April 2026
God is our Refuge

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1

March was heavy. There’s no sugar coating it, some of us have lost homes, some are cleaning up, some are helping, and others are watching from a distance, wishing we could do more. The weight of it all can feel overwhelming.

No matter how you were impacted by the flooding last month Psalm 46 meets us there, the same way it met the Israelites when the sons of Korah wrote it. God doesn’t change; his truth doesn’t change.

Psalm 46 does not speak to a peaceful, undisturbed life. It speaks into trouble—into moments when things feel unstable, uncertain, even overwhelming. When things get overwhelming my go to is to cling to and recite the truth I know: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

God is not far away from what we are experiencing. He is not waiting for things to settle down before drawing near. He is present NOW—in the mess, in the grief, in the fatigue, in the questions.

For those who are displaced, hurting, grieving loss, discouraged; He is your refuge—a place of safety when everything else feels shaken.

For those who are volunteering, cleaning, walking beside your friends and neighbors and carrying heavy loads, He is your strength—sustaining you when your own energy runs low.
And for those who feel helpless, who long to help but cannot in the ways you want to—you are not without purpose. Your prayers matter. In God’s kingdom, prayer is not a last resort; it is our first line of defense – and offense for that matter. When we cannot lift debris or deliver supplies, we can lift names, needs, and burdens before the Lord.

As a community, we are invited to be people who pray—who hold each other up, who intercede, who trust that God is at work even during hardship.

The promise of Psalm 46 is not that trouble will never come. It is that we are never alone in it. God remains our refuge. He remains our strength. He remains near.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

March 2026
Eternity in View

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.” Revelation 22:12

Aloha, and Happy March!

I’m really enjoying the women’s evening Bible study in the book of Revelation. It’s been so insightful and encouraging to walk through the unveiling, victory, and hope we have in Jesus. From beginning to end, we see Him clearly. It amazes me that the final words of the Bible, spoken by Jesus Himself, repeat this promise: “Behold I am coming quickly.” I’m sure you’ve wrestled with the fact that He’s coming quickly/soon… because it’s been over 2,000 years - - which, from our perspective, feels like more than a “hot minute.”  

From God’s eternal viewpoint, this span is brief – like a minute on His timetable. 2 Peter 3:8 reminds us that with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. So, while “Behold I am coming quickly” may be stretched out over centuries to us, it carries the sense of suddenness, without delay, when the time is right. The point is that His return is certain, like a bridegroom arriving for His bride. Jesus’ words are both an encouragement and a motivation for us to live with eternity in view.

Have you been watching the winter Olympics? At the end of every contest, there’s an award ceremony for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze finishers. There’s also an award ceremony coming for all believers called the Bema Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).  Jesus will evaluate and commend the work we’ve done for Him, and we will be rewarded according to how we used our time, talents and giftings. Our daily choices matter! But Scripture also speaks of a different judgement for those who reject Christ – the White Throne Judgement (Rev. 20), resulting in condemnation and the lake of fire.

The award ceremony for believers isn’t about earning salvation; that’s a free gift received by grace through our faith in Jesus, not based on our works. Yet our works do matter! Eph. 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The good works we were created for…  acts of love, service, faithfulness in trials, sharing the Gospel, are the very things our heavenly Bridegroom will honor. Am I living today in light of eternity?

I LOVE the thought of a reward/prize when I go to Bunco. I’m excited to win something! I’m praying to be that excited for the rewards at the end of my life when it really counts for something eternal. How does knowing Jesus will reward your faithfulness change your perspective on today’s challenges? What “good works” has God prepared for you right now?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that You’re coming soon with reward in hand and that my salvation is secure in Your grace - not based on my performance. Help me live today in light of eternity faithfully doing the work You’ve prepared. May I store up treasure in heaven in hopes to bring honor to You. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever”. Amen. Jude 1:24

Eagerly awaiting His return, Karen

February 2026
Guard Your Heart

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
— Proverbs 4:23

Our hearts carry so much. Joy and hope live there—but so do worry, disappointment, comparison, and fear. There have been seasons in my life where my heart has carried far more hurt and bitterness than joy and hope. Being a human being means that you’re certainly get hurt. Unless you decide to live as a shut in with no contact with the outside world it’s more than likely you’re going to experience deep wounds.

