I grew up an inquisitive child. I believe I would have loved smartphones and Google. I was the second child and first daughter but I became daddy’s little girl six months after my first birthday, when my next brother, Limoni was born. I had the coolest father who listened to my questions and stories. He …
Growing up in the Kingdom of Tonga, I was that one child in the family who would get sick first whenever a disease outbreak in the village. My mother even had me take a daily dosage of herbal preventative medicines. However, when they did not work, the only over-the-counter medication available to take was Aspirin, …
For decades, I have heard—and seen embodied in memes on the internet—a quote attributed to Mark Twain: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The fact is, however, that Mark Twain—aka Samuel Clemens—never said or wrote those words. Though they may hold some measure of truth about his actually statement, the versions that most …
When I first came to Open Door Churches in 2017 I was assigned to spend my Sunday mornings at Keizer Clear Lake UMC. One of the practices they had in worship was to gather everyone in a circle around the worship space and to hold hands as they sang the last verse of the closing …
June 20, Father’s Day, was the anniversary of my first Sunday in Salem. I volunteered to attend the worship with the Morningside church. The turn-out was more than I expected; about thirty members of the board and their families attended. I got to witness the love and welcoming nature of the people of Morningside church. …
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would …
This week I am participating in the virtual conference session of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. Normally this yearly meeting is a great chance to gather together with colleagues and friends, catch up with each other, and support and encourage each other in person. Of course in the age of Covid, our work is done via …
Mark 4:35-41: 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into …
Today, May 24th, is Aldersgate Day. “Aldersgate Day is celebrated on May 24 (or the Sunday closest) to commemorate the day in 1738 when John Wesley experienced assurance of his salvation. Wesley reluctantly attended a group meeting that evening on Aldersgate Street in London. As he heard a reading from Luther’s Preface to the Epistle …
I want to thank you for reading my blog as I continue to talk about my faith walk with the multicultural community of the United States. After receiving feedback on my last blog, I wanted to clarify my first impression of religions in the United States. Christianity was and still is the majority religion in …