summer reading

Remember elementary school summer reading? I remember trying to do my absolute best to figure out what the teacher of the grade I was heading into would expect me to know about each book. I also experienced the first inklings of resistance towards doing something I that enjoy doing when it is required. I have always loved to read, but if I have to answer questions or write a paper at the end I tend to drag my feet in a BIG way! Some of my favorites were The Phantom Tollbooth, The Cricket in Times Square, Wringer, James and the Giant Peach, The Outsiders, Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar (that one may not have been required but I LOVED IT), Tuck Everlasting, The Giver.....I could go on forever!

Since those treasured years of pre-teen awkwardness, I have tried to challenge myself to read more during the summer. In the past few years, my schedule hasn't actually changed with the summer season, but I still really enjoy setting occasionally outlandish goals to read lots of books. Last summer, I read all of the Shopaholic books, through which I decided I really enjoy British humor :) I also read Classic Christianity by Bob George--a Jason Spence suggestion. It rocked my world! This summer, I want a well-rounded list of literary gems. And I'm trying to be organic about it. I have already started and finished a handful of books, but I love suggestions!

1. I read the entire Christy Miller series. The College Years were my favorite of the series. They are meant for high schoolers, but I caught myself relating to the characters in unexpected ways! Now that I have met Robin, I enjoy reading her books with a new perspective. Actually, a lot of her books are on my summer list! Including Praying for Your Future Husband (co-written by Tricia Goyer). I am in a small group that meets to study this book further with other young adult single women. IT IS SO GOOD! Another I plan on reading is her book that released today Canary Island Song.

2. Growing in Grace is the sequel to Classic Christianity and it is really good. It's taken me awhile to read but it basically unpacks the Gospel and how we can live life full of experiencing God's grace as He lives His life through us.

3. I'm still on a Larry Crabb kick. 66 Love Letters is too good of a book to quickly read, as I tend to do. But it's on my list!

4. When Borders was having it's clearance sales, I picked up the book The Last Summer by Ann Brashares. She wrote Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants so I figured with a discounted price it was worth the read! I haven't read it yet, but it will be my book of choice to take to the beach!

5. At the same Borders clearance sale, I picked up the book Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker. I've never read any other books by her, but it looked like a good Christian novel. I'll let you know what I think :)

6. To top off my so far incomplete list, Cooper left her copy of Mansfield Park on Maui by accident, and I want to be sure to conquer that before she comes back again this summer!

If I'm reading at home, I love to have music playing. The chill soundtrack of my summer has been the new Bon Iver album. It's super chill and good for background noise too.

Now that I have an official list typed out, I have some reading to do :)

In Him,
Risa

23 things i loved about my 23rd birthday

1. Paddle boarding with Alyssa at the Fairmont. Turtles swimming gracefully beside us. Gliding on our boards just above the reef.

2. Starbucks. Coconut iced coffee. Chatting on Robin's breezy lanai. My quiet time looking out over the pacific.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean with my boss and department. DURING work hours. In 3D.

4. Singing Afterglow with Ryan after the Gathering and praising my King.

5. HIS promises echoing in my heart. All. Day. Long.

6. Floored by the Lord. Amazed by the Holy Spirit. Authentic. Honest. Obedience.

7. Waking up early to head to Lahaina Harbor and be whisked away to Lanai for the Rise Retreat. Sailing. Sights. Secret Surf Spots.

8. Taking a nap on the beach of Manele Bay. My favorite beach ever.

9. Camping in a tent under the bright night stars. Lisa's mom used to tell her when she was a little girl that stars were little poked holes that allow us to see the light shining down from heaven. And so that God and the angels can peek down on us :)

10. A morning at the Four Seasons. Free fancy coffee. My Amplified Bible. Getting rocked by the King.

11. Excitement. Dolphins in the Bay. Mandy and Alyssa. Despite jelly fish stings and the impending threat of leg cramps or exhaustion. Dolphins. Swimming all around us. So close. Jumping and spinning. Echolocation banter. My Sunday morning worship session :)

12. Letting the sun wrap it's arms around me. Wiggling my toes past the scorching layer of sand to the soft cool sand beneath. Bathing in the cool ocean waters.

13. Doing my best to balance on a sailboat without holding onto anything. Careening. Roller coaster waves. Sunset. Tired.

