What Makes Adventist Education Adventist?

                    There is an Advantage to having an Adventist Education!

Enjoying a quiet reading time at Kahili

That’s what the Center for Research on K-12 Adventist Education (La Sierra University) has found. The results were so outstanding that award-winning film producer Martin Doblmeier documented the benefits of Adventist education in his film The Blueprint. The amazing finding was that students excelled whether they were in an inner-city school, a mission school on an Indian reservation, a 12 grade school with hundreds of kids, or a small multi-age one-room classroom.  

What Makes Adventist Education Adventist?

Is it the NAME?  No. The vast majority of Adventist schools do not have Adventist in their name. Only 463 out of nearly 6000 schools operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church contain the name Adventist.

Ken-yen Kids with Pastor Douglas Naa

Is it Adventist because it is financed and operated by the Adventist Church? No, not necessarily. There are hundreds of schools that are operated by Seventh-day Adventists but are not financially supported by the church. Here’s an example: Weimar Academy in CA, DayStar Academy in UT, Heritage Academy in TN, and Fountainview Academy in BC, Canada. These independent schools are generally thought of as self-supporting Adventist schools.

Is it because the school uses Seventh-day Adventist curriculum? Yes and No. All Adventist schools operated by the church, at least in the North American Division, use Seventh-day Adventist curriculum and are subject to Adventist accreditation. Schools operated outside the denomination are free to develop their own curriculum or use curriculum that they feel better serves their student’s needs. But because these schools usually hire Adventist trained teachers, they often use SDA curriculum.

Fun with Roger Brodis and Pastor Naa

So what makes Adventist Education Adventist?  Because Adventist schools are so different in structure, size, financial endowments and cultural backgrounds, yet all show an educational advantage, I’ve come to the conclusion, that what makes Adventist education Adventist, is Adventist teachers who follow the principles for education promoted by Ellen G. White and teach a Bible-based curriculum. In other words, it's not who operates the school, it's who teaches in it! When dedicated Christian teachers focus on sharing Christ, their students are motivated to do their best--and that's what makes the difference.

Based on this definition, we are blessed to have two Adventist elementary schools on Kauai--one on the east side--and one on the south.

Experiencing Thanksgiving Indian Style

1: Kahili Adventist School is supported by the Seventh-day Adventist churches on Kauai, has an operating board made up of members from both constituent churches, and is subsidized by the Hawaii Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This means that the school receives significant financial aid from the church, which makes it possible for teachers to receive employee benefits and health insurance as do other employees of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In addition, because of church subsidies, the tuition rate is significantly lower for Adventist students. Kahili is currently renting rooms at the Kapaa Seventh-day Adventist Church until it can find a permanent location. The school is blessed to have the teaching creativity and energy of Roger or Gerry Brodis. For more information, call them  at 928-460-0600.

Math Time at Ken-yen

2: Ken-yen Learning Center is a self-supporting alternative home school with 19 students (8 are Adventists) taught by three highly qualified Adventist teachers. Kevin and Angela Kuzma hold Adventist teaching credentials and Masters degrees from Adventist universities. Lynn Provonsha, with a degree in biology, teaches science. These three teachers were teaching at Kahili Adventist School until the board voted a balanced budget and the teaching staff had to be cut. But God used this difficult circumstance to start another Adventist school on the island that instead of costing the church money, contributes to the church. If you’re interested in learning more about Ken-yen, go to Ken-yen.com, “like” them on Facebook, or call 808-752-8780 and come visit. It's at 4122 Koloa Rd, just down the road from Lawai Valley SDA Church.

Lynn Provonsha Teaching Science

            Are these schools different? Of course they are. Every school is shaped by the teacher’s interests, skills and training. But as long as each follows the educational principles given by Ellen White, being different doesn’t make one school better than the other. The art, music and agriculture programs at Kahili are outstanding, but if you want your kid to learn to surf, run their own business, be computer savvy, speak Japanese, or be actively involved in community service by volunteering at the Humane Society or local farms, you might think about Ken-yen.

            There’s just one problem, Ken-yen can’t take any more students…so Praise the Lord we have Kahili, which is dedicated to making sure every Adventist child gets an Adventist education!

            Now is the season to support your Adventist schools by attending their Christmas programs:

Kahili Adventist School:  Sunday, December 14 at 6:00 pm at Kapaa SDA Church  (followed by potluck-finger foods)

Ken-yen Learning Center: Thursday, December 18 at 5:30 pm at Lawai Valley SDA Church: 5:30 potluck fellowship meal, then the Christmas play, “The David Dynasty”, followed by dessert.

