A Second Honeymoon!

Because of quiet blessings and a few special circumstances, we found ourselves spending nine days on the gorgeous island of Maui celebrating our fortieth anniversary! For two country bumpkins, this trip was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

If you're seeking an island with diverse terrains, stunning waterfalls, breathtaking sunsets, and vibrant sandy beaches, this is the place! So what's so special about this little island? Many things! But I will start here and in future blogs share about waterfalls, a helicopter ride and favorite foods and adventures!

First, the people! Truly!

Our very first stop was to visit Grace Baptist. This church had a building that burnt to the ground in the recent Lahaina fires and now meets in a cute coffee shop. They hope to rebuild one day. How grateful they were to be together even when life had unfairly destroyed their everything. That Sunday morning was a moment for me to reflect and worship. You may hear Maui and hear paradise, but there is hurt even in paradise. There is only One who can give us a true living hope. He can be found in Maui or North Carolina or wherever you are reading this post. Friend, we can move forward and we will because of a living Hope.

The people of the island are so friendly! They also operate in "island time' that was refreshing! Few are in a hurry and all love to have a conversation, especially when it comes to their way of living or history.

For example, when I commented on the divine dessert I had at the same coffee shop later in the week and asked if I could meet the "baker, a young man hollored "ma!" and out came the sweetest lady who stood about four and a half feet tall. She shared how her dessert was called 'passion pie' and is native to the island. She had been baking it as long as she could remember. She used passion fruit, sugar, flour and a few other things. :) We took our pic together and just so you know, I would go back just for her pie!

It was tart but had just enough sweetness to have you begging for more. Her homemade crust was the added touch to make it dreamy. The pie was a ten out of ten and her charm went right along with it!

Second- the beaches! The sand itself makes a statement! Every little grain of sand blends itself into a beautiful spray of a colorful display! From red sand, to black, to salt and pepper to pure white, the sand is not to be overlooked.

The water is clear with clearest pure water I have ever seen. My favorite example was sitting on the shoreline and seeing yellow fish swimming 50 yards out or whales jumping and blowing water to dance in the air.

The beaches are small and found in private coves with tall cliffs circling the edges. Others are open with sky overhead and limbs here and there. Often you could see another island in the background.

There are also random coconuts to be found everywhere and they are so refreshing! My only complaint is that you need a machete! Throwing the coconuts against sharp rocks as you see in the movies, did not work for us. Haha

I will share more in the weeks to come, but for this morning, be reminded that no place on this earth is a true paradise. There is hurt in Maui and there is hurt in North Carolina. No matter where you are today, and no matter what you feel today God is still God. He is with us in the hurt and He is with us in the good. He is our living hope.

1 Peter 1:3-5 reads "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his mercy, he has caused great mercy, he has cause us to be born again to a living hope thorough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."