if only we knew what God has in store for us. if only we knew what the future holds. if only.
do you ever think about that? if only i knew, i could make a better decision.
but that's what's funny about the whole thing. we were never meant to know. the truth and the foreknowledge is far too much for any of us to handle. that's why only God knows. and that's the way it should be.
however, times get tough. and we're faced with many many crossroads throughout life. sometimes we just wish we could have a little help, a nudge in the right direction. but i guess that's where faith comes in. and trust.
i'm trying so hard to follow God's lead, watching for Him to show me what His plans are for me. although that's the thing. maybe i shouldn't be looking. maybe i should be waiting. as in, waiting on the Lord. i've never been good at that. the thought of just waiting for the unknown is quite daunting if you ask me. but maybe that's what i need right now.
i'm so scared. scared to make the wrong decision. scared to lose. scared of change.. but i'm oh so willing--as long as it's what the Lord wants. this is truly putting my faith to the test. i wonder how i'll know. and if i'll make it through. i guess i can only put my trust in God.
so i'll admit it. i'm struggling. struggling with this huge decision. and i need prayer. not really wanting to talk about it, but please pray. pray for patience, pray for humility, pray for willingness. pray for a listening ear. and pray for love.
proverbs 3:5-6. trust in the lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
amen.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
continuation.
back at the apartment. with some more alone time. which i should be happy about...but quite frankly i'm feeling a bit lonely right now. not sure why, but i am. surrounded by loving roommates, family, and friends, how could i possibly feel this way?! but i do.
maybe it's God speaking to me. it's time to seek him earnestly. time to spend more quality AND quiet time with Him. Maybe he's seeking me out.
this summer has taught me a lot about myself. i've learned how to read my own thoughts and emotions better, and work towards actually making sense of them! i'm learning how to live life in the moment. and just following with blind faith. trusting that everything will be okay. i think that's what Jesus has been trying to teach me all along. so even though i'm feeling a bit on the alone side, i am so thankful. i'm learning more about myself than i ever have before. and truly enjoying it. i'm starting to do all the things i've always wanted to do, think the way i've wanted to think, and j u s t b e.
i've come to this amazing conclusion that we need to cherish life more than we do. our lives are but a dot on a line, so minuscule to eternity and what God has prepared before us! with that said, i think we ought to be living it to it's fullest. not being tied down, bogged down, or anything of the sort. we need to live in the moment, take every opportunity, and truly enjoy all that life has to offer. i don't want to ever wonder if i only "coulda shoulda woulda". because when i look back, i will have done it.
i think i'll go on another run tomorrow. some thinking is in order for me! i have so much going through my head, that i've kept so balled up inside, it's time to let loose, and led God. praying that He will just lead me.
so as far as loneliness goes, maybe it's because i came home earlier than i expected. maybe it's because no one's here right now. or maybe it's because i'm hanging onto my old ways. but blogging has been helpful. :) and for that, i am thankful.
maybe it's God speaking to me. it's time to seek him earnestly. time to spend more quality AND quiet time with Him. Maybe he's seeking me out.
this summer has taught me a lot about myself. i've learned how to read my own thoughts and emotions better, and work towards actually making sense of them! i'm learning how to live life in the moment. and just following with blind faith. trusting that everything will be okay. i think that's what Jesus has been trying to teach me all along. so even though i'm feeling a bit on the alone side, i am so thankful. i'm learning more about myself than i ever have before. and truly enjoying it. i'm starting to do all the things i've always wanted to do, think the way i've wanted to think, and j u s t b e.
i've come to this amazing conclusion that we need to cherish life more than we do. our lives are but a dot on a line, so minuscule to eternity and what God has prepared before us! with that said, i think we ought to be living it to it's fullest. not being tied down, bogged down, or anything of the sort. we need to live in the moment, take every opportunity, and truly enjoy all that life has to offer. i don't want to ever wonder if i only "coulda shoulda woulda". because when i look back, i will have done it.
i think i'll go on another run tomorrow. some thinking is in order for me! i have so much going through my head, that i've kept so balled up inside, it's time to let loose, and led God. praying that He will just lead me.
so as far as loneliness goes, maybe it's because i came home earlier than i expected. maybe it's because no one's here right now. or maybe it's because i'm hanging onto my old ways. but blogging has been helpful. :) and for that, i am thankful.
i gave the homeless guy off the freeway my sandwich.
i don't know why i haven't done that before. i see him without fail almost everytime i drive to work. so why don't i just pack 2 sammies? 1 for me and 1 for him. sounds like a plan to me.
anyway, it made me realize how blessed i am. i can make myself a sandwich and not think twice about it! i think God has always cultivated in me a place for the homeless. it's always been something i've been concerned about, but have only barely taken action for it. God is good. :)
so today i went for a morning run. MAN does it feel good. i usually don't like running outside, but the past few times it's just been fantastic. since being back from hawaii, i've been so anxious to be outside all the time. i hate being cooped up indoors now! haha. so running this morning was a good way to start off my day. it was sweet sweet me time. got to think and pray. two things i don't do enough of. just praying that God will lead me in whichever direction He wants.
