Taking Chance

Some of my friends tease me when the summer rolls around because they think I'm sleeping at home until noon. But for the last few years, I've been teaching summer school. So actually, I only get FIVE weeks off in the summer. LOL But our first semester of summer school finished up today. I gave them their final and decided to reward them with a movie. And no, I don't spend all of summer school showing them movies. I just thought since the fourth of July was coming up, I would show them something different then my National Geographic collection I usually show them.

I showed them a movie called "Taking Chance." Someone forwarded me an email about a Marine Lt. Col's diary of when he escorted a fallen Marine home. This was a few years ago. It was a moving tribute to his fallen comrade. But it was also a tribute to America and how we honor our heroes. It's an inside look at what happens to the remains of fallen members of our military. Their bodies are given such exquisite care from the battlefield, to the transport to Dover Air Force base. That's where they do the autopsy and get them ready for their final journey home. Then earlier this year, that journal was made into a movie.

It's one of the most moving military movies I've seen in a long time. It resonated with me deeply. Perhaps its because I live in a military town and community. I've been to my share of military funerals and can relate to this movie. I won't spoil it for you so I encourage you to watch it. Every time I see it I goose bumps and tear up. Many of us have relatives in the war zone and in the back of our minds we know that they could end up like Chance.

During the Governors recent visit, both he and tama spoke on the concept of tautua or service. In Samoan culture, there are many types of tautua. But one of the most important is tautua toto, blood service. That's what our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen do. They provide that sacrifice, of blood if necessary, for our country. So on this 4th of July, as you enjoy the festivities with your loved ones, take a moment to remember all our men and women who have placed the ultimate sacrifice at the altar of freedom so that we could live in a free country.

The drive thru difference

In yesterday's sermon, Tama spoke on the concept of giving. He said as Christians, we are called to give selflessly. He said this was a different type of giving than the world is used to. He said people usually are motivated to give when they know they can get something in return. But he said that Jesus calls on us to give when there is no credit due to us. In Luke 6:32-33 he says, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?”

That's the type of giving Jesus wants us to do. He told a story about helping a man get some gas who was stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the night. The man attempted to give him a large amount of money. He refused and asked the man to use if for a worthy cause. It's counter intuitive when people give anonymously. People usually like getting credit for something. But Jesus told us to give to people who have no way of paying us back. A read a story about a Christian radio station urging their listeners to pay it BACKWARDS. They said the next time you go through a drive through, pay for the car behind yous bill. The goal was to do Christ like acts of kindness for people who didn't expect it and to leave a note saying you did it because of your love for Jesus. What an awesome concept: to spread the love of Jesus through anonymous giving. Try that today. Look for ways we can give selflessly in the name of Jesus.

Death of an icon

Last night, I was riveted to my TV as coverage of the death of pop icon Michael Jackson went on. I was at A'oga Samoa until late, so I didn't know about his death until I got home. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I was reminded of the night Princess Diana died. It was like everything stopped and we were just mesmerized by the spectacle on TV.

When I woke up this morning, there was one image of the coverage that stuck with me. That was the image of a white body bag being carried on the roof of the hospital to a waiting helicopter. That was the last "image" of Michael Jackson the world will probably see. After all the thousands, if not millions, of photographs of the star, the last one will be a body bag carried by hospital personnel. He was perhaps the most photographed person in our generation. Yet, his last photo was not a flattering one. There was another photo later of him in the ambulance. Needless to say, there weren't his best.

When we die, we leave everything behind. We don't take our riches, our fame, our bodies. All we take are our souls as we stand before the Lord to account for ourselves. Yet, we spend an inordinate amount of our time on earth worrying about money, fame and beauty. The Apostle Paul said it best: What use is it to capture the whole world but lose your soul in the process. Put your priorities on what matters, gaining access to eternity for you and your family. In the end, that is all that matters.

