fish eyes & battle tactical

Derek and I are rapidly approaching two years of marriage and I'm pleased to announce that I like him more than ever before :)  Now, I know you want to argue that YOUR husband may be the best, but I have undeniable proof in favor of mine!  I sent him to the store to get all the ingredients for lasagna and he comes home with... lasagna, already made :)  Now, home made will always be number one in my heart, and he knows that.  BUT he took into account that I would have to do absolutely no prep and no dishes (other than plates and forks) and decided that was the better option for this particular evening!  What a man!!  

If that doesn't convince you, this will: I get to fly to California this coming week to be a part of my beautiful, cousins wedding and spend MUCH needed time with family!  There's still a slight chance that Derek will be able to come, but he let me go ahead with plans, knowing it might be a sentence to 13 days of solitary, green house life.  I thank God for such an amazing man and know that I am incredibly blessed to have him as my husband and best friend!  I will admit, I take him for granted at times.  I'm sure I'll feel like a fish out of water if we do end up being separated, but I'm still hopeful for a miraculous drop in ticket prices!  

[<3]

We are taking full advantage of our upcoming anniversary and every opportunity to celebrate!  For example, last night at dinner we tried fish eyes for the first time... labeling it 'an anniversary dare', could we get any more romantic!?  But seriously, on Saturday we discovered an amazing mexican restaurant and went to the movies!  And, fruitaholics that we are, indulged in two pounds of blueberries and a delicious white pineapple!  We're in denial about any adverse effects the consumption of such might have on our bodies.

On a less romantic note, we accomplished a lot in the fields this week!  For those of you thinking we've become complete beach bums, I must point out that we were only at the water twice this week, and that was over the weekend!  We're finishing up yet another round of weed wacking (and continually praying for a lawn mower!!)  And we're spraying as much fungus as we can afford (one gallon costs us $200!) in attempts to battle the Borer Beetle.  Even with a 30 gallon tank in the back of our truck and a 100ft hose, we're still limited in our spray radius.  So, this week we took to strapping on the 5gallon backpack and walking back and forth to the otherwise unreachable areas.  Let's just say 'massage night' became less of a luxury and more of a necessity!  

[the Lehua flower]

I spent a lot of time with C.S Lewis this week.  Or rather, with his voice, coming through loud and clear in my ear-buds!  I love being completely immersed in a book [or audio book, in this case.. since one, try as you might, simply can not turn pages and spray fungus at the same time!]  Mr. Lewis has quite the way with words and it does take a while for my brain to 'synch' with his impressive vocabulary and diction.  However, it's not long before I feel as though he and I are together in England, sipping tea and discussing life, faith and the human race.  One thing he said that really grabbed my attention was this::

'Enemy-occupied territory- that is what this world is.  Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.' -Mere Christianity 

This wakes me up to the fact that there is infinitely more going on around me than meets the eye.  Battles are being fought every day.  Opposing forces are fighting for the souls of each and every human being.  It's real and definitely not anything to be taken lightly!

So, I turn to the Word and try to figure out how to implement this into daily life.  I got caught up in Luke 11 where the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray and he introduces 'The Lord's Prayer'.  These words are very familiar and memorized by most people, whether they realize it or not.  Coming back to this chapter over and over throughout the week, however, transformed the words into a more intimate conversation for me.. 

Father,

 [because I'm talking to my Daddy!]
hallowed be your name,

[You are holy, magnificent & completely worthy of all my praise!]
Your Kingdom come, 

[I'm anxiously awaiting eternity with YOU, but also want to spread Your Kingdom now.. on Earth.  May I bring glory to You in all I do.]
Your will be done, 

[because, thankfully, YOU are God... not me!]
Give us each day our daily bread.

[You are my provider & sustainer.. I CAN'T do this on my own.]
Forgive us our sins,

[I continually 'fall short', but You made the ultimate sacrifice for ME & I can walk in grace and freedom every day! THANK YOU!]
as we forgive those who sin against us.

[Give me the strength & courage to extend grace and forgiveness like you have done for me!] 
Lead us not into temptation, 

[God, please keep my eyes focused on you..]
but deliver us from evil. 

[May I walk in the authority you've given me and have the strength to stand back up when I do fall.]
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. 

[You are sovereign. You are GOD!]
Now and for ever.

[I LOVE YOU!]

Amen.

[the lovely, green sands beach]

I may be living in enemy-occupied territory, but I have a direct line to the King of Kings!  I will face evil, but I have been equipped to fight against it and (spoiler alert!!) I know who will have the ultimate victory!  Staying in constant communication with the rightful King is vital to my mission.  I must live my life to full potential, becoming a vessel for God's truth and light to flow through! 

Taking that knowledge with me, through each day, changes things!  I can be an ambassador at the beach, in WalMart or at the fish taco place!  I need to choose my words, actions and attitude carefully; my life reflects so much more than just ME.  I can do everything in my power to point the way to Jesus and fight against the schemes of the Enemy.  And THAT fills me with excitement for this brand new week!!