14. Paddle boarding with Sarah. Laying out on our boards. Tickling the water with my fingers. Unexpectant. And then......Dolphins. AGAIN! In Kihei. Right next to us. Unreal. Such joy.

15. Intern Lunch with the Gunn's. Ritzy chicken. Arnold Palmers. Robin served us on their fine china and read us a children's story she wrote many years ago about being set apart. SUCH a gift. Ross gave us timeless life advice.

16. Intern birthday dinner. Paia Flatbread. Lisa discovering a gecko in her hair. The "One Word for Risa" game. N'Sync. Singing at the top of my lungs. Windows down. Martin knowing every word to Nelly songs. Nertz.

17. Fish Market dinner. Five Love Languages. The deep and familiar smell of a new leather journal. Like a cozy arm chair. Life Guard Stand talk under a drizzling night sky.

18. Sneaking away to McDonald's for much needed Diet Coke and perhaps a good cry.

19. Cruising with the top down in Leslie's car. Blanche. Launiupoko. Late nights. Life chats.

20. Surprise Saturday. Maui Moped Madness. Traversed the Terrain of West Maui. Stunner sights. Rickety Rope Swing. Sunshine. Helmet Hair. Plumeria Plucking. Horn Honking. Lots of Laughter. Chewy, Leslie, and Alyssa. It was one of the coolest things I've done in this lifetime.

21. Lei making while watching Indiana Jones. Congraduations.

22. Hosting a boat full of basketball players and coaching for NBC Basketball Maui camp. I love mingling. Jena and I got to meet and greet lots of cool people. Windy and Wonderful.

23. The simple and delightful fact that my birthday was almost 2 weeks long and full of things I never dreamed I'd be doing in this lifetime. Thank you Lord. HE KNOWS!

jesus calling

A couple weeks ago I finally picked up a copy of Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It's the number one seller at Kihei Christian Bookstore, so I figured it must be good :) I was a little skeptical at first because each entry is what the author felt the Lord was revealing to her during her quiet time, so I wasn't quiet sure what to expect. All of the entries are written as if it is the Lord speaking. It is a year long devotional, and is turning out to be really solid and consistently infused with Scripture. I have been in awe at how timely each word is in my life.

"Thank Me in the midst of the crucible. When things seem all wrong, look for growth opportunities. Especially, look for areas where you need to let go, leaving your cares in My able hands. Do you trust Me to orchestrate your life events as I choose, or are you still trying to make things go according to your will? If you keep trying to carry out your intentions while I am leading you in another direction, you deify your desires.

Be on the lookout for what I am doing in your life. Worship Me by living close to Me, thanking Me in all circumstances."

This is EXACTLY what I needed, on Friday morning, May 13th. Here is the supplement Scripture she suggested which I LOVED in the Message:

"So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you." --1 Pete 5:6-7

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." --1 Thess 5:18

So on top of Jesus Calling, I've been blessed to start up another 6 week study with the group I was with a couple months ago. We are going through "He Speaks to Me" by Priscilla Shirer. I am so honored to walk through this season with the wonderful, wise women in this group, and so far the study seems really good! I loved the last one "Discerning the Voice of God" so I am definitely stoked to start this one. I highly recommend these studies! Today's word from that study was on fearing the Lord and obeying Him.

"Spiritual perception and discernment come from reverencing and honoring God. I paraphrased the verse: 'Respect for the Lord is the essence of spiritual understanding.' To hear God's voice we absolutely must be willing to recognize and appropriately respond to Him. Showing God respect opens our hearts and our spiritual ears to clearly hear from Him." --Priscilla Shirer

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In other news... :)

For Mother's Day, the worship Department spent a TON of time and effort making beautiful paper flowers. Here are a few photos:



In the last photo you can see the final product. We cut out silhouettes of mother's and put them in frames with the flowers. I'm sorry the photo is small, hopefully I'll get the final product ones on facebook soon! It came together so great! May flowers :)

-Aloha-

assurance

Assurance. Something I wish I only needed once, and then had the ability to move forward and never look back. Where do you look for it? Crack open God's life giving Word. It's jam packed with promises and affirmations that have never been broken, wrong, or misleading. And they never will be. But sometimes I want more. From the people around me. I want to know where I stand. Insecurity, doubt, and fear can dominate your brain faster than you can even begin to stretch out your hand for some real truth. It's annoying.