Where He leads, He will feed

We started our annual A'oga Samoa on Monday. Every summer we have this school to help teach our children the language and culture. Every year we are always looking for volunteers because our staff is inconsistent during the summer. When Sunday School is in session, it's easier to have teachers because most people are available on Sundays. But A'oga Samoa takes place during the week and many teachers are either working or taking classes. But somehow, we always manage. To put it better, somehow God always provides.

It never ceases to amaze me how God's provisions are endless. Just when I think there's no way we can make it, we are too short staffed or don't have the materials or supplies, somehow God always provides. This year, one of most reliable teachers, who has the largest class, will be out with some medical issues. I thought, my goodness, who will teach that class. Her class loves her and she has a great rapport with them. All of sudden, we had a couple visit from Samoa. Their profession? Teachers. Would you believe it. They have been here for several weeks and leave just after the conclusion of A'oga Samoa. Auntie Mine said during Youth service this month: where He leads, He will feed. Where He guides, He will provide. Where He points, He will anoint.

That has been proven over and over. I'm an idiot because I always have anxiety; will we have enough teachers? Will we have enough students? Summer time is family vacation time, graduation time and other activities going on. I counted two students in my high school class. Yet on the first day, five showed up. Wow. And the overall enrollment this year is higher than it's been in a long, long time. It's humbling and a good reminder that we can only do so much, and the rest is up to God. We have a very transient community because of the military. We are losing people all the time due to deployments or people being reassigned. But as this example shows, when others leave, God will bring others to fill up the space. Or He will have others step up to the plate. I believe in that. He will provide.

A dear friend in pain

The last time I posted was on Friday. I talked about father's day and how we should tell our dads how much they mean to us; that we should seek to reconcile with our fathers if we aren't on good terms with them. And if they've passed on, to pause and thank God for them and all that they did for us before they were called home.

Early Saturday morning I got a call from one of my closest friends in the world. Unfortunately, it was not a joyous call. She informed me in the first ten seconds of our conversation that her dad had passed the night before. My heart sank because I could imagine the pain my friend was going through. Her dad was relatively young, in his fifties, so I knew the death wasn't expected. As we talked, it became evident that he had been facing some serious medical issues. He had been in and out of the hospital for the last few months. Still, they didn't think he was in critical or any indication of imminent death. The first hint they got was when he asked for all of his grandchildren on Wednesday. They didn't think much of it because he loved his grand kids. But in retrospect, it was perhaps and indication that he knew how serious his condition was.

Again, he was normal on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday morning, my friend said she was to go home to get ready for something that day. But when she picked up her husband from work that morning, for some reason he drove to the hospital instead of going home. She told him they were supposed to go home, but they were already close to the hospital. Well, withing minutes of arriving at the hospital, things began to take a serious turn for the worse for her dad. In less than an hour, he was called home by God. Again, in retrospect, she thinks that her dad had made her come to the hospital. Perhaps it was God's way. She was very strong. Her voice was strong, not once quivering or shaking. I found it quite astonishing because this girl worshipped her dad. She loved him more than anything. She even commented that her husband and family had been shocked at how composed she was. And she credits all of that to her closer relationship with Christ. We had helped encourage each other in our walks with Christ, through texts and social networking sites.

She shared with me that she was concerned about her sisters, who weren't as strong in their faith. They were attempting to place blame for their fathers death - on the doctors, on their mom, on whatever their grief told them to blame. I counseled her to talk to her sisters and make sure they realize that their father's death was no one's fault. That it was just his time. King Solomon said that there is a time for everything.: a time to live and a time to die; a time for joy and a time for sorrow. When we start going down the blame game, that's a never ending abyss that some of us never get out of. There are many people that let grief take over their life and often become bitter because they are trying to find blame on something that happens to all of us.
She said she found comfort in knowing that this life is not the end. That she will see him again. The pain is real. The loss is real. But the separation is temporary. Giving our lives to Christ and becoming a Christian won't spare us from the pains, trials or challenges of this life. But it will give us the freedom to know that no matter what THIS life throws at us is nothing compared to the glory that awaits us in the next life.

