Conchshell Chronicles

With our Rio Café Ministry going strong, I find myself creating new recipes for fun, flavor and for taking care of my team. I love eating and sharing my food with people I love.  All of my children are trying very hard to eat better and function as successful effective people in this world.  We are all trying to eat “cleaner” and healthier.    However, we were discussing how very “versatile” we all are in the the world of food and ever in search of the “best” burger, fries, salad with the most texture flavor & umpf factor, most scrumptious dessert, the next “star” mega vegetable of all... We are grateful to enjoy such freedom….and we try to “Live it up” and Level Up in every way possible. Life is short.

Problem:  We can get caught up in obedience to the rules and forget about the relationship. It happens often in my family.

Another Problem: Relationships on our own terms often disintegrate. Selfish behavior usually turns good people away.

I am starting this New Year in a study of an obscure book of the Bible: Deuteronomy. It is a book that is rarely used in our Sunday morning church services, yet the one that Jesus most often quoted.

 Deuteronomy is full of commandments.                               

But it is more filled with relationship.

As Moses recounts the journey from Egypt and into the Land, he reminds the people of God’s miracles, His kindness, and His desire for a true heart relationship with His people. “Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear (respect) me and keep My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their son’s forever” (Deut 5:29).

I have been given the blessing of knowing Love from above, a Perfect Source and Place of reference from whom all blessings flow. I am blessed to have the love of three of the most significant men in my life…my own Father Ronald, Michael’s father, Pop (who is in heaven), and my husband who loves me and each one   approves of me.  I have received a great foundation of Love from parents who stayed together until my mom left forheaven.  We have children that love us and respect us and for this we are constant in our gratitude, thanksgiving and deep appreciation. 

 Michael and I both have siblings that we love and are loved by.  We take none of this for granted.  We have a team that we get to work with at the Café’s we are responsible for that we love and enjoy and sense that they feel the same about us.  There is deep gratitude for many of the relationships that we possess in this life and if you find yourself reading this ….you are one of those people that have come alongside of us on the journey and we are so grateful for you!!!

Craig is the one who modeled Relational Discipleship to me from the first time I met him at my cousin’s home in Kihei in September 1981. He conveniently lived right next door. I was a very self-centered, arrogant, fun loving guy then, but Craig and his wife Kathy treated me as if I was an old friend. They invited me into their home, shared meals with me, and Craig picked me up every Wednesday night and took me to Bible study at Diane Daniel’s home. Once I was locked into this group, Craig told me to drive myself- he was picking up the next new guy….

Craig, along with his assistant Jake Spence, along with my cousin Kean Salzer, taught me the Bible. But they also taught me many life lessons just by being around them. As a new follower of Jesus, I had many bad habits, and my friends never played the Holy Spirit for me, but rather they patiently allowed THE Holy Spirit to speak to me.

I’ll tell you one of the first, and then the most recent.

Good Relationships take time, energy and lots of hard work.  The really special ones take well thought out intention.  Some relationships have a little more “magic” and natural mutual enjoyment, but humanness always has a way of creeping in and the amusement of relating to other humans gets tiring.  Our bad behavior, Issues and attitudes has a way of hitting the forefront in especially close relationships.

In marriage, the constant challenge of becoming one is part of the relational battle. The person I love the most, who I know God gave to me as my greatest gift is at times my greatest frustration.  I am normally a sane, calm, joyful and light hearted person, but I have had moments of extreme irrational crazy lady , so mad creative words spew … the action of slamming a door feels oh so fitting and other general unbecoming behavior emerge and my emotions get the best of me.
Then the awful wondering and contemplating how I can be that way and not pull myself out of the huge hole I just dug emotionally where I became a useless black hole of ugliness and ineffective lame behavior.