lessons from a turkey..

I know, it's preposterous, but before this last week I had never cooked a turkey on my own!  Thanksgiving has always been at someone else's house and I can chef up a mean sweet potato casserole, so that's that.  But on Tuesday, I took my wife skills to the next level.  We were given a turkey and I knew I needed to use it fast or it would slowly migrate to the 'back forty' of our freezer, never to be seen again.  I figured it couldn't be too difficult.. just unwrap and pop in the oven, right?!
So, there I was in the kitchen, just me and this waiting-to-be-cooked turkey.  I arrived at step two of the directions where I was instructed to 'remove throat from neck cavity'.  My first reaction was slightly horrified shock that this bird came complete with a neck?!  Second reaction: hilarious laughter!!  It bubbled up inside and came spilling out of my very own 'neck cavity', filling the kitchen.  Yep, I had the giggles.  My funny bone had officially been tickled and it felt wonderful.  I wish I could have shared this moment with someone; laughter truly is the best medicine!
After regaining my composure, for the most part, and removing the stranger parts of this bird (also, possibly flapping his wings a time or two..) I seasoned that turkey and baked it.  Derek gave my 'Thanksgiving in March' a five star rating and we've been enjoying leftovers all week.  Turns out, there was a lot more potential in that turkey than I first realized; much more than meets the eye.  But it also took more work than I had anticipated.  Did you know you have to wash and dry a turkey?  Season the entire thing, inside and out?  And remember to keep it moist while baking??  That's why I tell this story..  because there is much in my life that reminds me of this turkey.  Many things that started off in neat little packages, leading me to believe it was as simple as 'popping it in the oven', only to realize how much more was involved!  In the same way that food tastes better when it's home made, there is such great joy found in the things of life that require hard work, diligence and truly investing of ourselves.

Take, for instance, marriage.  Many people I love are getting married this summer.  This has made me reflect on my very own special day and realize just how incredibly far Derek and I have come since that perfect summer afternoon.  I loved him then, but we were just taking the turkey out of the freezer.  You can say 'mmm.. I sure love turkey!' before doing any of the work.  Now, I realize my analogy is lacking on multiple levels and I'm not comparing our relationship to turkey basting!  But Derek and I have done life next to each other- day in and day out- for almost four years, now.  We've had countless adventures and we've faced hardships and tough decisions.  We've ventured far, attempted crazy things and we've had to decide whether to use money to pay bills or buy food.  We've laughed, we've cried and we've had more water fights than I can count.
Derek and I are learning each other, over and over, deeper and deeper; every day, each moment.  We cheer the other one on, ask the hard questions, hold the throw up bowl, give of ourselves when we'd rather not.  Marriage is so much more than meets the eye.  It is the most incredible bond, the fiercest of dedication and trust.  I love being married to my best friend.  It's a journey, it's hard work, and it is a privilege.  I know in the grand scheme of things we are just barely scratching the surface.. but from where I stand, we've journeyed far and discovered depths we didn't know existed.

Another 'neat little package' we recently unwrapped: having a baby!  'It'll be fun', we said!  And it has been; over and over, a thousand times better than we could ever have imagined.  But when it comes to this baby turkey, there is a heck of a lot more than meets the eye.  There are bodily fluids in plenty, unknowns, sleepless nights and frustrations.  Our family has grown tremendously in the past year.  We've seen each other at our worst.  We've found in ourselves a strength we didn't know we had and that is empowering!  Then we came to the END of what we had to give and realized our desperate need for a Strength NOT our own.
Being parents is an enormous challenge, the most incredible blessing and one of the greatest joys we've ever known.  It is also messy and it is 24/7 and there is no instruction manual!  We are crazy about our tiny son.  He is constantly making us laugh, requiring us to give of ourselves, helping us re-prioritize.  He has changed our lives immeasurably and we are just getting started!  There are certainly things we miss (mostly, sleep) but we wouldn't trade this for anything.  We are honored to be the ones raising this little man; Derek and I truly believe that Owen is a reward from God (Psalm 127:3)  Training them up 'in the way they should go', however, is not a task for the faint of heart. (Proverbs 22:6)  This is a turkey we will invest in for the rest of our lives!  What a challenge.. to raise a warrior!  What a joy! I can only imagine all the adventures in store :)

Now, if there's a moral to any of this story, it's that the best things in life require something of us.  The turkey just tastes better after being gutted, seasoned and basted by yours truly.  The relationships that will last a life time are the ones we make time for, that we are truly devoted to.  This makes me think deep about my walk with Christ.  I'm not talking 'works', salvation is a free gift that simply needs accepting.  I'm talking about where you go from there; the day in and day out.  The nitty gritty that is true of any genuine relationship.  'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' Matthew 6:21  
Where is my heart?  What do I go running to when I have a split second of free time.  Instagram?  I need to invest myself in treasures that go beyond this lifetime.  I need to prioritize!  Just as I've committed to less time on my phone and more time with the loves right in front of me, I need to put less focus on the things of this world and more on the things of God.  'He must become greater; I must become less.' John 3:30
What truly matters in this life?  The relationships I'm serious about are the ones that I will stay awake all night for.  I will humble myself and say I'm sorry, I will face fears, I will go out of my way, I will trade a shower for a tickle fight, I will go to any lengths: for my husband, for my son.  What about for the One who rescued me from an eternity in Hell?  The One who died to set me free?  What will I do for time alone with Him?  What do I need to say no to in order to give Him more than three minutes before my eyes slide shut at night?  These are hard questions and I'm asking them entirely of myself.  But I want to share them with you. Luke 6:45 says that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of and today I need to roll up my sleeves and dig deep, asking myself what I want my heart to be full of.