okie doke. off to the beach! i'll finish this up later :)
anyway, it made me realize how blessed i am. i can make myself a sandwich and not think twice about it! i think God has always cultivated in me a place for the homeless. it's always been something i've been concerned about, but have only barely taken action for it. God is good. :)
so today i went for a morning run. MAN does it feel good. i usually don't like running outside, but the past few times it's just been fantastic. since being back from hawaii, i've been so anxious to be outside all the time. i hate being cooped up indoors now! haha. so running this morning was a good way to start off my day. it was sweet sweet me time. got to think and pray. two things i don't do enough of. just praying that God will lead me in whichever direction He wants.
okie doke. off to the beach! i'll finish this up later :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
oh sweet sweet reflection.
it's been but two days since my homecoming, and all i can do is think about the amazing summer i spent in hawaii.
how can this be any better.
it's like a picture perfect movie that i will forever replay in my memory. i'd have to say, i came into the whole trip a little scared, and a little nervous, but excited on the whole. but i never ever would've guessed i'd have as much fun as i did. quite plainly, i'd have to admit that it was the most amazing experience of my life thus far. and that's quite a statement! especially after being alive for 20.75 years now and all. (;
malama aina. malama kai.
ohhh hawaii nei, and your beautiful lush, tropical land. i don't think i've ever grown to appreciate my natural surroundings as much as i did while in hawaii. i've always been a bit on the environmental side, but i've never appreciated it or truly enjoyed it as much as i did this summer. first of all, the ocean was, is, and will always be my love. and to think that i've always enjoyed the waters here on the coast of california, but coming to hawaii?! lol it was almost too much for me! with the perfectly blue/green waters (which by the way is my favorite color), the clarity, and the warm temperature, i was in love. i already miss going to the beach nearly every other day, and tried to make up for it yesterday and today by going to our beaches. buttt...i'd have to say it was a fail. because we literally do have "doo doo water" (as many of the locals might say)--btw, i most definitely watched a dog crap in the ocean yesterday and therefore confirming the doo doo water--and it's cold, and just basically sucks. but then again, i was pretty spoiled for the past 7 weeks. aside from the water, the foliage and greenery on the island was to die for! going hiking was such a treat for me. gosh nature is b-e-a-utiful.
broke da mout.
can we say "nom nom nom"? oh goodness gracious was the food good! from plate lunches, to hawaiian food, to spam musubi, to korean bbq, japanese, and more! i never thought i'd grow to love asian/island food SO much. i'd have to admit i even enjoyed the poi. with sugar, that is. (; i miss mochiko chicken like none other right now. haha. if it was available on the menu, i ordered it. SO good. L&L is just not going to cut it! i loved branching out and trying new things. With the exception of bittermelon though. HA! thank you auntie bettie. i will truly miss all the amazing fusion of foods that hawaii has to offer. my tummy is craving it already! in fact, i think my roomies and i will be attempting to make spam musubi next week :) jackpot!
my brahs, my cous's, my friends.
although the weather was phenomenal, the scenery breathtaking, the thing that made the greatest impact on me would have to be the people. i don't think i've ever made such close and loving friendships in such a short period of time. man, i am blessed! right from the start--meeting matt and nicole. out here in cali, people don't ACTUALLY call when they say they will. especially when you've just met someone new. but MATT, you did! at 7:30 am the next morning in fact. hahaha. that will forever make a lasting impression on me. and then you took me "surfing" and taught me pidgin! and then became my unofficial cousin. i'll never forget. :D and to nicole, for being so gracious as to inviting us places and introducing us to your friends. you are SO blessed for having such a strong group of girlfriends! in fact that's something i've always longed for. then Jo, my partner in crime. oh man! i had SO much fun with you girl. you took me everywhere, got all my "list of things i wanted to do while in oahu" completed, and spent so much time with me! i loved our heart to heart, our jokes, and ADVENTURES! i can't WAIT for you to come visit for west beach. it's going to be epic. :) thank you thank you for all the rides and good times!
