"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)
I trust that everyone enjoyed Christmas with family but most importantly celebrating Jesus' birthday. We had a wonderful time on Christmas Eve and Christmas day with family. We did miss my parents who are in Oregon visiting my brother and sister-in-law. We celebrated an early Christmas with my parents and grandparents a couple weeks ago, which was also Karsten's birthday. Karsten is 7 now and growing up too fast!! He had a fun day going to Chef Wang's and opening up a LOT of presents. Today is my brother's birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALAN!! I can't believe he's 35...and that we're ten years apart =). Okay...that's not true but he is 35.
Karsten had a lot of fun opening presents yesterday. We surprised him with a Wii. We had bought him one a month ago and then a couple weeks later Brad called me from work and said that he won a Wii. We gave all the praise to God for providing that, so we returned the Wii we purchased. God has given Karsten such a thankful heart. We had hid the Wii and he thought he was done opening presents. Karsten was so grateful for his other gifts and never mentioned about not getting a Wii, just thankful for the presents he received. Below is a picture of Karsten opening his Wii.
I had my moment missing Kyler but rejoice knowing that he was with Jesus celebrating His birthday. And then we think about Kylie and long to have her with us. I have another praise to share. Some of the adoption expenses have been increasing and one of them is the orphanage donation fee that's increasing from $3,000 to $5,000 (we just found out last week). Brad and I never told anyone about it. We just believed God would provide somehow...He always does. And God did miraculously provide what we needed this past week. I get teared up thinking about it. Glory to God!
I hope everyone has a blessed 2009. Please pray with us and for us, believing that we will get to bring Kylie home in 2009.
Happy Birthday, Karsten. We love you and are so blessed to be your Mommy and Daddy!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We enjoyed some time with Brad's family on Thanksgiving day and then went to my parents' house in Chattanooga for a couple nights. Friday evening we went downtown to the Christmas lighting boat parade where we enjoyed having hot chocolate down by the river, and then enjoyed the other festivities they had going on. Here are some pictures from that night.
And here is Karsten with his great-grandparents--
I want to be transparent for just a little bit. Here lately I've been having a hard time missing my son Kyler. I know that while here on earth I am always going to miss him. I have said before that time does not heal, only God does. It is evident that until I am with my Husband Redeemer there is going to be sadness and sorrow here on earth. I am ever so grateful that God says in His Word that sorrow and sadness will flee away (Isaiah 35:10). This time of the year is especially difficult for people who have lost loved ones. There are many in this world broken and hopeless. The loss of a child is something you never get over. Recently, I was talking with my neighbor and found out that her 2 day old son went to live with Jesus 43 years ago. As she was telling me tears formed in her eyes. She is still grieving, yet with hope for she knows that one sweet day she will be reunited with her son.
I will admit that I have been focusing on my pain rather than the ultimate goal--the assurance of eternity in heaven where there will be everlasting joy and no more pain. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, I need to fix my eyes on what in unseen which is eternal because the things that we can see are temporary. I pray that the resurrection power of Christ will strengthen those around the world who are suffering.
I thank God for His many blessings over my life. He is so gracious to me. The pain and suffering that Christ endured for me is unspeakable. He alone is worthy of my praise and I bow down to Him. God is so patient with me and I am so thankful for the wonderful husband He gave me, for Karsten and what a kind and loving son he is, for little baby and Kyler and how God continues to use them to teach me to cherish each day, and for Kylie who has been growing in my heart for 4 years now--I love Kylie as much as I do Karsten and Kyler. How I pray that we will have her soon. I am also so thankful for my mom and dad and seeing them grow in the sweetness of the Lord. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I am so thankful that this world is not my home and that God is preparing a home for me in heaven! This life is only an introduction to our eternity.
God continues to stir my heart for orphans. The almost four years that God first called me to adopt a girl from China has grown into caring for more orphans. Throughout the Bible, God shows His love and compassion for orphans and we as believers need to be doing more. I believe the first thing is through prayer. I pray that the Lord will stir the hearts of other people who will take care of orphans. From what I have read there are 130 million orphans in the world. Little boys and girls that long to have a mommy and daddy to love and care for them. As it says in the Bible, God is the Defender of the orphans. I pray that He will set the lonely in families.
According to the Bible, Moses, Samuel, Esther, and Jesus were adopted. And we as believers were adopted into God's family when we trusted Christ as our Savior. That's how beautiful adoption is. I was not born into God's family...I was adopted. Ephesians 1:5 says, "In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ..."
