Aloha Alive: The Dawn O'Brien Podcast
Why Aloha? the whole world knows what aloha is--love in Hawai'i--but better to ask WHY ALOHA? the answer is as essential as breath & as fun as whistling, so LET'S GO!
Aloha Alive: The Dawn O'Brien Podcast
How God Turned Ordinary Faith Into Extraordinary Impact
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A pastor walking into prison at 14 should not be normal, and yet Pastor Jay Puahi’s story makes one thing clear: God uses the willing, not the polished. We sit down with Pastor Jay and his wife, Sister Shar Puahi of Straight Up Ministry, to talk about what it looks like to live the aloha spirit as action, especially while serving at Wai'anae Boat Harbor among a large community of houseless neighbors on Oahu’s West Side. This is a Hawaii podcast conversation grounded in local culture, faith, and the kind of love that shows up without a script.
We also go personal. Jay and Shar share how they first met as kids, reconnected later through church, and learned to build a life that holds both honesty and hope. We talk about recovery, serving when you feel unqualified, and how God can redeem seasons that feel like loss. Jay opens up about the pull of music, travel, and divided priorities, and why time with family is not optional. If you’ve ever felt torn between calling and distraction, this part will hit home.
Then we get practical and powerful: prison ministry, speaking life to incarcerated men, and the difference between preaching at people and reaching for them. We even share a jaw dropping testimony about a “free car” that turns into a lesson on faith, expectancy, and God’s timing. We close with a grounded definition of aloha through the ALOHA acronym and a simple statement that frames the whole episode: aloha is not just a word, it’s Jesus.
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Welcome And Local Aloha Talk
SPEAKER_02Welcome in Aloha. I don't think there's a better way to start than to hear Pastor Jay Puahhi bringing the fire for the Most High God, and that's actually part of his last name. Here with us today on Aloha Alive, the heartbeat of Hawai'i. All the way from Waianae, they caught an intra-island flight. Yes, because that's the worst traffic in the nation. Pastor Jay and his wife, Sister Star Pu'ahi, welcome. Thank you for coming. Aloha, thank you.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_02And you guys look so super aloha with your homemade leg. You know, old school kind, old timers. We remember, you know, May Day, you had to make your own lay for May Day, right? And then if you didn't have your own Pu Amelia or Plumeria tree, you had to, your parents would be like, You better ask Auntie Agnes Machado if you can pick the tree. Better ask first. You don't just go help yourself. You ask. You owe it's honor. It was a culture of aloha is the culture of honor, right? So thank you for wearing my homemade creations.
SPEAKER_01So pretty.
SPEAKER_02And Sister Shark already knew. I gave her the option. You want the plumeria to match your husband, or you want the um crown flower? She goes, Oh, sis, I want the queen's lay right there. Leaves her husband in the dust with his plumeria. No, but you have a little splash of plumeria right there.
Ministry At Wai'anae Boat Harbor
SPEAKER_02Now, as we get started, can you introduce yourselves? What um is your ministry name? What church you function? And then I met you, Waianae, because you are serving out there. Give us a little snapshot.
SPEAKER_00Hey man. Aloha. Uh I'm Pastor Jay Buahi, and um we are doing our ministry in Wainai at the Boat Harbor. Uh, it's called Puhonua Wai'anae, and we are in the village there to just share the love of God. We've been invited to come and to just share with all the people in the village and to tell them about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and not only tell them, but to lead them to Jesus to just share the aloha mostly from our heart. And our ministry is called Straight Up Ministry. And we share straight from our heart. And nothing written, not in script. Just show up and to just be a part of it in the family.
SPEAKER_02Wow. So you were out at the Wai'anai Boat Harbor. Yes. Because I saw you one day. It was late on a Saturday afternoon. I was out there to grab fish from uh a spear fisherman, Adrian Bullet. Yeah you and we were right, you know, you know how you do transactions west side, right? Like we were there in the parking lot outside of the Starbucks. Me, me by um jumper juice and star.
SPEAKER_00Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, get off, get off.
SPEAKER_02And then this guy comes walking up to my sister star, and you know your husband, he had that kind of a swagger, and I was like, I looked over. I didn't have my eyeglasses on because I'm getting a little older. I wasn't needing the eyeglasses, but I was trying to be the most classy, and I started squinting. I thought, boy, this guy wants to fight somebody. You know, I normally on the west side, but and I can tell it's coming straight for me. And I had Adrian right there, but I thought, good night, nurse. Okay, let's go. Helo's ready, brother. And then they got closer, and I went, Oh, Pastor Juan Clear. Right? I was like, praise Jesus, thank you, Lord. I didn't have to lay hands today. But you, it was late afternoon. You came to get yourself a cold, fresh drink at Jamba Juice, and uh we ended up sitting
How The Harbor Ministry Began
SPEAKER_02down and voila I'll talk story because you had just come from ministering all day.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_02And you are there at the Wai'Neye Boat Harbor. That is one of if you're watching from the mainland, I want to say hi to Jen and her husband Jeff watching in Oregon. Um, you may not know that Wai'Ne Boat Harbor is a large concentration of people who are houseless in the state of Hawaii, and many of them Hawaiian. How did you first start ministering there? Because you said you didn't even have a ministry at first, you were just building relationships.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I actually was um we were at a funeral, you know. And one of our brothers went home to be with the Lord, and I I met um Pastor Claudio Borges, and uh, he shared his heart with me about the ministry at the Bull Harbor.
