YOU'RE 14 - Say it ain't so!!

Dear Alex and Isabella,

Today is your 14th birthday! Although I have always asked you to stop growing so quickly, you adamantly refuse to obey your father. Therefore, you deserve all 14 spankings today. You have already been teenagers for a year now; and I am still not used to saying that I have 2 teenagers in the house. It's your birthday, and I'm the one feeling old - thanks kids! Well, I guess I have to accept this - you're 14, and getting older by the second. So, I suppose I should, somehow, force myself to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I want both of you to know how blessed I am to be your dad. Most parents know 9 months before their child is born that they are going to have a child. We didn't know until 2 years after you were born, that God was blessing your mom and I with both of you. You were incredible gifts given to us, directly from God, even though you began in Romania and spent some time in New Jersey. God used your birth parents and a loving family here in the U.S. to bring you to us, just as God had intended. It is an amazing story. We knew we couldn't afford the costs for adoption, and yet God used others to make it possible. From the first time we heard about you until we brought you home was an amazingly short 2 months. That is pretty much unheard of in the adoption world. We had not been on a waiting list, hadn't filled out any paperwork or sent in any money; but that phone call we received on a Monday night in April of 1997 changed our lives forever!

Both of you adjusted so well to our family, very quickly. You were, and still are, amazing. I look at the pictures of when we first got you, and I have those same feelings of awe and excitement - of thanks and gratitude to God. We have never hidden from you the fact that you were adopted, because that has been something to celebrate how God has brought our family together. Both of you are so special, not only because you were our first children; but since you were adopted, you are a forever reminder of the incredible privilege we all have of being adopted children by God.

The Bible tells us, since you have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, that what really happened, is that God lovingly chose to adopt you into His family, before we ever adopted you into ours. We just didn't know He adopted you as well, until you made your own, personal, decisions to follow Jesus Christ, accepting His free gift of eternal life.

Ephesians 1:5 - "Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."

John 1:12 - "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

Both of you are growing up, and you are now entering an incredibly challenging and exciting time of life. As you get ready to enter high school. you will be making some decisions that could very well have an impact on your life for many years to come: who are your closest friends going to be; how hard are you going to work at your education; are you willing to start earning your own money and saving well; are you going to pursue a closer relationship with Jesus Christ; what does God want for your life; are you going to resist the temptations of drugs, alcohol and pre-marital sex; are you going to be more concerned about what your peers think of you, or what God thinks of you; are you going to develop skills and abilities God has given you, etc. And these are just a little sampling of the different things you will face in the next 4 years.

Your mom and I want you to know that we are praying for you, and that we want to walk along side of you in this exciting journey - during these years of opportunity. We can't be looking over your shoulder every second, and that would not be good for you. But, we do want to talk with you, find out what you are experiencing, and how we can be an encouragement and help to you. You are growing into a young man and woman, and you are going to need to make some of these important decisions on your own. But, please know that we are always here for you; and that we are very glad that we get to experience these next 4 years together, as a family.

No matter what God brings your way, or even the mistakes you may make, we will always love you, pray for you, and be ready to help you honor God with your life. He has blessed both of you with unique personalities and abilities that can be used greatly to impact others for Him. Our prayer is that you both will stay close to God in your hearts, seek His desires for your life; and find out for yourselves that true happiness is found in living for God.

I love you, Alex and Isabella, and I hope you have a great birthday!

Love, Dad