Oahu Island Blog June 17-23, 2013 Issue #6

This is a picture I took of some palm trees at the Kahala Resort Hotel.

Jesus Christ the Son of God

Jesus the Son of the living God came to earth to died for sinners. He was a man who knew no sin: a innocent man. The Bible says (Isaiah 53:10)”… it pleased the LORD to bruise him…”. He was not given a fair trial, but they took him and beat and taunt him. He could have stopped it but he didn’t. He knew that the fate of the human race, God’s creation rested on him going to the cross. (Romans 5:7-8) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Even thou we were sinners God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins so that we might be saved. A innocent man was put to death for us. God did not want his creation to die because of the choice Adam made in the garden which affected all of us.

Picture taken from “Bible Readings for the Home”

Jesus Christ was taken from the garden betrayed by one of his own disciples for 30 pieces of silver. And with a kiss he was taken away to be crucified. Jesus is not just a man but he is the Savior of the world. He was born from a virgin, and when he died he was dead for three full days and three full nights. This is the gospel. This is the good news. God raised his Son up from the dead, and promises to raise us up too; if believe in his Son, Jesus. Peter in Acts chapter two says repent for the remission of sins, or in other words ask God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ (excepting Christ’s death for your sins) and turn away from the life of sin. After that your sins are forgiven and you are made right with God. Then you turn to live a life of righteousness. Righteous, doesn’t mean you’re better than everyone else: it just means you’re right with God. Without Christ Jesus no one could be righteous. No one would be right with God. God would still hold our sins against us, because the penalty for sin is death. But that’s why Jesus Christ is so important, we don’t have to die, he died for us. Everyone has to make a choice. There is no confusion as we look up from this earth. There is only one Sun that gives light upon this earth just as there is only one God that orders the seasons and time. (Romans 3:23) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” But if you repent He will take your sins and throw them into the abyss and remember them no more. The choice is yours.

Every week I look forward to this segment of Oahu Island Blog but this week is a little different because I had the opportunity to meet the owner of this week’s feature restaurant at the “Olive Tree Cafe”.

Olive Tree Cafe

So, The Olive Tree Cafe, located in the luxurious Kahala area, is a taste of absolutely amazing Greek dining. Since the start of this blog I have begun to experience some changes in my life (all good) before I would not consider myself a writer, but now I do. Thanks Jim. In talking about the places I love to eat at or places I have discovered and rediscovered over the years while living in Hawaii, I’m reconnecting with life. All these places have people and these people have stories. I found myself missing what life is all about. It’s about people. I haven’t been to the Olive Tree Cafe in years. The first time I went I went by myself. The next time I went I brought a group of friends with me. Many of those friends have moved away and I no longer keep in touch with them anymore. Then I went there with my wife while we were still dating. Now this is just a side note, when a guy is trying to impress a lady he takes her to his top five. Guys the Olive Tree Cafe is a “T five” as in “Top five” this place makes you look sophisticated. Trust me, it works because she’s now my wife! Hey the restaurant makes whoever suggests it look cool. Does anyone know what I am talking about, comment on that. Then I eventually took my family and just yesterday I took another group of friends (smiling, am I cool yet?). I know I haven’t talked about the food yet but some places are more than just some place to get a meal at. When I think about the Olive Tree Cafe I think about all the good times that I’ve had there. But I’m really glad I’m reconnecting with this awesome spot, and the good memories.

Souvlaki is the best!

Now let’s talk food. I’m an honest guy and I’ll tell you only what I know and nothing else. I haven’t ordered everything on the menu so please don’t go to a place I feature and order something I didn’t talk about. I’m trying to save the men on that note. Maybe I should put a disclaimer in all the issues… nah forget about it. Anyways for an appetizer I love the muscles and my drink of choice is the sparkling lemon. Then for the main dish I order the Souvlaki which comes with a salad. The souvlaki and salad “forget about it”! (italian voice) Now, I don’t suggest you do everything I do, but I like to order extra salad dress and the souvlaki sauce I don’t know the name of it but delicious! I tend to go over broad with things sometimes, I’m getting around to changing that tendency about myself. So the next time you’re thinking of going out with friends or that special someone you love and you want to impress the socks off of them. Take em to the Olive Tree Cafe! Oh yeah the owner is a pretty cool guy he gave me a life lesson about greed we’ll have to have that decision in another issue. Two more things, one they don’t open up until 5pm, and secondly they only take cash. Olive Tree Cafe one of my “T fives”.