SPEAKER_03Wow.
SPEAKER_00And that's where he was doing his ministry, and and he invited to um to come and if I wanted to share and be a part of it. And I shared with him that we already have a ministry we're doing, and we're sharing with the people and the families at KE Lagoon. Wow, you know. And then you know, one week later he went home to be with the Lord.
SPEAKER_02What?
SPEAKER_00Yes, and one week. One week later he went home to be with the Lord. And uh his um daughter Twinkle, Sister Twinkle, she called me up. She goes, brother, ah, bruh, I was looking for you. I finally went finding you, and I I wanted to see you. I told him, Oh, amen. Will you let me see me? Said, Come down the harbor. I thought, okay, so I met her and I saw her, and she invited me to come to share about Jesus. And she said that because of um our teaching that we grew up, and her her dad and her whole family actually all we all grew up in the same church.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I didn't know that. Auntie Twinkles is famous for ministering there at Wai Naibo Harbor. She was kind of the mayor of the village there. So you guys grew up together.
SPEAKER_00So we grew up together in a ministry in a church, and and she was saying, brother, I was asking if you can, uh, God willing, to come and share the ministry also here at the village. I thought, oh amen. You know what? I gotta make a phone call. And then, boom, we just happened. I thought, you know, we ain't. We'll be here. And then we've been there for almost nine years, going on ten years soon.
SPEAKER_02So Hallelujah. And what was the church you both grew up in?
SPEAKER_00You know, we were going to City of Joy.
SPEAKER_02Yes, uh, and uh was really awesome.
SPEAKER_00Pastor Foiley, yeah, by you down, and he's still my uh my pastor, he's my home church, and City of Joy is our home church in Nanakouli. Yeah, and I told Pastor, thank you. He he blessed us, not only blessed us, but he he uh married us and then he sent his blessing for us to um to go out and to minister. Oh they're and then we've been doing that ever since.
SPEAKER_02Nine years, wonderful at the whole
From First Grade To Marriage
SPEAKER_02harbor. Thank you, and I know there's so much to that, but you just referenced your beautiful bride at your side, your beauty girl. Um, Sister Sharp, when did you folks meet? How did you folks meet? Oh, oh, you know it's gonna be good when you hear that response from both of them.
SPEAKER_01Yes, um, so we were classmates in the first grade. Oh, what is that? Nonapoli elementary elementary. Oh, I A.
SPEAKER_02You guys was at not West Side then. You went to IA. Yes. Wow, first grade? You sat next to each other.
SPEAKER_01Yes, he remembers me more. I I remember him as uh the colour kid. It used to kick me underneath the desk. We sat across each other, yes. And the the day I brought him home to meet my parents, he said, I always gonna remember Shar for her um colorful, flowery dress. And I was like, Oh my god, that was my favorite dress. My mom made that dress. And I would wear it every day if I could.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and those were the days. I love that you bring that up because this is the Aloha Alive podcast. And growing up Kauai, back in the day, our parents or mom and our my grandma would make a ton of my clothes. I remember that sewing machine, the singer sewing machine was uh oh, you know, you high class when you got a singer. They made our clothes. But girl, you know, if that dress works, then you work the dress, right? Amen. And obviously, it caught the eye of this guy. Yes, is that what you remember, Pastor J?
SPEAKER_00I do. That was her favorite dress. She wear them like practically every day. Uh thinking to myself, this lady looks like it would be every day.
SPEAKER_02If you know if it looks good, you better make it work every day. That's your life uniform. How did you know that um you folks were gonna be life partners, that you were the one, though? How did you know, Pastor J? Oh, couldn't be the kicking underneath the table. Although I have heard that when a guy likes you in school, small kid time especially, yes, pull your hair, push your right, you do things. I'm like, can't you just say hello or hello, huh?
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna make a long story short. Okay. You know, we grew up together elementary, and then we went our separate ways, and we just so happened to move in the same area by Eva, and then we we met again in high school. Wow, and we were in the same class, and same thing.
SPEAKER_01Graphic arts class, yeah. So we're both, you know, artists.
SPEAKER_00Well, I was a no-good artist, and um every desk I sit on had my signature drawing on top. But after that, ten years later, it went by, we met again. Um at New Hope.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh, New Hope, Oahu. Yes, yes. Yeah, yeah. I remember those.
SPEAKER_00And then uh I took a break. I was in a preaching worship that day, and I I just took a break, went out, and just needed some time to really um think, focus, and whatnot. And I was already married at the time, and then I was just going through some things. And then I saw her.
SPEAKER_02And look, what wow, the girl from first grade and high school.