Ula from my daughter

This is Father's Day weekend and I wanted to pause to recognize the fathers and their central role in the family, church and society at large. I'm a social studies teacher and my wife is a social worker by trade even thought she's in the teaching profession now. One of our ongoing conversations is a dialogue that pertains to the social breakdown of our society, particularly Samoan communities. To be fair, there is a lot that is right with our society. We have made unimaginable technological advancements. We have afforded opportunities to more people than ever before. And we live in a relatively peaceful time compared to the past.

But one cannot avoid the decline in a lot of indicators of our society: the teenage pregnancy rate. the suicide rate amongst our young people, and the poverty that seems to grip a large segment of our population. One of the biggest factors in all these ills is the lack of fathers in the home. Study after study has pointed out the devastating fact that households with only one parent usually has a detrimental affect on the children, especially if those children are males. A survey was recently done of the male prison population in California and a majority of them stated that they did not have a father in the household growing up. All the government policies and programs cannot replace the father. In fact, some experts feel that these policies and programs have contributed to absentee fathers.

I didn't want to get on a soapbox today, but I wanted to recognize all the fathers out there that did the right thing and have raised their children. Children are a heritage from God. The Bible instructs fathers not to aggravate their children. Taking care of our children is a command from God.

Before my daughter came into my life, I would always feel funny during Father's Day when they'd invite all the dads to the stage for their candy ula's. But now, one of my favorite things in the world is to get that ula from my daughter. The best Father's Day present. I'd also like to wish my dad a happy father's day. He's the best dad a person could ask for. Always provided for us and was always there for us. As in all relationships, we've had our rough patches but I thank God for him being in my life, as well as my families. My daughter adores her papa and I thank God we live close enough that they can have that bond. I love you dad. Happy father's day.

DIet and exercise

I was in the lunchroom at work today and overheard some colleagues, palagi colleagues, having a conversation about diet and exercise. Mind you, these two ladies weighed less than one of my legs, but they went on and on about how much weight they'd put on. I was sitting there going, "are they trying to send me a subliminal message about my weight?" Because this happens a lot. I don't know if it's just that this is all palagi people talk about or it's because it is lunch that we meet at and we're eating. But they seem obsessed with their weight and work out regimen. Or maybe I'm just weird. But it always makes me feel insecure because of my weight.

Then the other day, several people in my church started discussing the same thing. They would tell me how fat they USED to be until they started exercising. Again, I'm sitting there thinking to myself, "these people do know I fit the category they USED to be." Are they trying to tell me in a roundabout way to exercise and didn't want to tell me directly for fear of hurting my feelings? Have any of you fellow "healthy" people ever been in this situation? Or am I blowing this way out of proportion? It's like me talking to a person with bad acne and telling them about how I USED to have bad skin.

I am not a person that normally lacks in confidence or easily embarrassed. But we all have our areas of vulnerability, and mine is my weight. I'm just reminded the passage where the Bible talks about the power of words. Words are a rudder that steers a giant ship. Paul exhorts us that our words must have two purposes: to encourage the listener and be a benefit to them. I'm not saying those people knew how their words affected me. I'm just asking that we consider the affect our words have on the recipients of them.

What I'm thankful for

At a recent family prayer, we were asked what we were thankful for. All of us had to take a turn answering, from the little kids to all the adults. It was fascinating to hear how different the concept of thankfulness was from generation to generation. There were some common threads; everyone was thankful for family, for parents, for God and for each other. But the older ones tended to be more abstract, as expected, thanking God for the fellowship and fealofani that our family shares. They were thankful for the seed of service and love of God and family that our parents and their parents instilled in our family. Of course the little ones were thankful for clothes, food and TVs -Again, as expected.