It’s easy when reading this verse in Proverbs to get twisted up, believing the lie that guarding your heart meant shutting people out. If I was hurt or offended, I needed to keep someone at arms distance or cut them out of my life completely. I’m not saying there aren’t real reasons to set firm boundaries, there absolutely are, boundaries are a good Biblically sound thing. But I think we can often take that too far in an effort to “guard our hearts”.
Guarding our hearts doesn’t mean building walls or shutting others out. It means being intentional about what shapes our thoughts, emotions, and responses. What we dwell on, replay, and entertain in our minds eventually settles into our hearts. When we allow anxiety, bitterness, or negativity to take root, it slowly steals our peace and distracts us from trusting God fully.

Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:6–8 to bring our worries to God in prayer and to fix our minds on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. This isn’t denial of life’s difficulties—it’s a deliberate choice to anchor our hearts in God’s truth rather than our circumstances. Prayer becomes both the gate and the guard of our hearts.

As women, we often feel pressure to carry everything—our families, responsibilities, relationships, and even silent struggles. But God never intended for our hearts to bear these burdens alone. When we invite Him to guard our hearts, we are choosing trust over control and peace over panic. We are allowing Him to filter through truth what stays and what must be let go.

This month, may we pause and ask the Lord to show us what needs to be surrendered. What thoughts need to be replaced with truth? What worries need to be laid at His feet? As we seek Him in prayer for ourselves and our prayer partners below, may our hearts be guarded by His peace and led by His presence and nothing else.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

January 2026
Is self-improvement biblical?

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
1 Timothy 4:8

The new year often arrives with fresh goals and renewed motivation. We resolve to drink more water, eat better, move our bodies, and create healthier routines. And Scripture tells us clearly, there is nothing wrong with this. Paul acknowledges that physical training DOES have value. Caring for our bodies is a form of stewardship, and honoring the temple God has given us matters. But Paul doesn’t stop there, and neither should we.

He gently shifts our focus to something far greater: godliness. While physical discipline benefits us for a season, spiritual growth holds value for all things, for our present lives and for eternity. Biblical self-improvement isn’t about becoming more impressive, productive, or put-together. It’s about becoming more Christ-like.

Godliness shapes our hearts, not just our habits. It teaches us to love when it’s inconvenient, to forgive when it’s hard, to trust God when outcomes feel uncertain. It transforms how we speak, how we respond, how we serve, and how we see ourselves and others. This kind of growth doesn’t fade with time.

That’s why spiritual disciplines matter. Reading Scripture, praying consistently, studying God’s Word with others. These practices aren’t about checking boxes; they are how we position ourselves to be shaped by God. Just as physical training requires intention, godliness grows when we show up regularly and invite the Holy Spirit to do His sanctifying work in us.

As we begin a new year, let’s commit not only to caring for our bodies, but to nourishing our souls.

If you’re looking for a practical next step, consider joining an ‘Ohana group, starting a Bible reading plan or joining the Women’s Ministry’s Inklings reading plan, the once-a-month book club available through the NSCF app. Walking alongside other women as we grow in faith helps keep us encouraged, accountable, and rooted in truth.

May this year not be marked by how much we improve outwardly, but by how deeply we allow God to transform us inwardly. Because the most meaningful growth isn’t about becoming better versions of ourselves, it’s about becoming more like Jesus.