SPEAKER_00And then I was um just praising God. Yeah, with outside the tent, so I walk had to go outside, not inside, but I went outside just to get some fresh air, and then took a deep breath and just stand up underneath the tent, and lo and behold, I turned to my right and looked.
SPEAKER_01I was like, and I was just sitting there admiring the overflow because I helped put up the overflowing for many years, I remember.
SPEAKER_02And you were even a dancer, right? Yes, wow, so you spark her seeing the Lord.
SPEAKER_00Yes, she interned at me and look at me, and we look at each other.
SPEAKER_02I was like, hey, but and the rest was his story, history.
SPEAKER_01Wow, and what he said to me is good to see you in the the house of the Lord. I was like, Amen. And I, you know, at that time it was like I just got out of um residential treatment at the Salvation Army, Hallelujah, women's way Lord, praise 2001. So you know, I I just started I had that heart to serve, you know, to be a servant of the Lord. So I was just in awe of you know, being a part of putting up that overflow. I would get off the graveyard shift from my job, securitas, and then go pound pegs in the ground while in the morning.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and that was such an awesome time. It was an awesome time. I'm glad you brought it up. We were all at church, I was serving on staff at the time, but we rented out the um theater at a local public high school, which was Farrington High School, right here in beautiful Kallihine. And um is not known for being beautiful Kalihine, it's kind of a rough and tough neighborhood. But um, Pastor Wayne and the staff, the and and and I'm talking about the army, Aloha Army of volunteer staff like you, Shar, would have to set up each and every weekend, right? It was a massive endeavor because the theater itself only seats 1,300 people. That's kind of the plaque I always remember. And we would bust the seams with like, I don't know. It was the biggest, one of the biggest churches in the United States of America. We had to run two services on Saturday nights, if you remember, right? And three Sunday mornings, have a big, as you were both saying, the overflow tent outside was a huge people would actually pull over because they thought it was the E.K. Fernandez carnivals, and some people got saved that way. Bless Jesus, right? Because there was this big circus tent outside to fit as many as possible. So thank you for serving and thank you for your transparency, Sister Char to say that you had come through the residential treatment with Salvation Army. I'm a huge supporter. I love so many of the people who have come through that. I myself did my time in some rehabilitation through healing hearts, coming through my own um addiction issues. But then God brings the two of you at that same service and you happen to be sitting right next to each other yet again. Um, you know, we would call that stalking in these days and ages, brother Jay, when you just so happen to live in the same neighborhood and happen to go to the center. I'm joking. But um, that was so God to bring the two of you together. And I like yourself, Pastor Jay and Sister Char, believe that God is the author, finisher, and the perfecter. He shows up, he shows out, and he shows off.
Two Lives, One Hard Turning Point
SPEAKER_02And in that moment, you were going through a transition season in your life and you were finishing it sounds like a marriage, and then you were coming out and with a fresh start. So I can you speak to that a little bit, Pastor Jay? Because I think that really ministers to a lot of people, and I'm not advocating for divorce. In fact, I'm very much against divorce, but God really can work together all things for good that that can almost destroy us and go for evil. How do why do you think God did that in your folks' life right then?
SPEAKER_00You know, I I I believe that at the time and at the moment when I was going through my uh my struggles and stuff in life, um it was really hard. Um I used to play music a lot and travel a lot, and that was keeping me away from my families a lot. And at the same time doing ministry. And when doing the ministry was awesome. But doing the music was totally different because I was kinda like living two different lives. Yes. And the music is the one that caught me. And that was my passion actually, my whole life just been playing music all over. And then finally, uh when I realized that when you're not with your family for a while, I mean it kind of pulls everything away. And I never see him because I figured the man he's making the money, he's gonna give them to the the honey and the the the misses and bless them. But that wasn't the thing. The thing was because you have children, it was more of one time to spend time with them. Time is precious, so I never see that. I just got too caught up.
SPEAKER_02And and I'm thankful for your transparency, your honesty, brother. I love that. You know, we love the Lord loves a broken and contrite heart. I can hear your brokenness. And uh much aloha to that Wahine, your ex-wife, and all the Kiki. But you know, uh what really we have to watch ourselves. Yeah, and it's a story that's been told far too many times with too many of our wonderful musicians, whether they're Hawaiian or not, but it becomes a pull and it becomes a distraction. Distraction is distraction, and the devil puts that wedge in there and he can crack the foundation of a home, right? So thank you for your heart to speak that honestly. Also, you know, you had been with the Lord since young age, and but you also went to prison at a young age.
A 14 Year Old In Prison Ministry
SPEAKER_02Can you tell me how that comes together in one statement?
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_02How old were you? Because they had to actually bend the rules to let a 14-year-old into prison. What was that about?
SPEAKER_00Well, I was um my parents and my uncles and aunties, they were all ministers and pastors of all their own churches, and they always meet up every week. And when they met up, my mom one night told me, son, you need to come with mommy. I thought, okay, mom, where are we going? We're gonna meet all your uncles and your aunties. I thought, okay. So we met and then we were at zippies. I was like, oh, you're going to eat. But the meeting was to talk about before we're going in. And we never eat. So I was like, wow. I thought we were gonna eat, but you don't even go there for talking about it.
