentations.  Our topic for this year is from Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts: Daring to Live Fully Right Where You Are.   If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.  One of the main points of the book is learning to see what God is placing right in front of you as a gift from Him.   All of life is a grace that is meant to be received with gratitude.  Eucharisteo is the Greek word that breaks down into three:  Eucharisteo = thanksgiving, Chara = joy and Charis = grace.  Such a power-packed word.  I'm learning to look around with new eyes.  I look for the beauty of the ordinary; a rainbow, a sunset, a child's smile, a piece of bread.  I look for the joy even in the hard things as Jesus did - but for the joy set before Him, endured the cross.

This looking for the God-gifts is not easy.  It takes deliberate effort, practice.  I've been trying to make a list to 1000 for quite awhile now.  I must admit.  I haven't been adding to it lately and I miss it.  As I look over my previous posts that have a portion of my list, I instantly feel the joy that came along with those entries.  Counting gifts makes me feel God's love for me.  That's a view that I will always enjoy, right where I am - no hiking necessary!

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT

Retreat on the horizon....Waterfall in the rear view...

I ask for your grace for the next two weeks.  Our annual Women's Retreat is May 13-15, and I need prepare.  I'll try to keep in touch, but my study focus needs to be on our retreat material.

Keeping with my "Enjoying the View" theme....

We found this fun water hole on a short hike in Kahaluu.  Nice clear, cold water to dip our feet in.  Sorry about the graffiti.  Can't seem to get away from it.  One person's art...

Mark was carving Andrew's name, not ours....

Nice shot by the waterfall.

Smooch!

But just so you don't think it's so easy to get these shots, I'll show you how graceful I was on the way down.
My daughter, Rachael, was all too happy to document the moment!

We were standing on a water pipe about 5 feet off the ground.

I'm too scared to jump...

Maybe if I squat down first...

I look like a frog..

Who me?  I'm always this graceful...

The older I get, the easier it is for me to laugh at myself.  I can't take myself too seriously!

But as for me, I will sing about your power.

      Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.

   For you have been my refuge,

      a place of safety when I am in distress.

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,

      for you, O God, are my refuge,

      the God who shows me unfailing love.

Psalm 59:16-17

Have a great day!  

Great weekend ~ and new inspiration!

Our family had a fun weekend.  I hope you did too!  Rachael, my second-born, had her birthday so we celebrated with a last minute surprise birthday party.  Friday night, a few of her friends came over for pizza, Apples to Apples, and the new Disney movie Tangled.  She was so surprised!  Very fun.


On Saturday, we headed up to the North Shore.  We had a new friend, Mary, along.  It is so much fun to show off our island to first-timers.  We brought the surf boards and everyone (except me) hit the waves!  I've never learned, and I didn't want to start with North Shore waves.  I will learn, someday...

On Sunday, we had a really nice service at church.  It's so nice to have new faces.  Then, Mark and I led a short hike to a great watering hole.  We had about thirty people show up!  It was fun.  This just proves that "If you plan it, they will come!"   One of the goals that Mark and I have is to intentionally build community right where we are, starting first with our faith family, and then branching out to those in our geographic community.  This was our first attempt and we were very pleased with the turnout.

So that's a recap of the weekend.  The new inspiration part came today while talking with my first-born, Steph.  She is the one who continues to encourage (read: nags)  me to write - especially this blog.  She reminded me of a study that I have been saying I want to do and write about.  So, I have committed to start.

The idea came from hearing Bill Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California speak.  (This is Steph's pastor.)  He mentioned something he called the offenses of Jesus.  He points out the method Jesus used so many times.  When dealing with people, Jesus often "offended" their minds by his words to reveal what was in their heart.  That phrase stuck with me, and the more I read the gospels, the more I see it.   It is a topic that is begging to be explored.

So that is my plan.  I will begin my search of the gospels for the offenses of Jesus, and share what I find here. Thanks for your grace...