Happy New Year,
Danielle Porter

December 2025
Happy Birthday Jesus

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11

Every Christmas season, the world pauses on December 25th to celebrate a birth — the birth of Jesus Christ. And yet, skeptics and scholars often remind us: “Jesus wasn’t actually born on December 25th.” Maybe they’re right, historically speaking. The Bible doesn’t record the exact date of Jesus’ birth. The shepherds in Luke’s Gospel may have been tending their flocks under warmer skies (with weather like we have here in Hawaii on December 25th ), and honestly early believers didn’t mark Christ’s birth on a calendar at all.
But that doesn’t make our celebration any less meaningful. We don’t gather to honor a date — we gather to honor a Savior.

When the angel announced, “Unto you is born this day…”, heaven declared something timeless. Whether it was spring or winter, morning or midnight, that “day” marked the moment when eternity touched earth. The Creator stepped into His creation — not as a conquering king, but as a helpless child. The timing may be debated, but the truth is unshakable: He came.

So, when we say, “Happy Birthday, Jesus,” we are celebrating not a day on the calendar, but the dawn of redemption. We are remembering that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son — that love wrapped itself in human flesh to dwell among us.
As you lift your sisters’ names in prayer this month, remember: the same Savior who was born in Bethlehem is alive today — interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. The miracle of His birth isn’t confined to one day a year; it’s the ongoing gift of His presence in every prayer, every need, and every heart that believes. Thank you, Jesus, for coming!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we rejoice that You came — not for a season, but for eternity. Thank You for being our Savior, our peace, and our hope. As we pray over the women You’ve placed on our hearts, remind us that the miracle of Christmas is alive in us today. May our prayers carry the same joy the shepherds felt that night when they heard, “A Savior has been born.” Happy birthday, Jesus — may You be born anew in our hearts this season. Amen.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

November 2025
Lovingly On Guard

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all you do be done with love.”
1 Cor. 16:13-14

These words were written by Paul to the Corinthian church around 55-56 AD… a long time ago! Yet, the Word of God is alive and active and continues to be relevant in our lives today. This exhortation has a military background, like a commander giving five orders, not suggestions, to his soldiers so they will be ready for battle. These commands are essential to our faith and they require action.

1st command: WATCH. To be alert! To be aware! To pay attention! I have Christmas nutcrackers (soldiers) all over my house. Imagine one of them about to take position to watch at their guard post. The commander reminds them it’s not time to play on your cellphone, or be talking to the solider next to you. Don’t get distracted/dose off or … the enemy may gain a surprise attack! We’re exhorted to stay awake. Remember the Disciples in the Garden? Jesus asked them to watch and pray when He was in the heat of intense spiritual conflict. Instead of watching and being alert, Jesus found them sleeping - - 3 times! Jesus told them that the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. That’s my excuse most mornings when I know I need to get up and exercise. This exhortation reminds us to stay alert and be focused. It’s not time to be spiritually asleep. Time is short. Jesus is coming back soon! Yay!
 
2nd command: STAND FAST in the faith. A command commonly given when soldiers were under attack, meaning “dig in”, to stubbornly refuse to give ground to the enemy. Our mind is the battlefield. Will you stand fast in the faith by rehearsing God’s promises and not believe the lies of the enemy?
 
3rd command: BE BRAVE. Means “act like men/ be courageous”/don’t be a sissy. Sissy soldiers were unprepared for the long haul, they couldn’t handle hardship + adversity. They often would panic and desert their post. In the spiritual battles of life, we need courage. Life can be overwhelming at times! Which leads us to the next command given to help us handle the challenges and difficulties of life.
 
4th command: BE STRONG. This isn’t physical strength, but spiritual strength from the Lord. Eph. 6: 10-11, tells us to be strong in the Lord. This is a PASSIVE command. It’s something we allow someone to do for us. We can’t strengthen ourselves. Good news! Let the Lord on high, cloth you with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Put on His armor and rely on God’s strength to persevere.
 