SPEAKER_02But we never eat.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. But thank you, Jesus. Um, uh the mother of God in our family, she was like really bold and direct. She has no shame in pointing you out and take you out in the name of Jesus.
SPEAKER_02Yes, uh, let's go.
SPEAKER_00And she said, uh, I want you to come and to not only to uh to play music but also to listen to what we're doing and what we're saying to the families to they all get families. Amen. And it was the prison. And so we went to the prison. Uh the first one we went was uh Waiawa. We went to Waiawa, we ate at the kind at GP's after, but long story short, we went into the prison and I kind of went like, wow, I enjoy it because all the brothers inside there, they play music too. I was like, oh, awesome! Yes, but the whole thing about it was I was in a young age, I was at 14 years old, and they don't let nobody inside the prison doors. Very strict rules, but you know, when you highly favored, hallelujah. You know, when when God puts you in a place where a place that you need to be at the time and at the hour, yeah, and to just share and speak and speak life more abundantly to the faithful hearers. Come on, faith coming by what? Hearing the word of God. Come on, you know, and the brothers when listen to a young boy. Wow. So um my uncle and my mom didn't, they were all pastors. They said, son, go share what the Lord has done for you. Yes. And what he did for me was to um he's changed my life in um not only music, but more in the colour side, you know, which I had more colour guys in there than me. Yes, I was a young little boy. But to see a young little kid, to go out there and to speak to brothers inside, incarcerated, some of them was just like almost home. Yeah, but they still gotta be good, do good, stay good, you know. Yes. And finally, the brothers when received that and they said, Bruh, you're a young boy. How can you come inside here? You know, the men in there just talking to me straight up from their heart. And you know, and some some of them they just speak normal, you know, the kind of flying language comes out of their mouth natural, you know, but they're speaking from their heart, and I told them, you know, brother, only God can do that, you know. And you know, it's not the first time I can come, but keep on coming until He He just let me come through and coming by the grace of God.
SPEAKER_02Hallelujah, brother. And you know, and they really received from you, obviously. And how long did you go in? Because you were 14 years old.
SPEAKER_00I was 14, and I've been going ever since from 14 to 30 years old every week.
SPEAKER_02Bruh, every week, every single week you went into the prison.
SPEAKER_00Never, never shot.
SPEAKER_02That's 16 years, and then I know you also minister alongside uh Bulla and Lin, and then also uh Nanakouli pastors from Fishers of Men, right? We have Pastor Bird. Right, so many, it's so many of our West Sai, right? Now, unfortunately, there is uh too many of our Hawaiian Polynesian brothers and sisters who have gone in. I mean, I could speak to that, but that's not I don't want to focus on that right now. I really believe, and maybe you can speak to it too, Brother Jay. Um, because you're Hawaiian. You're both Hawaiian. I'm Tongan, and too many times in the spiritual realm, if we see with eyes to see, as Jesus Christ said, with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to comprehend the kingdom of God, right? What I see about, let's say, the Hawaiians, the Tongians, the Samoans, and many of our Polynesian peoples is that we are huge warriors. And we're very close to Akua, which is the Hawaiian word for God. We're very close to E, EO, which is the name of the one true God, as we learn all of our history. And so I believe that the devil really has to do his best to take us out. Because it's like taking out the O-line, right? The offensive line in a football game. I want to get to the quarterback. If I strike the shepherd, I will scatter the sheep. Do you see some of that too? And I'm just putting that out there as a like a crazy little thought I have, because if you get all of the Polynesian people together and we're all worshiping the King of Kings, because you know we sing good, we harmonize amazing, right? And we glorify God. We're hammer warriors for the holy God. Then that's why the devil is the Terminator, tries to take us out because we are the vessels of God's pure aloha. Does that make sense to you, Pastor and Sister? Right?
SPEAKER_04Totally.
SPEAKER_02And you've been ministering in the prisons since you were a small boy. And I just think, look at all of the God-given gifts He's given these Hama warriors who I too I've ministered inside Sawaro Prison in Arizona, where many of our Hawaii boys are shipped up. I've ministered along with Clint, who's on our cameras, and helping us here at Camp Agape, going after the Keiki, right? What is a word you would speak to the men that when you speak inside the prisons
Preach Versus Reach With Love
SPEAKER_02to help them to stay strong for God? What's a word you can speak to them right now if they see this?
SPEAKER_00Amen. The main thing that I share about when I go into preaching is all about love. Yes. And the love is mostly all about God. Hallelujah. The love of God. You know, He used us to be example. People gotta see it to believe it. We live in a see it to believe it world.
SPEAKER_04Yep.
