If you just happen to be in Oahu, consider going to the 25th Annual Honolulu Festival that starts tomorrow and runs from 9am-9pm each day this weekend, culminating in the Grand Parade down Waikiki’s main street: Kalulkaua Avenue. 
Alan and I “just happened” to be there last March while Alan was at a medical conference and were delighted to experience this colorful international event!
According to their website: “The Honolulu Festival is Hawaii’s premier cultural event, promoting mutual understanding, economic cooperation and ethnic harmony between the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim region. 
Each year, the Festival attracts thousands of new and returning spectators who are looking for an experience unique to Hawaii. 
Through educational programs and activities sponsored by the Honolulu Festival Foundation, the Festival has been successful in showcasing the rich and vibrant blend of Asia, Pacific and Hawaiian cultures to the rest of the world. 
Events and activities of the Honolulu Festival take place close to the city center, making them great outings for locals and tourists alike. 
Admission to all the events is free, ensuring that everyone can take part in the Festival.” (Everyone, and even everyone’s favorite friend!)
Like all the best festivals, Honolulu’s Grand Parade has lots of bands,
performers in colorful costumes,
beauty queens,
singers and musicians,
fanciful floats,
and many groups of lovely people in various traditional dresses. 
One of the unique aspects of the Honolulu Festival is its international flavor. 
There are hundreds of participants from dozens of countries, 
and thousands of spectators from around the world! 
Another unique aspect of the parade—being Hawaiian—are many troupes of hula dancers! 
Last, but not least, are the many Asian cultural influences, not only in floats
and dress,
but very prominently in costumes depicting idols and dragons. 
Especially dragons! 
I think the high point (perhaps figuratively but for sure physically)
is a mighty dragon that bounces along high above everyone’s head looking fierce!
Just as the dragon looked like he might come and eat us up, his head went down. 
After some time and work, dragon carriers discovered the problem and fixed it with (what else?) duct tape. I do think half the world is patched together with duct tape, don’t you?
The dragon’s eyes still glowed fiendishly, but his mouth had been tightly closed, so he could not bite us! It made me think of the lion in Pilgrim’s Progress. In that story, Christian (a pilgrim on his way to heaven) was terrified by the growling lion he could see ahead in the dim light, but when he got close, he realized that the lion was chained and couldn’t really destroy him as he’d feared.
In the Bible, we’re told not to fear anyone but God Almighty, who created all the universe, including us, and reigns over his entire creation. Every other “god” is an imposter, like Honolulu’s green dragon: Puffed up and looking high and mighty, but really just full of hot air, created, promoted, repaired, and carried along by people just like you and me!
I hope you aren’t among those who worship false idols, but if you are, may I encourage you to look into the God of the Bible? He is full of mercy, love, and compassion. He loves us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we can become God’s children through faith in Christ (John 1:14). 
According to every other religion, the gods have to be appeased and placated, and it’s left up to us to be “good enough” to get into heaven, but in Christianity, God knows that we’ll never be “good enough,” so he provided for us. All we have to do is repent of thinking we’ll be good enough to get there on our own and accept his love gift, Jesus, as our Lord and Savior.
At the Honolulu Festival, there are many kindly staff workers available to help people out. I loved their logo: “Harmony Over the Ocean: Journey to Peace.” Amen to that one! I am all for harmony and journeying to peace, aren’t you?
I think this man has it just right! Do you see the sign on his cap? Do you know what “HE>I” means? “He is greater than I.” God is greater than we are. How true! On our “parade route” to heaven, we can’t get there on our own. We need His help, and God wants to help us. He alone deserves our praise and worship!
“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place” (1 Chronicles 16:25-27).
While Alan attended the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatrists meeting in Honolulu recently, I spent my days writing, and from our balcony, I could see three snowy white pigeons far below, roosting in the park just across from Waikiki Beach. 
They rose and dived with grace and apparent ease, flitting and fluttering on the breezes. 
I watched them soar joyously in the bright morning sunshine and thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to fly like a bird?!” 
In Hawaii, it’s warm and humid, so people practically live outside. They also keep their doors open as much as possible, and we were no exception. The sliding glass doors on our balcony were open almost all the time, bringing in balmy air until our entire hotel room felt like a bit of private, outdoor paradise…literally 50° warmer than the freezing air had been in Michigan when we left! 
Having a six-hour EST (Eastern Standard Time) advantage, we woke up well before sunrise every morning and sipped tea while enjoying leisurely devotional times together. 
