Visiting Grandma Tile & Uncle Sinaipa

HAWAII UMC To'utupu Day 2017

Where is my focus?

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellent and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." -Philippians 4:4-9

Key verse: v8. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" 

During a period time in my life (Junior year in college to be exact), I felt everything was going wrong. I became very depressed and often times felt absolute hopeless. God, and God's love for me seemed far away, sometimes even absent. I felt empty. When I shared my situation with my colleagues in faith, one friend gave me some advice.(Thanks Agey) She challenged me to write down every one of God's blessings I experienced day after day, even the simplest ones. It was such a challenge, but I forced myself to think of God's love for me, to see the things around me and the people He put in my life and realize THIS and only THIS is HIS LOVE for me! So who am I to be loved? Who was I to question God's love? The very love that laid His life for mines because of MY wrong and MY sins. I pondered so much as to why it was such a challenge to see God's blessings and HIS grace and love in my life throughout. So I went back to what my friend told me to do and to not overthink it this time. This time, I cleared my mind and said the simplest prayer I remember ever praying. "God, I'm sorry." My conscious cleared and 'twas amazing how then and there, God works in the midst of the storm! Every night I tried to think of three blessings God had given me that day. This discipline helped me tremendously. I found that God's blessings were gloriously abundant in my life! Like, literally! Like I mentioned before, it was around me daily, the people, the places, the events even small things, God was there with me! I had not recognized their presence because I was focusing only on my problems.

This experience of counting God's blessings has helped me to know that I can find joy even during difficult times. We can choose to focus on God and God's blessings instead of only on our problems. Just like what Paul writes, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS" and be grateful. Be appreciative. Be thankful. My thought for today: Instead of my problems, I will focus on God today! I pray that our loving God, in the midst of our struggles, He helps us to keep our focus on Him and His eternal love for us, in Jesus name...AMEN!!


#GoodMorningGOD #MorningDevo

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY MELETATAFU LAUKAU-Ki-NIUA LEFAI

Her Birthday actually is on the 23rd. I didn't have spare time on my hands to write this, so here it is! I'm sure I will post more including pics! 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And lean not on your own understanding.

In all your was acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

This was my prayer for you since the day I learned you were growing in me! Until this very day, I am forever grateful and utmost filled with praise at the thought that God gave me you, and chose me to be your mom! You have no idea how much you've changed my life since the moment you entered this world! I’m so thankful for the beautiful gift of life, and for your life to be exact! I had the best weekend ever because I got to spend it with you (I know your dad really wanted to be there too)! Happy 3rd Birthday #myMeletatafu! Along with your dad we thank you for being our blessing from above. Thank you for constantly reminding us that truly and surely HE is an Almighty and Living God we serve! Thank you for the joy, the laughter and light you bring into our lives. Our prayers is that you only keep growing, keep learning,

keep singing and drawing near to the Lord trusting Him with all your heart. Truly, truly He will make your paths straight. We love you so much and wish you a Happy Happy Belated Birthday! (Because they are still celebrating her birthday this whole week in Maui..ugh!) Its aunty Ana and aunty Ema’s turn to take you out today! We love you #myMeletatafu!!! Happy Birthday!

#LatePost #HappyThirdBirthday #MeletatafuLaukauKiNiua aka #MoanaOfMotunui aka #Tueli aka #PrincessOfAvalor aka #TauahosOlderSister aka #MoanaOfFakautumaku #AllThoseAliasInExact #OurProverbs3_5_6 #ThreeGoingOnEighteen #FakautumaukuBossBaby #Grateful #Prayerful #Praiseful #GodIsGood #AllTheTime #ThankYouGod