"I can do it all by myself... "

That's the refrain of every toddler, "I can do it myself!"  Usually they can, but sometimes it makes a terrible mess in the process.  I was always the kind of mom who found a way to "help" my kids do it so the mess would be less.  (Sorry, kids!)  Not great for building self-reliance. 

This is one aspect of parenting that is totally opposite from the kind of parent God is to me.  I come to Him, relying on my own strength.  But God doesn't want me to be self-reliant.  He wants me to be totally dependent on Him.  My maturity in Christ is measured by how dependent I can be.  So unnatural!  I should learn from my former toddlers and let Him do it!  I'd have fewer messes in my life.

There is a quote that is posted on my refrigerator right now, next to our family calendar.  It's one by A.W. Tozer.  It reads, "God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible.  What a pity when we plan only the things we can do by ourselves."

I've always considered myself a planner.  Control-freak security...  But what I'm noticing lately is, even though I want to do the will of God, I only attempt the things I think I will be successful at.  I've created a very safe environment for myself.  Well, I'm kind of sick of it.  Time to attempt things that only God can accomplish through me.  Sounds great, but how to start.  It's as unnatural as stepping off a cliff...

James 2:21-24 says,

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

If I truly want to live the radical life of faith, my actions better be ones that take real faith, not self-reliance.

Lord, I don't just want to do the things I can do by myself. 

I want You to do the impossible through me. Amen!

The Upside of the Downside...

Sunday's climb up to Mount Olomana was great.  The view was worth every rope climbed.  So many spiritual lessons rattle in my brain...  But coming down from the mountain, that's the lesson that is asking to be explored.

Ah, the "mountain-top experience."  Very well named.  So much of my time is spent seeking it.  But life in this world demands that after the experience, I must come down.

Coming back from the retreat last week left me so out of sorts in my routine.  I was off kilter for days.  How can the lessons I learned about climbing back down from Olomana help me make the transition to life in the valley?

Here are four lessons I've discovered:

Lesson #1:  Stop wishing for a life lived at the "top" or for the helicopter ride down, just get moving.
I really didn't want to come down from that beautiful place.  It was such an effort to get there, I just wanted to savor it.  But the sun was setting, and I really had no choice.  So, instead of having a tantrum, I got myself up, and headed back down the trail.  If I had really stopped to think about all those steep cliffs and rope descents, I would have become paralyzed with fear.  Not helpful.  So I adopted Elizabeth Elliot's mantra, "Just do the next thing," and started putting myself through the motions.

Lesson #2:  Use the same ropes you used to get up, to get yourself down.
Those holy habits that I'm learning to use to get up to the mountain-top experience, are also helpful when it's time to scale back down.  The disciplines of my regular quiet time, hard stops for prayer, scripture memorization, and journaling, all help me focus on Jesus and give me strength to come back down into the plain or valley where the majority of my life is lived.

Lesson #3:  Don't look a the drop-off, just keep your eyes on the next step.
When coming down those big boulders, it was necessary to look down to place your next step.  I had to focus very purposefully on the rock where I would step, and not the sheer drop just beside it.  I really don't like heights, so this was a test of my focus.  I just couldn't afford to let my eyes stray.  When coming back down to the "everyday" of life, keeping my focus on the Solid Rock helps to push back fear and build faith. 

Lesson #4:  Take the mountain-top experience with you down to the valley - and share it!
As our group came down the mountain, we just couldn't stop talking about how wonderful it was.  We took pictures to remember and share.  Now, when I pass by that mountain, I will always remember that day.  It looks so high and difficult to climb.  It's hard to believe we where really there.  Those memories will last many years.  How will anyone know that the climb was worth it unless we tell them?

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

 I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth!

 He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

 Indeed, he who watches over Israel

never slumbers or sleeps.

 The Lord himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

 The sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon at night.

 The Lord keeps you from all harm

and watches over your life.

 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,

both now and forever.

As time goes on, I may discover more lessons, but this will do for now. God is good. He never wastes any experience. He is the Good Shepherd that speaks to me in ways that I can understand. I pray that these discoveries will be a blessing to you, too.