If God loves us so much that He wants us to be adopted into His family, then I believe that we need to love and care for the orphans. I'm not saying that everyone is supposed to adopt a child, however I do think each of us should begin on our knees praying that patient and loving families will adopt a child. Ask God to protect orphans who have no place to call home. Also, please pray for waiting families who are anxious in getting their children.
I'm sure it came as no surprise to God that our President-elect is Barack Obama. I do stress that God, not our world leaders, decides the outcome of history for He alone sets up kings and kingdoms.
Romans 13:1--"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."
Again, we must pray diligently for our leaders as God instructs us to in 1 Timothy 2: 1-2--"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
Our nation needs to turn to godliness and holiness, which comes from knowing Jesus as Savior. The killing of unborn babies is not godly and holy. Abortion is murder! There are many families who are unable to have babies that would love to adopt. I pray that women would choose adoption rather than abortion. Did you know that the heartbeat of a baby begins around day 18? That's before women even know for sure that they are pregnant. That is a life! I take abortion issues very personal having miscarried a baby at 8 weeks followed by the loss of my full-term baby at 38 weeks. God is the giver and taker of lives.
Psalm 2 " Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' The One enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them...therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers ofthe earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him."
It is obvious that over half of the Americans that voted do not agree with God's standards of living. It is clear from God's Word, that those who forsake the Lord will suffer the consequences. Just like in 2 Chronicles 7 where God told King Solomon that if he turns away from the Lord to go off and serve other gods and worship them then God will uproot Israel from His land...people will then ask, "Why has the LORD done such a thing?", and the people will answer, "because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them--that is why He brought all this disaster on them" (vv.19-22).
God is omnipotent and omniscient. I may have lost confidence in our nation, but I do have confidence in God. I serve a holy, righteous, and just God. For everything He has a purpose. I pray that our country will seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways.
Psalm 1:6 says, "For the LORD watches over the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
I rejoice as I listen to the song being played that "I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand...till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand."
As I was driving down the road yesterday, I stopped at a red light behind a woman who had a picture of Obama on the back of her vehicle. What surprised me was what was written on this picture...the word "HOPE". I thought to myself, how sad that she puts her hope in a man. Whoever you are voting for, please don't put your hope in Obama or McCain. Each one of them will let you down at some time because they are human. Instead, put your hope in Jesus Christ, the only sinless human being that walked the earth because he was and is 100% God and will never let you down. We live in a corrupt and evil world because of our sinful natures. I'm not worried about the election because I put my trust in the Lord and He alone is in charge of this entire world. I pray that His will will be done on November 4th. We as a believers need to pray for our leaders to turn to Jesus. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (God speaking), "If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sins, and heal their land." Thank you, Lord, that this world is not my home...as the apostle Paul stated we are strangers on this earth. Those of us who know Christ as our Savior will spend forever and ever in heaven. On the other hand, there are thousands dying each day and going to hell. People need the Lord, and He wants us!
Brad, Karsten and I had the wonderful privilege of going to Florida over fall break last week. My mom and dad are there for a month and invited us to come down...thanks Mom and Dad!! I enjoyed some quite moments in the presence of God just admiring His creation of the ocean, the beautiful sunrise and sunset, and just listening to the sound of the waves. I had some very sweet moments with God and He revealed to me through His word things in my life where I need to change. I am ever so thankful that His compassion never fails!
No fish, but Karsten caught some seaweed :-)
Looking for ghost crabs at night
Playing putt-putt at Hawaiian Falls
Karsten with his Grammy & Happy
Taking a break from the beach Praising God for the hope we have in Him...still waiting and praying for Kylie Hope.
I came across this picture of Karsten from last October at the dairy farm. This was such an enjoyable field trip and as you can see he thought giving the calf some water was really neat. Karsten loves animals and has told his daddy and me that he wished we lived on a farm. I guess a dog and two cats are not enough for him :-). Karsten is such a caring person that it doesn't surprise me that he wants cows, goats, horses, etc.
So I'm sure you all have noticed my blog had a makeover. Thank you again, Becky. It was such a wonderful privilege meeting Becky via the internet and learning that she and her family home school and are in the process of adopting their 2nd daughter from China. It's encouraging to have the support and prayers of others who are waiting along with us.
God gave me these verses this morning that spoke to me. In Romans 8:24-25, Paul says that "hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
God knows what He's doing. As we wait patiently for our Kylie Hope, we continue to trust Him and serve Him. We don't know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.