SPEAKER_00But you know, we're gonna not only see it to believe it, but we're gonna be a uh sometimes everybody looks at the preacher as a preacher, yeah, but we can drop the P and we can be a reacher. Yes, you know to just reach out to them and to let them know. We're not here to just preach to you, but we're here to reach out to you. Yes, you know, to help you, guide you, lead you, teach you, show you, scold you, tell you, and remind you about this love of God. The love is like on circle. No more end. Yeah, we continue.
SPEAKER_02Amen.
SPEAKER_00You know, it it's uh not a part time lava, it's a lifetime lava. I came for love before life. Yeah, not that kind. I see you in the store. Praise Jesus, brother, and they do hide. You know, we're not like that thing. But we're gonna love 'em anyway. You know. So just showing the love of God and be another person.
SPEAKER_02Not just a preacher, because you we all know I can't just come at you and be spitting uh sermons and lecturing you all day long. And especially for those of us who are um either in prison or we're prodigal children, wherever you are, you don't have to be in prison. I'm not I don't want to hear you sermonizing at me. I don't want to hear your lectures. But your love will speak loudly to me, right? When we reach out and with the most act-up kids, the most troubled, high-risk children, and they see us drawing a straight, consistent line of love, that's what's gonna break them. Because they know how to scrap, they know how to be hammers, they know how to deal a lot of things, but when we reach out to them in love, that's what stops them, right?
SPEAKER_00Yes, break walls down, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Thing breaks walls down, and you reach them instead of just preaching at them. But then the one who got reached then becomes the preacher to the others, right? Yeah, and we've seen that as well. God bless you for that. Now, um, next thing I want to pivot to, thank you both of you for coming in and being just so honest. Right? That's the alohas. We just gonna lay it all out there. The Lord loved David, and it says he was a pimply faced young boy, right? Delivering pizzas in the middle of the desert, right? Oh, I'm sorry, it says flatbread with cheese, but you know, in the desert, that thing would melt the cheese of the black bread. By the time he gave it to his brothers, they were like, oh, stuffed crust. But we just the Lord loves us, uh, pimples, bumps, everything, right?
SPEAKER_01Right where you at?
SPEAKER_02Right where you're at, sister shar. So thank you for saying that. Now you're bivocational,
The Miraculous Free Car Story
SPEAKER_02right? You were telling me about a miracle story where God blessed you with a car. Now, the reason why I want you to share this, brother Jay and Sister Shar, is that a lot of times you and I, as we're watching Aloha Live, we have our jobs, we've got our families, we've got so much going on. There's so much noise in this world that I forget that I am a spiritual human being, right? That I am a woman of God, that my spirit woman is a warrior. I forget that I'm operating as an ambassador of Christ in this world. I am not of this world. But when I sat down with you, and that's why I thought, automatic, I gotta get these guys on this podcast, is you started sharing just regular things that happen in your life that are not so regular. You started sharing the ordinary as the extraordinary. You started sharing just the natural as the supernatural. Do you see where I'm going with this? Where you operate in the prophetic realm and as spiritual human beings, we I forget that we're not just human beings. Now, how did you get this free beautiful car? Because I turned around and say goodbye, and this guy turns around, he's got this beautiful white. Is it a Lexus? What is it?
SPEAKER_00It's a funny thing.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh! It's so nice. It's brand spanking like brand spanking fresh new. Tell me the story how you got this free car.
SPEAKER_00Amen. Well, I used to work for uh a roofing company, and I've been with them for a number of years. But you know, I've been um hired to work on base, and I work at Pearl Harbor, and I've been on a dry dock practically for a number of years, and just so happened in our parking lot, I saw this car. I always park my truck by the car, and I look, oh, this car has been sitting here for years, and and I worked there more than 15 years, and the thing just been sitting, or not sitting, but within the years I parked, I never see the car, and then all of a sudden I saw the car and it was there for a number of years, like five years went by, and I had to tell them, Whose car is this? Like nobody owned them. And then one day, when I said that, the very next day, the owner came for the car. The next day. The very next day, my friend was with me. They tell me, brother, you just said yesterday that whose car was this? Right. And look who and pull up. One lady came, a small little lady, she pull up to this car and she park on the side, she opened the door, sit inside, grab something in the middle, and she came out. And I told her, Sister, this is your car. She goes, Yeah, brother. What you gonna do with your car? She said, Why you like them? Told him, what wrong? I don't know. Something wrong, and no, like stop. Oh, but I like no if you're gonna get rid of them. She said, if you fix them, you can have them.
SPEAKER_02No way. That's what she said.
SPEAKER_00You know, she told me that, and I get all my whole crew with me, they watching me. Oh, how I ain't gonna fix them. And you know what? She lifts up the hood and she tells me, What wrong? After all, let me look. I look, not even five minutes. Take out this, take out that, plug in that, plug them in. Try start them. Oh, dead battery. Let me go get my battery, put my battery inside. Yes, you try start them. One crank, stop. She goes, she turns.
SPEAKER_04She was like, What?
SPEAKER_00I told him, that's up to you. And she said, you know what, brother? I give them to you.
SPEAKER_02Oh my Lord Jesus.
SPEAKER_00Meet me after work. She goes, grab the pepper for the car, came back.
