Spoken words...

During the past couple of days I've been...captured by stories told by poets of Passion for Christ Movement (P4CM).  They have challenged me, given me new perspective, they have brought things to light which I rarely thought of or considered.  Through their experiences and words, they have helped me to see more, feel more, understand more...

hope they do the same for you...

Here are some that moved me.
(To God be the glory)

Ready or Not by Janette...ikz & Ezekiel

"I will wait for you" by Official P4CM Poet JANETTE...IKZ

Identity Crisis of a Misfit by Ezekiel

Only the Good Die Young

P4CM Presents I Promised I Wouldn't Tell! by Featured RHETORIC Poet J"O" Speaks

Need a pair of glasses? Try Warby Parker.

A while back a friend let me know about this company. 
Now that it's about time to get my eyes rechecked, they kinda came back to mind. 

So if you haven't heard, this is Warby Parker.  And with a name like that how could you forget it? 

Check them out when you need a pair of new glasses or shades (men or women).  You'd be helping yourself AND someone else who could really use it.

Something about worship & anointing

This past Sunday we went to church at SRM Kona. If you're in Kona on a Sunday, go check them out for sure.  But it was a good day.  God showed me stuff about worship and I guess wanted me to see/understand/experience something about anointing.

Now for me, anointing is a funny word.  I understand/understood it to be when God's blessing or God's hand is on someone for a certain task.  But it kinda always meant: skillful.  I though that was the church word for skillful:  Anointed.

Oh, that person was an anointed speaker...means that person gave a great message.

Just fill in the blank for ministry...worship leader, guitar player, singer, children's worker, etc.

But last Sunday during worship at SRM, there was an anointing I believe.  Not necessarily on the whole team, I would say...but at least one, for sure.  My father-in-law.  It was weird because I have been to this church so many times before and have experienced their worship and church and only once have I ever felt something similar.  The one time before was when Jimmy Bohol lead a song.  Kind of a husky bigger guy, broad shoulders, dark skin, hair slicked back, huge smile.  Didn't really have the best voice but he had a nice voice.  The thing about it was he had cancer.  He was dying.  Yet he lead on stage with passion and praised the Lord with all that he had.  You would never know he had cancer or that he would die soon by watching him praise the LORD.

I thought to myself, "Wow, that is worship."

...I cried a little that day because I saw a man who loved the Lord so much and I saw myself who needs to love so much more.

So this past Sunday, nearly the same thing.

My father in law was just doing his thing...playing bass.  But every time I turned my eyes to him, something between my heart and throat started to well up. So I would turn away...and it would go away.  Till finally, I just locked in on him...and just like that, tears started to flow.  It wasn't that I was blown away with his musicianship (which I was cause he's really really good), it wasn't that I was suddenly convicted of some major sin in my life (which I probably should have been), the song that they were playing has been played many times before, but it was more that he was just "in his own world", giving glory to God.

That is what my eyes saw.  That is what my heart felt.

Anointing, I don't believe is just so we can say, "Wow, that person is really great or anointed at what they do," or "Look how God anointed them!"

It's has to be about, that person really loves God. Then somehow when God infuses them with his spirit for that time or season...something happens...something affects us...deep in our soul and somehow we are closer to God.

To God be the glory.

What does anointed mean to you?

Song time - Oh My Soul (the rewrite)

I've heard it preached/taught before that David was commanding his soul to praise God (in Psalm 103:1NASB).  That despite the hardships and difficulties we encounter (or bring upon ourselves), God is worthy to be praised and we need to remind ourselves of that...we need to sometimes command our soul to praise the Lord.

So here is the 3rd re-write of this song.  I think it is finished...
(Also I kinda messed up while singing it, but I'm too lazy to fix it up...and it doesn't sound THAT bad.)

Anyways...here we go again.

Oh My Soul

Oh my soul

Oh my soul

Oh my soul

Praise the Lord

He is good, He is good

and His love forever endures

He is peace, He is peace

Comfort for all who are in need

He is hope, He is hope

Like the dawn comes our Savior

He is God, He is God

Glorious, Sing my soul

sing now

Holy is the Lord

Holy is the Lord

Let everything within me

respond to all my eyes see

through the veil of faith and the living Word

Holy Spirit come let me see the hope

That I have in You

You alone are worthy to be praised

Forevermore

Hallelujah Hallelujah

DaBus experiment

So I didn't drive to work yesterday.

I caught the bus.  (Or for da locals: I caught bus.)

There's a few reasons why I did it.  AND NO, my car wasn't broken.

1. Gas - Gas has been going up, up, up, down a little, then up some more and I have been wondering for a while, how high will the price of gas have to go before I start riding the bus? or before I would consider riding the bus? or before I would HAVE TO ride the bus? (It's getting there.)

2. Rail - I don't want it.  SORRY for those of you who do, but I do not.  I feel that it's too expensive, for one.  For two, (haha...who says for two? anyway...) I think using/improving the bus system is a cheaper & better alternative.  I know, people say, "You want to add buses to the traffic? It'll get worse." My thing is if people...we ride bus, our cars will not be taking up space on the road, therefore alleviating some of the congestion.  And FOR 3, I rode the bus because how can I tell/ask someone to do something if I'm not willing to do it myself?  So there you go.  (There's more about this, but I'll just cut it off here.  If you wanna talk w/ me about this transit issue, great.  Let's do it.)