"Bless the LORD O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name." (Psalm 103:1)
We deeply covet everyone's prayers for our adoption. Too many sad things going on in China with the poisoned milk that has sickened over 50,000 babies. As my heart breaks for these babies I can't imagine what it does to God. As it stands, the CCAA is only doing 6 referral dates per month which means if that continues it could be another 2 years before we get Kylie (even though we are only 5 months away from our date). I know that is probably confusing to most of you and believe me it took me a while to figure it out. On the other hand, I serve a BIG God and He can do what we think is the impossible. We are still believing God and trusting that we will get our daughter at just the right time.
Last Friday we had to get re-fingerprinted for the 3rd time. Can you believe that? Every 15 months our fingerprints expire according to Immigration services. It starts to get more costly having to redo things...there again God has a purpose. In May 2009, our orphan petition expires--it lasts 18 months, so if we don't have Kylie before then, then we will be refiling for that for the 3rd time.
As I type this information, I am by no means complaining. I'm doing it so one day we can look back and recall the journey that God had us on. I believe that through this God is preparing us for something. He does everything for His glory and He just wants us to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Some people have made comments about changing to domestic or to another country. My heart has been burdened for a chinese girl for nearly 4 years (December '04). Brad and I were in prayer about it for a year. Only God has given us that desire and when He does the peace of it is so real. We just know that China is where our daughter is. We have prayed for Kylie Hope long before she was ever born (she still may not have been conceived yet). But our heavenly Father knows who she is and He has chosen her for us and us for her.
As we wait, we want to bless God with our lives. All that is within us we should be blessing God with our thoughts (Phil. 4:8), our tongues (James 3), and be striving to live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:11). God has blessed us tremendously through giving us salvation, forgiving our sins, and redeeming us from death.
Holy and gracious Father, thank You for this journey You have us on. Thank You for how You've taught us so many things and how You continue to reveal Your loving presence to us. Help us to always bless You with our thoughts, our tongues, and our actions. We know that from You and through You and to You are all things. In Jesus' name we pray.
I am so thankful I serve a God of truth and righteousness! There is only one God. I feel sorry for people who either do not believe in God or who put their faith in other "gods." The Bible is clear all throughout that Jesus Christ is God and apart from Him there is no other.
Isaiah 44:24- *The Lord says that He's our Redeemer who formed us in the womb *He made all things who alone stretched out the heavens
Isaiah 45 (God speaking)- *I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God (v.5) *Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker (v.9) *It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it (v.12) *My own hands stretched out the heavens (v.12) *He who created the heavens, He is God (v.18) *He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it (v.18) *I am the Lord and there is no other (v.18) *I the Lord speak the truth--I declare what is right (v.19) *And there is no God apart from me (v.21) *A righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me (v.21) *Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear (v.23) *They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength' (v.24)
The only thing that will matter when I depart from this earth is what I have done for Christ and His kingdom. I am saying this for my benefit because at times we all tend to get caught up in the worldly things and can lose focus on what truly is most important. Money, power, worldly pleasures, only last for a little while. We can never find contentment or satisfaction in those things because we'll always want more. We can, however, find lasting contentment in Jesus and His eternal Word. Isaiah 40:8 says that "the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." As believers we need to encourage fellow believers and pray for one another. Also, as believers we need to fervently pray that we will be used as vessels for Christ, pointing unbelievers to a new life in Christ. Lastly, we need to lift up our government leaders in prayer and that our country will turn back to what is was founded upon.
So undeserving yet so thankful to be His, Jennifer
I know it's been a while since I last posted. Karsten and I are enjoying 1st grade. I thank God for the wonderful privilege of being able to homeschool. I want Karsten (and Kylie) to be grounded in their faith and one of the advantages of homeschooling is that we can talk about Jesus all throughout our school day. I desire them to obtain godly characteristics and virtues. I realize that everyone has his or her own opinion of homeschooling, and just with public and private schools, there are pros and cons. However, Brad and I believe we are doing what the Lord wants us to do. Plus, we ask Karsten and he says he likes being homeschooled. He is not socially deprived. We are involved in a homeschool association where we get together with other moms and children to go on field trips. Karsten gets to attend Valentine, Christmas, and other holiday parties. He plays baseball, soccer, and soon will be playing basketball. And, most importantly, we spend much time at church and have many activities there for the children. I know of at least ten families at our church who homeschool.
It's amazing to know that there are over 2 million children homeschooled in the United States. We need to remember to pray that our homeschooling rights will not be taken away from us. The government doesn't think that parents are capable of teaching their children. The government wants to decide what is best for our children. We know that God's Word says different.
Changing the subject, I wanted to give you an update on our adoption. The CCAA has completed referrals through 2/9/06. It is exciting to see that the months are getting closer to ours' (7/14/06) =). Please keep praying!