                                                    See you there!

Love is Just Around the Corner!

You're not going to want to miss a single sermon in this next series by Pastor Douglas Na'a. Why? It's going to be on LOVE--and when it comes to love--the more the better!

What is LOVE?                                          

Love is the most powerful force in the world. It changes people! But unless you love enough to experience how love can revolutionize your relationships and turn the obnoxious people into loveable ones, you’ll have a hard time believing in its power. 

Maybe this will help: Imagine that deep in your heart there is a love cup. When it's full, life is worth living and it's relatively easy to be kind, generous, thoughtful and patient. But when it's empty, you have nothing to give. Instead, you're filled with negative thoughts and feelings.

The love that fills the empty place in your heart is agape love. It comes from God through the people around you. It is a principle, not necessarily devoid of emotion, but not dependent on it either. It is love given with no strings attached, just because the other exists. When experienced, endorphins‑‑which are chemically similar to morphine‑‑flow into your brain, producing the sense of security, peace and calm. You feel good because you feel intrinsically valuable.

Much of the time you are unaware of your love cup. When it’s full you feel like sharing. You feel alive and want to sing and shout for joy, But when you're empty, you experience the opposite. You become selfish and hurt others with your thoughtless words and behavior. 

Did you know you have the power to fill the love cups of others? And when you do, you'll be surprised at the result!

Here's an Example of Love Power

Mindy’s husband was difficult to love. He never remembered his dad saying, “I love you,” and he grew up having to look out for himself. He married, but found it hard to be warm and responsive. Mindy was just about ready to give up on her marriage when she came to the weekend women’s retreat and heard these words, “Do you sometimes feel empty and wish someone would give you a little love and attention? Well, the answer might be to first give some love away.” 

Mindy was intrigued by the love-cup principle. Could it be that her husband was unloving because his love cup was empty and he had nothing to give? If he were full and overflowing perhaps he could be loving too. She determined to try and fill him up.

            When Mindy got home from the retreat she asked her husband to sit down because she had a list of things to read to him. His back bristled. Immediately he thought about the faucet that didn’t work and the lawn that needed mowing. He sat in silence as Missy began reading her list of all the reasons she loved him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! At the end, he smiled weakly and asked, “Is that all?”

            “Oh, no,” she said quickly, thinking of a few more things that she appreciated about him.

            Nothing like this had occurred in their marriage for a long time, and he just didn’t know how to respond.

Now I must interrupt the story to share with you something that happened a number of years before. Then I’ll tell you the ending of the story. Mindy had wanted a mixer that kneaded bread dough. She knew the budget could never stand this luxury item, but she asked her husband anyway.  

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he bargained, “if you lose weight, I’ll get you a mixer.” Mindy tried. She starved herself and gained five pounds. Two years went by. No weight lost‑‑and no mixer. And now back to the story of the love list.

 Later that afternoon her husband said, “Oh, Mindy, I’ve decided I should go down to the bank and arrange for the financing to get the jeep fixed, and while I’m there I might as well get enough money for that bread mixer that you’ve been wanting.” It was his way of saying, “Mindy, I love you, too.”

            And the result? Mindy began losing weight‑‑even with mouth‑watering loaves of fresh home‑baked bread in the kitchen!

What can you learn from Mindy's story? 

        Just this. When you feel unloved and your life seems empty, it’s time to start reaching out to others. In the process of filling others with love, the chances are that love will be poured back into your life in ways that you might least expect.

But caution! Don’t give love to get it! Give love regardless of the outcome. Give love even though it may seem wasted. Give love because God says that’s what you should do. 

"These things I command you, that you love one another." John 15:17

What Can You Do for Your Church?

Every Member Involvement

            To paraphrase JFK's famous statement, "Ask not what your church can do for you; Ask what you can do for your church!"
          Wouldn't it be amazing if every member--from age twelve to a hundred and twelve--would be Holy Spirit inspired to use their spiritual gifts, talents, and interests to further the gospel work of the Lawai Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church?

                                          It's Nominating Committee time! 
          Getting new people to accept church offices is sometimes a challenge! So by default the same willing people are often asked to do the same jobs year after year. We're thankful for those faithful workers, but what happens to non-involved members? If you don't have a job at church or don't carry a church office which allows you to have a voice in the church, it's easy to think you're not important or that your ideas don't count. And as the years go by, it gets easier to slip away from the fellowship.