now i could go on and on about every single person i met and all the kindness each and every one of you showed me, but that would just take way too long. i hope you all know how much of an impact you've made on my life, and how truly grateful i am for it. from letting us cruise at your place night after night, to dim sum in chinatown, to paddleboarding, mocking my "yes's" in a fist, sleeping less than 4 hours a night, teaching me how to float, putting up with my poser pidgin texts, for naming me ne-yo, to taking us to the airport, to making us that AMAZING cityside cd, to night swimming, to family bbqs, to birthday bash skanking, to lanikai, to northshore adventures & honu land, to taking me to international marketplace on a limited time, to making us dinner when the dining commons closed, to introducing me to bubbies!, and getting us into level 4, for showing us the dolphins, slash basically the whole island, to carrying your butt in both bp and mini golf, to singing tearing up my heart with me at karaoke, to picking up sea cucumber POOP and not being ashamed, to getting pulled over, lying, and getting away with it, for letting me and becca dance on you, for putting up with my sucky volleyball skills, to poor hearing--"what? WHALES?", for sprinting to the bus one light before it arrives, for zippys all day everyday, for SANSEI's, to jammin on the ukelele, for late nights in the dorms, to d&b's & free tokens, for getting me a discount on clothes!, for helping me get through my embarrassment at yardhouse, for the cute honu shell gift, to westside sunsets, diamond head surfing, to your ridiculous swagger walk that you tried to blame on me, to smiles, laughs, and the TIME OF MY LIFE. thank you all. i will never forget. without each and every one of you, this trip would not have been the same. i hope we'll all stay in touch so that we can get ready for some more fun times when i return! (hopefully in mayyy. and hopefully if i get a job & move out there :]) much love. ♥
bumbye.
oh man, although all this reminiscing may sound sad sad panda, i smile and think, i will someday call this place my home too. it's been a dream of mine since i was in high school to one day move to hawaii, and once i graduate college in march, it is an actual possibility. i've never felt more comfortable in a place in LIFE. not newbury park, not santa barbara. i truly think i'm meant to live there. the nature, the food, the culture, the people--all a perfect match! soo, with that said, my hopeful plan is to come out again in may before the majority of the college kids get out and job hunt like crazy! and then who knows what will happen from there. :) i guess i'll just have to leave it up to God. i know He knows what's best for me anyway. but yeah, hawaii- i miss you already. i cannot wait to be back! garans bal barans. :)
♥♥♥summer of a lifetime.
how can this be any better.
it's like a picture perfect movie that i will forever replay in my memory. i'd have to say, i came into the whole trip a little scared, and a little nervous, but excited on the whole. but i never ever would've guessed i'd have as much fun as i did. quite plainly, i'd have to admit that it was the most amazing experience of my life thus far. and that's quite a statement! especially after being alive for 20.75 years now and all. (;
malama aina. malama kai.
ohhh hawaii nei, and your beautiful lush, tropical land. i don't think i've ever grown to appreciate my natural surroundings as much as i did while in hawaii. i've always been a bit on the environmental side, but i've never appreciated it or truly enjoyed it as much as i did this summer. first of all, the ocean was, is, and will always be my love. and to think that i've always enjoyed the waters here on the coast of california, but coming to hawaii?! lol it was almost too much for me! with the perfectly blue/green waters (which by the way is my favorite color), the clarity, and the warm temperature, i was in love. i already miss going to the beach nearly every other day, and tried to make up for it yesterday and today by going to our beaches. buttt...i'd have to say it was a fail. because we literally do have "doo doo water" (as many of the locals might say)--btw, i most definitely watched a dog crap in the ocean yesterday and therefore confirming the doo doo water--and it's cold, and just basically sucks. but then again, i was pretty spoiled for the past 7 weeks. aside from the water, the foliage and greenery on the island was to die for! going hiking was such a treat for me. gosh nature is b-e-a-utiful.
broke da mout.
can we say "nom nom nom"? oh goodness gracious was the food good! from plate lunches, to hawaiian food, to spam musubi, to korean bbq, japanese, and more! i never thought i'd grow to love asian/island food SO much. i'd have to admit i even enjoyed the poi. with sugar, that is. (; i miss mochiko chicken like none other right now. haha. if it was available on the menu, i ordered it. SO good. L&L is just not going to cut it! i loved branching out and trying new things. With the exception of bittermelon though. HA! thank you auntie bettie. i will truly miss all the amazing fusion of foods that hawaii has to offer. my tummy is craving it already! in fact, i think my roomies and i will be attempting to make spam musubi next week :) jackpot!
my brahs, my cous's, my friends.
although the weather was phenomenal, the scenery breathtaking, the thing that made the greatest impact on me would have to be the people. i don't think i've ever made such close and loving friendships in such a short period of time. man, i am blessed! right from the start--meeting matt and nicole. out here in cali, people don't ACTUALLY call when they say they will. especially when you've just met someone new. but MATT, you did! at 7:30 am the next morning in fact. hahaha. that will forever make a lasting impression on me. and then you took me "surfing" and taught me pidgin! and then became my unofficial cousin. i'll never forget. :D and to nicole, for being so gracious as to inviting us places and introducing us to your friends. you are SO blessed for having such a strong group of girlfriends! in fact that's something i've always longed for. then Jo, my partner in crime. oh man! i had SO much fun with you girl. you took me everywhere, got all my "list of things i wanted to do while in oahu" completed, and spent so much time with me! i loved our heart to heart, our jokes, and ADVENTURES! i can't WAIT for you to come visit for west beach. it's going to be epic. :) thank you thank you for all the rides and good times!