When it came to my turn, I stated that I was thankful for all these things, but added that I was thankful for challenges. I said that it is through challenges, actually I think trials was the word I used, that we grow the most. And I believe that fervently. When my niece Salina passed away three years ago, my brother Sivia testified at her funeral that he considered our family a blessed family. Here was his reasoning. He said that God tests those that He is preparing to do His work. He therefore surmised that God had been preparing us for His purposes. He also stated that in testing, a person grows stronger. Their faith can either be solidified or it can crumble. Thankfully, our faith was made even stronger seeing that God had seen us through that horrible experience.

I look at so many trials going on in our lives. Our mother was hospitalized earlier this month with some serious health concerns. One of the founding members of our church, a pillar in our community, had a second heart attack in recent years. And who knows what's in store for the rest of the year. But one thing is for sure - Christ has promised us that He will not put us through anything we can't endure. Paul summed it up best when he said to consider it pure joy to be put to the test, because trials produces perseverance, and perseverance solidifies faith. Remember, if Jesus not only puts you in the storm, but is in it with you.

The singing elder

So my sister comes back from Cali with some gifts for me. Well, I don't know if you could call them gifts: they were raffle tickets from a cousin of ours church and a CD....for sale from a faifeau in Cali. LOL It's all good. When I got the CD, I wasn't too excited. The title was, "The Singing Elder." LOL OK, I think I've exhausted my LOL's quota for the day, but singing elder is not a very enticing title for me. But the old adage, don't judge a book by its cover, or title, was applicable here. The CD was a compilation of old hymnals with a modern arrangement. And off course, the singing elder. He actually has a pretty good voice. Very deep baritone. The guy can sing.

My sister said the elder's wife told her it's meditative music. And that it was. I popped into my CD player in the truck and was instantly transformed to those mornings when I was at my grandparents' home in Samoa as they roused us up at dawn for morning lotu. I would sit up half a sleep and mumble the words to a tune from the 1800s that only my grandparents would know. The funniest thing was, one of the hymns from the singing elder was one of those early morning hymns. And another hymn I had never heard, my wife sang along with. I guess she was around when...never mind, she reads this. LOL (Sorry, I'll take one away from tomorrow)

It just brings to mind the power of music. I was instantly transported to the exact place I had heard that song. And I had never heard it since. Well, I did but not that tune, or fati. One of my regrets in life is that I didn't learn a music instrument early on in life. We're fixin' to enroll my daughter in piano lessons and I plan on having her teach me when she's good enough. You know, two for the price of one. I've always thought I would make a great choir director. I have the teaching part down. It's just the music part I don't have. Well, that's kind of like wanting to be a surgeon and having the cutting part down, just not what comes after. So, if one day you get a CD entitled the singing teacher, you'll know my daughter did a pretty good job. LOL (For the road)

Storms of life

At last night's Youth Worship service, Tina Mine spoke a powerful message about encountering sudden storms in life. It's funny how as you mature in your walk with God, you can find new meanings or new interpretations on scripture. A story you read many times before all of a sudden take one new meaning for you because you're at a different stage in your life. Or a speaker points out a perspective you had never thought about.

Such was the case with last night's service. She discussed the story of Jesus and His disciples encountering a sudden storm on a boat. All the disciples were scared while Jesus kept on sleeping. Two things Mine emphasized was first, the storm came about suddenly. It's a perfect metaphor for the "storms" we suddenly encounter in life. Many of our trials come about suddenly. When we least expect it, they come crashing into your world. No matter how much careful planning we put into our lives, trying to plan and control every aspect, there are times when sudden storms hit us.

