Dear Friends and Family,
I have so much for which to be thankful. This was a year unlike any other. Last Thanksgiving, Tiffany and I were excitedly trying to wrap our minds around the little girl's file sent to us just days before by our Lifeline case worker. We discussed it with family and looked at those pictures incessantly. Over the coming weeks and months, as our lives aligned with another some 8,000 miles from home, we experienced a purpose that left us changed. Forever.
It wasn't without challenge, though. Not everyone was thrilled about the addition of Mia to our family. Some opposed it quietly, while others actively. Tiffany and I were undeterred amidst the noise, because we knew we were doing God's will for our family. Admittedly, though, there was one concerned voice that meant more than any other, and that caused us worry: Ethan's.
We tried so many different things to help Ethan warm up to the idea of adoption. He was an only child for more than 13 years, so the addition of a new child was tough for him to comprehend. We learned his initial and primary issue was inner conflict. He knew the plight of orphans throughout the world, and he knew that such children needed loving parents and homes, and in his mind, there is none more loving than his. Yet, as any person facing radical change, he could not help but worry about what this would mean to him. So much was being made about "Mia's Place," but internally, he was roaring, "What about ETHAN's Place?"
Throughout the summer we placed a huge emphasis on Ethan. We visited Disney, made a couple trips to the beach, and did as many fun things as we possibly could to make it a summer that would even make George Costanza jealous! We had fun...lots and lots of fun...but as August arrived, and with it the start of a new school year and our trip to China (which he withstood all sorts of bribery to reject going himself), we all began grieving the sweet simplicity the three of us enjoyed his entire life. We began focusing on the lasts: the last ride to Florida, the last swim in the neighborhood pool, even the last meal as a family of three. It was bittersweet.
Then China. Then Mia. Then illness. Then a surprise pregnancy. Then a heartbreaking miscarriage. All of this converged to reek chaos in our previously serene life.
It's been well documented that the first month home with Mia was a challenge unlike anything we ever experienced. And I mean, EVER! The grief, the anger, the tantrums, the sleep deprivation, the pregnancy symptoms, the disruption...all of it stressed and strained us. Then the seizures and three days at Camp Scottish Rite changed everything.
It hasn't even been two months since the weekend that was probably the scariest and most difficult of my life. What we did not know at the time was as we emerged from that experience, we were on the other side of the crisis. Deep down, Mia learned she was part of a family and had something never before experienced: home. She began sleeping. The tantrums diminished from lasting one or two hours at a time, to one or two a day, barely lasting minutes. She began playing and squealing with joy as opposed to screeching her intense displeasure with how we turned her life upside-down. A sweet, funny,mischevious, and joy-filled child began breaking out of the grief-stricken and angry one we brought home Labor Day weekend.
As I awake on this Thanksgiving morning, and continue with my morning routine of coffee, scripture, and news headlines — while keeping an eye to the video baby monitor — I do so with a full heart! Watching Mia play in her room and feel so comfortable in her place is nothing short of miraculous when I think of where we were just three short months ago. But that isn't even the grandest miracle I'm celebrating this Thanksgiving.
For the past 10 years, our Thanksgiving is celebrated with our Christmas decor in place. There was a time when I would have technically and theologically bristled at that thought, but there's something about parenthood that softened that edge in me.
My sister is friends with the lady who brought the "Elf on the Shelf" phenomena to the world. It was a simple tradition she did in her home with her children, and as she realized she might be on to something big, she took it to craft shows and holiday bazars. My mom bought one for a two-year-old Ethan at a craft show. That next Thanksgiving, the tree had to be up to welcome back our scout elf, Sportakiss, with Christmas cheer, since that's when his annual mission commences. We obliged. Ever since, Thanksgiving Eve is spent as one of our family's favorite days of the year when we decorate our house for Christmas. That way, when Sportakiss arrives in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning, he can see we're ready for him. Then, as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begins, we're all cuddled together with the pleasant warmth of a fire and the ethereal glow of our Christmas tree. And today, there is a fourth Jordan experiencing this tradition for the very first time. And it won't be the last of the traditions Mia experiences for the first time over the next month.
