Our duo becomes a trio - day 2 and 3 in Hawaii

Day two in Hawaii consisted mostly of beach, beach and a little more beach. Elise and I spent almost 6 hours at Kailaua Beach on the east side of Oahu. It was picture perfect (see below)!!! And when I looked toward the mountains I kind of felt like I was on an episode of Lost.

I need to tell you all about Vicki the Versa (or Vespa as I often call her). She is our rental car and she's special. She has maybe four cylinders...maybe. And on all these mountainous roads in Hawaii I sometimes think she's not going to make it. There have been several instances that I have had the pedal to the medal - literally and she is just inching up the mountain. But when she's going downhill, watch out!!!! She'll get going super fast real quick that you have to watch out for her. She's sneaky. And to make maters even worse - Hawaii roads are super crazy! You'll be driving along and all the sudden your lane ends - no warning. Or you think you're in an exit lane to get off the Interstate and then all of the sudden you pass the exit. (BTW: why are there interstates in Hawaii - someone please explain that one) But I'm getting a handle on the roads. And Vicki and I are bonding. But I really miss my Pathfinder at home.

On the night of day two, Elise and I officially "kidnapped" her cousin Stephy and she is now on vacation with us thru Sunday. For those of you that don't know, Stephy is based out here at YWAM Honolulu  (YWAM stands for Youth With a Mission). We went to the YWAM base Thursday night for a worship service and then took Stephy back to our hotel with us. She's not thrilled about waking up as early as Elise and I do, but she's having fun with us.

On Day three, we got up early to head to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. We got there about 9 a.m. and Vicki found prime parking for us. After watching the required safety and preservation video (which I'm pretty sure was filmed in the 80s) we went down to start snorkeling in the bay. We saw tons of beautiful fish while in the bay. The colors of the fish were brilliant - high five God!!! I had hope to see a turtle but no such luck :( Stephy got up close and personal with a fish that swam right in front of her masked. Elise and I both got rammed into by other snorkelers that apparently didn't see us. I yelled 'beep, beep' at the guy that ran into me. We snorkeled for a few hours but left around noon because it was getting super hot and super crowded. Elise and I had both already started to burn after our 6 hour beach day the previous day so we didn't want to fry any more. So we jumped back in Vicki and went and got some shaved ice - which was ohh so good. Now we're back in the hotel reading our books (I'm already on my second one) and getting ready to go to our luau tonight. I'll posted about that tomorrow.

Until we meet again - aloha!

A personal victory and a national tragedy - day one in Hawaii

For those of you who don't know (and I don't know who that would be cause I think I've told everyone), I am currently in Hawaii for a much needed, much anticipated, and much deserved vacation. I'm here with my best friend Elise and we're also visiting her cousin Stephy who is stationed at the YWAM base here. Stephy is the daughter of the Spanish missionaries that I got close to when I lived in Spain.

We arrived on Oahu on Tuesday afternoon. We first went to see where Stephy lived at the YWAM base and also saw our other good friend Tatum. For those of you who are complaining about traffic in ATL - Hawaii traffic is just as bad - and our rental car who I've affectionately named Vicki the Versa has no pick-up. I miss my SUV! We then checked into our hotel, took a walk along the beach to watch some locals surf and then went to bed at like 8:30 p.m. Hawaii is 6 hours behind Marietta, so we were exhausted.

With the time difference, we both woke up around 4:30 a.m. It's been a long time since I've seen that hour and it's usually from the other side. So we decided to get up and get going with our day around 7 a.m. We'd already decided our goal for the day was to hike Diamond head and visit Pearl Harbor. So here are those adventures.

A personal victory - hiking Diamond Head.

Diamond Head is a huge crater on Oahu that was left when a volcano erupted. You can hike to the tallest peak - but this adventure is an "all in" sort of thing. The hike starts with a gentle climb up the mountain - nothing to different to what I'm use to in hiking Kennesaw Mountain. But soon you stop walking the rocky trail and climb dozens upon dozens of stairs (including a set of windy stairs inside what feels like a lighthouse.) Here is a picture of the biggest set of stairs we climbed - this was taken on the way down so the stairs weren't as bad.

But despite the seemingly gigantic task ahead, Elise and I both made it to the top and saw breathtaking views of the island. There were times when I didn't think I would make it - including a very claustrophobic walk thru a long, dark tunnel. But we made it - and it was worth it. (see picture below - ignore the sweating appearance - these southern girls skipped glistening and went straight to sweating on this hike). And the good thing about waking up so stinking early was it wasn't nearly as hot or crowded as the hike could have been. I couldn't imagine hiking this with a big crowd.

