A couple weeks after I got home form school I got a letter from Kevin. I sat on the back patio drinking some lemonade and nibbling on an oatmeal cookie as I read it.

May 25, 2010

Dear Hana,

By the time you get this you've succesfully completed your first year of college! Congratulations!!!! :D How does it feel to be done with one of your 4 years? Are you taking any summer class or were you going to be too busy helping with the wedding?

We're heading out for the phillipines on the tenth, so if you want to talk or get a hold of me email or phone would be best. I'm so excited for the trip though! :D I've heard our song Bingeul Bingeul is topping the charts there and I bet it's going to be crazy at the airport with fans. It gets a little hectic at times trying to be polite yet keep moving, but it's good to know we have fans that really enjoy our music that much.

They've been having us film all sorts of variety shows in addition to our normal scheduled activities like Alexander, Eli, and I being hosts of Pops in Seoul. Kiseop's doing uljjang shidae 2 a show of pretty guys and girls. Dongho's been doing several variety shows of a variety of sorts. Eli also took up MCing the show Fusion. Kibum and Eli are also going to be in a Thai drama called Autumn's Destiny in the near future too. 

I feel like God's been really blessing me lately between Norae and how well things are going with U-KISS. I hope things are going okay with Matt or I'll come teach him a lesson even if it means I have to leave U-KISS. I've been praying for you, him, Mary, and Kris lately. 

Love, 

~Kevin <3

P.S. It was like torture not being able to talk to you for that week and I'll probably say that a million more times whenever we talk. 

I heard Mary's voice as she came through the house to where I was sitting just as I finished the letter. 

"Hey! What are you up to?"

"Reading a letter."

"From your boyfriend?" she teased

"Why in the world does everyone keep saying that?" I groaned.

"Because you two would make the cutest couple ever!" she giggled.

I sighed "Maybe so, but it's not going to happen. What are you here for anyway?"

"Mmmm no reason really, but do you want to go for a bike ride?"

"Sure. Let me change out of my skirt though."

"Yeah, I don't want you getting decapitated by the bike wheels." she laughed.

I giggled "I don't think my mom would appreciate you returning me in less than one piece."

"Yeah, go change so we can get a move on!" she said pushing me into the house.

"Okay, okay I'm going. Why don't you grab a cookie and lemonade while I'm changing."

"Sounds great!" She said grabbing a couple cookies to munch and I heard her open the fridge as I darted up the stairs to my room.

A few minutes later we were on our way to bike around the lake just a few blocks from our house. On the far side of the lake we stopped and sat on the grass by the pond watching the ducks swim along. Mary tossed a few crumbs of her leftover cookie to them and they were happily gobbled up in a manner of seconds.

"They're so cute." I sighed

"Yeah, look at all the little ones."

"I should get a pet duck."

"I don't think they're allowed in the city Mary."

"I know, but it would be fun."

"Yep. So how are you and Kris doing?"

"Fine I guess. We're back to being friends again."

"Oh really?" I said happily.

"Yep, I do still like him, but he's changed so much."

"I think for the better."

"Yeah, that's what scares me."

"Mary, how could you be scared of something better?"

"I don't know....I guess it's like he's almost too perfect for me now."

"I see, why don't you try coming along to the Youth Bible Study at church?"

"I don't know....those make me kind of uncomfortable."

"If you're uncomfortable God might be saying 'Hey Mary! Something's not quite right here and it needs fixing.'"

"Maybe, but can we please not talk about this now."

"Okay, but would you come just once? I miss having my friend to hang around with there."

"But you have other friends there." she stated.

"Yes, but they're not you!" I gave her a sad puppy dog face.

"Fine, I'll come once."

"Yay!" I said giving her a hug. "I can't wait!"

That night Mary came to the Youth Bible Study at church with me, and Kris picked us up. "Are you ready for fun?" I asked her. 

"Totally." said Mary somewhat sarcastically.

"Yep!" said Kris happily -I couldn't tell if he was happier that Mary was coming or that there was a bible study for our age group to go to. Kris had been attending my church lately too and really hit it off with the pastor.

Mary seemed to enjoy the games we played at the beginning, but I could tell she felt a little out of sorts during the message Pastor gave. 

"Let's open our bibles to Romans chapter 8 today."

"Hana, would you read the first four verses?"

"Sure! Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives you life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son to in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemmed sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the spirit."

"Okay, does anyone want to explain this? James." he called on a boy

"Doesn't it mean that because Jesus died for us we are no longer bound to sin and are no longer condemmed?"

"Yes, you're correct. Anyone else? Lauren." he called on a girl this time.

"Is it talking about the old testament law in verse 2?"

"Yes, it is. The law he had given the people was no longer their way for slavation once Jesus had died for them. Jesus, God in the flesh, took the place of the blood sacrifices once and for all in that by dying on the cross his blood covered our sinful flesh to make us pure. Yes, Kris?"

"Does that mean we don't need to follow the old testament laws like the ten commandments?"

"No, I think the ten commandments are important guidlines for living a Christian life, but God doesn't want us to get caught up in the motions. The pharasees were a good example of this because although they followed the law by action and words, they didn't grasp the truths God had laid out for them. If you read how they reacted to the various parables you can see how getting caught up in the motions of things can make you miss the points God was trying to make. Does that make sense?"

"I think so. Thanks Pastor."

"No problem. Anyone else? Yes, Mary is it?" he asked as I looked at her in surprise."

 "Yes, it's Mary. What does it mean to not live according to the flesh?"

"Good question. The next verse or two talks about that. Would you mind reading through verse 8 for me?" he asked her and she nodded. I handed her my bible, so she could read.

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.  Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

"Very good. This illustrates that when we are unbelievers we desire things that the world does and that are contrary to God. However, once we have believed and accepted Christ as our savior our hearts change to seek the things that are righteous. Without God we are dead in our sins, but with him we are set free and filled with his peace. People who are unbelievers often feel God is out to get them and try to do everything they can to get away; when the opposite is really true. 

Our God is a God of love and wants everyone to repent and turn to him. However, he does not tolerate sin and without a person's accpetance of his gift of salvation we are blemished and impure. Being blemished and impure this seperates us from God forever in eternal punishment for our sins no matter how small. We can only be made pure and acceptable for his prescence by his son's precious shed blood.

Anyways, back to your question. God instructs us that we should no long continue in our sinful ways. Let's use one of the ten commandments for this as an application. Say someone used to steal all the time becomes a believer. Once he's become a believer he realizes he shouldn't be stealing anymore. This man goes out and finds an honest job instead of stealing. Sometimes he's tempted to take things, but now as a believer he knows he not only has law enforcement to answer to, but God as well. In a nutshell, whatever we are doing that is against God's commandments, he wants us to stop them and instead seek a closer walk with him. Without God it's essentially impossible to get rid of what's holding us back spiritually, but with him we can overcome anything. Does that all make sense?"

I saw Mary think before nodding. I was happy she was asking questions instead of just sitting and listening. We went through a few more verses in that passage with discussion time before it was time to have a snack and head home. You'll never guess what we had -cookies and lemonade!

*Hi Lovelies! Hope you've been well. I've been really busy trying to work ahead in my classes, so I can finish them early. I'm hoping to take either quick term or a quarter class or two at a different college, so I proably won't have as much time to update or write once october hits. I hope this chapter made sense and if I made a doctrinal boo boo I apologize -I'm not perfect and aren't we all in a perpetual learning phase when it comes to a relationship with God?! Take care my dears & God be with you! ~AA