I am messy. Inside, and when it comes to my cramped closet and the amount of clothes I try to shove in it, I'm messy on the outside too. BUT. My family loves me. My friends love me. God loves me. Author and Perfector. I'm embracing it and blazing through it all.

"Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God."--Hebrews 12:2

It's a lesson I will always fight to learn. Ha, also, whenever I think of the word "assurance" all I can picture is Creed on The Office, when he is asked what he does at Dunder Mifflin and he doesn't even know. Later he's like, "What is wrong with this woman? She's asking about stuff that's nobody's business. 'What do I do?' What do I do, I do here. I should have written it down. 'Qua' something. Quaaa. Quarr. Quab. Quall. Qwer. Quobbity! Quobbity assurance!" :)
The past few weeks stretched me. I laughed so hard I cried. I just plain cried. Steven and I created, organized, and conducted a choir for a month. I swam in waters with whales super close by. Went on late night drives to secret beaches. Applied to college. I picked tangerines and grapefruit straight from their trees. Dreamed big on a hammock with Alyssa under the bright night stars. I took a picture of myself with nerdy glasses on :) I made signs with Leslie for Maui High boy's volleyball game. Listened to the same song on repeat 27 times in a row. Painted my toenails Maui Magic. Soaked up awesome wisdom from my wonderful mentor. I ate fish tacos at every restaurant that had it on the menu. I walked Front street with friends in Lahaina on a quest to find Rainbow slippers. Had a great coffee date with a friend. Jumped on a trampoline with Jena. The interns were blessed to be served dinner by a wonderful small group Ohana. Stumbled upon "Mauiritaville" in Ka'anapali with Alyssa. Nothing quite like witnessing a bunch of business minded mainlanders letting loose in Maui. Partook in a flamingo flocking endeavor. Rebelliously neglected shoes. I'm forever learning a life of full-time ministry.

Aloha ke Akua.

Risa

fresh. fly. free.

-H.I.M. Conference 2011-

Here is a recap of my Risa-fied note taking :)

Thursday the 24th:
Isaiah 58. The Fringe. Love your neighbor. Who is my neighbor? Obedience isn't about feelings. Challenge. Write down 4 things you want to know the will of God in:
1. Go back to School?
2. Stay in Maui?
3. Utila Coffee Ministry Opportunity
4. Major?

MASTER. Mission. Mate.

Solomon asked for 1. Wisdom 2. Knowledge. Your life is the product of the sum decisions you make. Gal 6:7- What we sow we will reap. Don't be duped.

Attitude to possess:
-Prov 9:10- Respect
-Prov 11:2- Humility
-Prov 19:20- Teachability
-Prov 8:17- Diligence

Ask God. Go to the Bible. Seek Counsel. Look at the Doors. Have an Eternal perspective. Walk by Faith.

God can direct my thoughts. He can reveal consequences of my decisions while I think about it. Good or bad. He can bring a verse to me. Name of a person. Listen. Quiet yourself. God says, "Trust. My ways. I'll talk. Just ask." For HIS glory. For my good.

Truth will always defend itself. God, I have the confidence in the fact that you are directing my steps. God can't steer a parked car. Keep moving, God has the ability to open and close doors.

Friday the 25th:
Papa God, I don't know what you are up to today............
......but I'm coming with you.

2nd Session. British Dude. Mark 14. Anything not born in prayer is born in pride. HIM is greater than me.

Koa Siu-Worship Pastor of Hope Chapel West Oahu. We don't worship the worship. We worship God through the music. Unity. Power. Worship. Living song. The new song. Collective. Fresh. Engaging. Alive. Living. Encouraging. Inductive method of choosing songs. Revelatory method of choosing songs. Use both.

Tony Campolo. There's a difference between Biblical Jesus and American Jesus.

Dave Gibbons. AWAKENING. Check out this video he showed us about Changing Education Paradigms. It made me want to teach. God, give me YOUR eyes. Full surrender. Brokenness. Desperation. Freedom. Profound love for God. Extreme. LOVE. Profound love for others. Called. Poured out. See something beautiful in every person. Apathetic is dangerous. Be radical. Be like Bruce Lee. Liquid. Flow. Essence.