In closing, I wanted to ask everyone to remember Brian and Heather Laird in your prayers. On September 3rd their infant daughter, Ella Joy, was born into the arms of Jesus. Having been down that dark road over 4 years ago, I know they have some tough days ahead. It's something that never goes away and life is never the same. Please pray that God's loving presence will be revealed to them, that they will grow in their faith and draw closer to God. Satan loves to attack during these times. Pray that God's loving strength and grace will sustain them and that they will have comfort and peace from the Comforter and Prince of Peace. Also, pray for their two young sons who I know will have many questions down the road. I know they covet your prayers!
Each life is valuable to God, and life begins at conception. So for Ella and Kyler, I want to end on a very special verse to me.
Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."
So many have asked and wondered how the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) determines what baby we get. Actually, it is some process! First, our dossier went through the review room over a year ago. From there it goes to the matching room which will remain there until they get to our log-in date of July 14, 2006. Currently, the next referral batch is for February 2006 (slowwwwwly getting there) ;-).
It's very peculiar, I think, how the matchers match families and babies. First they look for something that stands out: a matching birthday, a baby who looks a lot like a parent --any blonde-haired chinese babies?:-), a baby who likes music and a parent who teaches music, sometimes they match by bone structure of the baby's face and the parent's faces, which is why they need a picture of our passport photos, and some use chinese astrology. Once they've matched they then start to look at things like age of child requested; however, the age of child is not a priority for them because they feel they are matching families and not filling orders.
Now with that all said, I know that the baby we get is ultimately up to God. In fact, He already knows who she is. Her mommy, daddy, and brother all have brown eyes so we will have that in common ;-). As I've said many times, we already love Kylie so much. We praise God for impressing upon our hearts to adopt her.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:13-16)
Has everyone been enjoying watching the Olympics? We've been watching about an hour or so of it at night. Obviously, with the Olympics being in Beijing all we can think about is our little girl over there in one of China's provinces. How we think and pray for you through out each day, Kylie!!
As I think about prayer and praying God's Word over my children, I'm reminded of the sweetness of God's Word. Psalm 119:103 says, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth." Something really sweet happened the other night that Brad and I will never forget. We try (notice I didn't say every night) to do a family devotion after dinner, which has turned out to be such cherished moments. Karsten and I usually have our morning Bible time together, but the times when his daddy is with us is even better. We were sitting in the living room and Karsten was on his daddy's lap. We had just finished our devotion and then each of us took turns praying. What Karsten said was unforgettable. He said, "thank you God for my mommy and daddy teaching me the Bible." I'm not saying that in a bragging way because I sin everyday and will never be perfect here on earth. However, that was very encouraging and reminded me that when we sow in the Spirit we'll reap in the Spirit. One of my prayers is for Karsten and Kylie to live pure and holy lives and have a passion for Jesus Christ. Even if you have infants, read the Bible to them. Or better yet if a baby is in your womb. We can keep our way pure by living according to God's Word (Psalm 119:9). We need the sweetness of God's Word so others can know Jesus.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the suffering of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows" (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
As I reflect upon the last 4 1/2 years, these verses have given me new meaning. Losing a child is one of the worst things a parent can go through. I remember at the beginning there were many mornings when Brad and I did not even want to get out of bed. Still to this day, Kyler is who I think about when I fall asleep and I think about him when I wake up. Grief is such a strange thing. Brad, Karsten and I will always grieve over him, but the pain has lessened somewhat. I don't feel guilty anymore for laughing nor do I still cry everyday, but when the tears do come they really fall hard.
God said that we shouldn't be surprised when trials come our way. They are going to come in this life, it's a fact. I know of at least 9 families, 8 of them have lost babies and 1 was a 5 year old just in the past year. They are the Piper's, Kenderdine's, Hasenbalg's, Smith's, Skagg's, Marks', Sponberg's, Larsen's and Chapman's. I do know that all these families are grounded in their faith and they hold on to hope. The verses I listed above mean that through the suffering we endure we can help comfort others who are going through a similar situation. Oh how I pray for these families and ones around the world everyday who are suffering but may have no hope. That's the difference. We who have trusted Christ as our Lord and Savior have the hope and promise of eternal life with Him. The hope of being reunited with our loved ones, the hope of not having to be separated from our children anymore, we have this hope as an anchor.
God has a purpose for each thing He does and gives us. He doesn't want us to become bitter, he wants us to become better, to be more like Him. I think of Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "Not Home Yet," that says, we are not home yet, we are not home yet, keep on looking ahead let your heart not forget we are not home yet. I am so glad this world isn't my home. God has prepared for me a home in heaven someday. As for now, my journey here continues.