        What if every member were asked to write down what they would like to do--even if it doesn't fit into the current list of church offices? Then the nominating committee could not only fill current church offices with willing people, but they could make recommendations for adding jobs that fit specific members.

HERE'S A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA!

            What if there were no such thing as a non-working church member? What if every member (regardless of age) were asked to pray earnestly that God would impress them with a work they could do at church using their spiritual gifts? 

            God knows what needs to be done in our church—and He has a plan for each member. He can impress members to say "yes" when asked, and He can impress them to volunteer to do a job that might not be on the nominating committee's list. For example, wouldn't it be nice if we had a church librarian, or someone to call each member who was absent and ask them if they would like a CD of the service? Of course, that means someone needs to volunteer to make those CDs!
        We have a women's ministry and a men's ministry (it was just voted), but what about someone to coordinate social activities for families with young children, or plan an event for members and their non-attending spouses? And what about jobs for young people? If we want to attract people under 40 to our church, we need to make sure people under 40 are actively involved in leadership positions.

            The immediate fall-out of waiting for Spirit-led church members to volunteer, is that some offices may need to be adjusted to an individual's spiritual gifts, rather than trying to find individuals who fit the nominating committee's job description.
           But long-term, if the assumption is that every member (no matter the age) has a work God wants him or her to do in the church, then we would have more active members using their spiritual gifts and more things would be done to spread the gospel.

            Let me challenge you to start THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX and see what a difference it might make in your commitment to God to do the work He has gifted you to do.

            And when God impresses you with that work, PLEASE let the pastor or the nominating committee know, or email me and I’ll pass it on. The only way to ignite a fire of enthusiasm for church growth is if each member is Holy Spirit inspired to do God's work!

                                                        God needs you.

                                                 Our church needs you.

                  Together, let's determine to commit to the idea that every member 

                             will become a Holy Spirit inspired working member! 

Mark your Calendar for October 26!

The Church Business Meeting will be held on Sunday, October 26 at 5pm at the church. This is where names will be submitted for the committee to nominate the Nominating Committee. Get involved. You can make a difference.

Help Us Find the Right Name!

Old Kahili School

Name Your School!

            Ask long-time Kauai residents, what does the word Kahili mean to you, and quite likely they will say, “That’s the school at the base of Kahili Mountain at the end of the terrible dirt road.” Or they might mention, “Some of my friends went to that school when they were kids.” On Kauai, Kahili is synonymous with the Adventist school that hundreds of island kids attended over a 28-year period.

Kahili Standards

            When asked, “What is Kahili?” a few might say, “It’s the name of the tall feathered standards that the Hawaiians used to announce to the people that the King was coming.”

            Kahili was an inspired name for our Seventh-day Adventist School—when it was at the base of the mountain—because it not only told where the school was but it indicated the school’s mission “to tell the world the King is coming.”

            The problem is, the school is no longer at the base of Kahili Mountain. It has been moved to the temporary location of the Kapaa Seventh-day Adventist Church. So what should we call the school now?

            Should we keep the name Kahili and launch a marketing campaign to explain that Kahili isn’t a place—but the name of the standard that explains our mission to tell the world, “The King is Coming?”

Kapaa church where school is located

            Or would it be better to change the name and give the new school a new identity that isn’t tied to a location or the negative feelings about the power-play that forced the school to move from the Kahili location?

           This dilemma was posed to church members who attended the schools constituency meeting last Sunday. And now we need your help!

What makes a GREAT Name?

New Preschool Classroom

                        Ideally a name should represent the school without having to say the whole thing or having to add a motto. For example, when asked what school kids attend they usually say Kahili, or Kamehameha or Chiefess. We could call the school Kauai Adventist School, but then kids couldn’t say, “Oh, I attend Kauai!”

             The name should be short. Easy to remember—and easy to pronounce. (At least that’s what marketing experts would say.)

             It shouldn't be tied to a location—because who knows where the school will end up!

4.                It should give a message about the mission of the school by using words like character, love, service, integrity, aspire, knowledge, or care. And it would be nice if it were a simple Hawaiian name—like Kahili!

5.               It should be something that the entire constituency agrees on. We don’t want to be changing the name again!

New Elementary Classroom

            A suggestion was made that since God cares for the individual, others, and the environment—that should be the school’s mission as well. Unfortunately the Hawaiian name that suggests that idea is Na Ke Akua E Malama. And then add Adventist School—and that’s quite a mouthful. For native Hawaiians, the name easily rolls off their tongues because it basically says, “God Cares.” But for the rest of us, it’s hard to remember—and tough to say. Plus, a prominent island pediatrician uses the word Malama in the name of his clinic. We don’t want people thinking this is a school that “cares” for kids—like a medical institution.