5th command: Let all you do be done with LOVE. We are to keep on doing what we do in love. Let’s purpose in our hearts to be women who are watchful, alert, looking to Jesus, while standing fast in our faith, standing firm on God’s Word. Has He called you to something bigger than you can handle? Are you facing something that’s beyond your control? These words are for you! Be brave! Be strong! Our Lord promises to empower you + be with you everywhere you go. Let’s be women marked by the love of Jesus and may His love be the motive for all that you do … including praying for one another.

 God bless you + Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen

October 2025
Slowing Down with Scripture

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work". 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I was blessed to be raised in a Southern Baptist church, surrounded by new covenant teaching and grace-filled preaching. I know many people who didn’t grow up in church and didn’t meet Jesus until later in life, but my story is different. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Him. I was saved and baptized in the 4th grade, and before graduating high school, I had already read the Bible cover to cover—because that’s what I was told to do.

But here’s the truth: even though I had read it, I didn’t fully understand it. Honestly, I’m still learning every day. Growing up, I heard a lot of New Testament sermons, learned Old Testament stories, and was told Revelation was too mysterious to figure out—like a piece of abstract art you admire but don’t quite understand. I knew the Bible was “one big love story” from God to humanity, but I didn’t really grasp how it all fit together.

That began to change a few years ago when I committed to truly studying Scripture. Pastor Jason Simpson, one of our missionaries in Africa, shared a simple but powerful method for reading the Bible. With every passage—whether a verse, a chapter, or even a whole book—ask yourself these five questions:

1.) What does this say about God?
2.) What does it say about man?
3.) What does it say not to do?
4.) What does it say to do?
5.) What promise of God is revealed here?

For 2½ years, I read one chapter a day and journaled my answers to these questions. Slowing down in this way transformed my understanding. The Old Testament came alive—not just as stories, but as the Old Covenant that Jesus came to fulfill. Revelation, once intimidating, began to unfold with greater clarity. Most importantly, I began to see more deeply the freedom we have in Christ.

Praise God for His Word! We are living in a time when we have unprecedented access to Scripture—right at our fingertips. Sisters, if I could encourage you in just one way today, it would be this: don’t let your Bible gather dust. Open it. Read it. Ask God to reveal Himself to you through it. Ask a mentor or someone at church to help you understand if you don’t understand what you’re reading. You’ll be amazed at how He speaks when you slow down and listen.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

September 2025
The Posture of Prayer

“Show me Your ways, O, Lord; Teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your Truth and teach me, For You are God my Savior; My hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Dear Women who are praying,

I want to thank you for being in this prayer ministry. I thank God that He has given you a heart that desires to reach out to Him in prayer and pray for the women at NSCF. I shared a devotion at our H2P celebration recently and I wanted to share a shorten version here, praying it inspires your own prayer life.

I discovered my prayer life was in need of a Face-lift. What I mean by that -- just as our skin can lose its elasticity over time, sagging + needing a boost, our prayer life can grow routine, saggy and stagnant, too. I try to defy gravity by standing on my head or hanging over my bed in order to boost circulation. Inversion increases blood flow to your face and it definitely changes your perspective! You may wonder, what does this have to do with your prayer life?

I say my prayer life was saggy because I found myself going thru all the motions of prayer with A.C.T.S, praying for people, but checking off the boxes in prayer. I was missing the life connection with the Lord...crazy, I know! I was frustrated, not seeing growth + transformation taking place in my attitude, tone of voice with my husband, just to name a few! I wondered what was going on and came across this quote by Bob Sorge that
really spoke to my heart. “Things don’t change when I talk to God; Things change when God talks to me.”

This was a wake-up call and reminder to me that prayer was a 2-way conversation. BTW, I know that, yet, often, I had reduced it to a 1-way conversation by doing all the talking! I realized I needed to create margins and space back into my prayer time. It wasn’t about praying harder or longer, BUT taking time to align my heart with the Lord; not just going thru the motions, but inviting His fresh perspective to REVIVE my prayers!

Ps. 25: 4-5; Reveals 5 Heart attitudes that can pump life into prayers to prepare your heart to listen...