The second part of the story she emphasized was that Jesus was in the boat when the storm hit. She said that Jesus is always in our boats when we are rocked with the storms of life. It doesn't mean we don't get wet. The disciples were soaked. It doesn't mean that we won't be afraid. The disciples were very afraid. But it does mean that it will be all right. He may not always calm the storm. Just His presence in a storm has a calming affect on us. He has a plan for that storm. There is a purpose why we are going through that particular storm. She left us with this statement: If He guides, He will provide. If He points, He will anoint. If He leads, He will feed. Whatever direction God has for us, He will provide a way for us to see it through. What ever storms He sees us through, He will guide us. There is a purpose for everything. Even storms.

Older and wiser

An update on the commencement address that I talked about last month. For a quick update, I have been waiting years for some school to invite me to be their commencement speaker. But, it still has not happened. My wife says I may wait a long time. LOL But I am undaunted. I will write the speech and wait for my chance to give it. Good things come to those who wait. Hopefully, not in vain. :-)

Anyways, I recently attended a graduation celebration where the faifeau exalted the graduate to seek wisdom, not knowledge. He read from Psalms and also Proverbs about how wisdom should be cherished above knowledge and how knowledge is good to attain, but shouldn't overtake wisdom. He went on to explain the difference between the two. I came home thinking that this is not a new concept, since King David and Solomon wrote about it thousands of years ago. But what is also not new is that we have to repeat it to the youth throughout the ages.

The curse of the young is they think they know it all. I guess that's part of the maturation process. People who are young think the world revolves around them. And then they grow up and realize how smart their parents were. Amazing isn't it? All those oke's your mom and dad used to give us, we now use on our own children. I swore I would raise my daughter better than my parents raised me. But on some days, I think back and say to myself, how in the world did my parents have all the answers because I sure don't.

I think the key for any maturing Christian is discernment, to know from right and wrong. That's Biblical wisdom. Anyone can gain knowledge from going on Wikipedia or google. But to gain wisdom and discernment, it takes a lifetime of gaining knowledge and losing it. Of failing and then triumphing and then failing again. It takes a lifetime of trial and error. So the bottom line is the older I get, the more I realize the little I knew in my youth. Gosh, I sound so old. But at least I'm still young in spirit, a ea. Be blessed.

Her "big" party

Today was the day that my daughter had her "big" party. I shared last month about her graduation and at dinner that night, she told everyone that this was her "small" party and that they were all invited to her bigger party later. She invited all her friends. She's developing a bad habit of inviting people to things she hasn't discussed with us either. She'd tell everyone at church, "let's go to lunch. My dad is treating." LOL It's funny now, but embarrassing when it happens.

Anyways, I came down with a bad case of the chills last night. I was struck down by the flu. I didn't think I would make it to the party today. And to be honest, that wasn't such a bad thing to me. Spending a few hours with a bunch of four to seven year old girls was not my ideal way of spending an afternoon. But I got up today and felt better. Not good, but better than yesterday. And my wife was kind of making me feel bad about not going. So I decided to toughen up. I still limped around because I was still in pain. But I went. Sitting there in the playhouse where they have all these inflatable balloon bouncers, I looked around and counted four men in a crowd of about thirty parents. Great. Made me feel even better. But we made it through and to be honest, it wasn't that bad. I was glad I went. She was very happy. In fact, she stood up and gave a long speech to thank her friends for coming. I think she gets that from me. LOL

At prayer last night, aunty Mine talked about legacy. What is our legacy? She quoted Solomon about how our legacy should be to bring people to God. Then I was reminded about David's Psalm about how children are blessings from God. Psalm 127 says that children are a heritage from God. How blessed "whose quiver is full of them." Talk about legacy. The beginning of he psalm says, "in vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat." In essence, David is saying that we're putting our emphasis on the wrong things. We spend all our time at the office or at our careers, yet we should really be spending time with out greatest responsibility, our children.