Video of the Week

This week’s video is kind of long but it’s a very good animation I’m a fan good animation. Enjoy!

Paper airplane

Comic Strip of the Week

It’s time we take a stand against chip companies filling bags with air rather than chips

Have a great week!

-Heath-

Oahu Island Blog June 10 – 16, 2013 Issue #5

This is a picture I took of the state flag at the Iolani Palace.

There Is No Greater Love

Thiele, Artist

Last week we talked about how man is born in sin. From one man’s disobedience whose name is Adam: sin is passed on to every man that is born. This fact is beyond you and me. We can not help that we’re born in sin. God made us, the human race to have a free will. Just like Adam’s choice in the garden affects us today so do a parent’s choice affects their children. Its not God’s fault we choose to go one way or the other. God does not want to control us, he wants us only to love him freely. He wanted it to be our choice. Just like you choose to read this.(I thank you!) In the end only the people that choose God now will end up with God. We are making that choice everyday. God wants to guide us, but how many kids when they are born really want to listen to their parents? Most parents care about their children. Parents want to see their children succeed in life. I’m a parent, I want my children to be safe from harm. I love my children, and there is nothing I would not give them to prosper them to the end. The same holds true for God the Father. (Luke 12:32) “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” But God saw that we needed help because the same word that condemned the devil is the same that passed judge on us as well. (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” But, in that same scripture we find hope and that hope is in Jesus Christ the son of the living God. (John 3:16-17) ” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” If you believe in Jesus Christ; meaning, he died for your sins. You will not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 14:15) “If ye(you) love me, keep my commandments.” Commandments, everything Jesus says in the New Testament on how to live and what he wants us to do as christians. God did not send his Son to condemn us in sin, but to save us from sin. (Romans 5:8) ” But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He died for us, so that we might have everlasting life. God loves us so much he gave us his Son, and his Son, Jesus Christ loves us because he gave his life for us. There is no greater love.

Just having fun!

Hank’s Haute Dogs, haute dogs? Yeah that’s right haute dogs! Well my daughter was the one who suggested we go to this place which some friends of our’s took her once before.

Hank’s Cheeseburger and Fries

I tell you what, this is a good place to go and get a burger! I’m serious, their hanksburgers are hand made and these bad boys are juicy and delicious. I know this is a hotdog place and they have a great assortment of hotdogs but their burgers are da bomb! They’re not huge over sized burgers with no taste these burgers are pound for pound champs. I order mines with cheese and when I bite into it…”forget about it” (Italian voice). That burger is what’s happening! Now, let’s talk about their haute dogs the last time I went there I ordered the hank’s burger and a “Fatboy”. The Fatboy is a haute dog wrapped in bacon and served with  lettuce, tomatoes and some other stuff. Like I said before I’m not like other food blogs. I don’t have a picture sometimes because I’m living in the moment. But, I will definitely tell you what my stomach says. And my stomach says this is a regular place. Meaning this is a place you put on your favorite’s and you go and eat-out at this place regularly. Oh yeah and the Hibiscus Lemonade will send you dancing in the streets, it’s that good! But getting back to their haute dogs they got a whole line up, my daughter loves their chili cheese dog and my wife enjoyed the lobster dog. Now, all these things are great but I have a surprise I would like to share with you, Hank’s Haute Dog have “Vanilla Creme Brulee”!

Creme Brulee

Ole! (spanish) This is a mad crazy hotdog place that has slammin burgers, a hotdog wrapped in bacon and serves creme brulee, it doesn’t get any better than this. So if you haven’t been to this place yet put it on your stomach list. Hank’s Haute Dogs in Kakaako.

Video of the Week

This is a video I saw many years ago but I still find it funny to this day.

The Annoying Frog

Comic Strip of the Week

Sometimes it’s just better to get your seafood from the frozen food aisle. Rather than becoming shark bait.

Thank you reading.  Have a great week!

Oahu Island Blog June 3 – 9, 2013 Issue #4

This is a picture of the Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the Island of Oahu.

God and man’s enemy.

If you believe in God you also have to accept that Lucifer, Satan, the devil is real. The devil is the angel that attempted to over throw God but he was casted out of heaven, him and his followers (fallen angels, demons, evil spirits). They are now awaiting eternal condemnation. But, until then Satan wants to destroy what God has created. You and me. He wants us to be cut off from God, forever just like he is. There is a law that God created that condemns Satan and all who sin. (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death…” Death! I’m not talking about dying and going to heaven; I’m talking about eternal death, in the lake of fire forever cut off from God. This is real. This is written in every Bible (Revelation 21:8) “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

The devil is plotting to take man down with him.