A national tragedy - Pearl Harbor

After a fairly easy walk back down the mountain, we got back into Vicki to head over to Pearl Harbor. Even though we got to Pearl Harbor about 9:30 a.m. we didn't get tickets to visit the U.S.S. Arizona memorial until 1 p.m. So we bought tickets to go tour the U.S.S. Missouri - Mighty Mo. On this ship, Japan surrendered and WWII in the Pacific was over. Elise and I had a lot of fun posing with the large guns on the ship.

Now I have to be honest that this trip to Pearl Harbor brought a lot of emotions, questions and thoughts to my head. I kept trying to imagine what these soldiers, seamen and Marines thought when the saw the Japanese planes coming over the mountains. Having a military family, including an older brother who is a former Marine, I couldn't help picturing their faces on the men in battle. One question I did ask to the park ranger at the U.S.S. Missouri is - do many Japanese come and visit Pearl Harbor? I didn't ask this question to be mean, I was really curious. His answered surprised me. He said actually tons of Japanese visit Pearl Harbor, but the trip is usually a huge eye opener for them. Many times they've never really heard the true story of what happened that day in December. He said he's seen many of them with tears in their eyes - saddened by what their country did.

We finally got to go visit the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. For those who don't know, the Arizona sank very quickly in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. When a torpedo hit it, the battleships ammunition exploded and almost all of the people on board (1,100) died when the ship exploded or sank. The Arizona is just below the water at Pearl Harbor with several portions of the ship above water. Here is a picture of the memorial that goes across the Arizona. The rusted portion in front is actually a portion of the ship.

The visit to Pearl Harbor was very interesting. Did you know that in his famous speech asking Congress to declare war, President FDR originally intended to say that Dec. 7, 1941 would be a "day that would live in world history." But a quick rewrite with a pencil changed that to "infamy."And did you also know that many of the ships that were damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor were fixed up and used during WWII in the Pacific.

After we got back to the hotel, we went and walked the beach and watched some of the locals surf. Those guys, and girls, are real dare-devils!  Tomorrow our plan is to hang out at the beach all day. But right now I'm fading fast and am thinking about going to bed (still adjusting to the time changed). I'll post more pictures on Facebook later.

Until then - aloha!

The 40 days might be over, but the journey is just beginning

As of today, I have completed the 40-day program outlined in the Maker's Diet. It has been the hardest endeavour I have ever taken on in my life. There have been days I've wanted to quit, moments I've slipped off the diet and just all around bad days. But the good has definitely outweighed the bad and I'm glad that I did it. While my health is 100% of where I want it to be; I have more control of it, which is what I ultimately wanted.

But as the title of this blog states, my journey is really just beginning. Once you do the 40-days of the Maker's Diet, your really encouraged to stay on phase three forever. To do this I must continue to eliminate breads, most pastas, tons of sugar, pork, fast foods, Cokes and a few other of my former favorite things from my diet. This might seem like a daunting task, but after "fasting" from these things for the last 40 days, I really don't miss them. Tonight I went to dinner with my family and didn't have a problem avoiding the bread on the table.

You can enjoy off diet meals; your just encouraged to not have off diet days. It's easier for your body to recover from one off diet meal than an off diet day. And this is good news as I get ready to go on vacation to Hawaii. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to stay true to the Maker's Diet while in paradise, but I'm going to try.

And church today was such an encouragement for me. If you read my previous blog you read about how I've had a slight relapse and was disappointed. Things have improved (not 100% better - but better). But the sermon at church was all about staying focused on whatever your expecting deliverance from and not getting discouraged. Our pastor shared about how they struggled for years with a rebelous son, and he and his wife prayed continuously for years for deliverance. And thru it all he learned that God's timing is his own, and that many times God's deliverance won't look like what were expecting but that it will be good! In the middle of the sermon, our pastor asked for anyone who is praying for deliverance from something to have the boldness to stand so that the congregation can pray for them. I stood up and was immediately surrounded by the three girls in my accountability group who knew exactly what I have been petitioning God for - restored health. It was a great moment as I reach the end of this 40-day journey and enter into a new journey. It was such a blessing to have them pray over me and support me through this.

I probably won't update this blog until I get back from Hawaii - please pray for safe travels and that I'm able to stay as true as I can to the Maker's Diet. I'm excited about this vacation and it probably is exactly what I need to get my stress under control.

So until I blog again - Aloha!

A pound of stress, a cup of coffee and a dash of anxiety are not good for the soul (or gut)

Ok, I know it's been awhile since I've posted an update. And I've debated back and forth whether or not to actually write this update. But I promised for the get-go that I would use the blog as a way to capture my honest thoughts, feelings and emotions. So here goes.

I have a confession - the last few days haven't been great physically. Several Crohn's symptoms have returned in the last few days. I actually went back on a small dose of my meds (minus the prednisone) to try to get my body back in order. But as I think over the last few days and try to figure out what might have caused this re-lapse I can pin-point three things: stress, coffee and anxiety.