1st attitude: OPEN Heart. “Show me Your ways, O, Lord;” A heart that invites God’s direction. A prayer that begins with listening; not a list. “Lord, I’m ready to see what You want me to see.” My prayer life was sagging-- I was more focused on my own interests. Just as standing on your head shifts perspective + blood flowing to your face, taking time to ask God to show you His heart opens the door to fresh perspective in your prayer life.

2nd attitude: TEACHABLE Heart. “Teach me Your paths;” It’s one thing to ask the Lord to show you things, but when He does, are you willing to learn? Are you open to God’s correction + guidance? This heart attitude invites learning and spiritual growth, allowing His Truth to flow in and make changes in your life.

3rd attitude: SUBMISSIVE Heart. “Guide me in Your Truth + teach me;” This heart attitude yields to Lord’s leadership. You’re willing to follow His direction, even when you don’t ‘feel’ like it.

4th attitude: DEPENDENT Heart. “For You are God my Savior;” This heart attitude recognizes that God alone is your source, your strength, your all in all! Everything leans fully upon Him...

5th attitude: EXPECTANT Heart. “My hope is in You all day long.” An expectant heart looks ahead and waits with anticipation. Look up and rehearse the attributes of God... seeing Him! Prayer becomes LESS about what we want and MORE about seeing who God is. Prayer is an encounter with God. Can I ask you: what might change in your prayer life if you focused less on asking and more on aligning your heart with His? Inviting His
fresh perspective into your prayer time will pump His life into your prayers.

Blessings, Karen

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
Hebrews 10:23

I’ve got trust issues—as I’m sure many of us do. I bet if you polled 100 women, 99 of them would say they’ve experienced trust issues in some form. For me, these issues have shown up in many different relationships—whether at work, at home, within family, with strangers on the street. You name it, and at some point, I’ve struggled to believe that people will actually do what they say they’ll do. But the hardest part? When those trust issues show up in my relationship with God. I often find myself in a mental battle, needing to remind myself that God can be trusted.

When I examine trust in my spiritual life, I have to go back to the root of my beliefs and ask one foundational question: Do I believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God? In other words—do I believe that Scripture is authored by God, without error, and completely true? If my answer is yes, then that changes everything. It’s like putting on glasses that bring everything into focus.

If the Bible is indeed infallible and inerrant, then I must believe what it says in Hebrews 10:23: “God can be trusted to keep His promise.” Period. End of story. God is trustworthy. As Pastor Mike often says, “The God who cannot lie makes promises He cannot break.”
So, what do we do with our trust issues? Can we trust humanity? Can we trust ourselves? Who can we trust?

Jeremiah doesn’t sugarcoat it. He writes, “Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.” He also says, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord,’” and, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?”

So no—unfortunately, humanity, including our own hearts and minds, is not infallible or inerrant. And while that may sound like bad news (especially in a world that tells us to “trust our hearts”), the truth is: our hearts are fickle and unreliable.

But the good news is we do have someone we can trust—an infallible, inerrant, faithful God. Jeremiah also writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” And, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

So when you’re struggling to trust someone—or even yourself—turn to God’s Word and pray scripture over the situation.

Say: God, your Word says I can’t rely on human beings or even my own thoughts, but I can trust You. Your Word says You love me. That You have good plans for me. That You are my healer, defender, and protector. Your Word tells me You work all things together for the good of those who love You. That I am redeemed, accepted, and grafted into Your family. That I have eternal life in You. That I was created in Your image. That You alone are faithful and just. God, I believe these promises—open my eyes so I can see them coming to life right in front of me. Amen.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

Aloha, Gals!
I recently read this powerful prayer in Revelation 22:20, expressing the longing of my heart for the return of Jesus Christ. I don’t know about you, but I find myself rehearsing often: this
world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. It’s a reminder to hold loosely, even to let go of the things of this world and long for things of eternity…to set my mind on eternal things which will last. This prayer is among the final words of the Bible, where Jesus Himself declares that He is coming soon! It’s more than a wish or hoping it’s true; it’s a prayer rooted in the belief that Jesus will return to Earth to judge the living and the dead, to establish His Kingdom, and usher in the new heaven and new earth. I can’t wait for that day! No one knows the day or the hour, but we can know the season is at hand…We are closer now than ever before!