Hi everyone! We still continue to wait and pray for Kylie Hope. With the Olympics beginning next Friday, we are unsure right now if the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) will be working on referrals. The next referrals are for part of the month of February '06. As a reminder, our date is 7-14-06. We do know that families from our adoption agency will be traveling to China during the Olympics, which is a praise because originally we were informed that families would have to wait until the Olympics were over before traveling. I do believe God was behind that. :-)
Brad, Karsten, and I pray and think about Kylie so much. Even though she is not with us yet, she is already a part of our family just like Kyler is and will always be a part of our family. As much as I love my children, I can't even fathom how much more God loves them. After all, they are His and He has given us Karsten and eventually Kylie to raise for a while. I know that they are in God's hands and protection. I am blessed that He has given Brad and me the privilege of being their parents and being able to point them to Christ and to live for Him.
Getting back to 'love', I was curious about how many times that word appeared in the Bible. Depending upon the translation, the average was about 550 times. Wow! Enough said right there. Jesus says a lot about love. Here are just a few:
*God loves us (John 3:16) *God is to be our first love (Matthew 6:24; 10:37) *We are to love God (Matthew 22:37) *We show that we love God when we obey Him (John 14:21; 15:10) *Those who reject Jesus don't have God's love (John 5:41-44) *Jesus proved His love for us by dying on the cross so that we could live forever with Him (John 3:14,15; 15:13,14) *God loves those who hate Him and we are to love those who hate us (Matthew 5:43-47; Luke 6:35) *We are commanded to love one another (John 13:34,35) *Jesus extends His love to each person (Mark 10:21, John 10:11-15)
Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life for us, so we are to love others as Jesus loves us. Just as we want to give our children good things, imagine how much more our Father wants to give us, His children. Whether or not Kylie has been born yet, I know she is being loved by God. Each of us were valuable and loved by God before we were ever created in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5). We were on His mind when He was on the cross. If Kylie is already on this earth, again I know she's loved by God and we pray that someone in an orphanage or foster home is loving her. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Kylie and us. Thank you church family for already caring so much about Kylie. It's so encouraging to us each week when asked about our adoption. Keep praying! We love each and everyone of you.
We live in a world that is constantly changing, but I am so grateful that we serve a God who never changes. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." It has been encouraging to me reading this verse again, for I have an unspoken prayer request and would appreciate your prayers.
I have enjoyed focusing on God's promises. Not only is He unchangeable, God is holy, just, righteous, sovereign, loving, faithful, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and forgiving. Psalm 33:4 says, "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." God's promises are always fulfilled. His Word says that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and God will supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19).
All of us, I'm sure, can testify that we have broken a promise at least once in our lives. Aren't you glad that God never has nor never will! He is the promise keeper. Even in Noah's days we read where God promised to never again destroy the earth until the judgment day when Jesus returns to wipe out evil forever. Even the change of seasons is a reminder of God's faithfulness and promises, "as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Genesis 8:22).
As I ponder on God's faithfulness to me, I realize my need to be more faithful to Him. God is faithful to those who obey Him. Just like how God was faithful to Noah because he was righteous, blameless, and obedient. I am reminded that being faithful to God springs from a trusting, believing heart. This summer I have been doing a Wednesday morning Bible study called "Believing God" by Beth Moore. I actually did this same study four summers ago at a time when I really needed it because it had only been a few months since Kyler went to heaven. I know that God knew then what I needed and even then, He was and still is faithful. Now 4 years later I'm doing the same study, and again it's at a time when God knew I would need it. In that study, there is a five statement pledge of faith we do every week and I wanted to share them with you. 1. God is who He says He is. 2. God can do what He says He can do. 3. I am who God says I am. 4. I can do all things through Christ. 5. God's Word is alive and active in me.
I'm believing God!
If I allow any unbelief to take root in my heart then I cannot be faithful to God. Hebrews 3:12 states, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God."
What an awesome reminder that our faith is in the God who created the whole world by His word. God's Word is powerful and it is alive. I am living proof that God and His Word can transform lives. He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Mighty God, Wonderful Counselor, El Roi--the God who sees, the First and the Last, God Most High, along with many other names. God knows all that we're going through and He wants us to come boldly to Him. Jesus experienced all that we go through plus much more. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." The Lord preserves the faithful. While I've been typing I've had the song "Great is Thy Faithfulness" going through my mind. It's something worth clinging to. I'll close with the lyrics of a verse and the chorus. May we all remember to live by faith and God's promises, not what we see.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand has provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
You've been growing in our hearts for quite some time now. For me, 3 1/2 years. Today is the 2 year mark we've been "officially" waiting for you. When we started the adoption process it was only suppose to be an 8 month wait. Now it's over 2 years. We love you and pray for you everyday. I believe and pray that God is preparing you for us. Your Daddy and Mommy and big brother, Karsten, love and adore you. We know that our loving Heavenly Father is watching over you and protecting you. He loves you so much!