After prayer and Bible reading, we enjoyed breakfast. Most mornings it was granola and bananas, but this particular morning we had garnered some legendary malasadas (Portuguese, custard-filled donuts) from Honolulu’s most famous bakery: Leonard’s.
We relished the rosy sunrise, and then Alan began washing up before leaving for his conference. I made a cup of Jasmine tea in preparation for settling down to write. 
To my delight and surprise, I found that not only had I been admiring the birds, they had apparently been admiring us too…or at least our breakfasts! 
Apparently a crumb or two had fallen under the table, which one pigeon quickly devoured, 
and another pigeon came inside to check us out!
I wonder, do pigeons watch humans and think about they way we sit down with apparent ease and feast on a lovely breakfast just the way I admire their ability to flutter on the breezes? 
It’s all too natural to see and long for the advantages of others while not considering the difficulties of their lives. 
The pigeons on Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach scavenge hard to find enough to eat, 
and they coo contentedly when they discover a few drops of fresh water in the cracks of sidewalks! 
Is it possible they say to themselves, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to eat like a human?!” 
It’s perfectly normal to notice and admire what others do well—great writers, artists, scientists, orators, doctors, lawyers…Indian chiefs. Do you find yourself admiring some wonderful ability that another person possesses? I certainly do. And yet, would I really like to be the person I admire? 
My guess is that if I knew everything about that person, the difficulties in his life and the challenges he faces, I would be content to be myself. On the other hand, if we admire someone else enough, perhaps it will motivate us to work harder to become the best we can be! 
What do you think? Ready to be content, or are you ready to make the sacrifices to be something more? I gather from the scripture that God wants us to be content with the outward circumstances which are beyond our control: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11), but I think He wants us never to be content with where we are spiritually: 
I’ve read that Oahu’s Diamond Head is the world’s most climbed and photographed extinct volcano. 
This iconic landmark of Hawaiian splendor lures over a million tourists to climb up its verdant crown each year, and although we’ve been to Hawaii many times 
(mostly for conferences, babies and graduations), we never had the leisure to climb Diamond Head until this last trip. 
The forecast was for rain, but our mantra is “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” when it comes to weather. Frankly, I can’t remember any time we’ve been disappointed for forging ahead (particularly since most of the time it’s a do-now-or-forever-miss-your-chance sort of situation), so we went anyway. We were rewarded with a cool morning trek and only misty rain from time to time. 
Although I wouldn’t recommend trying to climb in a thunderstorm, I was pleased to note that there are sturdy guard rails along most of the difficult parts, and the paved path is as artfully rugged as any mountain trail, forcing you to watch your step or sprain your ankle at all times while still providing quite a manageable, fairly skid-proof walking surface. 
I saw a few strollers hiding in the bushes awaiting the return of their owners, and very few small children. Two of our sons carried their kids up on their backs about six years ago, but that’s not a particularly easy way to do it either, since my cell phone recorded our ascent as 36 flights of stairs, 82 of which are steep and narrow. 
Furthermore, there weren’t too many grey-haired folks among the crowds, and those who were, were pretty trim. 
Finally: When you climb up through the last tunnel and see a sign that looks like this, go left! 
Both routes take you to the top, but the trail to the right is extremely steep and narrow, so you slow down anybody coming up behind you who thinks they need to be running. Those steep stairs are much easier to handle on your descent! 
The trail to the left is open and ever upward but lovely, with areas where you can rest and enjoy the panoramic views (or Facetime with you son, as we did with ours!) 
The entire trail is crowded, particularly at the top, but the views make up for the traffic jams! 
To the south and west you overlook the lush crater and dazzle of Honolulu, 
and to the east and north you’re met with soothing vistas of the Pacific Ocean’s turquoise waters and the Diamond Head Lighthouse far below. 
There are several methods for tourists to get to the base of the mountain besides walking: Taxi, rental car, trolley, or bus. For $5.50, you can get a day pass for the entire island’s public bus system, which is an amazing deal! 
There is a bus stop right at the base of Diamond Head Monument, and it’s a bit of a climb up to the toll booth (just $1 per person), but just past this entrance there are restrooms, drinking fountains, and options for refreshments. The wind was so strong that my wide-brimmed hat kept taking flight, so Alan bought me a baseball cap (which I will always cherish!) 
There are no restroom facilities at the top, so take advantage of what they provide at this way station, and think about saving your water for drinking on your descent! 
