thoughts from Owen..

A few thoughts from Owen Pearl:

I'm two months old now and passed my check up with flying colors.  Everyone seems pretty pleased with my 13 pounds and 1 ounce self.  They also tell me I have huge muscles, I guess the 'constant motion' work out plan is really starting to pay off!  My eyes are still blue and my hair is still 'wonderful' according to Mom.  She can't get enough of me!
My doctor had to give me some shots but I handled it like a champ.  I think my Mom should have saved her pep talk for herself!  She was definitely traumatized, but I let her snuggle me for a long time afterwords and she's recovering just fine.
It's fun to watch my parents.  They pick on each other all the time, but it's the best kind of picking.  Dad tickles my Mom and she tells him to stop it, but I don't really think she wants him too.  And when he leaves for work she misses him right away.  Good thing she has me!  I keep her really busy and do my best not to take too many naps because I'd hate for her to get lonely or bored.  

I'm learning about music because it's my Mom's favorite.  She sings to me at night and I tell her it's beautiful even when she forgets the words.  She lets me listen while she plays the piano and sometimes we dance in the kitchen, which is way more fun than sweeping!  My Dad works really hard and I can't wait till I'm big enough to help him.  I did go to work with him already but my only jobs were 'take a nap in the grass', 'help your mom pick fruit' and 'sit there and look cute'.
Dad's the best tree climber I know.  He teaches me all about different knot tying methods and I got to help my Mom stop traffic while he cut down an avocado tree by the road.  Mom thinks she could be a climber, too!  This weekend he showed her the ropes and I was laughing pretty hard watching them go up and down, up and down!  

When my parents put me in the truck I can't help but fall asleep.  Thankfully I wake up at every single stop light and can contribute to their conversation, although I'm not sure they always appreciate what I have to say!  Maybe it's just the volume in which I express myself in??  
Here's a really good trick I learned..  When taking a nap I don't let the really loud noises bother me; a passing semi, the vacuum or my mom's blender don't faze me.  But when my mom is trying to quietly sneak out of my room and her elbow pops I wake up RIGHT away!  (She doesn't think it's quite as funny as I do..)
Sometimes I get worked up and the only cure is for my Dad to carry me 'like a sack of potatoes'.  Not sure why this is so soothing, my mom certainly doesn't see why this method is superior to her snuggling.. all we know is that it works!  And I'm not sure what it is about my smile but every time I do it my parents act like it's the first time!  I'm telling you, these guys are easily entertained.
My parents have decided they like brussels sprouts!  I'm not too impressed.  My Mom brought home a huge bag only to realize she did NOT like them in her green smoothies.  So, my Dad had to come to the rescue and ended up concocting an 'amazing' recipe!  All I know is that they've eaten them three days in a row, now!  I'm hoping it's a phase that will fizzle before I start eating solids!  Yikes!

My Dad bought me my first Bible and I'm learning all kinds of amazing stories!  Mom says those are the most important ones, even more so than Dr. Seuss.. even though I know those are her second favorite.  I feel like every story they read me is about someone that messed up and then God used them to do something great!  I like that because, even though it's hard to believe, I know I'll mess up a lot in my lifetime.  I'm glad to know that He'll forgive me every time and I'm excited to see how He will use me.  My name means 'young warrior' and my parents tell me I will be a great man of God!  Dad and Mom talk to Jesus like they talk to each other and I like that, too.  They tell me that He loves me even more than they do and I can hardly even imagine love like that!
Well, it's been approximately 37 minutes since I last peed on my Mom so I have to wrap this up.  Have a great week and don't underestimate the way that God wants to use YOU; mess- ups, blowouts and all! 

Eyes to see!

Albert Einstein said there are only two ways to live your life.  'One is as if everything is a miracle, the other is as if nothing is.'  To be able to glimpse the Divine everywhere I look, that is my desire.  To have eyes that are truly open and able to see the miraculous; this is my prayer.
There's an amazing story in 2 Kings 6 having to do with this kind of 'vision'.  I highly recommend reading the whole story, my summary can't possibly do it justice.  But Elisha's servant, Gehazi, is having a little bit of a panic attack as the Aramean army surrounds the city.  And Elisha's calm and collected answer goes something like this (vs. 16-17), 'Don't be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'  And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.'  Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.'
Anyone else have goosebumps just imagining this scene?!  The hills FULL of invisible horses whom, I'm assuming, had riders wielding all manner of heavenly weapons!?  And chariots of FIRE surrounding Elisha!!  Needless to say, this sneak peak was more than sufficient for the easing of Gehazi's fears.  And I won't spoil the ending.. I'm serious about you reading it for yourself :)
This reminds me of Chris Tomlin's lyrics:

I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies is always by my side

The One who reigns forever

He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies is always by my side.

