This last blog from our Women’s Bible Study class series is not dedicated to moms and women only. I believe all of us can deepen our love and learn to love as God first loved us. Life has too many challenges, hurts, and difficulties and we cannot face all of it in our own strength. So, I am sharing some …
I believe I can learn to know myself by taking the time to pray in solitude and spend time with my Abba Father. Another thing that has worked for me is to keep a journal. I don’t mean to do it as I did when I was younger – “Dear diary…”- I would not want to do that! When I …
“First things first!”- I love that phrase! It is so simple and it reminds me all the time of how important it is to prioritize my time and my focus. As a mom, wife, pastor, administrator, friend and neighbor I have very limited time and I need to use it wisely. Truly, I am not wise enough on my own, …
Recently, I put together a series of bible study lessons to help some of the young moms at our church. I have observed them going through a challenging season of life where they are juggling the roles of being wives, mothers, homemakers, income-earners, and women of God. I believe moms are amazing, but they still need all the help they …
Hale O Nā Kāula Church Women’s Bible Study Outline By Debbie Oliveira Goal: To empower women, give them tools to pray and wait on the Lord, Give hope and lead them to the heart of God! Bring healing and purpose in being a wife, mother, but first of all, a worshiper and child of our loving Father. Thursdays from 6pm …
A couple of weeks ago, as we were celebrating the Sabbath and after saying our prayers over the wine and bread, my husband, who took a year of Hebrew at Shiloh University, started explaining to us that the Hebrew word for bread is lehem, which is in fact part of the word בֵּית לֶחֶם Bet Lehem (Bethlehem) which means “House of …
When I was in high school, I came across a book titled The Metamorphosis, by the German writer Franz Kafka. I was disgusted by the main character’s description of waking up one morning and finding himself in the form of an insect that, in my imagination, seemed to be a cockroach. The character felt rejected and he could not leave …
There is a saying in ancient Hawaii which says that words can either be a source of healing or destruction. This is so true, and we need to be careful with our words. Ka ‘olelo no ke ola, i ka ‘olelo no ka make. It means: In speech is life, in speech is death. A friend sent me this and …
This summer I heard for the first time a beautiful song from Numbers 6:23-27, the Aaronic Benediction or also known as the Priestly Blessing. It was sung in English and in Hebrew by a young woman who has a sweet voice, Lindsey Hertzberg. The song was composed by Misha Goetz. I had heard the same blessing voiced before, but the …
Lately, I have been praying for God to give me His love for my family, my community and people on my street in a deeper way. This desire started when we received a direction to start a coffee and prayer ministry and just be available to whoever is in need of a blessing. The idea was simple: set up a …
I loved studying about the Spiritual Disciplines when I took part at Shiloh University’s Spiritual Formation Class. I often go back to those lessons, seeking a practical application in my life. This blog is about an experience I had with the discipline of solitude. Recently, I took part in a Somatic Movement Class with a focus on breathing and gentle …
A while ago I took part in the Spiritual Formation class my husband teaches at Shiloh University. In it, I learned about the Spiritual Disciplines. We studied several messages by John Robert Stevens and also a book titled Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster (I highly recommend this class). It was an amazing experience to participate in this course. My …
Don’t you love stories with happy endings? When the evil plot turns on its head, there is an amazing last minute deliverance and a threat is reversed that brings so much joy to all the people? If you do, you should definitely read the book of Esther in the Bible. Get a good translation like the NASB and enjoy yourself! …
Our youngest daughter started having nightmares a couple weeks ago and it disturbed her to the point that she was afraid of going to sleep and only wanted to stay in our bed. She kept asking me why this was happening and when it would stop. I know as a mother our kids look to us to solve all their …
A while back my husband was gifted a beautiful potted Olive tree. Our last name, Oliveira, means Olive tree, and it was a sweet gift. We placed it in a corner where we can enjoy it and it receives water and sunshine every day. Around spring time it usually has a few olives on its branches which the birds around …
Our family has lived in the United States for the past ten years and I have to say that Thanksgiving has become my absolute favorite holiday! What a brilliant idea to have a national day to give thanks. Thankfulness is such an important trait to have and to teach our children. We read often in the scriptures about the importance …