3. Get a feel for my community - I've lived in Hawaii all my life.  I love this place.  But to be honest, I don't feel like I know the people who live here...or I don't know them as well as I'd like to.  I know I can't know ALL THE PEOPLE.  But what I'm trying to say is I guess I feel detached...in a sense.  (When you drive, it's just you, the road, and all the other cars slowing you down.  I'm kidding.  I don't think like that.) Of course I know some people.  I know you.  Probably.  There's probably...like a...86% chance I know you if you're reading my blog.  To other 14%, nice to meet you & thanks so much for stopping by!

So now we all know each other, but there's a lot of other people who live here.  And I'm not satisfied with living my life just to get as much as I possibly can.  I want to try and help make this place better than how I found it.  (Especially for the little ones.)  I just think that trying to understand where people are at is a necessary step in trying to make things better...and I also think riding the bus is a way of doing that. 

So yeah, I rode the bus...and it was good.
and here are a few random thoughts I had during my short trip.

- Google said that I saved $2.49 by riding the bus ($2.50 fee) as opposed to driving ($4.99 est. cost).   
- It did take me a little longer than what they estimated, but I wasn't in a rush. Google est. time was about 36 minutes.  It took me about 40-45 minutes to get me to work.
- If you ride bus to and from work/school/wherever at least 12 times in the month, you make your money back on your pass...if you buy a pass. (Monthly bus pass: $60 / Daily bus fair: $2.50) Every ride after that is bonus!  FREE!  What a deal...and I know we all like deals!
- At one bus stop, an older fellow wanted to get on, but wasn't sure where the bus was going.  The driver got out and pointed out the route we were on and explained to him what the best option was regarding getting to his destination.  I thought that was cool.  I like to see people helping other people.
- There was a guy who got on the bus who ended up sitting right in front of me...and he was smelling pretty RIPE! But hey, that's life.  That's reality.  But it was cool.  We had to transfer buses because of something, so he and I were one of the last people off the original bus.  He was getting up a little slow, so I asked him if he needed help.  He kinda shook his head and looked at me casually, then asked, "We switching buses?"
"Yup, uncle.  We switching..."
Kinda got to know somebody new.
- It was nice to hear people conversing about their jobs or the new bus schedule that's supposed to come out.

Well, that's all for now.

Would I catch bus again?

Sure.

Helps me to see other people & think about other people.

Oh! and one more thought - When you ride bus, you no get road rage.

So yeah, that was that.  Maybe I'll see you on the bus next time?

Next experiment...

RIDE BIKE TO WORK! (Please don't bang me if you see me on the road.)

Where does our food come from?

Lately, I've been...hmm what's the right phrase?

I've been trying to get more information...trying to educate myself on  a particular issue that has become important to me.

Food Security

The state of Hawaii currently produces only 10% (some say 15%) of the food we consume.  The rest is shipped in from various places.  Another stat I recently heard was that Hawaii only has a 3 day (some say 7 day) reserve on hold should there be any interruption to the importation of our food.

That's the sad & scary part.

But, there are people who are and have been working to turn Hawaii out this mess.

I recently got to see a 30min documentary called Ingredients Hawaii.  It shares the inspiring stories of groups and individuals working hard to bring light to issues such as food security, nutrition, sustainability, & culture.  Here's a preview of this great little film:



If you get a chance, I would also recommend seeing Ingredients the film, which Ingredients Hawaii is based off of.  It might still be on Netflix streaming if you have that service.





Now you know a little bit about this issue. What's next?
Well, we can do a few things.
1. Support local & buy local as much as possible.  If you can check these places out, please do.  If you have already been to or are supporting these places, then right on.  Keep it up.
Town
Sweet Home Waimanalo
Heeia Kea Pier General Store & Deli
Ma'o Organic Farms
2. Check out your local farmers market.  This falls under the buy local support local idea.  My wife and I have 2 young children and it IS a little difficult to get us all out of the house, but once we're moving, it's all good. Click here for a listing of Farmer's Markets in Hawaii. (Maybe we'll see you there!)
3. Join a CSA. We recently joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  It's through Kula Fields.  Once a month we get a box full of fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables! If you subscribe to an annual membership, delivery to your home is free.  We've gotten two boxes so far and when we get them, it kinda feels like Christmas!  Like Santa came and left you a present.  A big box gets delivered to your home, you open it, and inside there are all sorts of great stuff!  We joined while there was a LivingSocial deal going on, so I think the membership fee was waved.  But still, it has been great. Also, in joining a CSA, you directly support local farmers and their businesses.
4. Try grow something.  Through out Ingredients Hawaii, there are other stories of regular people (& EVEN KIDS) growing their own food.  Just start with something small...and take it from there.  We'll be trying a few things in the near future...and I'll let you know how that turns out.  Well maybe just one thing and I'll let you know. (While I have you here, if you know of something easy to grow, let me know! I'd love to hear what you're doing...and I'll take some tips if you got any! Thanks.)

Lastly here are a few organizations I follow.  They are actively doing great things to take care of our islands.  Check'um out:
Blue Planet Foundation
KYA Sustainability Studio
Kanu Hawaii
...and find them on Twitter or Facebook if you can.

Ok, I've written enough.  That's all for now.  Let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas about this kind of stuff.  I'd love to hear from you.

Till next time...take care.

This looks interesting

Lately I've been getting into stuff about Hawaii's food security.  Or our lack of it. 

And I would do something about it except I don't know how to farm...ANYTHING.

But then my wife came across this little video that kinda inspires me to try chance'um. We'll see. Anyway, here it is for you to check out as well.