Romans 15:13 spoke to my heart this morning. "May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit."
I wish I could say I have stuck to this title over the last 2 1/2 years, but I haven't. Patience is not easy, but it is one of the nine character traits of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). God wants us to live by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit; therefore, we need to be patient people.
Monday, July 14, will be 2 years since our dossier (pronounced "doss-ee-ay") was logged in at the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs). Two years waiting for our daughter, Kylie! We long for the day we will hold her and tell her we love her. We know that God has a plan and a purpose for the long wait. Ultimately, God is in control. I have learned that we need to trust God to give us patience during those times when all we must do is wait. Our desires are worth waiting for...Kylie is worth the wait...God is worth waiting for. Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
God has taught me a few things while waiting for Kylie. He has showed me that it's not about what I want in my life rather it's what God wants. God knows what is best for each of us. God has been teaching me and maturing me as I wait for Kylie. Lamentations 3:24-26 tells us to wait for the Lord and that He is good to those whose hope is in Him. In addition, I have had the privilege of telling others about Christ and what He's doing in my life. I usually get asked the question, "Is Karsten your only child?" My reply is, "No, I have another son who lives in heaven, and I have a daughter in China who we're waiting to adopt." From there I am able to share God's goodness and faithfulness. God always has a purpose for everything He does and I truly believe He has a purpose for our waiting. I have to keep believing God that He is who He says He is.
How I pray that I choose to learn and grow in the Lord as I wait rather than complain. Complaining never changes the outcome anyhow. I serve a patient God...oh how He has been so patient with me over the years! 2 Peter 3:8-9 tells us, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." If a thousand years are like a day to God, then our waiting 2 years is probably less than a minute to Him. Waiting for God doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing. Walk with God and live for Him. He is what really matters.
First let me start by saying thank you for the sweet comments, emails, and for your prayers for Kylie. I know that God is still working. Yesterday I was thinking about what to post on the blog. In the adoption process, we have been in the "waiting period" for almost 2 years so it's only about once every month we receive an update from the adoption agency. (The next referral batch will be for the February 2006 LID, our's is July 2006). So I began to pray and ask God to help me what to say. I believe that the Holy Spirit living inside me does give power to my words so it isn't just me, it's God speaking through me. He truly is amazing! I was thinking about and remembering my friend, Paige Pickard, this morning. Today is her birthday. She would have turned 33 today. God took her home to heaven when she was 17. I always remember Paige as being a one-of-a-kind friend. She had a glow and sparkle about her that I had always envied. Paige wasn't like most of my other friends when I was a teenager. She lived that separated life (that I now know about). What made her different than my other friends? Paige loved Jesus. She lived a godly and holy life. After she departed this earth, God used Paige to have an impact for Christ. I heard things at her funeral that I had never heard. I wanted what she had. God used Paige to plant seeds in my life and then God did the rest. I didn't surrender my life to Christ right away; in fact, it was 5 years later when I gave my life to Christ and trusted Him as my Savior. I thank God for Paige. I want you to know that if you are going through a difficult season in your life right now, hand it over to God. If you don't have a personal relationship with Him then tell me, I want to pray for you. God will not waste a single hurt that we endure. He is loving toward all He made and is faithful in keeping His promises.
I know of other people who gave their lives to the Lord after Paige's death. Thinking of Paige, I am reminded of how our lives here on earth are so short compared to eternity, whether it's a really short time like Kyler's or someone who lives to be 100. James 4:14 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist (or vapor) that appears for a little while and then vanishes." I realize in my own life I need to be doing more for Christ. Think of all the persecuted Christians in other countries that are being imprisoned or even killed for telling about Jesus. How I pray to have more boldness and courage in witnessing to others.
I am weak, that's why I need Jesus. Those of us in Christ are His personal representatives. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 says, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." How I pray that we draw attention to the treasure that is inside us and not to ourselves. I want to end by asking you all to please pray for continued strength and comfort for Paige's mom, dad, and sister. I think Casting Crowns' song "Who am I" would be perfect to listen to. Enjoy.
