When I was in graduate school, a senior director in my ministry gave a testimony about taking day-long quiet days with God.  It was such a great talk I invited him to give it 2 more times to 2 different groups. But one thing he said has stuck in my craw ever since becoming a mom.  His daily prayer involved showing up 45 minutes before the first appointment of the morning and having a quiet time in a nearby park... Read more

Last Friday our house was T-P- ed. The 2 girls and I drove home at 8:30 pm to find toilet paper streamers hanging from trees, wrapped around the front railings and strewn over our new sod.  Shaving cream squiggles decorated the sidewalk along with a couple feminine hygiene products (new and used–eew!). Not our house–Ling took pictures, but I don’t have them! A sinking feeling hit my gut–who hates us so much that they would do this?  Who have we... Read more

You may have noticed that I’m just slightly obsessive around turning gray, yet not wanting to dye my hair.  This was exacerbated when several folks in Hawaii last month exclaimed about the gray/white streak running down the right side of my head.  That’s what happens when you don’t see your friends for 5 years. I took a closer look in the mirror and noticed that indeed, the gray streak that runs from just below my temple to my ear is... Read more

She:  Would I still have to go to youth group tonight if there was a family death? Me:  Probably not. . .  (I think about it a little more).  Well maybe you’d still go because what else would you to do tonight other than be sad? She:  I’d have things to do! Me:  Like what? She:  Like plan my funeral outfit! Perhaps I need to buy this book. . . Me:  (After some shocked silence and open-mouthed gaping)  You do... Read more

Last night our family watched To Save a Life, an indie Christian movie aimed towards high school students.  When we watched Soul Surfer back in Hawaii, there was a preview for this movie, the kids begged to see it, and luckily Netflix offered it. Generally I don’t prefer “Christian” art.  Too often, it isn’t very good art–trite, simplistic, sentimental.  More concerning, I often don’t recognize the faith the art espouses or recognize the God it serves, even though I’ve been... Read more

I was a very shy child.  I sobbed the first month of kindergarten, and felt like sobbing at the beginning of school for the next several years also. My father was a physicist, and periodically visiting physicist’s kids came over for dinner.  When our parents introduced us, we would stare suspiciously and then ignore one another. But inevitably, 45 minutes before it was time for them to leave, we’d discover we were meant to be best friends from birth, play... Read more

First day of school, need I say more???  You all have seen the Staples commercial: But this year, I don’t feel as desperately happy as I have in past years.  Why?  Maybe because school’s started a week earlier and so my work isn’t yet as intense.  Or maybe I’m just mellow after a month in Hawaii. In fact, I’m not over-the-top annoyed (as I am in other years) that school doesn’t really “begin,” it meanders. Today, for example, all 3... Read more

Hurricane Iwa–see the small yellow Hawaiian islands? Almost 30 years ago, I prepared for another hurricane, Hurricane Iwa, which hit the Hawaiian Islands 2 days before Thanksgiving.  A high school senior, I worked at Punahou’s health center because I was a scholarship kid.  I didn’t even know a hurricane was coming, but as we fielded calls from concerned parents, I got a crash course in hurricane prep. Punahou released us early, and we rushed to Long’s Drugs to buy extra... Read more

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Even though I’ve lived on the Mainland almost twice as many years as I lived in Hawaii, and even though I’ve lived an almost an equal time in... Read more

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Last month I managed to delete 8.5 years worth of writing from my computer. 2 unpublished books, articles, extraneous chapters, both parents life-histories.   Everything.  Gone. I still don’t get how I did it.  I was waking at 4 a.m. because of jet lag after arriving in Hawaii and getting a... Read more