That kind of knocked me back a bit. I had always been of the belief that by earning a good living, I was doing the best for my children. But here was the Bible telling us something different. I'm reminded of a situation that happened to one of my brothers. He was offered a position where he would earn significantly more than he was at his present position. He turned it down. I asked him why. He said, "well, the first thing is I would spend a lot less time with my kids." That said a lot. He's right. When we die, it won't matter how many hours we put in, that company is going to find a replacement for you and keep right on going. What we should be focusing on is our children and the people we love. Are they prepared for the afterlife? Are they prepared to meet Jesus. Time spent with our children is time wisely invested. That's why I'm thankful I didn't miss the "big" party today.

I swear

A lot has happened the last few days. A lot of wonderful things happened. First, Tina was released from the hospital on Sunday. Praise God for that. She is slowly recovering from home. We had two graduations this past weekend. School is out. Oh yeah, we had a family wedding. My cousin Sa got married on Saturday. (I have a friend that didn't want a big wedding. He told me, "All I gotta do is go to the judge and say I swear, and it's finished." I didn't want to tell him it's I do. LOL

The scripture reading from Sunday's sermon was Romans 8, one of my favorite chapters, out of one of my favorite books. Romans is the heart of Christian theology written by Paul to expound on Christ's teachings. Far from being an expert on the Bible, I have always found it fascinating. The one verse that I go back to often is verse 18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. This is a verse that I cling into in tough times. There are more verses like these in the Bible, but Paul puts it into such sharp focus. We've discussed before the concept of putting things in perspective against the backdrop of eternity. This is the Biblical underpinning of that belief. Whatever we are going through, no matter how rough or tough, doesn't compare to our joy in heaven. Often times, our suffering is due to our walk with the Lord.

At the wedding on Saturday, the familiar "marriage" scripture in Corinthians was read about love. How love is patient, love is kind, it endures everything. The couple recited their vows, how to love each other in times of health and in sickness, in wealth and in poverty. Sometimes I feel we should have vows with God. That we should promise to love Him when we are well and when we are sick. When we have jobs and when we're laid off. When we are happy and when we are sad. A lot of times, our love depends on our circumstances. But we are told that we should love IN SPITE of our circumstances. To love God in spite of our circumstances. To love our spouses in spite of our circumstances. Wow. That's a notion worthy of saying I swear to.

Testing and more testing

I just got off the phone with Tina and she is doing much better. She sounds strong and her 'oke is back. LOL It was tough yesterday when she was in the hospital because I had flashbacks to her illness in 2004. But God is returning her strength slowly. Prayer is a powerful thing that can lift anything up and I thank you all for keeping her in your prayers.

It is such a hectic time with the end of the school year and Tina now being sick. But like the Bible says, what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. And He will stretch you to your limit and that's how we grow spiritually. To be tested by fire. Consider it a blessing to go through trials because they make you a stronger person. They solidify your faith and makes you stronger for whatever tasks the Lord has in store for you. If we look at the prominent figures in the Bible that God used, boy did they go through some trials and testing by God. Moses ran for his life and then confronted Pharaoh with just a rod and staff. He was sent into the wilderness for forty years with a bunch of ungrateful people. David not only had to face Goliath, but he also ran from Saul. Jonah spend the three nights in the belly of a whale. Enough said. All the prophets suffered. Paul was thrown in jail and had to deal with a debilitating ailment.

And off course Jesus was constantly tested and ultimately crucified by his own people and betrayed by his own disciple. So consider it pure joy to be tested, as Paul said. God tests people that He intends to use for His ministry.

"Ua ou malosi"

At about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, I called my sister to find out where she was. She said she was at the hospital. My heart skipped a little. Then she told me that our mom was being admitted. By heart skipped even more. My mom has had a lot of medical issues and she had a very serious situation about five years ago. There were moments back then when we thought we had lost her. But she made a full recovery.

But now, we seem to be having a repeat of that previous situation. She had problems with her asthma. There was some fluid in her lungs. And there wasn't enough oxygen in her blood. "Not again", I thought. Of all the people in the world who didn't deserve to go through another bout of illness, it would be my mom. She's an angel. Everybody loves her. She makes people laugh, she makes people smile. I texted people in my church about her situation and they blew up my phone asking for updates. That's how much people love her.