Hi~as I mentioned in the previous post, in December 2004 God gave me the desire to adopt a baby girl from China. At the same time, I also wanted to be pregnant again. After a year of Brad and me earnestly praying for God's direction in this matter, I still wasn't pregnant, God had taken away the desire for me to get pregnant, and He had given both of us a strong desire to adopt. We knew without a doubt that God had chosen us to be parents to an orphan girl across the world. As I titled this post, Psalm 37:4 had become evident in my life. Let these words sink in--"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Does that mean that God gives us everything we want? No it doesn't. God wants us to delight in Him, have a passion for Him. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." God wants to pour out His blessings on us. He loves each and everyone of us.
You may be wondering where we came up with the name 'Kylie Hope.' Just three months after Kyler Braden entered into heaven, Brad and I had picked out names for a girl and boy if God should give us more. 'Kylie' is of course named after Kyler and 'Hope' is, well, there is hope in Jesus. We know that we have the hope of heaven someday, meeting our Savior face to face, and living forever with Him, worshipping at His feet, and being reunited with Kyler forever. That is what we cling to. Revelation 21:4 says that God "will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Let me go on to verse 5: "He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'" I hope each person reading this knows that there is more beyond this life. The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. Put your faith and trust in Him. God is faithful and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Let me get back to telling you about our adoption process. In January 2006 we started the paperwork. God was so faithful in providing the money everytime an installment was due. Which reminds me of the next verse in Psalms I was mentioning earlier. Psalm 37:5 says, "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this." So we delighted in Him and He gave us the desire to adopt Kylie. Then we committed and trusted in God and He provided what we needed. God is the God of wonders. Originally, from start to finish, the whole process was only supposed to be 1 1/2 years. Do the math and yes it has been 2 1/2 years. I have learned that God is not on my timetable, but that I am on His. God has taught me much the last couple of years about waiting and patience. God's timing is perfect and we all know that we will get our daughter in His perfect time because we serve a perfect God :-)
Our dossier (paperwork) was sent to China June 29, 2006, and our log-in-date (LID) is July 14, 2006. That's when the official wait time begins. It continues to increase but I am holding on to Mark 9:23, Jesus speaking, that says--"Everything is possible to him who believes." God is huge so we are trusting Him. We know that He is still at work even if we don't see. Afterall, that is what faith is--believing what we don't see. We are now waiting for her referral which is her picture and identity. Once we receive the referral, we will travel approximately 8 weeks later and will be in China for 2 weeks. In addition, Karsten is so excited about his little sister. He had just turned 4 when we started the process. He prays for her everyday and asks regularly when we're getting Kylie. I ask that you especially pray for him because you know how time seems so slow when you're a kid. Karsten is already a great big brother.
Words cannot express how much we appreciate everyone's prayers for Kylie and us. Our family, church family, and friends are always so caring by asking about our little girl and through their encouraging words. Kylie has been growing in my heart for 3 1/2 years now. Am I in labor or what? I don't even think the gestation of an elephant is that long :-). Kylie is so loved. So many people have been praying for her before she was ever born. Oh, and for those of you who may not know, Kylie will be around a year old when we get her. We look so forward to that day!
Thank you for visiting our blog. This is something I have been wanting to do for a while, but first we needed a new computer which we were able to purchase a few months ago. I am excited to share with you the blessings of God in our lives and the valleys we have been through and that God has brought us through. It hasn't always been easy, which God said it never would be; however, Jesus Christ has been our source of strength, comfort, hope, peace, and healing over the years. It is only by the grace of God that we are who we are and that each day we will conform to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
My husband and I were married in June 1997. Four years later, the Lord blessed us with Karsten Bradley. In Psalms 127, it says that children are a blessing from God. Karsten is 6 years old now and loves Jesus. I see God doing mighty things in Karsten's life. God has gifted Karsten with wonderful attributes. He is generous, kind, caring, compassionate, and has such a heart for the Lord. Brad and I are so thankful and blessed that God gave Karsten to us. We have a big responsibility in being parents. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." In Deuteronomy 6, it talks about loving God with all our heart, teaching the Word of God to our children, and to live each day according to God's Word. God emphasizes how important it is to teach our children the Bible and not to leave it to the church or school. It is soley the parents' responsibility. We do not take that lightly. That's why everyday we need to read and study the Bible and have prayer time with our Father.