now i could go on and on about every single person i met and all the kindness each and every one of you showed me, but that would just take way too long. i hope you all know how much of an impact you've made on my life, and how truly grateful i am for it. from letting us cruise at your place night after night, to dim sum in chinatown, to paddleboarding, mocking my "yes's" in a fist, sleeping less than 4 hours a night, teaching me how to float, putting up with my poser pidgin texts, for naming me ne-yo, to taking us to the airport, to making us that AMAZING cityside cd, to night swimming, to family bbqs, to birthday bash skanking, to lanikai, to northshore adventures & honu land, to taking me to international marketplace on a limited time, to making us dinner when the dining commons closed, to introducing me to bubbies!, and getting us into level 4, for showing us the dolphins, slash basically the whole island, to carrying your butt in both bp and mini golf, to singing tearing up my heart with me at karaoke, to picking up sea cucumber POOP and not being ashamed, to getting pulled over, lying, and getting away with it, for letting me and becca dance on you, for putting up with my sucky volleyball skills, to poor hearing--"what? WHALES?", for sprinting to the bus one light before it arrives, for zippys all day everyday, for SANSEI's, to jammin on the ukelele, for late nights in the dorms, to d&b's & free tokens, for getting me a discount on clothes!, for helping me get through my embarrassment at yardhouse, for the cute honu shell gift, to westside sunsets, diamond head surfing, to your ridiculous swagger walk that you tried to blame on me, to smiles, laughs, and the TIME OF MY LIFE. thank you all. i will never forget. without each and every one of you, this trip would not have been the same. i hope we'll all stay in touch so that we can get ready for some more fun times when i return! (hopefully in mayyy. and hopefully if i get a job & move out there :]) much love. ♥
bumbye.
oh man, although all this reminiscing may sound sad sad panda, i smile and think, i will someday call this place my home too. it's been a dream of mine since i was in high school to one day move to hawaii, and once i graduate college in march, it is an actual possibility. i've never felt more comfortable in a place in LIFE. not newbury park, not santa barbara. i truly think i'm meant to live there. the nature, the food, the culture, the people--all a perfect match! soo, with that said, my hopeful plan is to come out again in may before the majority of the college kids get out and job hunt like crazy! and then who knows what will happen from there. :) i guess i'll just have to leave it up to God. i know He knows what's best for me anyway. but yeah, hawaii- i miss you already. i cannot wait to be back! garans bal barans. :)
♥♥♥summer of a lifetime.
Friday, August 14, 2009
it's never the right time to say goodbye.
just had our farewell dinner tonight..
had to say bye for good to jo, nicole, and nicole.
is this really happening?!
can't believe it. i'm actually really really sad...
had to say bye for good to jo, nicole, and nicole.
is this really happening?!
can't believe it. i'm actually really really sad...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
4 days left in hawaii nei...
i am seriously getting EMO times 934829438 about leaving.
everyday i think about it. and all the people i will miss, the places, the activities, the FUN. and the way of life.
i've never felt more comfortable in a place. i feel so at home. haha i have a feeling i'm going to be "homesick" for hawaii when i get back..
anyways. i still have a few more things i want to get accomplished before i go! godwilling.
1. WESTSIDE sunset. might be my number 1 thing i want to do. still have NOT ventured out to the land of mokes! haha. any takers?
2. international marketplace! i still am on the hunt for some cute & cheap earrings. and not to mention some goodies i'd like to bring back. (:
3. clubbing? this is just a "it would be nice if i could" but...totally not needed.
4.ward centre. oneee more time. haha got a few things to pick up, brah.
5. maunawilli..buttt given the current tropical storm status, i'm thinkin that idea is just a bit too dangerous for me. i guess it'll have to wait for the next time i return!
6. most importantly, i want to see everyone one last time before i go. you all have made such an impact on my life... i don't know how i'm going to handle the time and distance. sad panda.
but yeah. time to do homework. just a few random thoughts. peace yo!
everyday i think about it. and all the people i will miss, the places, the activities, the FUN. and the way of life.
i've never felt more comfortable in a place. i feel so at home. haha i have a feeling i'm going to be "homesick" for hawaii when i get back..
anyways. i still have a few more things i want to get accomplished before i go! godwilling.
1. WESTSIDE sunset. might be my number 1 thing i want to do. still have NOT ventured out to the land of mokes! haha. any takers?
2. international marketplace! i still am on the hunt for some cute & cheap earrings. and not to mention some goodies i'd like to bring back. (:
3. clubbing? this is just a "it would be nice if i could" but...totally not needed.
4.ward centre. oneee more time. haha got a few things to pick up, brah.
5. maunawilli..buttt given the current tropical storm status, i'm thinkin that idea is just a bit too dangerous for me. i guess it'll have to wait for the next time i return!
