Aloha

Today is Aloha Sunday at the congregation where we worship. On Aloha Sunday we have morning worship and that is followed by potluck dinner and a devo. Right before the potluck they celebrate birthdays and anniversaries of the month and they present Aloha books to those that are leaving...Well you totally know where I'm going with this. Today was our Aloha Sunday. We still have one more Sunday here, but this was our last potluck and singing. They asked Allen to say a few words at the end of the devotional time together. Aw, he made me cry....he preached unity and love even during times of disagreement. He told them they were family to us and that we would take their aloha spirit with us wherever we go. He told them that they had no idea the pains and trials and struggles we had been going through back on the mainland and the we needed a place to regenerate and we have.

He read Romans 8:1-17

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

God has been good to us for letting us come to Hawaii. We will miss many things about being here. Especially the people. But, it's time to go home. ~Aloha~