I know you're under the impression that I write these posts for you, but the truth is that they're for me! (And if others benefit from them, too.. all the better!)  This blog requires me to slow down, reflect on what exactly has been taking place in my life, realizing all the ways that God has gone before me!  It's humbling when my eyes are truly 'opened' to His goodness, mercy, provision and love in my life.

We do our best to follow the charge in Philippians 4:6, 'Do not be anxious about anything..'  Stress certainly won't help us arrive at a solution to any 'problem' and I've actually found that it can cause an issue (or invading army of Arameans, for that matter!) seem unnecessarily overwhelming!  And yet, I must admit to a few anxious feelings in the past few weeks; areas where I definitely needed to have my eyes 'opened' to the ways God was at work.
This year's coffee harvest has been such an unknown because of a significant lack of coffee pickers.  Farm upkeep becomes tedious work when you're not sure if the final product of your labor will even be harvested. (And Derek is on his own out there until I figure out how to wear Owen and the weed whacker at the same time..)  We've been praying and calling pickers for months without any apparent results.  The cherries are ripening as we speak and we were at a loss.  At our wits end, we were praying once again for God to make a way and 'open' our eyes to what He was doing.  And then within one afternoon we had three pickers!  Thank you, Jesus!!

[continuously blessed with FRUIT..]

We've also been doing a substantial amount of praying, researching and pondering Derek's latest undertaking; arborist work.  It's an occupation that one either jumps all the way into or.. not.  In other words, there's amazing potential in that line of work but not really a way to 'feel it out'.  You either buy all the harnesses, ropes, carabiners, etc. and go for it.. or you keep on with life as before, googling it in your spare time and asking 'what if'.  He also needs insurance to get hired for most of the large scale jobs he would bid.  A bit like skydiving, you either jump out of that plane or you sit there with your parachute, gazing out the hatch and wondering...
After praying repeatedly for God to open or close the door on this venture, we both felt peace and excitement about taking the plunge!  And yes, at least in my case, it was the 'I think I might throw up' kind of exciting.  It's hard to commit to an endeavor that may or may not succeed.  But, I'm pleased to report that he has successfully completed his first two jobs!  God is, indeed, making a way!  Derek loved the work and I love having a husband that's not afraid to branch out (literally!), discovering new ways to provide for his family! AND the insurance quote came back $1000 less than we expected, so we can now look forward to his being able to seek out larger jobs!
These are just a few of the instances where I pulled a 'Gehazi' this week, wondering what in the world the plan was only to have my eyes opened to the angel armies at work on my behalf!

Derek's been going from sun up to sun down landscaping, tree trimming and now keeping up with the coffee that's being picked (hallelujah!).  He's already de-pulped several hundred pounds of cherry (I hope you all are ready to order a fresh batch of Kona coffee!), and now we begin taking it through the various stages of soaking, rinsing, drying, etc.  Owen and I help however we can but, let's be honest, that doesn't amount to anything significant.  On top of all this, my incredible husband still found time to concoct the best grilled chicken I've EVER tasted.  He also hung out with Owen while I finally cashed in on a much-needed birthday massage!  Have I mentioned that I like him?!
Our sweet little man continues to amaze us on a daily basis as he grows and changes.  His favorite activities include riding the longboard with Dad, going on walks/runs with Mom and taking advantage of every diaper-less second to 'perfect his aim', if you know what I mean!  Just when we think we couldn't possibly be any more in love, he looks up at us with his beautiful blue eyes and a sweet grin that melts us all over again.  We're big fans, especially now that we're seeing him through well-rested eyes :)  He is truly a miracle.
The miraculous is everywhere, it's just a question of whether or not we'll have the eyes to see.  In every situation we face, the overwhelming, the exciting and the difficult, God is at work.  He's making a way where I think there is none.  And when I'm ready to throw in the towel He is just getting started.  Looking at life with corrected 'vision' is incredible; you can no longer accept that anything happens by 'chance' or coincidence.  And you certainly can't claim any of the glory for winning the battle when you realize you're surrounded by chariots of fire!!