This longing for Christ’s return feels especially urgent today as we watch prophetic signs unfold in real time all around us - with wars, and rumors of wars, and hatred for Israel. The headlines and news feeds globally are all about Israel, God’s chosen people. Rising tensions with Iran, including threats of war and nuclear weapons, are aligning with what many believe the Bible foretold in Ezekiel 38-39. I encourage you to read these chapters and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding. It’s sooooooo incredible that this is happening in our lifetime. Although I don’t begin to understand much of it, what I do understand as I read these chapters is that God has a plan with very clear details that are laid out regarding what’s to happen in the future. Iran (ancient Persia in Bible) is mentioned by name, and as alliances form and hostilities grow, we see the stage being set as described in the last days happenings.

Jesus told us in Matt. 24:42-44, to “watch and be ready.” The turmoil in the Middle East is not a random happening, but a conflict that started 4,000 yrs. ago, (see Genesis 16:11-12; and Genesis 17:19-21). We are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122:6. As tensions rise, this is a reminder that our King Jesus is coming! Yay for His promise to return for His bride. Thank the Lord for the promise of His soon return. May He fill us with hope, boldness and opportunities to share our faith in Jesus. Let’s live each day watching and waiting with
anticipation while serving Him until HE returns.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Awaiting His return, Karen

The other night, I sat in Karen’s living room celebrating the end of our women’s mentorship program. As she shared a few thoughts on Proverbs 27:17—“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”—it got me thinking about friendship.

Growing up, I didn’t have many deep, abiding friendships. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I began to develop the kind of relationships that truly glorify God. Looking back, I realize that part of the struggle was my own immaturity in understanding what friendship really is. I used to think a good friend was someone who always agreed with me, shared all my interests, never challenged me, and lived at the same pace I did. It’s no wonder I had difficulty building Christ-centered friendships—those expectations left no room for real growth.

God-honoring friendship is hard. It takes sacrifice, humility, and a willingness to step into discomfort. It’s about seeking the best for the other person, even when that means hard conversations or confronting blind spots.

Proverbs 27:17 gives us a powerful picture: iron sharpening iron. If you’ve ever seen a blade being sharpened, you know it involves friction—sparks fly, and rough edges are worn away. But the goal isn’t damage; it’s strength and precision. In the same way, biblical friendships may involve moments of tension or correction, but when done in love and truth, they lead to refinement.

Another key to sharpening? Contact. A blade can’t be sharpened from a distance. Real friendship requires presence, consistency, and intentional time together. The more disconnected we become, the duller our relationships tend to grow.

Finally, sharpening makes something useful. A dull knife doesn’t slice—it tears. I’ve mutilated more than a few loaves of bread with a dull blade! Similarly, when God uses a friend to speak truth into our lives—even when it stings—His purpose is to shape us into more effective instruments for His Kingdom.

Earlier in Proverbs 27, Solomon says, “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” (v.9)

Lord, thank You for the gift of true friendship—those who challenge us, refresh our souls, and help us become who You created us to be. May we be that kind of friend to others.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

Aloha Girls!
I love this divine reminder! - - - don’t you? It reminds me that my past, whether filled with good things or disappointing things, filled with pain or regrets… these things do not define me. That is really good news! Our God is a God of new beginnings. This passage encourages us to “forget the former things + and do not dwell on the past”. I did write about this idea in our last January hearts to pray devotion. It doesn’t mean we’re to erase our past from our memory. But we aren’t to re-live the past over and over again, as if the good ol’ days are behind us. It’s great to reflect and learn from our past, but then we need to let it go; to reach forward to what lies ahead and press forward - not looking back. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife when she longing looked back? She turned into a pillar of salt.

