"Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."

(1 John 3:18)

No Greater Love

There's a popular visitor spot here on GUAM called Two Lovers Point.  The legend goes... that a very wealthy Spanish aristocrat and his wife, who was the daughter of a great Chomorro chief had a very beautiful daughter.  She was their pride and joy.  Well, the father arranged for his beautiful daughter to be married to a very powerful Spanish captain.  The daughter learned of this arrangement and ran away to find seclusion and peace.  In the moonlight - she met and fell in love with a modest Chomorro warrior.  When her father heard of these two falling in love he demanded that she marry the Captain at once.  Again, she ran away to meet her lover.   As the father, the captain and soldiers followed the two lovers to the cliffs... the two lovers had no where to go.  They tied their hair together, kissed a final kiss and leaped off the cliff and into the roaring waters below. 

My parents are so cute!   They'll be celebrating their 45th Wedding Anniversary this year!

Mia is always so animated ... I just love all her little expressions!  What a little JOY she is to us all!

There are locks and name tags left on the cliffs at Two Lovers Point... these are left by couples in love who also pledge their love for each other.  An outward symbol of the love they share.      

It's hard to believe that it's been SEVEN months since Dale & I "kissed" and took this leap into deployment.... I'm so happy that our time apart is quickly coming to a close!  I'm thankful & so incredibly appreciative for family & friends who have prayed for us, called us and sent facebook and e'mail messages.  Thankful for those that have sent packages to Dale while he has been in Kuwait.  And dinners that were made or dropped off to make our lives easier.  Neighbors and friends who offer to help watch the kids or carpool with me.  Words can't even express how thankful I am to my parents for coming and staying with us and doing so much to make MY LIFE without Dale home - more bearable!  Mom's awesome cooking and dad's ability to fix anything and everything!  We have kept incredibly busy with school, ukulele lessons, basketball games, my photography and various church activities.

When I think of this GUAM Legend - it reminds me of a song that Dale & I sang together in church once (in SC)... it's called NO GREATER LOVE.  It speaks of God's amazing love for us and how hard it is to comprehend such an amazing love!    

Below you'll find the words of the song (by Rachael Lampa) - look up the song on YOUTUBE... it's really beautiful!

Before I knew Your Name,

You knew my ev’ry breath.

Before I found my way,

You knew my ev’ry step.

Before I knew everything that I need,

You gave it all to me.

No greater love than this…

That You should lay down Your life

For someone such as me;

I’d spend a lifetime wondering why.

The Beauty of Heaven

Is here in my heart

And I know there can be

No greater love than this.

I never understood

How merciful Love could be,
Until I felt His Flame

Light every part of me

And I would give everything that I am

’ Cause I have been saved;

Yes, I have been saved!

No greater love than this…

That You should lay down Your life

For someone such as me;

I’d spend a lifetime wondering why.

The Beauty of Heaven

Is here in my heart

And I know there can be

No greater love than this. 

John 15:13 (New International Version, ©2010)
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend

Gef Pa'go - A Chamorro Cultural Village

The kids started back to school today (Monday, Jan 3rd, 2011)... It was so nice to have them home, relax and have fun as a family during their 2 week WINTER BREAK!  As most of our family & friends back on the mainland were welcomed with an awesome WHITE CHRISTMAS and true WINTERY weather... we enjoyed our 3rd year of tropical weather in the mid-to-upper 80's.  With MomMom &  PopPop here - LIFE IS so GOOD!  Even Ryan's prayer was how thankful he was to have MomMom here to cook such good food for us! WE ARE ALL so thankful for that... and for PopPop's awesome abilities to fix anything and everything!!!

Mia climbed up on the rocks and was enjoying the scenery around her!

I love how timeless this photo is.... just wish time could stop sometimes...

and keep Mia at this wonderful age of THREE!

We joined the Hwang Family and went and toured Gef Pa'go - a Chomorro Cultural Village in Inarajan.  It was a GREAT day! The warm weather and cool breezes made for such a fantastic day with friends! Mia had so much fun exploring outside and taking in the culture and her environment!   My parents really enjoyed it, too! THANKS JASON/PAME for inviting us to go with your family!  We're so glad we went!  Lunch at Jeff's Pirates Cove was also such a treat!

Happy Sabbath! Happy New Year!

01.01.11 - Happy New Year! Two-thousand ELEVEN is finally here! The year DALE returns home from his deployment! So there is MUCH to celebrate! Yipeee!!!  I am so looking forward to the day of his return!

What a blessing it is to welcome the NEW YEAR on the SABBATH DAY! It's a great way to start anything! I still remember my first date with DALE... it was on a Saturday... and also at church. That was almost 18 years ago now... and God continues to bless us... even when we're far apart from each other!  I remember thinking back then... "How can we go wrong when we start it out with CHRIST?"

As much as I wanted to rest and relax this afternoon... my little family joined Pame & Jason Hwang (our neighbors) and Jason's little brother, Jeff (or "Bubby" visiting from Loma Linda, CA) on a Boonie Stomp into the hills and jungle of Leo Palace! :-)  Surprisingly... my mom willingly joined us and she blew me away! She LOVED it! Even though we didn't make it all the way down to the falls... *had to repel some pretty steep and slippery terrain* - I'm so proud of her and my little Mia for trekking it with us for 4 hours! We got back home in the dark!  Glad I was prepared and brought flashlights!

An Awesome Start... to an AWESOME YEAR! Looking forward to seeing what GOD brings our way and how our LIVES will be changed... for the better!!  HAPPY NEW YEAR and MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS YEAR! xxoo xoxoxo xxoo


Ryan and I were talking before MIDNIGHT last night and I asked him if he could pick out a bible verse that will help him start the NEW YEAR off right.  He had me look up "respect" and he came up with this bible text.  I love it!  He really wants to help more at the house... and get along with his sister (Dani).  I love that he came up with that and is making an effort to respect others... and to be helpful!

PHILIPPIANS 2:12-18

Do Everything Without Grumbling

 ¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.