When Karsten was 11 months old, I found out I was pregnant again. We were so excited especially since Karsten and his brother or sister would've only been 19 months apart. God had other plans, though, because at 8 weeks I had a miscarriage. As difficult as that was, we knew that God had a reason and we trusted Him for it. We thank God for "little baby." Meanwhile, six months later I found out I was pregnant again. Karsten was 1 1/2 years old. We were a little nervous since having the miscarriage but we gave our worries to God and prayed for a healthy baby. In November 2003, I had my ultrasound and we found out we were having another boy. We didn't have a preference, we wanted whatever God wanted us to have. Since we knew Karsten and his brother would only be 2 years apart, we were imagining how close they would be and what best friends they would become. We named our second son, Kyler Braden, a few weeks after the ultrasound.
My pregnancy was going great and we were excited and nervous about becoming parents again. On the morning of March 22, 2004, at 38 weeks pregnant, I went into labor. After dropping Karsten off at a friend's house, Brad and I were off to the hospital. Kyler Braden was born at 11:51 a.m. after having an emergency c-section. As it says in Isaiah 55:9, God's ways are not our ways. Kyler had fallen asleep in my womb and woke up in the loving arms of Jesus. God had made him so beautiful; he weighed 6lbs. 14oz. and was 19 inches long. At a time when it's supposed to be one of the happiest moments of our lives, we were left devastated, confused, heartbroken. But praise be to God Most High, even though we were devastated, confused, and heartbroken, through Christ we had joy, hope, and peace. Yet, we had questions and we wanted answers. Why God? What was your purpose in taking our baby to heaven? Why us? Needless to say, we didn't get immediate responses. But I do know that God's ways are holy, just, and perfect. He doesn't make mistakes and He does things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). God has taught us so much the last four years. Jesus says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." It's all about the cross. Circumstances aren't the barometer of God's love and goodness~the Cross is. God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. Kyler would have turned 4 this past March. It was even more painful this year as his birthday was the day before Easter. God has helped use my suffering to strengthen me and to glorify Him. It makes me focus more on my dependence on God and not myself, and to think about the suffering Christ endured on the Cross for every person. It's not about me...it's about Him. I truly believe that through every suffering, God's glory will be revealed...if we let Him and trust Him. A verse that God has given to comfort me is Romans 8:18, Paul speaking, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Glory to God! 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
There have been many good things that have come from Kyler's death. Kyler's memorial fund of $1500 was sent to Taiwan for the purchase of Bibles. Only God knows the souls that have been forever changed through that. Brad, Karsten and I wouldn't be who were are today if we hadn't gone through the loss of Kyler. God is doing amazing work in our lives. Heaven is real and with Kyler now there it seems even more real. Karsten has had many questions as well about his brother over the years. Since we have read and talked about heaven many times, God began working in Karsten's heart. He made Jesus the Lord of his life when he was 4 years old. Again, praise God!
Another major blessing in the thorn is that after Kyler went to heaven, the Lord was burdening my heart for adopting a baby girl from China. That was in December 2004. I told Brad and we prayed about it for a year. We started the adoption process in January 2006 and we are still on the exciting journey that God has us on. I will discuss more in detail later about Kylie Hope. We are blessed that God has chosen us to adopt an orphan. She's been growing in my heart for 3 1/2 years now. I want to end on something I read in 'Our Daily Bread': "God tries our faith so that we can try His faithfulness."
Romans 8:15-17 "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now 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."
Earthly family of 5
God has written a story for our lives. We have seen beauty from ashes. To read about Kyler's homegoing to heaven then our journey towards adopting our daughter, Kylie, click here
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."(Jeremiah 1:5)
Karsten Bradley
Kylie Hope
Braden Matthew
Kyler Braden with Jesus
Kyler
The love between a father and his son
March 22, 2004
~Holding my sweet Kyler Braden while Jesus is holding me~
December 2004: God gave me a desire to adopt my daughter from China. Brad and I prayed about it for a year, then he had a strong desire. Psalm 37:4-5 are the verses the Lord gave us.
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this."
January 2006: Orientation meeting at Bethany Christian Services and began paperwork.
April 11, 2006: Homestudy completed
June 29, 2006: Dossier sent to China
July 14, 2006: Log in date at the China Center of Adoption Affairs (the official "wait" begins). We are waiting for Kylie's referral, which is her picture and information about her.
April 21, 2010: We finally got matched with our daughter
May 18, 2010: Received Letter of Acceptance from CCAA.
July 28, 2010: China bound
August 2, 2010: Gotcha Day!! The day we finally held our daughter and sister!!!!!
Verse of the Day
Followers
Favorite Quotes
"He is no fool who can give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." (Jim Elliot)
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." (John Piper)
"The greater the trial, the sweeter the victory." (George Muller)
"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." (Jim Elliot)
"Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God." (William Carey)
Acts 20:24 "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
Delicious sugar cookies!
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