            So, what do you think? What ideas do you have? We are praying that God will give someone a flash of insight and a spark of creativity and we will end up with a name that everyone will agree is perfect! If God can bring us a pastor who everyone agreed on—He can certainly bring us a name!

            Send your suggestions—and the reason why you think it’s a great name--to Debbie Nakamara, our School Board Chair, at deborahnakamura@msn.com. If you come up with the winning name, we can’t offer you free tuition for the child of your choice—but we can say a big MAHALO!

`

           

           

Our Seventh-day Adventist conference sponsored school is 

Adventist Radio on Kauai

IT'S A MIRACLE!

     Monday night, September 15 at 7:05 pm, Tim Kochis, LifeTalk engineer, threw the switch from the computer to the transmitter tower behind Grinds Cafe in Eleele and for the first time in history Adventist radio could be heard all the way from Koloa to Kakaha--with the potential of soon reaching the entire island!

Tim Kochis in KZZV Studio

     Check it out! Tune your radio dial to 94.3 FM and you can hear LifeTalk radio--the North American Division Adventist radio network. It's just a low power station at the moment, but when we can locate a mountain-top tower it has the potential of being a strong 100,000 watt commercial station that will reach the entire island and beyond.

    The miracle was that the station had to be on the air by 3am Sept. 16 or the license would be terminated by the FCC. AND, praise the Lord, we made it. Here's the amazing story of how it happened!

Pastor Doug Naa and Bob McNamara

  On Sabbath, July 26, Pastor Doug Naa sat down by a group of us at the Lawai Valley church fellowship meal and asked, "How do you think is the best way to evangelize Kauai?" Without any hesitation, I responded, "Radio!" Five days later, the pastor received an email from Pastor Maurice Vargas from New York saying that two years ago he had purchased a license for a radio station in Kauai, but could not find anyone interested in purchasing it. Pastor Doug emailed back that we were very interested in having Adventist radio on Kauai, but had no means to purchase the station. So, Pastor Vargas decided to move ahead himself, and with God's blessing, see if it were possible to get the station on the air by the FCC deadline.

Tower at Grinds Cafe in Eleele 

 

Rich Teter putting up KZZV antenna

Janie and Tom Eisendrath

 Finding a tower was a challenge. Then just one week before the deadline Kirk Marois, owner of Grinds Cafe, said we could use his tower, and Rich Teter--who was willing to climb the tower to put up our antanne--was located. Immediately equipment was ordered, Tim Kochis from Collegedale TN who is the radio engineer for LifeTalk radio got a plane ticket and arrived in Kauai on Wednesday night--with just four days left to get KZZV up and running! With help from Tom and Janie Eisendrath and Bob McNamara in putting up a small 4-8 building for a studio, and the prayers of many, the deadline was met. As soon as the switch was thrown at 7:05, we ran to the car radio and tuned into 94.3 and there we heard coming over the radio waves the song, "Our God is an
Awesome God." He really, really is!

     Thank you, Pastor Maurice Vargas, for the incredible gift of Adventist radio that you have given to us here on Kauai!

Kirk Marois, owner of Grinds Cafe

    And to all our KZZV listeners: When you're hungry and in the area, stop by Grinds and tell Kirk how thankful you are for allowing KZZV to be on his tower!

     LifeTalk Radio is a network of approximately 62 radio stations in 26--now 27--states featuring Christian music, Bible teaching and other religious programming. To learn more go to http//lifetalk.net


   

   

Who Should be the Head?

                                             Men, of course! 

That's what I learned as a kid. The Apostle Paul said so, "For the husband is head of the wife..." So, if you're like most, you just accepted the pronouncement that men should also be leaders of the church. If that's what you thought, well hang on to your hat--because the theologians from Andrews University have just released a statement on about leadership in the church--and the family--and it's going to blow your mind. 
                                      
                                                   Are you ready?

The document opens by unequivocally declaring that the church’s head, or leader, is no one other than Christ. Here are a few quotes that will lead to some interesting discussions during our Sabbath fellowship meal.

“While there exists legitimate leadership in the church, no other human being may rightfully claim a headship role in the church,” it says. “As head of the church, Christ provides the ultimate manifestation of God’s love, demonstrating and vindicating God’s moral government of love, and thus defeating the counterfeit government of the usurping ‘ruler of this world.’”
The article goes on to say: “Since Christ is the unique Husband of the church (Christ’s metaphorical bride), the members of the church cannot themselves be husbands of the church but collectively, men and women together, are the bride of Christ.” 