We also stopped for some passion fruit juice and a rainbow shaved ice upon our return, which revived us until we could make our way to the South Side Grill 
for an amazing (and cheap!) 
lunch of Ono fish’n’chips. (We also took advantage of our day bus pass by ending at the Leonard Street Bakery’s for some of their famous malasadas for dessert.) 
All in all, it was a perfect day with only unexpected sight: A blue stop sign. Truly!
I have never seen a blue stop sign in my entire life…not even in Disney World. 
Have you? However, after the surprise of seeing a bright blue stop sign, it occurred to me that it really doesn’t matter what color a sign is. It was the normal size and shape, and bore the same message: STOP. I had to think twice about whether or not it was real, but it was at a juncture where it would be totally appropriate to stop. 
Moral of my meditation? We can be taken off guard by a warning that doesn’t fit our normal expectations, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. Red or blue, “Stop” means “Stop!” If I (or you) have come face to face with a surprising warning, let’s not disregard it just because there’s something different about it (maybe an unusual source or given by someone whom we don’t automatically believe). If we should stop, let’s stop. On Diamond Head or our own back yard!
In Honolulu, we ended up eating at several really fun restaurants, 
and my favorite breakfast was at Hatsuhana’s Japanese Restaurant at the Waikiki Hilton Village Resort, which consisted of pancakes, bacon, tossed salad, papaya, hard-boiled egg, and green tea, all for $9.99, which is an incredible deal in Hawaii! 
Not only was it one of the most unusual breakfast combinations I’ve eaten (outside Asia), it was truly delicious, and one of the highlights was their unique coconut syrup. 
If you’ve been following along with my recipe blogs, I hope that you—like me—are starting to say, “I could make this!” when you find something you really like. I’ve been making home made and berry syrups from childhood 
Another item I saw advertised at a different restaurant but never tried was pineapple pancakes, which also sounded good, so I worked out a recipe that met with high approval from both husband and son last weekend. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It made us all feel a little like we were back in Hawaii! 🙂
If you really want Asian fusion, I guess you could serve it with hard-boiled eggs, papaya, and tossed salad, but we opted for a more traditional American flair, and even stuck with black tea rather than green. 
However you like it, I hope you’ll try it…and like it!
Not long ago, Alan and I spent week in Hawaii on Waikiki Beach, but we weren’t really surfing those 30-foot waves that were rolling in on the North Shore. Alan attended the annual meeting for the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatrists. As part of his prep, he had to take a self-assessment to see how well informed he is concerning current trends in America, and he shared some of the interesting statistics with me. Those of us in our sixties (as Alan and I are) are surfing, but not on waves of water! We’re riding the crest of the tidal wave of Baby Boomers about to crash as a beach head here in America. 
Did you know that some 10,000 Baby Boomers are passing age 65 every day now? Did you know that America now holds the record for the most centenarians in the world: 53,000 and counting?! America is producing sixty-one geriatric psychiatrists per year, which only fills 40% of the need. Who’s going to take care of us when we’re all demented? 
Well, for one thing, we can be more pro-active in trying to take care of ourselves! According to current research, the most positive psychological predictors of successful aging include: “Resilience, optimism, personal mastery, coping self-efficacy, social engagement, spirituality and religiousity, and wisdom.” The single most valuable predictor of satisfaction is retirement is adequate social engagement (even trumping cognitive and financial issues). 
A couple of psychiatrists at the meetings, who had retired after highly successful careers, were taken off guard by how quickly they went from being highly esteemed to feeling no longer valued by their professional colleagues. I’ve heard this so many times! I think it would be extremely wise for each of us, as we approach retirement (or even if you’ve already retired), to find a compelling avocation to pursue that will require us to continue being fruitful….giving, growing, and engaging with others socially and spiritually. Maybe, if we can continue working on areas of personal growth such as those listed above, and if we’re willing to pursue productivity even after we’ve retired, we’ll find that we can surf into old age with grace rather than being dashed to pieces under the crushing waves!
“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing” (Psalm 92:14).
“We never have to hold our feelings inside. Whether we express ourselves through speech, poetry, or photography, every one of us has a voice with something of value to say. Now, we can be heard.”~ Brandon Fernandez, who as a teenager founded “Expressions,” a program designed to teach young children how to express themselves through poetry and photography.
“When grey clouds gather and cover your sky,
Just put on your wings and fly up real high. 
Above those grey clouds you’ll find brilliant blue, 
So lift up your head and look for a clue
Of things not yet here and others gone by.
And when you look down to those on the ground
Remember the times when you weren’t found, 
And think of the times when you couldn’t find 
Anything that resembled real peace of mind,
And all the people that helped you touch down.
