E31: What's S*x Got To Do With It?

Why Hawai’i is Important for World’s Last Days

What's Hawai'i got to do with it? Where does Aloha fit into the Last Days? It's getting real with Pastor Jonathan Steeper--a pastor who refused to shutdown the church during global lockdown, who stood for religious freedom in a national war & looks spiritual war in the eye. After 15 years at Kalihi Union Church, Pastor John reflects on the “gentle” miracles of persistent faith. This is what has lead to the rare sight of many cultures choosing unity under one roof for Christ's sake. If you care about God's true Church, unity, spiritual warfare, religious freedom, & faithful leaders, this conversation will challenge & encourage you. Subscribe, share with a friend; & please comment your greatest takeaway or question... It helps keep ALOHA ALIVE! IG @DawnOBrienHI FB Dawn O'Brien HI www.ChooseAloha.org IG @alohaalivepodcast youtube.com/@AlohaAlivePodcast

How God Turned Ordinary Faith Into Extraordinary Impact

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. Subscribe for more stories from the heartbeat of Hawai'i, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review telling us what aloha looks like in your life. IG @DawnOBrienHI FB Dawn O'Brien HI www.ChooseAloha.org IG @alohaalivepodcast youtube.com/@AlohaAlivePodcast

Aloha Crushes Anger: Mr. Angry vs. Mr. Aloha - Hana HOU!

He’s a beloved Hawaii musician with a reputation for warmth, humor, and that unmistakable “aloha” energy. But what happens when the person everyone loves in public becomes someone his family fears at home? We sit down with Kelly Boy and Leolani Delima for a candid, faith-forward conversation about anger, trauma, marriage, and the long work of healing what you almost lose.  We talk about the hidden cost of masking pain, how childhood trauma can shape adult triggers, and what it feels like to stare at a big empty house after your choices push people away. Kelly Boy shares the night everything broke, the moment he tried to walk out, and the spiritual confrontation that made him turn around and start bowing his life low enough to change. We also get real about the process after the breakthrough: anger may still knock, old habits may still call, but awareness, humility, prayer, and faster forgiveness can keep you moving forward.  Along the way, we dig into family reconciliation, grief, and rebuilding trust, including how unity returns through honest words, restraint, and consistent love. We end with a simple challenge that hits hard: “Aloha comes from you.” Not from the world, not from social media, not from other people acting right. From you.  If you care about anger management, trauma healing, Christian testimony, marriage restoration, and building a healthier family legacy, this conversation will stay with you. Subscribe to Aloha Alive, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. IG @DawnOBrienHI FB Dawn O'Brien HI www.ChooseAloha.org IG @alohaalivepodcast youtube.com/@AlohaAlivePodcast

Pure Aloha vs Street Life | The Transformation Is Real

Lightning strikes a plane outside your window and suddenly every “later” turns into “right now.” That’s where we start with Keikoa Carvalho of Pure Aloha and Rasco Idayan of Building Bonds Through Burpees, two men who know fear, addiction, and pressure firsthand and still choose to show up with love. We get honest about what aloha really means when it costs you something, why sacrifice is the clearest proof of love, and how faith changes the way you read the hard moments. We also talk about sobriety as a lifestyle, not a finish line. Keikoa shares how recovery shifts when you stop feeding the old addiction and start putting that same intensity into prayer, family, and community work. Rasco breaks down how burpees became a turning point, leading to a major health transformation and a new brotherhood built on accountability, service, and consistency. If you care about addiction recovery, faith-based healing, and real Hawaii community outreach, this conversation is packed with practical perspective. The most powerful thread might be forgiveness. We connect the dots between childhood trauma, generational patterns, and why letting go is not for the other person, it’s for your own peace. We also share stories from schools where testimony reaches the kids who feel unseen, reminding them change is possible because they can see it standing in front of them. If this hits home, subscribe, share it with someone fighting for their next right choice, and leave a review telling us: what does aloha mean to you today? IG @DawnOBrienHI FB Dawn O'Brien HI www.ChooseAloha.org IG @alohaalivepodcast youtube.com/@AlohaAlivePodcast

E:33 The Night God Broke Me — Pastor Andrew Yasuhara

Your phone says you’re connected, but your relationships might say otherwise. We sit down with Pastor Andrew Yasuhara and get into the kind of faith conversation that actually touches real life: how to reach youth who live online, how to rebuild trust after church hurt, and why the most effective ministry tool is still simple presence. Andrew shares why relationship beats trying to look cool, and how being genuinely interested in someone’s life opens doors that no trend can. We also unpack the Yasuhara legacy through his grandfather, Woodrow Yasuhara, a leader known for fighting for pastors, building literal churches with his hands, and living like a bridge builder long before that became a buzzword. If you care about leadership, discipleship, and healthy church culture in Hawaii, there are practical lessons all the way through. Then the conversation turns personal. Andrew gets transparent about marriage, pride, counseling, triggers, and the moment he realized he was the problem. We talk emotional health, “small t trauma,” and what it looks like for a husband to become a steady rock, especially when life gets physically and emotionally hard. We close with a forward-looking vision for Hawaii, from stopping the brain drain to seeing faith grow among students, and a definition of aloha that challenges all of us: being comfortable being uncomfortable for the sake of love. If this resonates, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. IG @DawnOBrienHI FB Dawn O'Brien HI www.ChooseAloha.org IG @alohaalivepodcast youtube.com/@AlohaAlivePodcast