But, what about the major controversy as to whether women should be pastors--or heaven forbid, conference presidents? Isn't that the unique role Jesus reserved for men...since his 12 disciples were men?

Well, I hate to disappoint you, but the statement makes no mention of women’s ordination. But it does affirm that God created man and woman equal in the Garden of Eden, and it says that God desires to restore that equality.

The statement also addresses Biblical understandings of the roles of men and women. Here's where you are going to want to get your Bibles and do some studying to see if you agree with the following quote from the Andrews theologians:

 “Although various interpretations of Gen 3:16 have recognized some kind of post-Fall disruption of this pre-Fall egalitarian ideal, the Bible consistently calls us back to God’s original plan for full equality without hierarchy (Song 7:10; Isa 65:17, 25; cf. Gen 1:29-30),” the statement says.

“Paul’s writings, though often misunderstood (2 Pet 3:16), maintain this Eden model (Eph 5:21-23), affirming with the rest of Scripture the Gospel ideal of the ultimate restoration of the Eden model (cf. Matt 19:8; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 3:28).

                         And to put the frosting on the leadership cake: 

Do you agree or disagree?

Ellen White underlines this     redemptive paradigm: 

‘Woman should fill the position which God originally designed for her, as her husband’s equal, (AH 231),” 














                                    
   

If you want to read the whole statement, go to: Andrews Website

I'm Back!

View of Norris Lake from the Chalet

            2014 held such promise. I was excited about blogging about the people, activities, and interests of the Lawai Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then at the end of March, everything changed. I was called back to Tennessee to work with my kids on a major renovation of our ministry home (the Chalet) on Norris Lake. Two and a half months later, after attending my first grandchild’s high school graduation, then visiting my sister in Oklahoma, and finally fulfilling a speaking appointment at the White Memorial Church in Los Angeles, I was looking forward to getting back to my responsibilities here in Kauai—which included blogging.

Exercising on our Quadriciser

             Instead, I fell off a step-ladder, broke my femur (in three places at the hip), had surgery and spent a month in the hospital and rehab facility. I came home July 13 thinking, “As soon as I learn to walk again, I’ll start blogging.” Now, I realize walking without a limp may take a lot longer than I thought. So, I just got off the Quadriciser—that’s the exercise machine that’s helping me put myself back together—and limped over to my computer—and said, “It’s time!”

            So much has happened in the five months I’ve been either off island or rehabbing, that I hardly know where to start. Maybe I should start with this thought:

I'm back taking care of my husband.
Sept. 1 we celebrate our 51st wedding anniversary.

Recovery takes time; it takes patience;

It takes everything you’ve got,

But with God all things are possible.

            I have a new appreciation for those who are challenged physically. It’s easy to be discouraged when you don’t feel good, can’t do what you’d like to do, and are pretty much helpless! But hold on, keep a song in your heart, and don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. I praise God for professional caregivers who knew what to do to get me moving again, for a son and daughter who stepped in to care for their dad when I couldn’t, and most of all for those who showered me with a spirit of optimism, words of encouragement, a full Sabbath afternoon of song, and a whole lot of prayer! 

Ahhh, and it feels so good to be back!

Aloha to Missionary Mona

Lawai Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church

Family Ministries Messages

Family Ministries Director: Kay Kuzma; 808-652-1803; kaykuzma@aol.com

     When Mona (BeBe) Nicholas recommitted her life to God and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church, she said, "Lord, I'll go where you want me to go." 

     Last year, she joined Bob McNamara and the team from Habitat for Humanity on a mission trip to Nepal where they built homes for the homeless. That experience was thrilling, and she came back to Kauai wondering, What more can I do?

     Her thoughts kept going back to her homeland of Guyana, South America and the tremendous needs among the isolated Amerianda tribes deep in the jungles. Then one day as she was watching 3ABN (Channel 25 on cable on Kauai) she saw a program featuring the pioneering work of Adventist World Aviation (AWA) that had sent missionary pilots to that region to provide transportation  to medical facilities impossible to reach by ground transportation and fly in supplies and medical/dental and Bible workers who are volunteering to help the people in this remote area. 

     She was introduced to the LaBore family and their two Cessna 182s--one of which is called the Pathfinder, because it was purchased with funds raised by Pathfinder Clubs across the world. This couple not only pilots these planes, but are homeschooling their two children, recruiting volunteer Bible and health ministry workers, and trying to build a much needed hanger. 

