Destination: Maui

As you may know, Mike's diligence and hard work as a financial advisor with Edward Jones the past year has paid off. He earned what they call a diversification trip. We picked Maui from a list of destinations to spend a relaxing week of vacation. This post is for those of you who care :) I'll probably put more photos on facebook later, but I thought this would be an easy way to fill you in. I have over 400 pictures to pick from so here is the short synopsis:

Our resort was at the Four Seasons Hotel right on the beach. By far the fanciest place I've ever stayed: valet parking, twice a day turn down service, pineapple and brownie bites by the pool, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. They even give you a wet cloth when checking-in which Mike and I obviously had no idea what we were supposed to do with! 

 

We were there for about a week and had pretty full days of activities. We drove up Haleakala, the dormant volcano on the island, and hiked around inside the crater. It was only 46 degrees at the top!

We also spent a day driving the famous Road to Hana- about 60 miles of coastal road with over 600 hairpin curves and over 50 one-lane bridges. Along the way we saw an arboretum, black sand beach, lava tube, numerous waterfalls and ocean views. Past the town of Hana we hiked up to a bamboo forest that opened up to the largest waterfall I've ever seen- water dropping over 400 ft. 

You may recognize the rock behind us from Jurassic Park.

This is a close-up photo of a rainbow eucalyptus tree- the bark is literally all of these colors.

 

 

 

The black sand beach- all the black rocks and sand is from lava.

 

Bamboo forest

 January-March is prime whale watching season in Hawaii so we took a boat tour out to see them. These pictures are of the Pacific Humpback whales.

We made use of the resort's croquet course (field?...court...?) And of course we spent time on the beach and at the pool soaking up the sun. We snorkeled- which I don't have pictures of yet because they have to be developed old school. Other island activities we partook in: frisbee golf, mini golf, and tennis. 

 

Edward Jones provided a few dinners for us- one of which was a Luau. Unfortunately rain kept it from being outside, but we still got to see the hula dancers and the flame guy. 

 Pretty much we had an amazing time and are having a hard time being back in the Iowa snow right now. We are thankful for how God has blessed us through Mike's work.

I don't know how else to end this post. So. Good-bye.

 

 

Almost

“Almost. It’s a sad word in any man’s dictionary. Almost. It runs herd with nearly, next time, if only, and just about. It’s a word that smacks of missed opportunities, aborted efforts, and fumbled chances. It’s honorable mention, right field, on the bench, runner-up, and burnt cookies.” - Max Lucado

It’s 2014 now, and as I ponder what 2013 looked like, I’m wondering if I could make a case for the description above. Sure, God blessed us incredibly and his faithfulness was evident every day of the past year. And sure, we had many adventures and good conversations. But how did I really live my life?

Was 2013 a series of almosts? How many times did God nudge me in this direction or that and I just didn’t quite get there? How many days did I wake up and think- “Eh, I think I’ll just sit today out. I’ve done enough this week. I just want to curl up and forget about the world.” How many times did I shrug and say, “Maybe next time.”

I mean, I’ve burnt my fair share of cookies. I’ve won many second places. And I’ve warmed the bench a few times. Almost is certainly not a foreign word in my dictionary. But why am I okay with that? I don’t want my life to be one that could consistently be described with ‘almost.’ I want to live a full life- a life where I can say: I capitalized on that opportunity. I obeyed completely. I stopped rationalizing. I got off the bench, even when I didn’t have a fan section.

Max Lucado goes on to say, “[Jesus] never had room for almost in his vocabulary. You are either with him or against him. With Jesus nearly has to become certainly. Sometimes has to become always. If only has to become regardless. And next time has to become this time.”

I think our culture glorifies on-the-fence lifestyles. Living for ourselves, living not to offend. It’s comfortable. But comfort is complacency. Colorless. The fence is a fantasy. It doesn’t exist. It’s a deception of comfort and we fall for it all the time. It sounds good on paper, but what kind of life is that. It’s a life of almosts. Almost having an opinion. Almost living beyond ourselves. Almost having confidence. Almost making a difference.

Jesus calls us to forget the fence. There is no fence. He says we are either with him or against him. We can’t be on the fence. It’s not there. There is no almost. It’s not an option.

That is how I want 2014 and every year after that to look like for me. I don’t want to look back and think ‘Almost.’ I want to stop saying ‘If only’ and ‘Next time.’ I want others to look at how I live and wonder why there is no fence. Then they’ll know that we can’t get rid of the almost-lifestyle until we embrace a lifestyle with Christ.

I like VOTA’s song ‘Honestly’-
If you don't see the real me you won't see what mercy's done
If you don't see my weakness you won't see what love has won
If you don't see the distance from the darkness to the sun
You won't see, honestly

Abandoning ‘almost’ starts with honesty. Honesty about ourselves. Then we can open our eyes and see. See that the fence is gone and Jesus is beckoning. Toward or away. Those are the only options.

“Almost may count in horseshoes and hand grenades, but with the Master, it is just as good as a never.”