Being Patient is Not Always Easy

1 Corinthians 13:4--"Love is patient..."

It seems so simple doesn't it? Love is patient. Then what is love? According to 1 John 4:16, God is love.

It will be 3 years next week since we began our adoption journey...the paperwork anyway. It was actually 4 years in December that God gave me a desire for an orphan girl in China. Kylie's lilac colored room is ready, Karsten is anxious to play with his little sister, and Brad and I are excited about becoming parents to our daughter.

We live in a world where we think we just have to have things now. We don't want to wait for anything. I have been so guilty of that. However, these past three years God has taught me about patience...the word most everyone dreads hearing. God wants me to be still and know that He is God and that He will work out everything in His timing. In the meantime, we must wait...and wait...until one day He will say it's time to have our daughter. I want to be in God's will. Just as Christ coming into the world as a baby was God's perfect timing, so I know it will be for us to bring Kylie home.

I know that patience can seem impossible at times, but that is a fruit of the Spirit quality that God wants us to have. When we seek Christ's love He will give us His love so that we can be patient.

May all of us be on our knees more this year as we seek our Savior and strive to be more like the One who died for us so that we can have eternal life in heaven.

Love & Blessings,
Jennifer

The Christmas Season

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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!

Dec. 13: Karsten's new guitar

Delicious sugar cookies!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!