Pulelehua Inspirations

I once heard a story about a couple who were having a quiet evening when their dogs suddenly began barking. They got louder, so the husband went outside to check on things. In a panic, he called to his wife and told her there was a snake in the corner of the entryway. While she kept an eye on the 4-foot snake, he went and got a shovel and a knife. After taking care of the snake, reality hit. In order for her husband to get out the front door, he passed right by the snake that could’ve struck out and bit him, or worse. God protected them both from harm. We must be careful to keep watch of our surroundings, especially our homes. The enemy will use any way possible to slither in and lay in wait to strike out and destroy. Just like he did when he made his move on Eve in the garden. He convinced her that it was okay to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge and that nothing bad would happen. And so, she ate the fruit, then gave it to Adam to eat. But what happened after they ate...

 I recently heard a story of a young woman who hid her identity just to fit in. My first thought was, ‘wow, I can relate.’ She went to an Ivy League school for their engineering program but, people doubted her intelligence because she was of a different culture. They didn’t think she belonged at this school and pretty soon their words sunk in and she began to believe them. She dropped out of that school and went to another where she wasn’t the minority. She lost herself. She lost her voice because of what others thought of her. Growing up in Hawaii I never felt like a minority or the need to hide who I was to fit in. It wasn’t until we moved from Hawaii to another state where I had my first encounter with someone who made me feel beneath them. I worked at a preschool and would often open the main door for parents and kids. One day a father came to pick up his child and when I opened the door, I said ‘hello.’ He looked past me and did not say one word, just kept walking. Another...

What happens when God calls you to step out from the comfort of your safe little box? Do you step out and say, ‘okay God, it’s You and me?’ Or do you say, ‘no way’ and triple check that the door is securely bolted? So what keeps you from going all in?  Fear, doubt, anxiety, isolation, depression, business…just to name a few. Whenever I am going through something, somehow God reminds me of the promises He’s made. A scripture verse or an encouraging word from someone helps bring my focus back on Him.  Fear has kept me from doing the things that I’ve wanted to do for most of my life. I’ve been told many times that I wasn’t good enough and made to feel worthless. I stayed in my corner, safe in my box afraid to take a leap of faith and step out. Over the years I have set so many goals for myself, but the voice in my head made sure that I would stay right where I was. It is an ongoing battle that even now as I am writing this, the voice is telling me that nobody cares about wh...