Speaking of tradition, there is a new one that Tiffany decided to initiate this year: matching family Christmas jammies. Maybe you saw the picture I snapped of Mia trying on her's for the very first time. We all tried on our new Christmas sleep gear on Tuesday evening, and within those few moments, our Thanksgiving miracle occurred.
Ethan snapped a similar picture as the one I shared of Mia in her elf pajamas and shared it with some of his friends who just adore his little sister. With that picture, he added a caption: "When you become that family that wears matching Christmas jammies, and realize you like becoming that family."
Tiffany was reduced to tears and left the room in that authentic reveal of affection from a teen who just a month ago was more inclined to receive a hug from this new child in order to slap a "Return to Sender" sticker on her back and walk her to the shipping store barely a mile from our home. Tiffany told me this the next day, and I, too, was filled with such gratitude as we see ourselves coming full circle this past year.
On Thanksgiving 2014, we were just getting glimpses of the massive changes coming for our family. On Thanksgiving 2015 we can see the evidence of God weaving four souls together to form one family. This occurs as we warm ourselves by a pleasant fire and the ethereal glow of our Christmas tree, reminding us of God's gift of Jesus, signifying we all have the spirit of adoption to be accepted into God's eternal family. And now, this year, our family is under the watchful eyes of two scout elves: Sportakiss (who, by the way is sporting a new leather jacket!) and a little she-elf who has yet to receive her magic-inducing name.
Through the thick and thin of 2015, as I again awake on Thanksgiving morn, I can see God's providential hand guiding me to this point. Through life-altering decisions; staying steady in the face of opposition; raising more money than we thought possible; traveling miles upon miles from the RACE for the Orphans to China and home again; nearly two months of sleepless nights; countless temper tantrums (Mia's, Tiffany's, and mine); a multitude of doctors visits and trips to three different hospitals to date; the ordinary mornings, mealtimes, and bedtimes; to one simple, yet extraordinary moment, where my seemingly indifferent teen son proved he was anything-but by quietly declaring we were indeed a family of four — this Thanksgiving is one I will never forget. Ever.
The Apostle Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18 strike me with a renewed profundity this Thanksgiving: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." My life summed up in three short verses. I rejoice for what God has done, and is doing, in my life...and not just this year, but for eternity. I remember the prayers of desperation uttered, and especially the ones that are now lifted as prayers of celebration. I do indeed thank God for the circumstances of 2015, because the flames forged a brand new Mark, revealing a renewed sense of purpose in my life for the cause of Christ Jesus. A Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated to thank God for the help He provided the pilgrims to survive that first year in a new homeland, even in the midst of life-threatening circumstances. I know definitively that I cannot compare my past year with the first year the pilgrims experienced in the New World, but I see parallels. Crises endured and conquered. Strangers turned into family. Prayers lifted and answered. A time to pause, feast, and give thanks for it all. We know from history that there were dark times on the horizon for the Native Americans and those staking claim to the "New World" as their home, just as I'm sure there will be some for us in the future. Today, though, I pause to rejoice over my family, pray with my family, and thank God for my family since this is God's will for us in the good days and tough days alike.
So from my Thanksgiving 2015 musings in my recliner with a cup of joe and my babies surrounding me, to the dinner table later today, and into whatever the future holds, I want you to know I am truly grateful. Sure, I've become that dad that defies spiritual morés to enjoy our Christmas decor prior to Thanksgiving and the start of Advent no less — and I will don my silly elf jammies in due time — but I'm taking a cue from my 13-year-old son to declare that I like it. I love being that dad, in fact! I've literally circled the globe to make it possible. I can say with great joy today, despite all that's happened, that I'd do it again without reservation. And with thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. May it be a day of rejoicing, prayer, and gratitude for all of us. For this is God's will. And not just on our American Thanksgiving holiday, but all day every day.