6. most importantly, i want to see everyone one last time before i go. you all have made such an impact on my life... i don't know how i'm going to handle the time and distance. sad panda.
but yeah. time to do homework. just a few random thoughts. peace yo!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
waiting for church.
good morning all :)
i'm waiting to go to church with joanna.
so i figured i'd update some mo! haha.
so back to last saturday. quite possibly the most exhausting day of all! saturday we decided to hike pillboxes for sunrise.
we'd been planning it for a few days, and i was quite ready to be adventurous! we tried to leave at like 5am, but clearly that wasn't happening. haha he we didn't quite have the directions. but it's all g, we still got there fine. :) after trecking it out to lanikai, we rushed up the mountain to the pillboxes! it was all worth it though--as we got to the top, the view was absolutely breathtaking. i just felt in the midst of God's beautiful creation. mm. AMAZING. i recommend this to anyone! it ended up being us girls plus matt f. and his friend kaiser. good group to go with. (: anyway, we were QUITE exhausted after to say the least. and MUDDY! so we decided to go grind at this onolicious place called boots & kimos. honestly, the BEST pancakes i've EVER had! i don't even really care for pancakes, but these were just ridiculous. haha. They served it with this macadamia nut sauce, that was thick and scrumptious. jo and i also shared some eggs and portuguese sausage! good choice for sure.
after boots & kimos we went to the swap meet! we were beattt, but we reallly wanted to go. haha. i ended up finding a pendent, and i've been wearing it ever since! it's a flower. :) swap meet was chill, lots of stuff going on. and very touristy. haha. all that stuff used to interest me, but now i think i'm upped my status to a kama'aina poser, so i'm not as excited about touristy goods. hahaha.
anyway, after thattt. i had to rush back to make it to the carnival at magic island with popo and aunite pat! haha barely made it. but it's all good. the fair was HOT. but it was good to see popo and aunite pat. :)
thenn. i was in GREAT need of a nap! so i took one. haha. and then had to get ready for the chong's family get together. it's so nice of them to invite us along to their events.. i really enjoy spending time with them. auntie raz and uncle bobby are just so welcoming, we feel right at home! it was cool meeting the rest of their extended family. i feel like i get along with them very well.
haha and to finish off my amazi
ngly long day, we ended up going out to our friend kanes' house. honestly, his house is the nicest house i've been to since i've been here!! out in kahala, he's situated across the street from the beach, with an enormous pool and yard, and a luxurious house. i think i heard his neighbor is supposedly one of the richest people in America. haha. nuts, ya? i mean real estate is super high in california, but could you imagine a ridiculously large house in hawaii next to the ocean?! CRAZY. haha. it was a really good night though. for real kine.
continuing that weekend, on sunday we just did homework and restedd. didn't do much either sunday or monday, but we did go NIGHT SWIMMING! it's my new favorite thing to do. since we can't go in the ocean at night at home, i've been taking full advantage of it here. it's SO warm, and relaxing. especially since the full moon has been out. :) it's been a real treat. i'm really going to miss this...
tuesday. just did our thangg and went shopping. :) that was fun! didn't really buy much, but hey, i had fun. it was good to just get out and walk around. i like spending time with jo & becca. girl time fa shoo. haha. later that night we met up with some of the guys and went to likelike! i ordered too big of an omelette, but it really good nonetheless!
wednesday. BEACH BEACH BEACH. after our presentation :) we had lunch with kanes', leo, andrew, amanda, and some others at ala moana. that was fun! and then dat took becca and i to makapu'u! that was awesome. we finally got to sleep in the sun. haha. we'd been craving beach, even though we go basically every day. :P After makapu'u, dat took us to kahala mandarin hotel! and we saw DOLPHINS. and honus. and a stingray! it was so cool. honestly made my day. :)
thursday. BEACH BEACH BEACH. :) haha. went with Andrew, which was way chill. we traveled the coast, just exploring. went to makapu'u, waimanalo, and finally ending up at lanikai. where we actually saw a portuguese man of war! they're tiny little buggers, but oh so hurtful. so we peaced out quickfast. hahaha. all in all, really fun day with andrew.
alsooo. steve arrived! becca seemed quite happy. so it was cool to have him. :)
friday. class. BOO. haha. i shouldn't have gone. we didn't learn anything and we don't even have a final exam! haha. o well. i guess attendance is always good. right after that jo and dat picked me up to go hiking! we decided to go to diamond head. which i had done about 5 years ago, but had forgotten what it was like. ended up being super easyy. haha. which was cool. nicole ginoza met us there! hiked it pretty fast, and then got shave icee. nom nom nom. always good stuff :) then we proceeded to eat at yardhouse that night! i'd missed my ahi steak sandwich. it was soo good. the last time i'd been to yardhouse was during our senior trip in palm springs. just as good as i remembered. (; haha.
saturday. BEACHH. haha.
okay, i'm admittingly getting a bit tired of typing. plus church is coming! but hope that was a good enough update for y'all. :)
god is good. i've been so blessed with this trip. and i'm honestly grieved just thinking about only having one week left. i will be back though! and by back i mean hopefully moving back. ♥ ♥
i'm waiting to go to church with joanna.
so i figured i'd update some mo! haha.