SPEAKER_02The title.
SPEAKER_00The title. I haven't signed them. And then it's a pony.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it's a beautiful car. You've obviously seen it. You're his wife. He pulls in with the car. And it was just well maintained. I mean, she must have had somebody washing it, waxing it, because it's got that brand new sheen to it, that shine. The shekana glory of the Lord is on that car.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, Jesus.
SPEAKER_02No, and and that's the glory of the Lord. I love the timing of how you shared that was just the day before you had witnesses, your co-workers were saying they just asked yesterday.
SPEAKER_00They just couldn't believe it. Oh my gosh. So not believe it because I'm a believer. Right? People say they cannot believe it. I gotta remind them, you're talking to a believer. Hallelujah.
SPEAKER_02And you operate in the in the miraculous. You're moving in the spiritual atmosphere where God can bless you, Brother Jay. But what it takes for that to happen, family of God, family who is watching, is that we have to have a heart that's expectant. I think that's what I see about you, Brother Jay and Sister Char. You got you folks really are aloha people. You're so kind, so considerate. You're the A-L-O-H-A, right? All of the letters that spell that as an acronym for the Aloha of Hawai'i, but you really give so much that God says, I want to bless a heart like that. Because you're expectant and you're moving in the miraculous. You're blessing other people. You've been operating in the prison since you were a teenager yourself. You've been going out to the houseless on Wai'anae Boat Harbor. God is not short-handed. He's not going to hold back the blessings. He's going to pour forth. It says he will swing wide the gates and he will never deprive his children of bread. But there you are with the not bread, but Pontiac. I'm like, brother. So be encouraged, family, when you hear stories like that, that really there are so many millions of testimonies we could share, right? As Brother John in the book of John said, at the end of the book of John, it says, if I were to share all the stories of what Jesus has done, it would fill the volumes that fill this world. Didn't he say that? And that's we could sit here just doing miracle report, miracle report. That's God bombs not chicken skin. Because we created in the image of a chicken. And it ain't goose pimples, right? Because I don't have pimples. It's a Jesus. Now, um, what's a word you would give to people?
Keeping Aloha Alive In Hawai'i
SPEAKER_02Because we look around the state of Hawaii, there's so much change that's been happening, right? We see a lot of um immigration and the leaving of a lot of locals, and it seems to be changing the fabric of Hawaii. But what's a word of aloha and hope you would share with our state to keep that aloha spirit because it is our first name, the aloha state. How do we keep the aloha in the aloha state?
SPEAKER_01Aloha. It just um brings to my memory about Auntie Pilahi Paki. She she created uh Oli, Aloha, it's an acronym. So Akahai means kindness, and Lokahi means unity. Ha-a-ha-a, which is humbleness, humility, and a uh means patience. So those those those five, you know, um acronyms, if we we use the it's the main thing is aloha. God is aloha, God is love. So wherever you go, whatever you do, choose aloha. Aloha is love, and love covers a multitude of sins. It's in the scriptures, it's in the Bible. Yes, and God is love, so whatever you do, just you gotta love him anyway. Me and Pastor Jay, we have our ups and downs, and um thank you for your honesty. And and he he would always if we have a disagreement, it's like, oh, you just need love. Come here, baby, let me hug you, you know. And sometimes it's like leave me alone. So I I would go go in the bathroom and and repent and rebuke myself, you know, looking in the mirror and you know, self-rebuke and and try to receive that love because yeah, the devil wants to separate us, yeah, he wants to steal our joy, he wants to destroy relationships, he wants he he just wants us dead. The devil wants us to just steal us. Amen. And um, John 10 10 says, you know, Jesus says, I have come that you may have life and life more abundantly. Amen. Yes, and that that is the end of that scripture, right? That's right. And we have to remind ourselves, you know, my kum always says, You memorize scripture so at that time when you need it, you pull it out of your heart. Pull by pull it out of your heart, trust in the Lord with all you lean not on your own understanding and always acknowledge him, and he will make your patch straight, amen. Yes, so that's that is my goal to scripture about the biggest. Beautiful Proverbs, right? Three, five, and six. And if you want to um elaborate, you go to seven and eight, be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and shun evil, it will be healing to your body, and nourishment to your bones. Wow and all the translations that we have, use it, you know, study.
SPEAKER_02Right, yeah, it does you so good, and that goes back to the H and A-L-O-H-A, I think is haha. Yes, to be humble. And I love the way, as you referenced Anti P. Lahi Paki would say, even to uh um one of them it says the value, like humility, but expressed with tenderness, right? Because it's the tone, the way we express it, right? Because I could say to you, Sister Shar, you're so amazing. It doesn't actually sound like I believe that, but when I say it with tenderness, like Sister Shar, you really are so amazing. That's the tenderness where it comes across. We can say something that's true, but if we say it without love or tenderness, like you, Brother Jay, just said, Oh, yeah, I'm gonna hug her. She needs some some love, right? Because really, that's the bottom. Let's see the neck hug right there. What does that look like?
