LIVING WATERS OF GOD MINISTRY...
Kahu Parker, a native Hawaiian island minister, is warm, loving and true to his humble heart. From his strong ties to Hawaii's Royalty and famous paniolo heritage to his teachings from his Grandparents. You can say "ahhh... raised old fashion", but isn't being romantic... old fashioned?
His beliefs comes a long way from his elders who were strong figures in the church and his up bringing, family, and life.
By: Rosemary Parker
I've known Rev. Parker to be humble and always true to his heart. You would see him smiling as he walks towards you, and hear his joys in his laughter. "Has there ever been a bad day", someone asked. "That would not be the truth if there was none. Everyone has their own obstacles, trial and tribulations, that no matter how bad my day is, there would be someone else out there worst than of mine. I just thank the Lord for the blessings of my day, smile and move forward.
Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds
his name is the LORD
and rejoice before him....
Psalm 68:4 (NIV)
The canoe makers believed that each log has a spirit (mana). And each log, even as it is cut, is not dead. As one works on a canoe, the life of the log comes into the canoe as the spirit of the builder goes into the canoe. Each canoe speaks of something different as it goes through the stages of creation. Some people name a canoe as the log is felled. Some people name a canoe before it is finished, some wait until it is completed. Keep in mind that as the process evolves, so does the feeling that ultimately effects the final naming.
Traveling back to Hawai'i, a request was made from Kaiimiloa to Rev. Parker to attend a gathering at the Wailea Grand Hotel to `olelo kama`ilio. Rev. Parker says that each log has a feeling, or spirit (mana). And each log, even as it is cut, is not dead it has it's own essence. When worked on a canoe, the life of the log comes into the canoe as the spirit of it' maker goes into the canoe. Each canoe speaks of something different as it goes through the stages of creation. Some people name a canoe as the log is cut down. Some people name a canoe before it is finished, some wait until it is completed. Keep in mind that as the process evolves, so does the feeling that ultimately effects the final naming.
If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be? ...And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
I remember Rev. Elias speaking to his bride and groom in his ceremony and said, "I want you to remember a moment in your life that brings joy to your hearts, I want you to remember the times of you courting each other that brings joy of your life, I want you to remember the long evenings of missing each other that brings love to your heart. For you see when I was a young man my grandmother asked me “why do people yell at each other”, I sat there and soon enough my grandfather stuck out his head and said, “Because we’re always so far apart”, I did not understand it as an eight year old, I understand it as an adult, so I ask, when you come face to face with obstacles….get close, hold each other just the way your holding each other, look at each other just the way you look at each other, and remember a simple passage that says, “Love is patient and love is kind, love does not envy and love does not boast, love is not proud and love is not rude, love is not self seeking, love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth and for this reason love keeps no records of loss, love always hopes, trust, and always protects, love always perseveres. Of the great virtues in life faith, hope and love, when you are face to face with obstacles the love between each other will be the greatest of all. Amen
In Hawaii rainbows pop up unexpectedly anywhere, with enough ray of the sun and rain from the clouds you can almost expected some shape of a rainbow. But in this picture KeAkua was especially kind with Rev. Parker on this wedding day for Doug and Amy to give a full rainbow. Thank and praise God on to his name in glory, Amen.
In Hawaii doing the "Shaka" sign has various meanings like "alright", "cool", "right on" or just "hang loose". Here in the picture Rev. Elias along with Yana, and Mike who are A`ala's wedding company singer and organist holds their shaka sign close to their ear with a Japanese couple saying, "moshi moshi" which means hello. The newly married couple starts laughing.
The two most powerful gifts from God, we cannot live with one or the other, we need both. Too much sun everything dries up and withers, too much rain everything drowns and dies. Enough sun and rain to nurture life and to make it grow.
In Christianity the rainbow is the pardon, the reconciliation between God and humanity. It is the throne of the last judgment. In ancient Christian symbolism the rainbows principal colors are red, blue and green for fire, flood and earth. It is sometimes viewed as the Virgin Mary bringing heaven and earth in harmony.
The Old Testament tells of God showing Noah a rainbow after the flood had stopped. It was sign that God was putting his "Bow" down and would never destroy the Earth by flooding again.
