** No, our family didn't grow...this is at Thanksgiving weekend and Tiffany's boyfriend, Jason Hanson and his buddy, Tim Chun were visiting.
Dear Family and Friends,
A Merry Christmas to you! We would like to share with you our joy of having Kaitlyn and Broden in our family now for 1 year. December 13, 2009 marks a year since their arrival into our family and into the US. We praise the Lord and His perfect timing and blessing. They are doing well, growing and learning English.
Recently, Kaitlyn had an assignment for school to write a couple of paragraphs about a special day. She ran off to her room and later returned to have Kim look over her effort. She wrote of the day in January 2008 when she and Broden received a phone call from us at the orphanage. She asked us in that phone conversation if we would be coming to get them. We answered yes. She then asked if it would be for good. We again answered yes. She said this was the best special day because it was the answer to her prayer that God would give them a family.
We praise God for His answer to her and our prayers as well. It reminds us of the special adoption for all who will believe in Christ by faith. This began when God sent His Son to earth to be born of a virgin and live as a man. He then willingly gave His life on a cross so that adoption into God's family would be possible. It seemed an impossible situation for Kaitlyn and Broden to be adopted into our family. If I was to tell you all the details of their adoption you would be amazed, as we are, beyond belief. Theirs was a desperate situation they could not get out of on their own. Likewise, man's sinful state was an impossible and desperate situation that only the Lord Himself could solve. While He was dying on that cross, he was hanging next to thieves on his right and left. Eventually, one of them realized his only hope was in the innocent man hanging between them. He must have heard about Jesus. He must have wondered why an innocent man was dying there with them. God gave to this thief the ability to see with eyes of faith that Jesus was the Savior. Realizing his impossible and desperate situation, this thief spoke to Jesus. Their conversation is found in Luke 23:42-44,
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." 44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."
Even one of those assigned to crucify the Lord was given eyes of faith to see rightly that Jesus is the righteous Son of God! Praise the Lord that He voluntarily gave His life for us that we might have His righteousness to make us acceptable into God's family. What a solution! What an amazing adoption picture and blessing! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." May your Christmas 2009 be very special.
