For Maui. . .

For years I have had a dream and a desire to go to Hawaii at some point in my life. I have also been a fan of Aaron Shust since I heard his song "My Savior, My God". It was a song that really got me through a very difficult time. Because Facebook allows you to like certain people and be their fans I did so with Aaron Shust and then one day on my Facebook feed it popped up that he was going to be playing in Hawaii and you could go to see him and be in Hawaii with a group called Love Songs. Their payment plan made the accommodation side of things affordable and so after many hours budgeting and figuring it out we booked a room. The trip for our marriage was revolutionary. We got to not only hear Aaron Shust but I was introduced to Phil Wickham and the speaker was Gary Thomas. His view on marriage was eye opening and so refreshing. It has literally changed everything for Gil and I. I even got to chat with Aaron for a few minutes. The trip was absolutely wonderful. I faced a fear and drove up a mountain to watch the sunrise. It was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed, it's like the horizon suddenly is lighted on fire and because we were higher than the clouds in made you feel like you were seeing things from God's point of view. I felt like I was on the edge of the entire universe watching His Glory unfold. I learned so many things, first and foremost that God loves to delight us. I felt His joy in giving me one of my dreams. I felt His pleasure in my delight, in my renewal of my marriage and it has caused me to depend on Him to seek Him in everything I do. It has given me a view of Him that I was missing for most of my life. I grew up thinking of God as a judgmental being and now I really began to understand the Father heart. The other great thing was we made two great friends, Gus and Cindy. We've kept in touch through Facebook and it is amazing how supported I feel by people who are so far away. God again surprised us a couple years later by allowing us to take a return trip to Maui. We were reunited with Gus and Cindy and then we made more friends, Shiloh and Darryl. This time I was introduced to the music of Chris August. I faced another fear and went zip lining. It was the most fun I have ever had. I am blessed that I was able to take two trips of a lifetime with my husband. I am blessed that I was able to watch a sunrise and see a view of God's creation that I had not yet witnessed. I am blessed that I came to understand my Father's heart and love for me. I am blessed that my marriage was reawakened in such a wonderful way. So tonight I am grateful for Maui and the time I was able to spend there, the fears I was able to conquer, the vision that I gained.