But there she was with the machines all hooked up to her and the nurses, once again, fishing around to find a vein to draw blood. I swear, every time she goes to the hospital, it takes at least ten times for them to find a vein. Helpless doesn't describe the feeling I felt. When she saw me, she smiled and asked for Rise, no surprise there. We talked about her health and situation. She said, "Ua ou malosi." She always says that. She's just trying to be strong for us. We talked about her needs and what she wanted. Satisfied that she was stable and my sister staying behind to spend the night with her, we stood up to leave. She held my hand and said..."fai fa'alelei le mea fo'i lea..." There was something she wanted our family to do this weekend. Mom, in ICU always thinking about other people besides herself.

The Bible tells us that God will never test us beyond our ability to cope. We've been tested before and came out stronger for it. I believe the same is true here. God has a purpose for us and for everything that happens in our lives. I believe that with all my heart. I blogged yesterday about time and how we have no control over it. How we shouldn't lose sleep over things we can't control. Well, here's the perfect situation of testing my words. There's very little I can do for my mom right now. She's in very capable hands at the hospital. The only thing I can do is pray that God gives her the strength to endure what His plans are for her. I ask that you also keep her and our family in your prayers as well as all families who are struggling with illness, and especially the loss of a loved one. May God's peace be upon us all.

Time and tide wait for no man.

As we got closer to the end of the school year, my students began running a calendar with the number of days left before school let out. It was a joyous thing for them to replace the numbers and to see that number dwindle. I too used to run a calendar early in my teaching career. I would sit there and stare at it and tried to will it to move faster. I chuckle at those memories and I laugh at my kids today. I always tell them, staring at it isn't going to make it go any faster.

Time is one of the things that we humans have no control over. It comes and goes as it pleases, on its own schedule. One of the things that has added joy to my life, or I should say removed a lot of the stress, is to stop worrying about things I cannot control. I don't toss and turn at night thinking about how much older I'm getting because the aging process is completely out of our hands. Although, many people have gotten rich selling products designed to stop or at least slow down that process, like hair coloring and other things. But I find it one of the major steps in my walk with the Lord when I gained the ability to let things go that are not in my control.

What I do toss and turn about at night are things that affect my salvation. Things that matter. Like my relationship with the Lord. Like utilizing all of the gifts that God has given me to the fullest of my abilities. I believe that God will ask us to account for all the gifts He has given us. To each of us were bestowed certain gifts. Some can sing. Some can cook. Others can encourage. Others can fight...yes, that's a gift too. But we are given the responsibility of utilizing those gifts to the best of our abilities for His glory. I worry about whether I'm a good parent to my daughter. Children are gifts from God on loan to us. Have I done enough as a parent to steer her on a path to God?

I don't worry about time. Time will come and go as it pleases. And our time on Earth is so limited, that worrying about time with the precious little time we have is counter-productive. Put the big rocks in your life in the jar first. Your relationship with God. Your relationship with your family. How you are serving God. Everything else will fall into place. Whenever I am confronted with a problem, I always ask about how this problem will affect my salvation. Put against the backdrop of eternity, will it matter in the end? Putting things in perspective is healthy for your walk with God. Just like time. You can't control it, so why stress over it.

The power of words

I believe that words are the most powerful weapons a person possesses. They can inspire you or defeat you. They can encourage you or discourage you. They have the ability to make you do things that you wouldn't normally do. An inspirational word can summon courage.