Gratefully Yours,
Mark
I have so much for which to be thankful. This was a year unlike any other. Last Thanksgiving, Tiffany and I were excitedly trying to wrap our minds around the little girl's file sent to us just days before by our Lifeline case worker. We discussed it with family and looked at those pictures incessantly. Over the coming weeks and months, as our lives aligned with another some 8,000 miles from home, we experienced a purpose that left us changed. Forever.
It wasn't without challenge, though. Not everyone was thrilled about the addition of Mia to our family. Some opposed it quietly, while others actively. Tiffany and I were undeterred amidst the noise, because we knew we were doing God's will for our family. Admittedly, though, there was one concerned voice that meant more than any other, and that caused us worry: Ethan's.
We tried so many different things to help Ethan warm up to the idea of adoption. He was an only child for more than 13 years, so the addition of a new child was tough for him to comprehend. We learned his initial and primary issue was inner conflict. He knew the plight of orphans throughout the world, and he knew that such children needed loving parents and homes, and in his mind, there is none more loving than his. Yet, as any person facing radical change, he could not help but worry about what this would mean to him. So much was being made about "Mia's Place," but internally, he was roaring, "What about ETHAN's Place?"
Throughout the summer we placed a huge emphasis on Ethan. We visited Disney, made a couple trips to the beach, and did as many fun things as we possibly could to make it a summer that would even make George Costanza jealous! We had fun...lots and lots of fun...but as August arrived, and with it the start of a new school year and our trip to China (which he withstood all sorts of bribery to reject going himself), we all began grieving the sweet simplicity the three of us enjoyed his entire life. We began focusing on the lasts: the last ride to Florida, the last swim in the neighborhood pool, even the last meal as a family of three. It was bittersweet.
Then China. Then Mia. Then illness. Then a surprise pregnancy. Then a heartbreaking miscarriage. All of this converged to reek chaos in our previously serene life.
It's been well documented that the first month home with Mia was a challenge unlike anything we ever experienced. And I mean, EVER! The grief, the anger, the tantrums, the sleep deprivation, the pregnancy symptoms, the disruption...all of it stressed and strained us. Then the seizures and three days at Camp Scottish Rite changed everything.
It hasn't even been two months since the weekend that was probably the scariest and most difficult of my life. What we did not know at the time was as we emerged from that experience, we were on the other side of the crisis. Deep down, Mia learned she was part of a family and had something never before experienced: home. She began sleeping. The tantrums diminished from lasting one or two hours at a time, to one or two a day, barely lasting minutes. She began playing and squealing with joy as opposed to screeching her intense displeasure with how we turned her life upside-down. A sweet, funny,mischevious, and joy-filled child began breaking out of the grief-stricken and angry one we brought home Labor Day weekend.
As I awake on this Thanksgiving morning, and continue with my morning routine of coffee, scripture, and news headlines — while keeping an eye to the video baby monitor — I do so with a full heart! Watching Mia play in her room and feel so comfortable in her place is nothing short of miraculous when I think of where we were just three short months ago. But that isn't even the grandest miracle I'm celebrating this Thanksgiving.
For the past 10 years, our Thanksgiving is celebrated with our Christmas decor in place. There was a time when I would have technically and theologically bristled at that thought, but there's something about parenthood that softened that edge in me.
My sister is friends with the lady who brought the "Elf on the Shelf" phenomena to the world. It was a simple tradition she did in her home with her children, and as she realized she might be on to something big, she took it to craft shows and holiday bazars. My mom bought one for a two-year-old Ethan at a craft show. That next Thanksgiving, the tree had to be up to welcome back our scout elf, Sportakiss, with Christmas cheer, since that's when his annual mission commences. We obliged. Ever since, Thanksgiving Eve is spent as one of our family's favorite days of the year when we decorate our house for Christmas. That way, when Sportakiss arrives in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning, he can see we're ready for him. Then, as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begins, we're all cuddled together with the pleasant warmth of a fire and the ethereal glow of our Christmas tree. And today, there is a fourth Jordan experiencing this tradition for the very first time. And it won't be the last of the traditions Mia experiences for the first time over the next month.