SPEAKER_00And you're super close, real tight, the neck to the neck hug. Not the flap bus, you know.
SPEAKER_02The pat on the back. That's always a little hard for me in church because you know, and you guys went to New Hope, we were hugging church, but then you get the pat, pat, pat. It's like, now we done. We all pow. Get off of me, right?
SPEAKER_01Right?
SPEAKER_02I should burp in the middle of that or fart the baby, right? So that's how you used to pat the baby. But we don't want to burp or fart. But that is good to be extremely loving, and as you said, to take out your sword, because as iron sharpens iron, so a fran sharpens another. And you speak truth in love. You look, you it sounds like you want to say something too, Pastor J. You want to jump in on that?
SPEAKER_00You know, you just gotta be like a sharp like a serpent?
SPEAKER_02Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_00Sharp like a dove.
SPEAKER_02Oh I never heard that before. I love that. How was it? Honey and gentle, yeah, sharp like a serpent, but soft like a dove. Oh, because that's speaking the truth in love. And if we don't have if we don't speak the truth if we're just loving, that's compromise. Because I ain't telling you the truth. Yes, and then if I'm only speaking truth, it says I would be just like a resounding gong, right? As you were referencing First Corinthians 13. And I don't have that love, then I'm just speaking truth. It's like this.
SPEAKER_00It's just like only fate you get. Exactly. Fate, fate, and work. Balance. You gotta put them to work. Action. Pray, pray, pray, pray. But if you're not gonna do the work, not dead.
SPEAKER_02Hey, right? Aloha spirit, activate. Aloha spirit, activate.
SPEAKER_01And the question motivate, not hesitate. The question comes for um, is it edifying? You know, when we speak, we speak life and death is in the power of the tongue, yes, but is it edifying? Yeah, the the words that you say, yeah, right? Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Does it bring life? So good. Um, thank you both. Uh, I want to come down to some of our last questions here.
Defining Aloha As Jesus
SPEAKER_02We ask all of our guests, and because this is aloha alive podcast, the heartbeat of Hawaii, what is aloha to each of you? How would you define? You just gave us the A-L-O-H-A, according to Auntie Pilahi Paki, that inspires many generations, many people. But what if you I was to ask you to define aloha, what is it, Sister Shar and Brother Jay?
SPEAKER_01Aloha is not not just a word, it's Jesus. And we need Jesus. Amen. Every day we need Jesus. Amen. So in the morning, when I wake up, my sharp prayer is good morning, Alba, good morning, Jesus. He's he's our daddy, he's our ever he's my everything. He's my daddy, he's my guidance, he's he's my strength, he's the truth. And if you ever need to hear a word from him, open up your Bible and read it. Basic instructions before leaving earth. Yes, that's what the B I L is. Yes, there you go, sister Ella. Yeah, I just see Jesus, and we have to see Jesus in others, you know. We cannot just look at um the sin or things that you know, just people that are are rude, uh sometimes obnoxious. We just gotta see them the way Jesus sees them through the love lands, you know, like faith eyes, yes, grace eyes. Yes.
SPEAKER_02I love that. That's a right now relevant word, a rhema word, because there's so many ways that our nation and our world seems to be dividing, even our churches. Yes. It seems to be divided. And last time I checked, division is not of the Lord, He's a God of unity. How good and pleasing it is when God's children live together in unity. Psalm 133, verse 1. But division comes from Satan, divorce, right? To be divided. So we gotta find more things where we stand together. I might uh disagree with you on uh I don't like wearing dresses with flowers on. What a lie. Look, I'm wearing one right now. But maybe if I was to say that hypothetically, that's not a big ticket item. But if we agree about Jesus, then that means we can find a unity right there. I love that. Aloha is Jesus. What's your answer, Pastor Jay? What is aloha to you?
SPEAKER_00Aloha to me. I'm just growing up in a big family. You know, it's a a lot. There's a lot of meaning for aloha for us guys as Hawaii. But I'll just keep it simple. Growing in a family of God, uh, having a mom as a minister and a pastor, and just preaching down, not down, but more lifting us up about love. It's all God love, right? Godly love, always ma'alu key. Always about God, you know, and share aloha to share with everybody else and to remind them about our Lord and Savior. But sharing about Allah for me and telling you what Allah means to me is more about the Christ in you. You know, because wherever you go, you know God. God has hope in you. He in heaven looking down, see us here on earth, us looking up, giving him all the glory because he is worthy to be praised and to continue to share that and to let the people know. We just like one Holy One sign straight up that says one way to Jesus. Amen. You know, so we stepping up, we we standing up, stepping up, and speaking up and sharing that love of God. And that's that's the Allah that I have. And that's where I go to wherever I go. It doesn't matter where I stand. It can be outside, inside, store, outside, inner store, not in a store, or inside here. I only gonna share and talk about our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. You know, he never brings me this far, believe me. As we ask Hawaii, living on the island, he never built a hobby in us to move away. He never teaches who swim to let us drown. Come on, you know, but he gave us hope. And that's a freedom of choice. If you like the love that I have, all you gotta do. Show up and surrender. If not, then sure be it. Yes, God's not a force for God. He's not gonna force you. He's gonna love on you if you choose him. That's why he put them to you. What he tell us about in Deuteronomy? Put life and death in front of us. Come on, you know, blessings and cursing, yes, and then he tells you what? The answer. And he may bless you and your family. Yes, and you know that life is Jesus. So Jesus is what? The way? The only way. Jesus is the truth. He tell you the truth because the thing hurt, it's supposed to hurt.