At the church service for the Governor, there were three powerful speakers. The guest speaker for the day, Dr. Isakara Sataraka spoke about one's calling. He said that God has a plan for you. He quoted the often recited Biblical verse that sys God has a plan for you, a plan to prosper you. He stated that there was a reason for you to be in that church that morning, that God had ordained it. He retold the story of Moses and how God had ordained for him to grow up in the house of Pharaoh, raised by his daughter. It was all preparation for the mission God would give him. And he stated that everything a person goes through in life was preparation for the mission that God has in store for you. He said we may not know what our purpose in life is, but God knows and He is using our life experiences to prepare us for our calling.

Tama spoke about service. He touched on the different types of service in the Samoan culture, like serving your families, your village and especially your church. He said the concept of service or tautua was deeply ingrained in Samoan culture. He then shifted gears and said that the same concept was central to the Christian faith. He reminded us what Jesus did for His disciples on the night of the last supper, how He washed and cleansed their feet. Jesus came to serve His fellow man. Everything we do as Christians should be a service, to God, to our fellow man and to His ministry. The fa'a Samoa and Christianity go hand in hand.

The final speaker that day was the Governor. He said that he and Tama may be related because they both chose the same topic, service. He thanked all those in attendance for their service to our nation as military members. He also thanked them for their service to Samoa, for all the support they provide to our territory. He said a person serves because it is a sign of humility, bravery and can do spirit. He encouraged people that have decided to settle outside of Samoa to bring their children back home, to touch the soil of the land of their anscertors.

All of the words spoken that day were very powerful. They lifted people up and called them forward to serve our nation, our people in Samoa and especially our God. Words have power when they are used for the right purposes. I was truly inspired that day. Your calling, your service and your tautua. Words to live by.

Just kidding

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I know its becoming a regular refrain, but it seems the busyness just grabs me...well, you know the rest. But I still have so much to share from the Governor's visit, but for now we'll go onto other thoughts that have rattled around in the cranium for a while.

Do you know what I think are the two most hurtful words in the English language? "I'm joking". OK, so technically that's three words, but you get the point. These words are so hurtful because they are usually preceded by words that have some element of truth in them. "I'm joking" is a way a person can tell you hurtful things without trying to hurt you. Make sense? I know we've all experienced this. With a bunch of friends and one says, "man you're looking kind of rough tonight. J/k." That means just kidding for those of you over 30. LOL

I was sitting in church yesterday minding my own business when the old man goes on one of his riffs he's famous for. (For those of you that don't know, the old man is my dad who is also the pastor for my church.) He's telling his jokes about this and that. That's when I get that sick feeling in my stomach. Let me preface this by saying that I have been a preachers kid all my life. I know no other way of life. Anyways, when I get that feeling I know that sooner or later, the old man was going to get to us in his sermon. This is one of his favorite techniques, to use his kids as illustrations. Often times, though, these illustrations ridicule us, causing people to laugh at us. We asked him once why he picks on us and he says, "Well, I can't pick on other people's kids, so I have to use mine as examples." I felt like saying...never mind. LOL But it's par for the course. We're used to it. It's part of life. And he always ends his riffs with the words..."na'o a'u tala ula lava" - shortly, "Just kidding".

What was different about yesterday was after the service some of my friends, as is their habit, were having a good laugh at my expense. Again, this is normal behavior and I give it right back to them. But on the way to the car my daughter looks up to me and asks, "Daddy, why are those men laughing at you?" I looked at her and before I could answer, I stopped. I was going to tell her the truth. But I couldn't because it would only lead to more questions. So I told her, "I told them a joke." Satisfied, she replied, "It must be a funny joke." It got me to thinking. When will this stop? Will it ever stop? Sometimes when I think I'm all grown, things happen to show me that I still have a ways to go.

Maybe this is God's way of humbling me. I was trying to figure out what the purpose of this is. What good could possibly come out of this? Was I blowing it out of proportion because my daughter asked me a question? As I sit and as I ponder, I know the old man loves us. This is just one of the ways he shows his love. Kind of a strange way of showing it, but then he's kind of unique in that way. So what conclusions have I drawn? I have a hard time feeling the old man's love sometimes. Just kidding.