“Love Like This” • Easter 2020

A song + some thoughts on Easter morning.

Music for the Moment: STAY HOME

This is my PSA during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Stay Home," a parody of Doja Cat's "Say So."

Go with God

Finding the right words to express my gratitude in a 'final' message to a congregation and community that has welcomed me with open arms from the start was a daunting task... so much so that I waited until the morning of my last Sunday, just several hours before I would share those words, to even …

A Christmas miracle

Maybe it's the twinkling lights, the colorful decorations, the lovingly wrapped presents, the flavors of peppermint and gingerbread, the scent of pine trees and Christmas cookies, the corny holiday movies... that make people a little happier at this time of year. Maybe it's the hope for good things to come. Maybe it's the "Holy Spirit," …

We are eco-stewards

What kind of ancestors will we be?  I scribbled down this question in my notepad back in May when I had the opportunity to participate in the Eco-Stewards Program, "a grassroots community that shapes young adult leaders through place-based experiences that connect faith and the environment." It was my first experience with the program and their …

National Trails Day

I had seen a flyer on the crowded bulletin board at the store inviting people on a free guided hike with Na Ala Hele and Pūlama Lāna‘i on National Trails Day. What a great opportunity to see more of this island that I've been living on since October and to be more social than usual. (Just …

Where was God when my dad had cancer? #blessed

I'll start this off by saying that my dad is super lucky (me, too).  In May 2017, Dad was diagnosed with leukemia. In the following months he underwent a number of rounds of chemotherapy, went into remission, was matched with a bone marrow donor, received a bone marrow transplant in Seattle where he and my …

Give Love on #GivingTuesday

In recognition of Giving Tuesday, I'd like to shout out some organizations that I love and could use more love! In recent months, basically since I've found my own 'cause' to support, I have donated to every fundraiser I have seen friends share online... (Amyloidosis Foundation, Planned Parenthood, St. Jude's, The Humane Society, etc.) mostly …

The Sunday after Thanksgiving

When you have to preach the Sunday after Thanksgiving...

Capturing Light – My time as a YAV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOnGgyp1RdQ   "Tu tesoro (Your treasure)," she said to me. It was lunchtime at Casa del Buen Trato Hovde, a shelter for young survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence in Huánuco, Perú where I served as a Young Adult Volunteer for about 11 months. I was sitting beside 14-year-old Teresa* and it took me a …