In this season of thanksgiving it is so important for us to find a place of solitude to meditate on the Word of God. It is important to stop and give thanks to God for His unconditional love for us. As I was taking this time for myself, I came across these verses from the book of Jude “But you, …
I was sitting in a meeting recently when I heard these words: “We are in a season of change. Learn how to give away what you have.” These words confronted me in a positive way and I immediately remembered the words of Christ, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35. I was curious to know specifically …
Our beloved Bob Poulson passed on to be with the Lord at 7:25 pm Sunday evening on September 24th, 2017. Bob has been an associate pastor of Hale O Nā Kāula Church for many years. He was born in 1949 in Los Angeles, California. He moved to Illinois when he was 11 years old after losing both his parents. Later …
We have been blessed with the opportunity to bless our island community in helping Maui Food Bank over the years. We have attended some of their events and they do such a good job in providing for needy families. This year, again, we are joining efforts at our church to help and be a blessing to Maui Food Bank. Come …
As part of our celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), we camp together and have fun with our children, teaching and imparting to them the heart behind our experience in walking with the Lord and our faith for His presence to always be with us. It is always a very fun time when we play, sing, teach our children, …
Financial Peace University, FPU, is a 9-week class that teaches how to handle finances responsibly and in alignment to God’s word. There are biblical principles which can be applied to finances to please our Heavenly Father and significantly reduce our financial stress. Each class builds upon the previous to simplify the financial world and help people gain control of their …
I believe kindness is a powerful aspect of love, especially when applied in our own homes. It is something that can cause immediate change to our day and it helps our love not to grow cold. When someone acts kindly to you, it triggers a chain-reaction; being kind bears much fruit. I suggest we all start planning situations where we …
“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” John 4:23 I love this scripture so much. Every time I read it I think of King David and how honest he was in his expression of worship to …
On August 7th we are resuming our After School Program for our school age children. The focus of the program is very simple: We love our children and want to create an atmosphere where they can learn and grow. That being our goal, we have gathered an amazing team of moms, aunties, and grandmas to help us. We bring the …
This July 15, 2017 marks exactly ten years my husband and then, five year old daughter, Julia Jael, left our families, careers, and possessions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and moved to Maui, Hawaii. Earlier that year in March, we were praying and looking for the next steps in our lives. That is when our beloved pastors and spiritual parents …
Recently at our Bible Study we went over a lesson on prayer and it is clear to see that when we study the scriptures, we understand the Father knows our needs before we ask Him. However, there is something about the daily time in prayer that leads us to practice His presence, bringing us closer to Him. Our time in …
During this holiday season I wanted to take time to study the scriptures on being joyful. In my studies I came across this nagging question: What makes us joyful? The answer became clear when I read Nehemiah 7 through 9 about the days of Jerusalem’s restoration. The people of Israel were reconnecting with the word of God and restoring the …
In our relationship with God, we can all notice how God presents constant situations in our lives where we need to take a step of trust in Him and continually give of ourselves. How do we do that and not become weary? (Galatians 6:9-10) Here is a story to help us understand that. In Palestine there are two seas, and …
We are starting again our After School Program for our school age children. The focus of the program is very simple: We love our children.
That being our goal, we have gathered an amazing team of moms, aunties, and grandmas to help us. We bring the kids to our church facility and provide the snacks, devotional time, help with homework, story-telling, play-time, arts and crafts, and occasional field-trips.
The smiles on their faces are the reward, and a sign that it is working. The family spirit and sense of community creates the perfect atmosphere to see the love of God flowing to and from our children and families.
I have read once that it takes a village to raise a child. That statement is true, and I can safely say that it takes a spiritual family to raise these amazing kids who are being filled with love and grace. I will end with the words of Paul to Timothy as a reminder of how effective the prayers of our parents and grandparents are in raising us up to have faith and know the love of God.
Blessings to a great school year ahead for teachers, students, and families in our community!
“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5).