Author: Ogden Nash (but shared with us by Linda Davis)
1 “I lift up my eyes to the hills.
Song of Solomon 7:4 “Thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim…” Although we have probably all been privileged at some point in our lives to enjoy an oriental fish pool and catch the glimmer of goldfish darting about in the clear, green waters, there is much in the imagery of this praise which the western mind would miss without studying the ancient city of Heshbon and the culture of the times. 
Heshbon was located about fifty miles east of Jerusalem. It is mentioned thirty-seven times in Scripture and was a powerful city in ancient Palestine. In Numbers 21:25-30 we learn that Heshbon was originally a Moabite city but was conquered by Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who made it his capital. Later (Numbers 32:37) it became part of the inheritance of the tribe of Rueben, and although it eventually reverted back to Moabite rule (and both Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied of coming judgment because of its evil), during the reign of King Solomon it was part of the inheritance given to the Levites as a city of peaceful refuge for the families of the priests. It was a beautiful city, a powerful city, and a city of peace. 
The name Heshbon means “he that hastens to understand or build.”1 Already we find rich ore for the mining! For the bride to have her eyes compared to the fishpools in Heshbon would have brought to the ancient eastern mind thoughts of beauty, power, peace, and a heart to understand and build. Oh, that in our eyes our Lord might see beautiful spirits…peaceful spirits, but spirits with a passion to eagerly pursue wisdom and growth! 
Recent excavations of Heshbon (now in Jordan) have uncovered the remains of large reservoirs near the city. The word for “fishpools” is the Hebrew berekot, which does not refer to springs or fountains, “but the deep reservoirs which the springs supply. The sense here is one of still, deep calmness rather than the sparkle and shimmer of flowing springs”(2). 
The translation “fish pools” followed the Latin Vulgate rendering piscinae, referring to pools for fish, but there is no actual intimation from the Hebrew text that the pools were so used (3). Fish pools were typically shallow, and the deep reservoirs near the gate of Bath-rabbim were more likely used for the city’s water supply, particularly in light of the name Bath-rabbim, which means literally “the daughter of multitudes.” Ah, and here is another resting spot for meditation! 
How often the names in Scripture tell a story in themselves. The deep reservoirs supplied life-giving water for multitudes. The task of carrying water from the city well to the family dwelling place was one of the housekeeping responsibilities of the women and was normally assigned to daughters (if there were any) who were old enough and strong enough for such work. (For examples, Rachel, Rebekah, and the woman at the well in Sychar.) 
So, the reservoirs supplied water for the “daughter(s) of multitudes…” and through them, the entire city. Anyone who came to the wells could drink. Everyone who came could drink. 
It didn’t matter if the person was a beautiful and virtuous young virgin like Rebekah or a five-time has been with no real family of her own like the woman Jesus redeemed by the well of Sychar… everyone who came was allowed to drink. 
Oh, to be a woman whose eyes are deep, peaceful, reservoirs of life-giving spirit, open in compassion to the poor and prepared to minister to the needs of all the daughters of this earth!
I have devout friends who never travel on the Sabbath in order to keep it holy and make sure they’re worshiping with their congregation at the appointed hour. I admire that, although Alan and I do not have such a firm conviction in that area. However, I strongly believe in “a day of rest” and the principle of consistency in corporate worship, so we often visit new churches wherever we are on Sunday. 
In Kauai, we enjoyed a church recommended to us by a friend who’d spent a summer there. It’s always enriching and a joy to share in new (and old) worship music, hear fresh perspectives on the scripture, and fellowship with believers we’ve never met before.* 
In South Africa, Alan and I had no clue where a good church might be, and so (thanks to the internet) we tuned in to our own church service at 
Last week was spring break, and we enjoyed some vacation time together combined with a medical meeting for Alan and a little family visiting time for me. Our flight home was Sunday morning, but the timing worked out so that we could share a set of headphones at the airport and hear the best message I can ever remember on Romans 15:1, 
So, may I share a simple encouragement? Whenever you’re on vacation (or at home!), don’t miss the opportunity for corporate worship, spiritual growth and communion with other believers. People need people! If you can’t make it to a church for some reason, try participating with some faithful church online. If your church doesn’t provide online services, I can heartily recommend ours—not as a “perfect” church, but as a church that does try to stay true to the teachings found in the Bible.
According to Merriam Webster 
(whose dictionary is the gold standard for literary editors, so I’m told), 
a chicken can be a type of common domestic fowl used for food…or a coward. 