so back to last saturday. quite possibly the most exhausting day of all! saturday we decided to hike pillboxes for sunrise.
we'd been planning it for a few days, and i was quite ready to be adventurous! we tried to leave at like 5am, but clearly that wasn't happening. haha he we didn't quite have the directions. but it's all g, we still got there fine. :) after trecking it out to lanikai, we rushed up the mountain to the pillboxes! it was all worth it though--as we got to the top, the view was absolutely breathtaking. i just felt in the midst of God's beautiful creation. mm. AMAZING. i recommend this to anyone! it ended up being us girls plus matt f. and his friend kaiser. good group to go with. (: anyway, we were QUITE exhausted after to say the least. and MUDDY! so we decided to go grind at this onolicious place called boots & kimos. honestly, the BEST pancakes i've EVER had! i don't even really care for pancakes, but these were just ridiculous. haha. They served it with this macadamia nut sauce, that was thick and scrumptious. jo and i also shared some eggs and portuguese sausage! good choice for sure.after boots & kimos we went to the swap meet! we were beattt, but we reallly wanted to go. haha. i ended up finding a pendent, and i've been wearing it ever since! it's a flower. :) swap meet was chill, lots of stuff going on. and very touristy. haha. all that stuff used to interest me, but now i think i'm upped my status to a kama'aina poser, so i'm not as excited about touristy goods. hahaha.
anyway, after thattt. i had to rush back to make it to the carnival at magic island with popo and aunite pat! haha barely made it. but it's all good. the fair was HOT. but it was good to see popo and aunite pat. :)
thenn. i was in GREAT need of a nap! so i took one. haha. and then had to get ready for the chong's family get together. it's so nice of them to invite us along to their events.. i really enjoy spending time with them. auntie raz and uncle bobby are just so welcoming, we feel right at home! it was cool meeting the rest of their extended family. i feel like i get along with them very well.
haha and to finish off my amazi
ngly long day, we ended up going out to our friend kanes' house. honestly, his house is the nicest house i've been to since i've been here!! out in kahala, he's situated across the street from the beach, with an enormous pool and yard, and a luxurious house. i think i heard his neighbor is supposedly one of the richest people in America. haha. nuts, ya? i mean real estate is super high in california, but could you imagine a ridiculously large house in hawaii next to the ocean?! CRAZY. haha. it was a really good night though. for real kine.continuing that weekend, on sunday we just did homework and restedd. didn't do much either sunday or monday, but we did go NIGHT SWIMMING! it's my new favorite thing to do. since we can't go in the ocean at night at home, i've been taking full advantage of it here. it's SO warm, and relaxing. especially since the full moon has been out. :) it's been a real treat. i'm really going to miss this...
tuesday. just did our thangg and went shopping. :) that was fun! didn't really buy much, but hey, i had fun. it was good to just get out and walk around. i like spending time with jo & becca. girl time fa shoo. haha. later that night we met up with some of the guys and went to likelike! i ordered too big of an omelette, but it really good nonetheless!
wednesday. BEACH BEACH BEACH. after our presentation :) we had lunch with kanes', leo, andrew, amanda, and some others at ala moana. that was fun! and then dat took becca and i to makapu'u! that was awesome. we finally got to sleep in the sun. haha. we'd been craving beach, even though we go basically every day. :P After makapu'u, dat took us to kahala mandarin hotel! and we saw DOLPHINS. and honus. and a stingray! it was so cool. honestly made my day. :)
thursday. BEACH BEACH BEACH. :) haha. went with Andrew, which was way chill. we traveled the coast, just exploring. went to makapu'u, waimanalo, and finally ending up at lanikai. where we actually saw a portuguese man of war! they're tiny little buggers, but oh so hurtful. so we peaced out quickfast. hahaha. all in all, really fun day with andrew.
alsooo. steve arrived! becca seemed quite happy. so it was cool to have him. :)
friday. class. BOO. haha. i shouldn't have gone. we didn't learn anything and we don't even have a final exam! haha. o well. i guess attendance is always good. right after that jo and dat picked me up to go hiking! we decided to go to diamond head. which i had done about 5 years ago, but had forgotten what it was like. ended up being super easyy. haha. which was cool. nicole ginoza met us there! hiked it pretty fast, and then got shave icee. nom nom nom. always good stuff :) then we proceeded to eat at yardhouse that night! i'd missed my ahi steak sandwich. it was soo good. the last time i'd been to yardhouse was during our senior trip in palm springs. just as good as i remembered. (; haha.
saturday. BEACHH. haha.
okay, i'm admittingly getting a bit tired of typing. plus church is coming! but hope that was a good enough update for y'all. :)
god is good. i've been so blessed with this trip. and i'm honestly grieved just thinking about only having one week left. i will be back though! and by back i mean hopefully moving back. ♥ ♥
Thursday, August 6, 2009
true love.
by phil wickham. if you haven't heard this song, you need to.
it's been playing through my head all day long.
it just reminds me of how blessed i am. i don't deserve anything...yet, He gave his only son to save me. and you.. now that's true love.