You may be thinking, “what’s so wrong with what she did? What’s wrong with looking back?” To merely look back - to remember - is not bad in itself. We all have fond memories of things we have done. I love to look back at our photo albums and FB memories and reminisce about the days gone by! There’s nothing wrong with that. But this is not what Mrs. Lot was doing! Tragedy overtook her, because she was so tied to her past that it prevented her from pressing on with the Lord. The Lord had a future and a hope for Mrs. Lot. He was trying to lead her there and she wouldn’t let go of her past! Are we guilty of repeating the same mistake?

God calls us to lift our eyes from what was, and instead, look for what He is doing now. Even in the most barren seasons of life like the wilderness, wastelands; God promises to make a way to bring refreshment. What hope we can have for our future. This promise of Isaiah 43:18-19 is that God is already at work! We can anticipate this truth filled fact, even when we can’t see it yet. The “new thing” may be slow to appear in your life, but it’s springing up! Can you perceive it?

Hope you can join us for our Spring brunch on Saturday, May 3rd . This is our theme verse.
Blessings, Kare

Have you ever heard the faith analogy about the chair? The way it was shared to me is that, I can believe that the chair will hold me, I can touch the chair, study the chair, write papers and listen to lectures about how structurally sound this chair might be… but no matter how much belief I have, if I never sit down in the chair I’ll never really know it’ll hold me up. Our faith is like that; if we never put our faith into practice, we never get to fully experience the true transformation of our faith in God.

Hebrews tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” As we go about our day-to-day life it’s normal to wonder if the guidance we read about in Bible is really going to “work” for us. For example, we’re commanded to not be anxious about anything, to let our gentleness be evident to all and rejoice in the Lord always and THEN the peace of the Lord will be with us. Will that really work? Will it really give me the peace God promises? Wouldn’t it be easier if we could see the peace before the step of faith or obedience?

Faith is putting those commands into practice. Even though sometimes it’s counter to how the world tells us to handle the situations, or it doesn’t feel like what you want to do. It’s trusting that God’s promises are true.

There have been several seasons of my life where God has spoken through his Word and prayer, asking me to trust him. I’ve taken a big deep breath and said, “yes Lord I will trust”. And then the peace that surpasses all understanding has been right there on the other side of obedience and faith.

Where is God calling you to sit down in the metaphorical chair? To have faith in His plan, and not your own; to forgive when you don’t feel like it, to be gentle when you feel like being harsh? If I can encourage you in this, it’s what Pastor Mike always says, “the God that cannot lie, makes promises he cannot break”. If the Lord has promised it, he will not fail.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

Aloha!
Our women’s morning and evening Bible studies has been going through a study
of six verses in the book of Philippians 4:4-9. It has been both refreshing and
challenging to read through, digest, apply and memorize this ‘treasure chest’ of
valuable Bible verses written by Paul. His letter is short and sweet and expresses
not only his love and friendship towards the church there in Philippi but also their
shared joy for the Gospel and for faith in Jesus. The theme throughout is JOY.

What’s so interesting, is Paul wrote this letter from prison while chained to a
Roman guard, 24/7. His chains restricted him, yet his heart overflowed with
rejoicing. How could he rejoice while being chained day in and day out!? His
entire life was dedicated to traveling the Roman Empire and planting churches.
He could no longer fulfill that God-given desire. His heart’s desire was put on
hold. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” Prov. 13:12. Yet, Paul is found
rejoicing in the Lord. How’s your JOY Meter? Is it on empty or are you full of joy?

Typically, when we think about the word joy, we tend to connect joy with things
that make us happy. Right? At least I do at times. Example: Fill in the blank - - -
If I only had ________ I would be happy, I could rejoice! Think about some things
that make you happy/joyful… A good cup of coffee, a great night’s sleep, a much-
needed vacation, if I could only win the Lotto :) …. I could rejoice + be happy.
These are all good things, but what happens when your ‘happy-list’ fails you?