Be Applicable to The Golden Rule

The one day I actually look forward to going to a hearing with one of our associates as her assistant and it's the day I get profiled!...by my own people! smdh! I really don't understand why Poly's look down on their own kind! He literally made me show identification and all, even questioned me where I was born, after the fact one of our attorneys told him I was with them. I gave him my ID, he glanced at it and asked why do I have a Maryland State ID. Golly-poo! I told him I lived in Maryland for over 7 years! He asked me why? I told him I went to school out there. Asked me what school, I said, Home of the Mighty Terrapins, UMCP! Then he asks me where I was born, I told him California, (he rolls his eyes) and then he has the nerves to ask me what am I doing here?! (At this moment, the Leimaxx inside of me really wanted to come out and punch him in the face!) But, I kept my posture and walked away! Later on, court in session, a Polynesian lady walks up to the stand and our associate looks at me and nods if I can translate for her (I couldn’t, because I don’t know a lick of the language she spoke!), but I nod back. I walk up to the aunty and I tell her I’ll do my best to translate for her (basically offering my help) and she tells me the sheriff is her relative. I look up to the sheriff and low and behold, it’s Mr.99 Questions! His eyes were literally larger than life when he saw me helping the aunty. Ugh! Afterwards, as we walked out the court room, I am once again greeted by the same sheriff, except this time on a total different approach and I’m “sistah” now! (literally wanted to paa’I him!) He later apologizes for what happened earlier and asks if he can get me coffee sometime, I tell him “sure, but can my husband come with?”. Mahaki atu he kata (Laughing hysterically at each other) and I tell him, I’ll see him again.  Anyhow, my point here is, please don’t judge the book by the cover folks! Especially Poly’s! We should be helping each other out and not throwing one another under the bus! Come on! We live in a day and age where people take advantage of their own advances! Instead of looking down and putting down your kind, why not lend the hand? I pondered on whether or not I should post for a while since I got back from the hearing. But here’s the true fact, racism, stereotypes, and profiling is very much alive and well today! If you’re just gonna add wood to the fire, do me a favor put your hands in too! Be the real change. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

#WhatAday #JustAnotherDayAtPMKC #IsThereKumonForTheSamoanLanguage #iNeedToLearnSamoan #AllInAll #InTheMidstOfTheStrife #iGiveGodGlory #GivePraiseInAllCircumstances #BeTheChangeYouWantToBe #iShotTheSherrif #ButiDidntShootTheDeputy #LoveMyPolyPeople #BrownSkin #GoldenRule #AppliesToALL 

Lenten 2017

I reflected this morning on the writings from The Upper Room Devotional. In this time of Lent, this peice really hit home for me. It is already the second day of Lent, and I've finally decided what I wan to give as my offering and sacrifice. Time.

I've always observed Lent by sacrificing something to help me remember Christ's holy sacrifice for me. But over the years some of my passion for this practice dimmed, and I began to question my motives for observing this spiritual discipline. Does Christ really find pleasure in my "suffering"? I had to acknowledge that the answer was a resounding No! After all, Christ loves me! I feel it in the times that I spend with Him in prayer and petition, sometimes even venting to Him.

Divided between the desire to make a heartfelt offering to God and the ambivalence I felt, I struggled. I yearned to give God what I considered most precious - and with some reluctance, I realized that what is most precious to me is my TIME. Most days I feel I don't have a second to spare. Some days, I have all the time in the world, except, I am not using it wisely.

Committing to give God an hour daily is a genuine sacrifice - but like everything I've given in the past, my time already belongs to God. Those 60 minutes - bowing in prayer, reading the Bible, volunteering, even just being still to hear that still small voice - leaves me stronger and happier. I now share a more intimate relationship with Christ than I've enjoyed in years. During my college years, I encountered this feeling, the intimacy and bond I had with my Lord, and I fell in love with Him, as He did for me. I felt the true love of God for me. The love John spoke of in his gospel. The love that gave us His only begotten Son. That love which saved me of my sins. These past years since I got married and having a child, I feel that I've drifted from that closeness I had with my Savior. I've come to realize, the hour, the minutes, the seconds even the days of what you put your precious TIME in to, grows you to be what/who you ought to be. I guess in the end, I haven't really given up anything after all, because TIME is in God's hands. I've discovered the riches of time well spent in the presence of God. I am reminded of one of my favorite hymns,

Sisu Ke ke ma'u ma'au
'Eku ngaahi me'a kotoa
Taleniti ngaahi ta'u
Fanau, fale moe koloa

*translations* (In my own words of course)
Jesus, take and have it all
Everything that I own
Talents and all my years
My offspring's, household and treasures.

Today and always, the greatest gifts I can give to God is my time. Like the kids Sunday School song, "A little talk with Jesus make it right!"

Wishing you all a blessed day!

All my love,
ATL

The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand.

- Psalm 121:5 (NIV)