Passports have arrived!

I realize these are pics from Feb, but I know most of you don't care if I am sharing out of order. We had some warm days and the girls got to play outside some. They LOVE our little sandbox. They played so well together with it. I was very impressed. Another day they decided to do some gardening. And then I just put in a pic of Layna with her baby. I think she looks like a Precious Moments doll with her big sad eyes in that pic. She loves taking care of her baby dolls.



And a few fun pics of Layna playing in her rocking chair with her favorite hat. She is a funny girl. I am enjoying her more and more as she begins to show more of her personality. Her favorite words lately are "hallelujah" and "hi-YAH". She loves to play outside and give hugs and kisses :).



So, like the post title says, all of our passports have arrived! It's kind of crazy seeing Layna and Braelyn's pictures in a passport. This desire to "go" and share the gospel in a foreign land has been our plan for so long, but it has always been going to happen "in the future." NOW, the "future" has arrived and we are really going to do this! There are so many emotions, so many thoughts, and so many things to do that are always swirling around in my head. I struggle daily most of the time with not getting overwhelmed with "life". I am realizing how desperately I need to bring myself before the Lord each morning and confess my need of Him and ask Him to fill me up with His Spirit. One thing the Lord has been showing me lately is that some of my reactions and attitudes are not pleasing to Him. I think I justify my frustrations and my bad attitudes in a lot of different ways, but ultimately they are not pleasing to Him and therefore they are sin. I want to learn how to truly live and walk in HIS SPIRIT, and I know that should look much different. It doesn't matter if we go to another continent to be missionaries if I go in my own strength and let my "old self" control me. But if I can learn to crucify my "old self", my flesh, and let Christ live in and through me in the little details and big details of my everyday living......then it doesn't matter where I am in this world, or what I am doing, because I will be pleasing to Him and bringing glory to His name.
I realize learning how to live and walk by His Spirit is a lifelong process, and a daily, minute by minute process as well. But I want the Lord to teach me. Right now I am quoting Galatians 2:20 a lot and praying it. One thing the Lord has taught me is that there is power in His Word.

Well, on a lighter note....Aaron won 2nd place in the Chili cookoff at our church tonight! Woohoo :). We had a fun weekend of fellowship with our sunday school class saturday night and then the chili dinner tonight. We love our church family and are so thankful for them. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I got to talk with both of the missionary women from Kapsowar this past week! It was really nice getting to talk with them and learn more about what our life will be like and just more ideas on what to pack. I will try to put a post up soon just summarizing some of the things that I learned. I am trying to make a habit of updating the blog on Sunday nights, so maybe next week. Hope everyone has a good week!