In Kauai the Goddess of the rainbow is Anuenue. There is a story about a child named Ua, which means rain, who fell off a cliff. Anuenue used her rainbow to break the child's fall and save her life. The child grew up to marry Kulu-'i-ua, the son of the chief of a rival tribe. Their marriage created peace on the island of Kauai.
A Japanese myth tells of the first man Isanagi and the first woman Isanami who stood on the floating bridge of heaven while creating the island of Onogoro. They then walked down to earth on this rainbow bridge, called Niji. They watched the animals and learned how to make love. They watched the birds and learned to eat with chopsticks.
Some Buddhists believe the seven colors of the rainbow relate to the seven planets and the seven regions of the earth. They also say the rainbow is the highest state of samsara before the clear light of Nirvana or heaven. In Arabia the rainbow is a tapestry draped by the hands of the south wind. It is also called the cloud's bow or Allah's bow. In Islam the rainbow is made up of four colors red, yellow, green and blue related to the four elements.
The rainbow is a bridge between the real and imaginary. It is looked at as a magic bridge on one hand, but on the other hand, people say a project doomed to fail is one built on a rainbow. A person who chases rainbows is someone who never accomplishes anything. I wonder what people think about us, rainbow makers.
People all over the world have different beliefs and different ways of looking at and understanding the same thing. We can be sure when a rainbow appears everyone is struck by its magic and its beauty. There is no doubt of that. What is the real meaning of the rainbow? Go look at one and you will know. Without words, without pictures, with a feeling inside you. Yes, there are things we just know and those are the important things in our life. The things that do not need words.
A wedding was done on Ke Iki Beach, always a beautiful sight for a wedding ceremony
.
A couple from the wedding ceremony.
After Rev. Parker was done with his ceremony, he was greeted by a Croatian couple that was sun tanning at the beach, and here I was video taping the lovely shorelines of Ke Iki Beach and noticed Rev. Parker was calling me to take simple pictures of new friends to Hawaii.
A request was made to re-new their vows before leaving back to their homeland. The couple chose to re-new their vows as how they are bikini and shorts, only in Hawaii. Simple and with all the love in their hearts. The Lord works in wonderous ways, New and re-newal vows.... two hearts became one.
In the past couple weeks we have been in around the Waianae coast visiting family for evening prayers. I had ever so longed a hike with the family then Rev. Parker decided that today would be a good day for a new challenge.
As salty Ka'ena waters are bounty full of hawaiian sea salt, Rev.Parker gently scrapes the shorline rocks where the salty waves sit and rest under the heat of Ka'ena and crystalize to hawaiian sea salt.
Ka‘ena Point, the westernmost point on Oahu, is the
site of one of the last intact dune ecosystems in the main
Hawaiian Islands. Here beyond the end of the busy roads
of Oahu, is an area known since the ancient times as
leina a ka‘uhane, the “leaping place of souls,” where the
spirits of the recently dead could be reunited with their
ancestors. Today, you can walk there among the living;
Hawaiian plants and animals that have made the rugged
ancient shoreline their home for thousands of years.
Kahu getting water to cool our bodies with Kaena's salty water.
Just around the bend lays Kaena Point, and we've come to a corroided road. Looking along the path way Kahu is concerened with the women and children along the hike. Nothing is impossible in a possitive attitude. We continue with the hike.
Reaching to the tip of the point we have come to a long wait to see the view.
Rev. Parker has made it known that his love for Ka'ena always remained because of its untouched beauty.
Finally at the point of Ka'ena where waters meet. A journey home for Rev. Parker, and he has seen the old railroad tracks from his great grandfather a conductor from the old OR&L "Oahu Railroad & Land", rounding from Waipahu to Ewa Beach around Kaena point to Haleiwa. Known as "The In-between", Kaena Point, made it's name for spirits to leap off to eternal life. Scholars would see it as Oahu and Kauai channel waters, for others who understand the Hawaiian legends call it Leina Kauhane means "Leaping souls", Leina o'kaena, is the name of the place where the spirits leap, thus the in-between.
Happy to see such panoramic views of the pacific ocean, waves crashing against the a'a, and the dry grass surrounding the mountains, Ka'ena means "The heat", is why we call the hottest place on oahu. Along the way we've encountered how we endure our obstacles and challenges, how strong our will to stay along the path and back.