i don't even know how to put it into words, it's something i can't fully grasp. how can one possibly have so much love? sometimes i just sit in awe of how much love God has to give. it's endless.
so i strive to be more like that. brimming with love, for all. but we all know it's not that easy. i'm still learning, and still growing. perhaps someday God will bless me with the compassion He has for us.
anyway, i was just reflecting on life. and at the moment, i feel somewhat alone. which is silly, because i know i have God. but in reality i think it means that i need to let my guard down, listen, and let Him in. i've been so caught up in the world, the busy-ness, life. as amazing as hawaii has been, i've had little time to myself and let alone my thoughts. it's time to slow it down a bit and spend some quality time with my true love.
having a lack of communication with people back home has impacted me a lot. for one, the 3 hour time difference has been surprisingly tough. i'm out doing things all day, and then when i might have some time to talk, it's bedtime for everyone at home. and when they want to talk, i'm usually busy. i've grown used to this isolated type of communication (or lack thereof), and it's slightly saddening. i miss everyone at home, but i've just grown used to this spell of silence.
i think the thing that's on my heart most though is this feeling of a lack of pursuit. i'm not going to go into this because i'm not quite ready to talk about it, but yeah. i'm just praying.
mostly, i'm just waiting. waiting on the lord. to know what's next. to trust in what he has in store for me. i'm interested to see what will be awaiting me upon my homecoming.
anyhoo, just some dwelling thoughts for ya. a little different from my usual posts, but have no fear. i will now fill you in on what i've been up to:
backing it up to next week. popo came to visit! she arrived tuesday, and stayed until tuesday. it was really nice to see her. i must admit, it made me very happy to see her reunited with her sisters and family. i can't imagine being separated by thousands of miles from my family. it must've been tough to be the only one in the family to leave for the mainland. but i'm glad they all got to spend some quality time together :) we went out to dinner with her two nights, each extremely delicious! it was really nice being able to see our other auntie's, cousins, and relatives. it felt so wholesome. i think it's the family events that make me want to move here even more. i feel so at home. anyway, it's always a pleasant time seeing popo!
last week was also full of adventures! our friend matt f. is the ultimate wilderness explorer. haha. he took us to northshore last tuesday, and MAN was it amazing. i got all the other things i wanted to do accomplished :) first we went to the HE>i (he greater than i) store. LOVES it! it's an awesome Christian store that sells shirts, stickers, etc. etc. and the funny thing, is that i ran into the beautiful miss jaymee there! haha. second time in one week running into her unexpectedly. haha. i love how small this island is. :) after HE>i, we went to chuns. OH MAN. best part of my
entire trip here. matt knows all the secret spots, so he took us across the rocks where we saw HONUS! oh mahh gahhh. there were two, just chillin and sunbathing. we named them harry and harriet the honus. and they were bf & gf. :) and we even pet them! despite the fact that it's illegal. but they were fine. did you know that 6 out of 7 species of sea turtles are endangered? yep, true fact. but yeah seeing the honus was the highlight of my LIFE. next time i want to swim with them! after that we went a bit further to pupukea, where we spent time at honestly my favorite beach that we've visited thus far. there were like 3 people there, and the sand was oh so nice. dream come true ♥ and after thatt. we went to mastumotos. honestly, i have NO IDEA what the hype is all about with that place! wai'ola fo lyfe man. the ice was all granular--serious cali style. wai'ola is much better. and that's all i have to say about that. :)
on thursday we went to makapu'u trail and the tide pools! SO BEAUTIFUL.
matt f., again, took us. how kind :) hiked up to the top to see the lighthouse! it was beautiful. and the hike was nice too. it was my first timee this trip. and now i want to go again! to get to the tidepools though, we went off trail and just went straight down. nutss. but SO worth it. the tidepools were pretty deep, and absolutely breathtaking. the water was uber salty though. haha. probably because it doesn't go anywhere. but all in all, it was a lot of fun!
then friday was a lot of fun tooo. joanna's brother nate works
at the hilton, so dat, becca, jo, and i decided to go visit him and rent paddleboards :) i'd never done that before either, so it was a lot of fun! not as hard as it looks. but probably just because we were in a lagoon with no real waves. OH WELL. haha. we even raced on twos! we only had 2 boards so jo and i got on one, and becca and dat on the other and we raced around the lagoon. jo and i WERE in the lead...until our sudden mishap and fall into the water. haha. SAD panda! oh well. it was still a good race. afterwards we went shopping. :) and i did quite well! coming away with four new shirts and slippers thanks to jo♥ haha.
ah! got to go. i will resume this update later. much love all♥♥♥
it's been playing through my head all day long.
it just reminds me of how blessed i am. i don't deserve anything...yet, He gave his only son to save me. and you.. now that's true love.
i don't even know how to put it into words, it's something i can't fully grasp. how can one possibly have so much love? sometimes i just sit in awe of how much love God has to give. it's endless.
