Twin Falls and commercials

Our resident tour guide, which we have constant access to because he lives with us...Isaac... took us to Twin Fall,s which he had been to with friends.  The anticipation of jumping off a waterfall in Maui was satisfied!  It was a beautiful hike as well.  A jungle to say the least and many varieties of tropical flowers and plants to enjoy.  It looked similar to the Tarzan movie - huge trees, swinging vines, and all.  

(Rachel and Joshua)

But when your children want to start imitating shampoo commercials of bathing under a waterfall with exaggerated looks of pleasure on their faces, you have to ask yourself..."What are the benefits of watching commercials these days?"   Actually, it was pretty funny!!!

(Joshua and Isaac)

Look at the two monkeys in the roots of this huge tree!!

(Laneah, Joshua. Kathy and Garth jumping.)

It was a great family outing, enjoying the beauty of Maui.  One thing that was made very clear today though was that Garth and I are not "young and irresponsible" any more.  Garth would not jump off a 25+ ft. waterfall. It took him at least an hour and several unsuccessful attempts before jumping, and going with Kathy off the lower one to get up his nerve, not wanting to be showed up by girls!  (To be fair, the higher one was slippery, strewn with roots up to the edge of the jump spot.)  It was our own conclusion we came to after realizing he used to jump off 50 ft. ones in AZ when he was "young".  The irresponsible thing is still up for debate...  What a wonderful, fun day!

Rituals and Graduation

We went to several High School Graduation celebrations here.  It made me think of all the rituals we participate in, from family traditions to cultural rituals that have been passed down for generations.  Some are worthy of repeating and others......  It probably should be qualified by the purpose and intent in which we perform them.  Some, which have symbolic meaning, have been lost through laziness in keeping of the tradition and not passing on to younger generations the meaning, purpose and value of them.  I find the Hawaiian culture is consistent in keeping of the traditions of their culture and remembering their heritage and the rituals performed by ancestors.  They celebrate, -in a big way- the First birthday of a child because of the joy in nurturing a child that has lived past the first fragile year of life, and then the graduation from High School because of the few who persist and endure through the process to the end.  It is a great  accomplishment.  It also reminds you of the deep roots of family and all members in contributing to the raising of a child to an adult. 

(The Money Dance-to pay for the party!)

  (The Graduation table-whole roasted pigs and all.)

(Tongan rug given by families to graduated student)

If a tradition brings a sense of family or a ritual (like the Sacrament) brings you closer to, or reminds you of Christ, then it is worthy of participating in.  Many things can also remind us of Christ, if we look for and see Him in all around us.  But like the example of the sacrament, unless done with prayer, pondering, remembrance and true intent when performed, it is just bread and water.  A rock is just a rock~ till you see God in the beauty and the skill in it's creation and your thoughts, then in turn, remind you of Him.

In generations  past, people participated in the ritual of putting a penny in their shoe to "remind" them every time they would feel it.   The growl in our stomach when we have fasted and skipped several meals is to remind us of "why" or the intent of our fast.  To even desire or want for any food is replaced by another higher purpose.  If no purpose is presented at the beginning of the fast, you are skipping meals and starving for no reason.  There is no purpose or meaning and desire is lost.

In a ceremony for elementary graduation, many dances were performed and the highlight for the ceremony was a dance performed by a young girl about the culture here.  I found myself unexpectedly brought to tears as I watched how she danced with beauty and grace in her movements and the story she told with music and dance.  It was a moving expression of tradition filled with symbolic meaning that was being passed to the younger generation, not to be lost. 

I find it is easier to "be still" here, the pace is slower.   To see him in the beauty around me, in the people, and in all things.   I am learning and developing traditions and worthy rituals.   I hope there will be things that I teach and pass on to my children and others that has purpose, symbolic meaning and brings them closer to Christ  that will be a treasured tradition.

Family Friends--Update

Our friends have moved on.  The Friedman family ended up having to tie up some loose ends and go back to CO. and are making the best of having to leave.  They will be staying there after all.   They felt that it was a nice "extended vacation" and  it was time, they needed to move on.  Their experience here taught them much. Slowing down and enjoying the moment~ living in the present~ God's love through creation and beauty~ family~ and trust in God.  They are wonderful people and the connection was made, for a reason only known by him who brought us together for a few short weeks.  I thank them for the opportunity of their welcoming, unassuming friendship.  My visits with Beth were both eye opening, and memorable for me.  I miss her smiling face!!   We hope and pray the best for them, but will miss their family.

  (Melonie & Beth)

(David Friedman, Kathy, Rachel, Garth, ?)

The remnants they left behind from the sale they had before they moved will bring memories of our first weeks here with them, and they will  be remembered each time the boys go surfing or play at the beach.  Isaac bought the various surf boards which were used in their first attempts at surfing.  I am sure, trying to teach us the tricks of Maui and     "not turning your back on the sea" brought back memories of them arriving here 18  months ago.  I am sure we will see you again.  Till then...

"Mahalo" and "Aloha" to the Friedman family. 