Photos by Jake Heaton, co-moutain climber.

Heading up the mountain...

Sunday is the day we try to do things together as a family.  As the kids get older, it is getting harder to get us all together.  So, we put our foot down today and called a mandatory family hike.  It was beautiful!  We scaled a peak that I've never been on.  Mark had taken our oldest daughter Steph when she was about 11 years old.  I thought, "How hard can it be?"  Well, as you will see, this was not our usual walk-in-the-park hike.  There were ropes to climb....  But the trail was cool, and the view was phenomenal.  And you should know by the name of this blog...it's all about the view with me.  Here are a few pictures of our day.

Our goal was the tallest peak of Mount Olomana.  As you can see, there are some steep climbs.

The trail was a bit muddy.

There are beautiful, old trees that shade the hike most of the way up.  Their gnarled branches and roots are great hand-holds up the muddy slopes.

Every once in a while, the trees clear for a peek of the upcoming view...

We just kept climbing, up and up, and up...

Here is Rachael on one of the rope climbing spots.  There are about 4 or 5 different ropes to climb.

Next up was Rebecca.

Andrew found climbing easier in his bare feet.  Mark spots him from behind.  Andrew will be 10 next month.  He's the youngest one in our family to make this trip.

Finally, after about 90 minutes of hiking, we reach the top!

This is the view looking out over Kailua, and on to Kaneohe Bay in the distance.

There are 3 peaks on this mountain, we stopped at the first and highest peak.

Resting at the top.  The view of Waimanalo in the background. 

(And our friend, Tom.  He's in his early 60's but makes this hike about once a month....)

Rebecca, me and Rachael with Kailua in the background.  Yes, I'm tired but exhilarated by the view!

Smile!

We also brought our friend Jake.  Jake was with us on the hike that Mark punctured his leg.  We had to take him on another hike (get back on the horse, so to speak) and show him that all of our life is not such drama.

After enjoying the view for a few minutes, we realized that the sun was beginning to set.  We had to move back down the trail. 

Have you ever wondered how you got yourself into a situation. I was wishing a helicopter could just pluck me from the summit....but it was not to be. We had to go down the same way we got up...ropes.

My girls are so brave.  They just took off. 

Actually, I was much better at the ropes than I had thought I'd be.  I really wondered if I would be too scared to do it.  There was a time in my life, as I've said in other posts, where I would not have even attempted a hike like this.  (As my sisters will tell you, I've spent what seemed like hours in a tree being too scared to come down.)  But I realized that I would be missing so much.  You just can't explain the experience to someone else (even though I'm trying to here).  And these pictures do not do the view justice.

My man does wonders to get me to places that I really want to go.  His spirit of adventure is contagious.  I love him for it!   And I'll follow him anywhere.

 God is my strong fortress,

and he makes my way perfect.

 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

 He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

2 Samuel 22:33-35 (NLT)

I haven't had to draw a bronze bow, but I'm thankful He provided strength to climb those ropes!



Here's this week's entries for the 1000 Gifts list:

53.  cool, rainy days that remind me that it is still winter.

54.  new battery for the car

55.  husband's daily gift of making our bed

56.  Andrew's short story

57.  the freedom of a well-timed "no"

58.  the freedom of a well-timed "yes"

59.  bartering for lessons: ballet and piano

60.  bird songs through the sound of rain

61.  sister's phone calls

62.  when eyes open minutes before the alarm goes off, easing the morning faithfulness

63.  "home education" in my jammies once in a while

64.  home made stew to share

65.  taking a break from my beloved treadmill to run on the open road

66.  safe trip up and down the mountain

67.  living surrounded by incredible beauty

68.  being able to see personal growth in shedding old fears

69.  sharing beauty with family and friends

70.  a cup of tea on a fancy tray







Feel free to join in with your own list. Post a link on your comment. I'd love to see it. Thanks!