Mountains

Majestic. Mighty. Massive.
Amazing. Beautiful.
Grand. Glorious. God.
Lush. Chiseled. Strong.

These are all words that my family has used when asked to describe the mountains that we have seen in Hawaii. Each of the words are unique and descriptive... and illustrate the incredible sight that is before us as we drive to and from school, after school practices and the grocery store. This massive, firm foundation running through the island is steadfast.

Psalm 95:4-5 says: In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

I continue to be mesmerized by the mountains here... and their beauty never dulls in my sight. I always notice them and am in awe of them. Driving to Honolulu from Kailua, we ascend and get an even closer view as the tunnel runs right through it. It is simply stunning! My kids now mimic me and the sound I make when they come into sight. Ha! Lawson's basketball practice is on a court in a valley with the most beautiful view of the mountains surrounding him. I encouraged him to notice and take a mental snapshot of this incredibly unique situation!

The fascinating thing is that as beautiful as the mountains are from down below, there is a craving to get to the top and see the view from high above. It draws you to want to look up.

We went for a hike this weekend... one that we have been wanting to experience. It's called Pillbox and it overlooks Lanikai Beach and the Mokuluas. As we journeyed up and then back down, my thoughts were flooded with the similarities between hiking up a mountain and going through life. The journey is difficult at times. There are obstacles along the way. And some people do it differently than you. Some go fast and like to push through the challenges as quickly as possible. Others prefer the journey to be slow and controlled, to avoid extra difficulty if possible. We all have different fears along the way. Slipping, falling, the sheer height of it all. But we all follow someone ahead of us. We need a leader. And, we all need helping hands along the way... help that may look different, yet all are packaged blessings.

We got to the trail entrance with no expectations. All we had seen were people up at the top, gazing out over the Pacific ocean view. We had no assumption about how difficult the trail would be and did not know what to expect. But we were excited. Ready to see that view. Ready to get to the top. The trail started with a pretty extreme incline, rocky terrain and dusty gravel scattered around. Just as we were surprised by the sudden intensity of the trail, difficult paths that show up in our lives can similarly surprise us. A diagnosis. A death. A broken relationship. Challenges with children. They can catch us by surprise and what lies ahead of us seems daunting and scary. But we forge ahead. Because we have to. Because we are on a new path and have to move forward, one step at a time. We follow our leader because He promises to be with us and knows which way is best. He is our protector. We grab on to the tree branches that line the path... the helping hands of those that love and care for us. In fact, we can choose a particular path based on how it looks and if there is help along the way. Sure, we can choose the path without the branches to grab, but we risk falling. Why not take the path that offers help, a support or a guide to lean on?

As I climbed certain parts of this hiking trail, I noticed that just when I needed a break, a break was given. A spot with a view opened up where the wind would cool us down. We could look down and see how far we’d come, all while looking up to see where we were headed. We had to watch where were going to avoid rocks or holes or branches... but when we looked up, we saw the beauty. And then, we made it to the top and there was a sense of accomplishment and victory. Despite the rugged trail, the obstacles, the heat and exhaustion, we made it! And the reward of a spectacular view filled our mind and soul.

Going back down the trail was another type of challenge, but we were familiar with it then and knew what to watch out for. We used our muscles differently and enjoyed the journey without as much fear and anticipation.

What is the mountain you are facing this day? Know and believe that you have a God who created the mountains and is allowing the difficulty you face to be in your life. He promises to be with you and never leave you. He can guide you along the right paths where love, support and help are available to you. Look up. Notice how far you’ve come and the beauty that lies ahead. Victory. Know that He watches over you and will never grow tired or weary.

Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

XOXO Molly

Fall Break--Sailing and Slawek

For the first time, we had a week off of school in October for a fall break. What a welcomed time away from school and the daily routine! We decided last minute to take an adventure and do something that our family hasn't done before. We chartered a catamaran and sailed around some of the Hawaiian islands! It was truly dreamy and a memory that will last a lifetime. Having this opportunity is such a radical blessing and we decided to take advantage of being where we are and see the islands from a different perspective.

We love to surprise our kids, so on Saturday morning, October 5th, we had backpacks packed and called an Uber. The kids had no idea what was coming and it was fun to hear their guesses. "The Disney hotel? Surfing at Waikiki? A cruise?" ha! We pulled up to the harbor which was overlooked by many hotels. As they turned around and gazed up at the Prince Hotel (thinking that was it!), we redirected their attention to the catamaran on the other side, as Sławek came to greet us. Sławek. Pronounced "Swavek" as he is from Poland. I will return to him in a bit...as he was truly the gem behind our entire experience. But first, back to the surprise. Well, you can watch it for yourself here. I love watching them process information and seeing how it takes a minute to really grasp what's going on. Isn't that the case for all of us? Whether good news or bad, we take it in, process it and react. I find it fascinating as people all react differently. Ok, I'm getting off track.

