April 2

We got up insanely early this morning, drove to the airport, and flew to Kauai to join Adam's parents for the week. And after our long (long) travel day came to an end in Lihue, we had a full day of water play and club house exploration. And of course, we also had plenty of time to take in views like this one I admired as Adam and I drove back to the house after a trip to the store.

I'm totally serious about this: being in Hawaii makes me feel closer to God. I know people like to call it paradise but I'm not being the slightest bit flip or kitschy when I make that claim. After the kiddos went to bed (very tired and a wee bit sunburned, but also quite happy), the grown-ups sat around the fire pit for a while, staring at the vast sea of stars overhead. And for the first time in quite a while, I felt compelled to pray, and not just a quick little 'thanks God, Amen', but I felt drawn into a genuine conversation. I don't know if it's because I over-commit or because my life is filled with distractions that don't allow me to hear God's small, still voice or because I ignore it wen I do hear it.

So tonight, it was a blessing to just sit in the stillness and pray for a while.