     On April 15th, Mona (our own volunteer missionary) is flying to Guyana for 15 days to do whatever she can to help. She is willing to use her nursing skills, help take care of the children and even contact government officials which she knows in Georgetown who might be helpful in getting the hanger built. 

    AWA continues to build God’s Kingdom, reaching the unreachable who live with desperation, disease and death as constant companions, and introducing them to Hope, Health and Life. The process of meeting people’s physical needs and proclaiming a message of hope lays a foundation for the future, indeed, all eternity. This is what AWA has done since 1995:

•     68 tribal nations impacted
•     Over 43,000 people reached
•     More than 5,000 youth involved
•     23 churches and schools established or built
•     Over 35 epidemics stopped
•     In excess of 8 million missionary seat miles flown
•     Well over 2 million pounds of food and supplies delivered
•     Over 2,000 emergency medical evacuations conducted

   How is AWA funded? Totally through donations that come in monthly to take care of the missionaries needs and the operation of the planes. (It costs $500 to do one medical evacuation!) You may not be able to go to Guyana, as Mona is doing, but you can support this work. In fact, wouldn't it be wonderful if Lawai Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church saved 5 lives (or better yet 10) because we paid for these people to be air-lifted to medical facilities! Or, maybe we could help build that much needed hanger! Even though we can't go to Guyana, we can join Mona and mail our checks to:

ADVENTIST WORLD AVIATION, PO Box 444, Sullivan, WI 53178-0444. To set up an automatic deduction from a credit card, call 414-226-5195.

Aloha Mona--And May God Bless and Keep You

Be A Husband Your Wife Can Brag About

OK, I've got your attention! Now let me share some advice Gerald Rogers gave in his Live Big blog. He said he wished he knew these things before his marriage of 16 years fell apart. So men, listen up! You're still got time! I've selected only a few of his suggestions. If you'd like to read his entire blog, go to: http://geraldrogers.com/marriage-advice-i-wish-i-would-have-had/

1: Never ever take your wife for granted. Keep courting; keep dating; keep falling in love with her again and again and again.

2: Commit to being the protector of her heart--and yours. Make a special place for her in your heart. "Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone else enter."

3: Accept her as she is with no expectation that she will ever change. It's not your job to fix her. Instead, see the best in her and let her know what you admire about her.

4. Don't expect her to make you happy. "You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love." Don't blame her. Take responsibility for your own feelings, and if they are triggered by childhood wounds, get help to heal yourself.

5. Be honest and transparent. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share everything--especially those things you don't want to share. Drop the mask. It takes courage, but let her love you in good times--and bad. That's the only way to really grow together.

6. Be silly. Don't take yourself so seriously. Laugh and make her laugh. Have fun together.

7. Be vulnerable. You don't have to be perfect or pretend you have all the answers. "Be willing to share your fear and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes."

8. Fill her soul everyday. Learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important, validated and cherished. "Ask her to create a list of 10 things that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel loved."

9. Forgive immediately. Focus on the future. Don't let the past hold you hostage like an anchor. Forgiveness cuts you free to choose love.

10. Be present. "Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully with her. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is."

11. Give her the tender caress of words and touch . . . "to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully."

12: "Allow your woman to just be. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… Don't run away when she's upset. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion."

Gerald Rogers ends his blog with these words: "MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE : Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from you."

Let's Car Wash Our Way to a New Roof

Do you recognize any of these cars?

 If so--you need to be involved in the car washing fund-raiser to fix the church roof!

Last week, the Juniors Pancake Breakfast brought in over $700, so they are well on their way to meeting their goal of raising $10,000 for the roof. PTL!

This week, Maria Lytwynic has volunteered to lead out in the "adult" fund-raiser by purchasing 200 tickets for a car wash from SUDZ (which is across from Costco Gas). 

Here's how it works: The deluxe wash costs $13.00 at SUDZ but when tickets are bought in bulk for fund-raising purposes, SUDZ gives us $5.00 per ticket for the project!

Do the math! If we sell 200 tickets we will make $1000 for the church roof.

And the more people who get involved--the more we'll make!

Maria is hoping that 20 people will sell 10 tickets each. BUT...if 40 people sell 10 tickets, that's $2000! So PLEASE give Maria a call, text, or email and order your tickets today.  808-332-7633 or mlytwynic@gmail.com

Oh and by the way, won't someone please tell the owner of the Nisson Versa that they better get involved!