What would the church look like if it wasn't confined to a piece of land?

Satan will discourage. Lies. Doom. Failure. Use your messiness to influence your generation. We all have a unique set of gifts/experiences/pain. My personal destiny. Simple. Meaningful Collaboration. Jesus is the center of my mess. Great pain= Great Leadership. Go where you grow. Help people find their destiny. See people for who they are. Affirm their special destiny. John 5-Only do what you see the Father doing.

There are three types of people:
1. Designers
2. Developers
3. Stablizers

Saturday the 26th:
Worship is about seeing God. Holy. Set apart. No equal. Mighty. Holy. Here I am Lord. Send me.

I confess. He resolves.

British Dude again. Creative Prayer. The Gospel is more about questions than answers. Christ didn't die to make us Christian. He died to make us human. Sin= Anything that makes you less like Christ.

The Gospel doesn't change. The clothes it wears does.

Don't imitate. Innovate.
New language. New landscape.
Creator God. First thing we know.
No agenda. Creative being.
No limits. More than words.

Exodus 31: Oholiab & Bezalel- 1st person in Bible to be annointed by the Holy Spirit is a humble artisan. Called by name.

Submerged sunrise of wonder. Dig for it.
Surprise. Depth and mystery.
Jesus lived it. Created intrigue.
What is Prayer?
A relationship with God.
Communion. Interaction. Communication.
An expression of worship.
Prayer and worship. Different sides of the same coin.
Sword. Battling for the people you love.
Contemplation. Meditation. Confession.
Exploration. Celebration.

1. We have to reach a changing culture. They don't respond to cliche.
2. We have to renew the church.
3. Reflect our individuality.
I learned a lot this weekend. Other than the conference, Oahu was a great get-away. We walked the busy streets of Waikiki. I ate Mahi. Drank a dark chocolate latte from Coffee Bean. Rocked out at the David Crowder concert. Jumped a fence. Then found the gate to walk out of it. Got lost in a parking garage. It's not our fault all the levels look the same!! Checked out Pipeline. Saw MAYBE ankle biter waves. Compared to the 50 foot sets it's known for. North Shore. Matsumoto's legendary shave ice. Nu'uanu Pali Lookout. WiNdY. Banana Melona bar. 3 story Forever 21. Cheesecake Factory. UHmazing. Kaneohe. Jason's Hawaii Baptist High School. Saw where Chris and Craig lived back in the day and the Pizza hut Chris managed. Aloha Stadium looks like it's barely holding it together ha :) Oahu Target. It's all about the Target experience. Soaked up the awesomeness that is the Mauck family. I prayed that the Lord would give me peace about the future. I'm actually more confused about the future now. I know He'll show me what's up in His time.

Aloha :)
Risa

maui march madness

1. Shamrock Shakes (or lack thereof)
It's March. Which means the Shamrock Shake is a staple at McDonalds. My roommate, Lisa, loves them, and I have had positive experiences with them in the past, so we concluded that it was a matter of importance to try one in honor of Maui March Madness. The first time we went to get one, they were out of the mix. Popular. The next time we went, I called in to check, and they were ready for Shamrock Shake business. A mere few hours later, we ordered and paid, only to drive to the next window and find out they were sold out! Now, with much anticipation, and high expectations, I look forward to actually experiencing a Maui Shamrock Shake.

2. Roommate Birthdays
For Jena's birthday, we all piled into our trusty 15 passenger van and headed to the West side to Lahaina Pizza Co on a Sunday afternoon. It was an idyllic and relaxing afternoon. Bbq chicken pizza with ranch was consumed. [Ranch goes great with EVERYTHING!]. Limitless Diet Coke. Reasons why we love Jena. Her excitement and passion for her ministry is contagious. She is always fun to be around. She's just cool. After a late lunch, we wandered around Lahaina and window shopped like tourists :)

For Lisa's birthday, the following Sunday, we all met up at Kalama park and had cake and ice cream. It was super chill, hanging out under the shady trees. The boys threw around a frisbee while the girls chatted. We all gathered along the beach to watch the sunset. It was stunner. I love Lisa. She embraces life and brings joy into all situations. She just knows. Also, I've always wanted to be close friends with a Lisa, so we could be "Lisa and Risa." :)