So Satan appeared in the garden and had a conversation with Eve; where he lied to her and caused her and her husband Adam to sin. This sin caused a break in man’s relationship with God. The devil knew if he could get God’s creation to listen to him; he could bring eternal damnation to the human race. This is the one sin that caused all man to be under sin (under the influence or power of sin, or born into sin). Our proper place was with our creator, God. But (Romans 3:23) “all have sinned …” It’s not our fault. Its because of Adam’s decision in the garden that we’re all born in sin. (Psalms 51:5) “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Now this is where it get pretty thick. We can choose if we want to have God in our lives. It’s a free choice. God does not force anyone to do anything. This is how the devil fights us. If we don’t believe that God is real, we will not choose God. The devil works to make unbelief happen. The devil also wants no one to believe that even he (the devil) is real. (Causing people to believe there’s no one fighting them or preventing them from believing in God’s word.) The devil and his minions comes in a person’s thoughts without them even knowing their there. They give people advice about what they should do and how they should do it. What people should believe and what they should not believe. When I was a kid I use to watch Tom and Jerry, the cartoon show. You know the cat and the mouse. Well, in some of the episodes they would put an angel and a devil on the shoulder’s of a character. And, the angel would try to convince the character to do good; at the same time the little devil is telling the character to do bad. This portrayal isn’t far from the truth. The devil and his army of evil angels want to sway God’s creation further from the truth. Can you relate to this? I know I can. But be of good cheer God has of way.

Eat the street at Kakaako.

Do you like food and lots of it? But, have a problem deciding what you want to eat? Don’t worry I have the same problem. And I have the solution just for you, “Eat The Street” at Kakaako. Kakaako is a very special place on Oahu where the people take great pride in their up and coming community. (side track) As I was walking to the venue I couldn’t help but see all of the artwork on the walls. After the first few murals I started snapping pictures.

Her face on the wall

(back on track) “Eat The Street” So, I come into the great gathering and immediately I’m greeted with the smell of a party. I take that back, it smells like a carnival!

DJ at Kakaako

There’s music and everybody is just having a good time. I smell donuts, garlic shrimp, barbecue, and pizza I’m telling you my olfactory became a new factory, the smells just brought me alive. I felt like a kid again! So I jumped in a popsicle line. I had my son with me. He’s four. And out of all of that stuff he picks out the frozen fruit pops. “Really” I said to myself you can have anything you want, and he wants a popsicle (we have popsicles at home). So, I did what any good dad would do… I stood in line for a popsicle.(lol) The only thing bad I would say is the lines but I had good company. Time really did fly and I had a prior engagement that I had to attend (church). But anyways we had the waffle dogs which my daughter wanted to try; it was pretty interesting. A hotdog cooked inside a waffle. I suggest the syrup on top. It was alright I’m not going to stand on top of a table and do the waffle dog dance or anything, I just thought its pretty creative putting a hotdog inside of a waffle.

Waffledogs

Moving on as I digress, I wanted some barbecue ribs, but bout time we got there there were no more ribs left. (tear) Let me take out my violin and play some feel sorry for me music. So there I was ( off the coast of Madagascar) moving through the crowd I saw this guy with a taco wrap and I asked him where he got from. Then we went to that food truck. By the time we got our food it was time for us to go.

Artist Bother at Eat the Street

But we will be back. (in my Arnold Schwarzenegger voice) I’ll be back. I realize from that experience I need to allow us more time. The kids and I had a great time. Oh yeah so I never explained what “eat the streets” is all about. Basically it is a bunch of food trucks from all over the island and they meet in this one spot at Kakaako on the last Friday of the month. And the rest is history. The atmosphere is very pleasant and you’re sure to have a great time. Quick shout out to

“Bother” an artist I met while I was out there. Aloha! And a big Aaaaaaaloooohaaa to all of you that read this post, thank you and God bless you all.

Video of the Week 

This is a pretty funny video. If you suggestion of funny videos please send me some links I can always go for a good laugh.  I like when the guy gets up and slips.

Comic Strip of the Week

The most debilitating thing in the world is getting a bug stuck in your eye.

Have a great week!

Mahalo,

-Heath-