so i strive to be more like that. brimming with love, for all. but we all know it's not that easy. i'm still learning, and still growing. perhaps someday God will bless me with the compassion He has for us.
anyway, i was just reflecting on life. and at the moment, i feel somewhat alone. which is silly, because i know i have God. but in reality i think it means that i need to let my guard down, listen, and let Him in. i've been so caught up in the world, the busy-ness, life. as amazing as hawaii has been, i've had little time to myself and let alone my thoughts. it's time to slow it down a bit and spend some quality time with my true love.
having a lack of communication with people back home has impacted me a lot. for one, the 3 hour time difference has been surprisingly tough. i'm out doing things all day, and then when i might have some time to talk, it's bedtime for everyone at home. and when they want to talk, i'm usually busy. i've grown used to this isolated type of communication (or lack thereof), and it's slightly saddening. i miss everyone at home, but i've just grown used to this spell of silence.
i think the thing that's on my heart most though is this feeling of a lack of pursuit. i'm not going to go into this because i'm not quite ready to talk about it, but yeah. i'm just praying.
mostly, i'm just waiting. waiting on the lord. to know what's next. to trust in what he has in store for me. i'm interested to see what will be awaiting me upon my homecoming.
anyhoo, just some dwelling thoughts for ya. a little different from my usual posts, but have no fear. i will now fill you in on what i've been up to:
backing it up to next week. popo came to visit! she arrived tuesday, and stayed until tuesday. it was really nice to see her. i must admit, it made me very happy to see her reunited with her sisters and family. i can't imagine being separated by thousands of miles from my family. it must've been tough to be the only one in the family to leave for the mainland. but i'm glad they all got to spend some quality time together :) we went out to dinner with her two nights, each extremely delicious! it was really nice being able to see our other auntie's, cousins, and relatives. it felt so wholesome. i think it's the family events that make me want to move here even more. i feel so at home. anyway, it's always a pleasant time seeing popo!
last week was also full of adventures! our friend matt f. is the ultimate wilderness explorer. haha. he took us to northshore last tuesday, and MAN was it amazing. i got all the other things i wanted to do accomplished :) first we went to the HE>i (he greater than i) store. LOVES it! it's an awesome Christian store that sells shirts, stickers, etc. etc. and the funny thing, is that i ran into the beautiful miss jaymee there! haha. second time in one week running into her unexpectedly. haha. i love how small this island is. :) after HE>i, we went to chuns. OH MAN. best part of my
entire trip here. matt knows all the secret spots, so he took us across the rocks where we saw HONUS! oh mahh gahhh. there were two, just chillin and sunbathing. we named them harry and harriet the honus. and they were bf & gf. :) and we even pet them! despite the fact that it's illegal. but they were fine. did you know that 6 out of 7 species of sea turtles are endangered? yep, true fact. but yeah seeing the honus was the highlight of my LIFE. next time i want to swim with them! after that we went a bit further to pupukea, where we spent time at honestly my favorite beach that we've visited thus far. there were like 3 people there, and the sand was oh so nice. dream come true ♥ and after thatt. we went to mastumotos. honestly, i have NO IDEA what the hype is all about with that place! wai'ola fo lyfe man. the ice was all granular--serious cali style. wai'ola is much better. and that's all i have to say about that. :)on thursday we went to makapu'u trail and the tide pools! SO BEAUTIFUL.
matt f., again, took us. how kind :) hiked up to the top to see the lighthouse! it was beautiful. and the hike was nice too. it was my first timee this trip. and now i want to go again! to get to the tidepools though, we went off trail and just went straight down. nutss. but SO worth it. the tidepools were pretty deep, and absolutely breathtaking. the water was uber salty though. haha. probably because it doesn't go anywhere. but all in all, it was a lot of fun!then friday was a lot of fun tooo. joanna's brother nate works
at the hilton, so dat, becca, jo, and i decided to go visit him and rent paddleboards :) i'd never done that before either, so it was a lot of fun! not as hard as it looks. but probably just because we were in a lagoon with no real waves. OH WELL. haha. we even raced on twos! we only had 2 boards so jo and i got on one, and becca and dat on the other and we raced around the lagoon. jo and i WERE in the lead...until our sudden mishap and fall into the water. haha. SAD panda! oh well. it was still a good race. afterwards we went shopping. :) and i did quite well! coming away with four new shirts and slippers thanks to jo♥ haha.ah! got to go. i will resume this update later. much love all♥♥♥
Monday, August 3, 2009
update to come soon :)
sorry folks, been rather busy. plus i got a paper/presentation due wed. so i'm a busy beee :)
will update soon!
although, i might ask for some prayer. i've got a lot on my mind, and i just want to give it up to God. so some prayer would be greatly appreciated. mahalo :)
nicky♥
will update soon!
although, i might ask for some prayer. i've got a lot on my mind, and i just want to give it up to God. so some prayer would be greatly appreciated. mahalo :)
nicky♥
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
