Marriage in Light of Eternity {video}

The best talk and take on marriage I have ever heard. By Francis and Lisa Chan. I just got their audiobook, You and Me Forever, and started it today! Finally... the right view on marriage!

My Righteousness

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  ~ Matthew 5:20

Well. I certainly don't feel like my righteousness surpasses that of Pharisees and teachers of the law! So, what does this mean?

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away" (Isaiah 64:6). Yep, my righteousness definitely is better described as filthy rags.

But wait...

God made His Son Jesus “who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).

"For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness," (Isaiah 61:10).

Christ now clothes me with His robes of righteousness! Which FAR surpasses!

He makes me righteous not me. His righteousness is my righteousness. Woohoo!

I'm covered -- literally. You?

*This is not to say that we should not pursue righteousness in our lives. For indeed His Spirit inside us helps us to live and think rightly. But our righteousness does not get us into Heaven -- faith in Christ alone does that and that's how we get His righteousness!
**This is what theologians call the doctrine of imputed righteousness.

Jesus Till I Die {video}

Need some fire in your bones?

Backwards Heart

• We found out the baby is a... BOY!  We were surprised as we thought that the baby was a girl. We haven't settled on a name yet but have ideas :) I began feeling baby movement during 20 weeks.
• First week of June: cardiologist appointment (echo-cardiogram revealed my heart to be normal -- heart wall thickening is now gone! God used Symptometry to heal my heart :); visited Wycliffe's JAARS headquarters; enjoyed a baptism for our Marshallese friends; and, went to the movie theater with a girlfriend.  
• Second week of June: met with my doula; my friend I've known for 16 years visited us for the first time, and we took him to a famous barbeque restaurant in Asheville and a nice lake; and, met my parents halfway so they could take Aolani for her week-long grandparent visit.
• Third week of June: Micaiah got to spend alone time with us since Aolani was with my parents; had the gender ultrasound and celebrated by going to the park and getting ice cream; had chiropractic appointments (which Micaiah calls a massage:); retrieved Aolani and celebrated Father's Day at a new restaurant.
• Fourth week of June: attended Ricky's annual court reporting conference for one night, which was held at the casino in Cherokee, NC this year (I homeschooled in the hotel room while Ricky had meetings); and, then we left there and headed to Kentucky for our 10-year college reunion at Asbury University. They put on camps for all the kids (swimming, games, movies -- fun)! Meanwhile, we attended chapels, events, fireworks... and caught up with friends and professors. We stayed with a friend and got to share a few meals:) We went to our friends' house church and received prayers and prophecies :) We even were able to meet Ricky's dad and brother for lunch and the park, and we got to get together with other college friends for a cookout and to let our kids play. Before we left the next day, we had a brunch with some friends and got a few dream interpretations to test ;) Our trip was a very enriching time!
• Last week of June: visited a Guatemalan church, and received a visit from a friend as we celebrated her birthday and the end of a school year!
• Micaiah's mishaps: When Aolani was gone for her grandparent week, he commented, "I forgot what Aolani looks like; I need to go to the fridge to remember!" (her picture is on the fridge); after watching a cartoon version of The Hobbit, he informed us, "This movie is good for your mind"; and, has begun to pronounce 'L's not as the 'W' sound, and his speech is so cute right now as he is making the effort and emphasizing those syllables!
• Aolani's antics: was really sad when we found out the baby is a boy; loves to boss littler kids around; asked, "How long do I have to walk to get to the end of the universe?"; loves all flowers, card-making, and giving; is growing more defiant and acts like a teenager; and, began swimming by herself!

Micaiah and Ricky's top priority during our week alone with him was to build the Lord of the Ring Lego castle set ;)

Girl in wheelchair homeschooling in casino hotel room -- yep, that's got to be a first!

Cherokee is in the Great Smokey mountains, which boasts of its bears

Classic Micaiah

driving through the Great Smokey mountains

a little nervous going down an inflatable slide for the first time

at a cookout with our friends from college and their kids

Aolani's butterfly garden {see video below}

Our friend, Wes, who visited

Celebrating a new baby brother with frozen yogurt ;)

Kids' Camp at our college reunion

Aolani wanted to bake Rosemary-Cornmeal cookies for our new neighbors :)

5 months pregnant

• School verses: Micaiah -- Philippians 3:1, Psalm 119:105, John 3:16 ; Aolani -- Proverbs 1:7, and worked on learning the books of the New Testament
• Verses I memorized: Matthew 5:20-24