Graduation-Isaac Turley

Isaac graduated this year, but it was in a bit of an unconventional way. He had to complete his year early so we could move. He missed all the events and the pomp and ceremony that go with graduation from high school. Isaac really came through tho to get it all done and make the sacrifices he needed to accomplish the task. He is a driven, extreme, funny, intelligent and resourceful guy who, when he sets his mind to something, will get it done, so just get out of the way! For example, he was invaluable when getting us moved out of the house as I was recovering from surgery. Leading me by the hand out of my bed and telling me to lay on the couch so he could bring box after box of books from the shelves and show them to me, one by one, to see which ones to pack and which ones to give away. He wanted to move to Maui REALLY bad. For him, we could not get out of there soon enough. If I were to pick one person (other than Garth) to go on an adventure and all the work that goes into getting ready, high energy fun and discovery, then the aftermath of returning and unpacking, it would be Isaac. Thanks for being there when I needed you and not going early with dad. Thanks for all the fun times, and for the changes and growth you have made as you graduate into a new phase of life full of more changes, adventure and transformation into the man you are to become. I love you!

"If the veil were rolled back and you could just see one glimpse of God's great eternal plan concerning you and who you are, it would not be hard for you to love Him, keep His commandments and live to be worthy of every blessing that He has had for you since before the foundations of the world were laid." ~Elder LeGrand Richards

Father's are Not Alone

I can't help but be touched by this song and know there are so many families out there who struggle. But without the struggle, there would not be the growth. We just have to ask the right source for help. It makes my heart soar to know that there are fathers out there who are reaching out to God for help. After listening to his song I saw the one of the story about "Lead Me" and it made tears come to my eyes, knowing that many are finding God in their own way, on their own path with their tailor- made struggles and trials, crafted by the Master Teacher.

We watched this today as a family and everyone loved it. You have to get to the end to get the real message that is there for us all. I am so grateful for a wonderful husband who leads our family in righteousness and truly loves to be with his family. What a wonderful path God set him on to make him the man he is today for our family. It was not without it's struggles, but I praise the trials we have gone through to bring us to the place we are today! I love you Garth. Thank you for being the patient and loving companion you are to me!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Unexpected Answer

I have a story I need to record, for this blog is about seeing and being "led by the hand of God" (Omni 1:16) in our journey. If I recognize and record it he will reward us with more experiences that let us know He is there; watching, leading and guiding our lives to bring us to Him. I had been praying and asking about some things, wondering what I would be doing here and wanting to know the purpose of why we are here. I know there are probably many reasons, but I was needing to know in a more personal sense so I would know what to do or how to prepare. The answer came in an unexpected way. Honey.

When we ask a question, it is best not to have a preconceived idea of how the Lord should answer us, just let it go and let it come, however he chooses to answer. Sometimes looking for it only in the way it should be in our mind, we miss the answer because it is different than we expect and we do not recognize or accept it. (I know this from experience.)
I was driving home on May 21st and one block from my house I passed a man dressed in a suit for beekeeping with a swarm of bees close at hand. As I drive by, It comes to me I need to stop, but then almost talk myself out of it. I turn around and stop to talk. I had wanted to find raw honey and honeycomb, but was not sure when or where I would find it. He had them both. Turns out that wild bees like to make hives in the electrical boxes around the island, so they call him to come and get them. He then puts them in hives and colonizes them with others sometimes and puts the hives all over ,then collects the honey and sells it. He has tried to sell the honeycomb, but people don't know what to do with it or the value it holds. He was happy to have a customer. I am amazed the source for honey shows up a block from my house with in the 30 minutes I was driving by on the day he was collecting the bees.

Just to be sure I get the message, another bee shows up. We were staying in a motel time share we had to use. We never got to come to Maui, too expensive to fly in here. So now, here we are and it was available. So we played on another part of the island for a week and got to visit an "Auntie" we have over here, Samson's Auntie Marisha in Lahina. She was fun to hang out with. She books tours so we went para sailing and snorkeling to a great place. We saw 2 turtles and and octopus. Under the water is fascinating and just as beautiful in its own way. Oh, Back to my story...So on the stairs right by our door is this HUGE bee. (it was bigger than a bumble bee) It cannot fly for some reason so I move it to a nearby plant to keep it safe. Yes, I get it. I have a source for raw honey and honeycomb. God has a plan and a purpose.

3 Sunsets separtated by miles of water

Sunset in Logan, UT looking at the Wellsville Mountains.

Beautiful Sunset in the White Mountains, AZ area.

I have always loved sunsets. I love sunrises too, but they are a bit early. I don't catch as many of those. It occurred to me the other day that it is a bit tricky to tell if it is a sunrise or a sunset from a picture. They look the same. God placed a setting of the sun at the end of the day, and a rising of the sun at the beginning of the day. No matter where you are, you can see the hand of God at the end and the beginning of each day.

I see a sunset and I see God putting his crowning touch at both ends of each day, just to let us know He is there if we notice. I saw this sunset and as I took the picture, you could barely see rays coming up as the sun set and it created a "crown". It made me think of all the sunsets and sunrises I have taken notice of and I was full of gratitude for their beauty.

I was grateful to be on a beautiful island where I can enjoy spectacular sunsets that remind me of Him and his love for each of us. No matter where we are, in Logan, UT or Maui, Hawaii separated by miles of water, God made the same sun to set everywhere, that we can be connected and reminded of his love first thing in the morning (if we are up) and at the close of the day, and feel grateful to have another day to improve and look forward to a beautiful beginning the next day.

Thank you God, for the crowning end to each beautiful day.