SPEAKER_01It's gonna set you free, though.
SPEAKER_00It's gonna set you free, right? Amen. And that's why you're telling you nothing about life, and that life is Jesus. Wow. So that's my aloha. That's beautiful.
SPEAKER_02And then the follow-up
Aloha Heroes And Final Encouragement
SPEAKER_02question is who is aloha? Who is your aloha hero? A person who lives true, pure aloha, past or present.
SPEAKER_00I asked my mom. You know, she brought me in a house of aloha at an age, very young age, at five years old. And she said, son, but you know, we little kids. I don't know. I just can't play and eat. And as you grew up as a little kid, and I came to the age of ten, I began to understand. And when I came 14, I really got understanding. Not only standing, but a lot of wisdom to be wise, a lot of knowledge to know what's happening. But she gave me the full understanding about our Lord. So my mom, mom. She went home to be with the Lord in '97, both my parents. And um, thank you, Jesus. She said, son, don't matter if mommy going home with the Lord, all I ask you to do to continue to serve this man for Jesus.
SPEAKER_02Hallelujah.
SPEAKER_00Praise him till you see him.
SPEAKER_02Wow, and what is your mom's name?
SPEAKER_00Diane.
SPEAKER_02So Mama Kahu Diane. Yes, and you had how many of the hammer, holy hammer. Thanks, Tommy.
SPEAKER_00Anna the hammer. Um, and how many brothers and sisters? I have three brothers and three sisters on number three. Wow, bada. Thank you so God bless Mama Hammer, Hannah.
SPEAKER_02And who is your Aloha hero, Sister Sharp?
SPEAKER_01My mom, also. Wow. Yes. Why? My mom, um, so she got she got clean uh back in 91, 1991. Hallelujah. Um I I watched and observed her her walk with Christ, and she's my inspiration. And we I I have also um my spiritual mama, which is Joyce Myers, and I had the blessing of taking my mom to Texas. Wow and uh what um being being at her um love life um conference. Yes. But you know, there's there's many like our spiritual sisters like you, sister Don, and and many, many other Kahoos, evangelists, pastors, pastor's wife. Yes, you know, it's whoever's in front of you at the time because we serve a now God. Right, amen. So whoever it is that He puts in front of us, we we sharpen each other, right? Proverbs 27, 17 as iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. So we always have to get in uh the habit of connecting with one another, encouraging. That's why I love the coalition of churches down the west side, yes, as well as down down here in central, all the churches when we gather together, like well, Pastor Virginia has the um prayer one and the gods of a day. Yes, we we look forward to more and more of those things. They had one November 1st, and I tried my best to take the day off, but I couldn't. But I was there in spirit, you know, just to just to watch. I I know I'm pretty sure somebody is shooting the live or a replay. Right. And Pastor Bullo, and I was like, I I was there with you guys in spirit, you know.
SPEAKER_02And we don't say that lightly, right? When you say, Oh, I cannot be there, but I'm there in spirit. I used to kind of hear that and think, Oh, yeah, right. But then I've said it to people and I really mean it. I am sending my spirit, I'm with you, I'm praying. I'm physically not there, but spiritually, I am very present with you. Amen. That's powerful.
SPEAKER_01And the anointing, it just rains down, you know, like how you say the rim award, we have that shekina rain. And it's just just being, you know, knowing that our brothers and sisters are there praising and worshiping and encouraging. Yes, and blowing the shofar. I just have that that you know, that joy, unspeakable joy. Hallelujah. And watching the role play the replay, it doesn't matter if it's live or the replay, you still get fed, right? And that and and being in that spirit at the end of the day. That's the power of the Holy Spirit, right in that moment.
SPEAKER_02Like you said, it's a right now Rhema word. God just spoke that to me yesterday and said, Don, I don't need you to remember every devotion you've ever written. I'm giving you a right now today word. This manna is fresh today.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_02That's so good. And I love that you chose your mom as well because often I've said that, and I I give much credit to my dad, he was a single dad, but I stand on his shoulders and I stand on my grandma Ketty, my tongue and grandma's
Closing Thanks And Blessing
SPEAKER_02shoulders. Well, thanks for joining us today and taking time from your busy schedules. Both of you work, I know, and just give so much to the Lord. But it was such an honor to have straight up ministries with Pastor Jay and Sister Sharp Wahi blowing poo. The fire of the living God. See how we just make our own creators in the image of the great creator. And both of you took time. Just thank you so much for living and shining and sharing aloha with our Aloha State here on Aloha Alive. Shuck a fly how's it? Cheesus.