A pound of stress:
So if you've talked to me in the last few weeks and asked how work was, I probably gave a sarcastic answer or rolled my eyes. While I still love my job (let me make that completely clear) it has been filled with tons of stress recently. I think 1/4 of the stress is just part of the job. By the nature of the job, non-profits are hard, and even harder when the economy is struggling. Demand for services increases, which means more money is needed. But the supply of money has shrunk - so for a fundraiser like me, you have to get creative, smart and dedicated to do your job. Another 1/4 of the stress has to do with some internal changes at work. I'm not going to go into them. I'm actually excited to see how this new structure will work out in the long run. But there are folks who are upset or resistant to the change - so it's been stressful navigating the mind field of who is fighting or embracing the changes. And then the last half of my stress is to do with a "little" thing called Heart in Hand. This is an awards luncheon that we've done for the last 26 years and there are typically 250 guests. This year I have single-handily organized the entire event (securing sponsors, soliciting nominations, sending out invitations, working with the venue and caterer, etc). I've had a little support here and there - my intern helped write the script and our marketing department designed some of the printed materials. But ultimately this event falls on my shoulders, and almost all of the entire president's cabinet of my organization is going to be there. And if it wasn't stressful enough - due to the changes at work, I'm speaking during the event. I'd rather be behind the scenes making sure everything goes smoothly, but as hard as I tried to figure someone else to do it, I was the logically person. And if I didn't mention it, the luncheon is next Friday.

Stress and Crohn's do not mix. Anything you read about Crohn's will say one of the top triggers is stress. Obviously all this stress has not been good for me. But I am trying to find ways to reduce my stress - I try to walk at the park next to my house and I'm going this Saturday for a massage. But please don't tell me to try to destress my life - that just stresses me out.

A cup of coffee:
Confession #2 - Despite commercially ground coffee being on the avoid list of the Maker's Diet, I have enjoyed several cups of coffee recently. I know, not good. I think it goes back to my days as a reporter. Before I would get started on a big story I was get a cup of coffee or a Coke - maybe the caffeine just helped me focus. And with all the stress at work, and with Heart in Hand looming around the corner, I've returned to my comfort of coffee.

I know it's bad. And I can tell you that I have more symptoms on days that I drink coffee than those that I don't. I know it's a big culprit of this relapse. So pray that I will regain that will-power to just say no. And also that this cold weather will go away. I tend to drink coffee more when it's cold.

A dash of anxiety:
I know the Bible said we shouldn't be anxious about anything; but I have a little anxiety right now. Besides being anxious about everything related to Heart in hand, I am a little anxious about my upcoming vacation. In a couple days, I'm going with my friend Elise to Hawaii to visit her cousin Stephy (who is the daughter of the Spanish missionaries that I've worked with). I'm super excited about this vacation (I need and deserve this vacation), but everything leading up to it has me just a little anxious. I miss the days when you were little and can go on vacation worry free. Now I have to worry about what I might miss at work, finding someone to get my mail, making sure I have everything packed and my tickets printed. Kids have it good. There is also some anxiety about going so far away when I don't feel 100 %. If things don't get better soon, I will call my doctor and I'll probably have to go back on prednisone. But I don't want that. I want to enjoy myself on this amazing trip I've planned for and waited for.

I know I've written a pretty negative blog. And while I'm frustrated, anxious, concerned and a little overwhelmed, I am not discouraged.

Within the last few days several things have happened that have encouraged and lifted me up. The biggest has been two prophetic words that were spoken over me on Sunday night at church.

Hackett sings about in a song called "The Lowest Place." If you look at the words to the song that I have roughly posted below, its a reminder to me that this commitment to the Maker's Diet most importantly is a testament of my faith. And pure joy is only found in God when you completely surrender everything and get to the lowest place so that God can bring you back up.

Here are the word (but the songs is worth downloading)
"You said there would be joy in the laying down; you said there would be joy in the letting go; you said there would be joy in the giving of my life. And now I sing; Your river rushes to the lowest place (4x); come and rush over me (3x); let the river flow; I bow down; I get low; I open up my heart to receive your love; I gotta get to the wells of joy; I have to dig for the wells of joy; I've gotta get to the wells of joy; I gotta get lower."

The second prophetic word came from a complete stranger. She prayed Psalms 103 over me. Little did she know that Psalms 103 is probably one of my favorite Psalms. Mandy Mann sings an amazing song called Psalms 103 that I think is so beautiful - one of my favorites. While the entire chapter is full of good words, it starts off "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all his benefits - for he forgives all your sings and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things." Now that is good stuff!

Thank you for allowing me to be honest. If you feel compelled to pray for me (and I hope you are) here are a couple prayer request:
1. Healing would come to my body
2. I would regain the will power to stick to the diet
3. I would remain encouraged
4. My journey would be a testament of God's power and Glory

Until next time...