A hen can be an older female chicken…or a “fussy, middle-aged woman.” 
Rooster refers an adult male chicken…or a cocky, vain man. 
Now I ask you, who wants to be any of those?? 
And, how did chickens get such a bad rap, anyway? 
Among my list of favorite birds, chickens never really made the grade… 
until I came to Hawaii, but now I have a new fascination for these fine fellows. 
I saw a gorgeous rooster with iridescent green feathers as well as the usual kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, and yellows 
trying to cross the highway in Kauai not long ago, and I thought to myself, 
“If I didn’t know what that was, I’d be agog with its size and brilliant plumage!” 
Indeed, these cocky specimens of male finery are all the rage in Hawaii. 
Roosters adorn baseball caps
and napkin holders. 
They rule the roost, make themselves at home cleaning up waffle cone scraps in ice cream parlors, and slurp up puddles of shaved ice spilled from kiddie cones. 
They announce the coming dawn…
(and throughout the day whenever they’re startled). 
I noticed this ad today accompanying the photo of a rooster:
Menus offer entrees of feral rooster stuffed with cactus. 
(That one might be a joke; I’m told the reason they’re everywhere
Despite being the brunt of jokes and a synonym for a lame-brained coward, 
I think chickens are worthy of respect, and here are my reasons: 
*They are the most common bird in the world (50 billion). 
Compare that to the most common wild bird in the world,
* They are historically famous, called the “bird that gives birth every day” (Thutmose III, 1500 BC). 
*They are the most prolific birds: In 2009, an estimated 62.1 million metric tons of eggs were produced worldwide from a total laying flock of approximately 6.4 billion hens. (That’s over a trillion eggs!) 
*Besides being beautiful, cocks aren’t afraid to crow! 
“Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?
* Besides being plucky, chickens make wonderful mothers: 
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
*And last, but most significantly, chickens provide more sacrificial lives for meat than any other animal (even if the feral flock aren’t feed by humans). 
In 2008, 9.08 billion chickens were slaughtered in the United States according to the United States Department of Agriculture data, and that’s just the U.S.! 
World wide, over 40 billion broilers are raised and killed every year. 
Only the sacrifice of Jesus has provided life-giving food for more people!
“For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world” (John 6:33). Jesus said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Did you know there’s such a place as “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific?” 
It was so named by Mark Twain over a hundred years ago, 
but it sprang into glowing reality for me personally just recently 
while visiting Hawaii’s “Garden Island,” Kauai. 
Waimea Canyon (its official name) is about ten miles long 
and over 3,000 feet deep. 
The canyon was formed originally by the collapse of the volcano 
which is the bedrock of Hawaii’s Kauai Island, 
but Waimea has further eroded by the flow of the Waimea River.
Waimea Canyon a mesmerizing study in color! 
The stratified reds and browns come from layers of black volcanic basalt
that have oxidized over millennia into bright red, iron soil. 
Lush patterns of green lace weave in and out…gifts of foliage
flowing from Mount Wai’ale’ale, Kauai’s central peak, 
famed for catching clouds and being one of the wettest places on earth! 
One of the highlights of Waimea Canyon’s 1,866-acre state park is Waipao Falls, 
which cascades 800 feet down the canyon wall 
and can be seen at various lookouts along the 18-mile stretch 
of Highway 550 that takes you to the top of the canyon. 
There are many great hiking trails in the park, and if you have the time, 
it would be easy to spend your entire day exploring.
Although most tourists stop here, 
Highway 550 winds its way up past Kokee State Park (lovely rain forest) 
and ends at the Kalalau Lookout,
which has magnificent views of the Na Pali Coast. 
The concierge at our hotel showed us some photos on her i-phone 
and said that no matter what the forecast, go anyway, 
and don’t stop until you get to the end of the road! (Such great advice!!)
The prediction had been for rain the day she went, 
but rain is a common part of the forecast and usually doesn’t last long. 
Besides, it’s great for the flowers and often produces sparkling rainbows. 
The day we went, we didn’t get to see any rainbows, 
but the weather was much better than anticipated, 
and the clouds scuttling across the sky above the canyon formed beautiful 
patterns of light and dark that made the contrasts even richer. 
Persevering to the end of the road was well worth the time and twists, 
and being filled with the beauty of this wild, deep canyon 
brought to mind the words of Scripture:
“…so 
(I took all these photos on the day we went to Waimea Canyon in January, 2017. As you can see, the weather changes a lot over the course of one day, so never let the weather stop you from enjoying the incredible beauty of God’s creation!)
Summer Setting 