3. Tsunami Day 2011
I came home from worship practice on Thursday night to an empty house but a phone loaded with messages. Earthquake. Japan. 8.9. Tsunami created. Destruction. I turn on the news to be bombarded by insane images of buildings/cars/homes being completely dominated by water. Hawaii news informs me that this will DEFINITELY send a tsunami our way. At 3:23 to be exact. The waiting game begins. I remember our tsunami scare last year, and immediately get out a map to see how far away Hawaii is from Japan. It's MUCH closer than Chile is to Hawaii. The lesson I learned from my last tsunami experience is to NOT PANIC. Our condo is out of the evacuation zone. So if we were to get hit, our home would be up far enough from danger. That fact isn't comforting enough though. Jena and I (the other two girls were with friends safe and sound) filled up our tubs with water and semi-jokingly ran around trying to decide what to pack in case we needed to leave. Important papers. Expensive things. Journals. Comfy clothes. Done.

The boys came over and we decided to spend the night at our High School Pastor's place in Waikapu, which is nestled right in the midsection of Maui. The drive there was eerie. Roads close to the ocean were closed off. Police everywhere. Sirens going off. Deep breaths. We get to the Smith's and they have snacks and coffee. We kept up with the news. Decided to make a bonfire outside. It was actually a great night, sitting around the fire, sipping good coffee, talking story. Once the first wave hit with minor damage, I was able to fall asleep. Early morning fellowship. Then right back to work as usual. Madness. I am so thankful that Maui came out virtually unscathed. I love this island so much. Wow. So much. It's home. God sits on the throne.

4. Maui Garage Sales

In order to raise more money for our trip to Oahu for the HIM Conference, the Mauck's (my boss and his family) had a garage sale. We're pretty stoked about the exciting trip to Oahu! Maui garage sales are different in many ways from Kansas garage sales, but the exact same in others. Some of the items you might find at a Maui garage sale would be things left by vacationers from condos, lots of swimsuits, board shorts, and body boards. But there will always be the same feelings of satisfaction when you find a good deal on something you want. That, in my opinion, is a universal feeling tied to garage sales.

This month really has been madness. I feel like I can never really catch my breath. It's one thing after another. But I feel like these will be my favorite times to look back on. God is in the details.

Aloha,
Risa

baptism and intern retreat

A couple weeks ago we had our President's Day Baptism. Hope Chapel baptisms are one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE events on Maui. The church body gathers together to baptize brothers and sisters in Christ and then we eat food and play volleyball :) For an intern, the morning starts before the sun rises, and we meet John John at the church to load up all the food, tents, sound system, and tables to take down to the beach. The baptism in February is my favorite out of the three we have because whales can be spotted during the set up process. Pastors Craig, Jake, and Ben all settle down in the shade to share testimonies and explain what baptism really looks like/means in the Bible. It's so incredible to hear the testimonies of everyone. The work of the Lord will NEVER cease to amaze me.

After the testimony time is over, the sounds of conch shells and drum beats beckon everyone down the water to sing and worship the Lord through song and hula. Last year, as the small group intern, my job was to keep the group of people organized and walk each person out into the water. This year, as the worship intern, I am in charge of the music. This year, we had the Men of Integrity ministry do all of the music so I was able to help Lisa and be right in the action. That's my favorite part! Two of the interns, Lisa and Blake, have been believers for many years, but had not been baptized, so they took the plunge! That was pretty cool to be a part of. The Lord blessed me with some really cool conversations that day. Also, the volleyball net was a little shorter than the men's height I'm used to so I had a TON of fun with that :)

After a hectic week of work, the interns all piled into the 15 passenger van with Pastor Craig and Pastor Jake and headed out on our yearly intern retreat. Part of the tradition is to eat at Charley's in Paia, which is where Willie Nelson plays. (Above photo). We clambered through bamboo forests. Swam towards majestic waterfalls. Hiked over teetering rocks. Jumped off of anything under 30 feet tall into frigid waters :) It was great to spend time with Craig and Jake and all the interns. By this time in the internship, we are all starting to feel a little bit burned out. Craig is an excellent cook and made us some quality meals. We played games, sang worship, talked about Isaiah 40 with Jake, and of course, Telephone Pictionary. Love these guys.

I'm pretty AMPED that it is already March. My next post will be about Maui March Madness. Get excited :)

Risa