We set sail and to summarize, we sailed around Molokai, Lanai and Maui. I really hadn't heard much of Molokai and Lanai before being on island... but wow! Those are breathtaking islands and definitely worth visiting. And to see them from the water was spectacular. To be able to see something from a different perspective is incredible--there is so much beauty that can only be seen from the water. There is life and another world beneath the sea that can only be seen by being part of it. Isn't life like that? We know what we know... but when we can catch a glimpse from a different perspective, it changes how we look at things, good or bad. And that is a blessing.

Some awesome highlights:
• crossing the channels--big waves and bouncing like a wild ride

• swimming with wild dolphins--there are no words to describe my joy in this! After seeing them swimming alongside the boat up front, we jumped in the water with them where the depth was 2000 feet!
• sleeping on the boat as it rocked us to sleep--Lilly slept outside on the net all the nights except 1! I slept with her one night. How amazing to wake in the night and look up to a galaxy of bright stars?!

• having Captain Kim prepare our meals--the fresh fish was delightful!

• anchoring at Five Needles (Molokai), Manele Bay (Lanai) and Honolua Bay (Maui)

• snorkeling--seeing so many fish, schools of them, eels, sea turtles and I saw a spotted eagle ray!
• exploring Lanai--we were able to go on land and drive around the island. It is small and quaint and beautiful! There is a Four Seasons there which is a must-see and up the mountain is Lanai City, which is basically a grassy park surrounded by anything you might need. Bank. Restaurant. Market. Movie theatre. Shops. District Court with jail--funniest thing I've seen as it was a shed with 2 doors. Adult timeout! There was also a Ranch with goats and horses and donkeys that we were able to go visit.

• seeing the Leper Colony on Molokai through binoculars--so much history there--and there are still about 6 people living there with leprosy. It is a protected area so we could not get off the boat.
• the beauty of the north side of Molokai which has the tallest sea cliffs in the world! and seeing so many waterfalls

• sitting on the nets of the catamaran and sailing

• riding on the dingy to shore or just for a joy ride (the kids loved this!)

• paddleboarding and attempting some yoga poses on the board. Lilly is so good!

• kayaking

• jumping off the front hulls and jumping off the top of the boat at the back!
• jumping off of Black Rock
• fishing off the back of the boat--Lawson worked his almost teenage muscles pulling the fish in!

• kids' taking a nature walk through the "jungle" with Slawek and swinging on vines
• playing with Rita--the Captain's 3-legged chihuahua

• Luke changing his name to Kai (nicknames include Aladdin and Tarzan)
• lots of quiet and downtime while sailing--either lying down enjoying the ride, reading, playing games, watching movies or riding on the front of the boat. The sounds of wind and waves is perfection.

Now back to Sławek. Have you every encountered someone that truly changed your entire experience? That gave such care and compassion to you or your family that it made a lasting impact? That is what happened with this dear, Polish, servant-hearted man. He would tell us that being able to help our family have a great experience brought him such joy. He got joy out of serving us drinks and cleaning up our meals and making sure our kids were having fun? He got joy out of finding the best snorkeling spots for us, following along in the kayak to retrieve Luke when he got tired, and never actually snorkeling himself? He got joy out of downloading music that he heard us talking about without us even asking. This man was a living example of what we try to teach our kids daily--kindness, eagerness to help and the ability to take initiative. Thinking of others, having joy in your work and patience with others. He was not only willing to help out, he looked for ways to help out. He never grew tired of us or annoyed with the kids. Our children gravitated towards him because they were drawn to his kind spirit. Luke especially--they had a special bond and it was really sweet to see. I am confident that the Lord brought Sławek into our lives for a reason. Yes, our faith is strong and we look to Jesus as the ultimate example, but Sławek demonstrated so many character traits that we strive to teach our kids (and are still learning ourselves). We are so thankful! The day after we got home, we had a time of reflection about the trip and the whole experience of it and Sławek was at the top of all of our lists. So thank you, our friend, and we look forward to seeing you again!

We are forever grateful for our time in Hawaii, the friendships we have made, the kids' new friendships and the intentional family time that we have been blessed with. We do not take it for granted. Our sailing adventure was a joy and we are so thankful!

XOXO Molly