Speaking of tradition, there is a new one that Tiffany decided to initiate this year: matching family Christmas jammies. Maybe you saw the picture I snapped of Mia trying on her's for the very first time. We all tried on our new Christmas sleep gear on Tuesday evening, and within those few moments, our Thanksgiving miracle occurred.
Ethan snapped a similar picture as the one I shared of Mia in her elf pajamas and shared it with some of his friends who just adore his little sister. With that picture, he added a caption: "When you become that family that wears matching Christmas jammies, and realize you like becoming that family."
Tiffany was reduced to tears and left the room in that authentic reveal of affection from a teen who just a month ago was more inclined to receive a hug from this new child in order to slap a "Return to Sender" sticker on her back and walk her to the shipping store barely a mile from our home. Tiffany told me this the next day, and I, too, was filled with such gratitude as we see ourselves coming full circle this past year.
On Thanksgiving 2014, we were just getting glimpses of the massive changes coming for our family. On Thanksgiving 2015 we can see the evidence of God weaving four souls together to form one family. This occurs as we warm ourselves by a pleasant fire and the ethereal glow of our Christmas tree, reminding us of God's gift of Jesus, signifying we all have the spirit of adoption to be accepted into God's eternal family. And now, this year, our family is under the watchful eyes of two scout elves: Sportakiss (who, by the way is sporting a new leather jacket!) and a little she-elf who has yet to receive her magic-inducing name.
Through the thick and thin of 2015, as I again awake on Thanksgiving morn, I can see God's providential hand guiding me to this point. Through life-altering decisions; staying steady in the face of opposition; raising more money than we thought possible; traveling miles upon miles from the RACE for the Orphans to China and home again; nearly two months of sleepless nights; countless temper tantrums (Mia's, Tiffany's, and mine); a multitude of doctors visits and trips to three different hospitals to date; the ordinary mornings, mealtimes, and bedtimes; to one simple, yet extraordinary moment, where my seemingly indifferent teen son proved he was anything-but by quietly declaring we were indeed a family of four — this Thanksgiving is one I will never forget. Ever.
The Apostle Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18 strike me with a renewed profundity this Thanksgiving: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." My life summed up in three short verses. I rejoice for what God has done, and is doing, in my life...and not just this year, but for eternity. I remember the prayers of desperation uttered, and especially the ones that are now lifted as prayers of celebration. I do indeed thank God for the circumstances of 2015, because the flames forged a brand new Mark, revealing a renewed sense of purpose in my life for the cause of Christ Jesus. A Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated to thank God for the help He provided the pilgrims to survive that first year in a new homeland, even in the midst of life-threatening circumstances. I know definitively that I cannot compare my past year with the first year the pilgrims experienced in the New World, but I see parallels. Crises endured and conquered. Strangers turned into family. Prayers lifted and answered. A time to pause, feast, and give thanks for it all. We know from history that there were dark times on the horizon for the Native Americans and those staking claim to the "New World" as their home, just as I'm sure there will be some for us in the future. Today, though, I pause to rejoice over my family, pray with my family, and thank God for my family since this is God's will for us in the good days and tough days alike.
So from my Thanksgiving 2015 musings in my recliner with a cup of joe and my babies surrounding me, to the dinner table later today, and into whatever the future holds, I want you to know I am truly grateful. Sure, I've become that dad that defies spiritual morés to enjoy our Christmas decor prior to Thanksgiving and the start of Advent no less — and I will don my silly elf jammies in due time — but I'm taking a cue from my 13-year-old son to declare that I like it. I love being that dad, in fact! I've literally circled the globe to make it possible. I can say with great joy today, despite all that's happened, that I'd do it again without reservation. And with thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. May it be a day of rejoicing, prayer, and gratitude for all of us. For this is God's will. And not just on our American Thanksgiving holiday, but all day every day.
Gratefully Yours,
Mark
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