Paul’s words remind us that joy isn’t dependent upon our circumstances. His joy
was rooted in the Lord, not in his situation. You and I can find this same kind of
joy/rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus. We can increase our JOY capacity by
choosing to focus on His goodness, by feeding on His faithfulness. Find Joy in
Jesus. There are so many things in our everyday life trying to rob us of our joy.
Keep your JOY Meter on ‘full’. Stay plugged into His JOY!

Blessings, Karen

Have you ever felt unloved? I know I have. All throughout my life, childhood, teen years, early adulthood and even now in middle-aged-hood, I have had moments (and if I’m being truthful, some of those moments stretch into days or weeks) of feeling unloved. Even though evidence would show that I am, in fact, loved; the feeling persists. Often, it’s connected to an unmet expectation. As a child I expected to get what I wanted, and it didn’t happen. Later, when friendships and relationships entered the picture, I expected someone would fill a role or void that they didn’t or couldn’t fill. Constantly sending me in a loop of feeling loved when I got what I wanted, or someone fulfilled a need or role and then unloved when it didn’t match up to my expectation. I believe Satan sees that glimmer of feeling and grabs hold and doesn’t let go. If left unchecked he will grow that feeling into a forest of thoughts that can sometimes feel hard to navigate out of, making it hard to tell what is a mirage and what is real.

The way out of the forest is by rehearsing the truth. Reminding ourselves that while feelings are good feedback, they aren’t good truth tellers. There’s a scene in the last Hunger Games
book/movie where Peeta’s mind has been corrupted and filled with lies about who he is and who Katniss is. The way he learns to overcome that, is by playing a game called “Real or Not Real”. I see this as his way of taking every thought captive. For believers that’s holding up this idea or feeling of being unloved to the light of God’s Word and asking, is this real or not real?

The passage above in Isaiah is one that has reminded me throughout my life of God’s never-ending love for me. In a world that is constantly changing and falling apart and rebuilding and uncertain, one thing remains true; “My steadfast love shall not depart from you and My covenant of peace shall not be removed”. So, I urge you, sister, whenever feelings of being unloved threaten to creep in, go back and hold that thought up to the light of God’s word. Ask God is this “real or not real” and He promises to show you the truth.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter

Aloha Girls!
Here we are, turning the calendar to another year! I just got used to writing the year
2024 and in the blink of an eye - - it’s 2025. As we step into the New Year, it’s a great
time to reflect on God’s faithfulness and the opportunities that lie ahead. Every day is a
new beginning. We can receive His new mercies every day of this coming new year!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it
springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18-19

I love the idea of this verse! Forget the past, don’t re-live it over and over again. It’s
great to reflect on things that have happened in the last year, the challenges you faced
and the victories you’ve won. At times, I can dwell on my mistakes, the pain, or the
things I failed to accomplish. There’s nothing wrong with reflecting on hard times. We’re
not to pitch our tent and dwell in the past. We can learn from the past, but we need to
move forward. Why? The Lord desires for you to look ahead with anticipation. He wants
to do a new work in your life! Isn’t that exciting?! Don’t let your past drag you down and
keep you from moving forward. You can have a fresh start in Christ.

God is always at work in our lives. Even when we can’t see or understand what He’s
doing, He is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called
by His purpose. That’s a promise I claim over and over again. Each year, day by day, we
are offered a fresh start in Christ. I’m so thankful for a clean slate; I don’t have to be
defined by my past. No matter what your past has been, we can look forward with hope
because of the new mercies God gives us every single morning.

As you face this New Year ahead, let’s remember that God’s promises remain the same
regardless of the season you’re in. His plans are good. He loves you dearly. As you take
the time to draw near to Him each day - - may you realize and understand that He is
making all things new in your life, in His perfect time.

Happy New Year, Karen