'Meet me where I'm at' by: Owen

From the mouth of babes..

Hi friends!!  I'm two days short of eight months old and that means it's time for an update.  I know you're all wondering what I've been up to.  (Although my mom's picture posting is borderline paparazzi so I guess you've got a pretty good idea!)  Anyway, living life in this big, beautiful world is a full time job.  And, WOW, have I discovered some neat stuff..  

First things first, DIRT!  I'm obsessed with dirt.  My Mom finallllly embraced the truth that she can't always keep me clean. Now I get to dig my hands down deep in the ground.   It trickles through my fingers, colors my feet a nice shade of brown and cakes itself under my fingernails; I positively can not get enough of it.
I'm a big fan of my nightly bath, but my favorite way to get cleaned up from a solid dirt session is hose time.  Usually I do this with my Dad.  He comes home from work, we're both covered in dirt and it only makes sense to bust out this magical, water dispensing tube and play in the front yard!

Speaking of yards, mine is fantastic!!  I spend almost every waking minute outside; there is so much to see!  In the afternoons my Mom spreads a blanket in the backyard and we lay on our backs and look up at the bamboo.  She tells stories and I keep up a running commentary with my mimicking and various pterodactyl sounds.  We sing a lot of songs together, throw the stick for Kai and usually end up having a tickle fight unless she has to go fishing for leaves in my mouth. I don't know WHY she's so adamant about me not swallowing them?  But that usually puts a damper on our fun..
Oh, I had my first wound!  My Christmas present was a jumper and it took me awhile to realize its full potential but, let me tell you, that contraption is FUN!  Only problem is that I jumped a little too hard for a little too long and rubbed off a few layers of skin from my big toe!  I wasn't overly concerned about it, but I did bleed all over the patio and... you guessed it, Mom freaked.  It's good practice for her, though.. I do all these things for her own good, preparing her for the next few years, lifetime!  Plus, I am the proud owner of Despicable Me bandaids, now; totally worth it!

All this outside time has resulted in my very first farmer's tan!  Mom thinks it's cute, Dad thinks I need to go shirtless like a real man.  All I know is that I love where we live.  My parents do, too.  At night we take walks together and watch the sun set.  And last weekend, for Daddy's birthday, they went paddle boarding.. without me!  They had so much fun, though, I suppose I can forgive them for leaving me behind.  Plus, I got to stay with an auntie that I really love.  

I know, I know.. you all want to know if I'm crawling and the answer is no.  I figure, why rush?  But I can do a mean 'inchworm' and always surprise my Mom with where I end up when she's distracted at our part time office job!  Gotta keep her on her toes! 

Now, where were we?  New discoveries.  I've noticed my parents start flailing their limbs whenever people are coming or going.  Not sure where they learned this gesture they call a 'wave', but it sure is entertaining and I've started joining in on the action.  I'm also starting to figure out these signs my Mom does over and over and over.. last week I tried out the one for 'all done' (just to humor her!) and she almost had a heart attack!  (I tell you what..she's such a sucker!)  My Kai dog is still all things awesome and we can spend quality time together now that I'm not so fragile.  Up until this point I think our relationship was pretty one-sided, but now that I'm a food flinger and leave a trail of cheerios in my wake, he's really warming up to me.  

Oh, yeah, food!  At this point, I can take it or leave it.  But my Mom puts a lot of effort into cooking and blending new things for me to try so, once again, I humor her!  I do have a few favorites though; pears, sweet potatoes and yogurt- combined! That, my friends, is a breakfast of champions!  Don't get me started on peas, though.. let's just say, my Dad was right!

Hey, how's two teeth for a bit of new?  I'm looking around and noticing most people have a whole mouth full of these pearly whites, though.  This is not extremely encouraging because popping those suckers out is hard work!  First I was hot, melting point hot!  And if that wasn't bad enough, my Mom insisted on taking my temperature 300 times a day!  Then I had gastrointestinal issues that you're better off not  hearing the details on.  I lost my appetite and didn't do much sleeping... oh wait, I'm on a sleep strike and haven't actually slept through the night in three months.  (But I'll leave THOSE fun stories to my Mom..)

I've moved into a big boy carseat, although we refer to it as a 'rocket ship' in these parts.  And I had my first hair cut!  I was still growing out a few of my newborn hairs and Daddy decided a trim was in order.  Don't worry, Mom made him put the buzzer on the longest attachment.

As you can see, it's been a wild ride!!  Lots of changes and new and ups and downs and laughing and crying.  Every night I hear my Mama pray to Jesus, 'meet me where I'm at'.  She's thanking Him for doing the meeting and asking for strength to do the same, to meet me.  Most everyone loves to meet me but she means an entirely different type of 'meeting'.  It's in the backyard quiet times, the front yard happy times, the food flinging and every single first- her and Daddy are there!  But beyond that, it's in the times when I refuse to sleep, the times I'm covered in poo and the times I'm feeling especially clingy.  My parents meet me there, in the not-so-fun and the downright painful or disgusting.  Daddies and Mamas get a front row seat to all the cuteness and giggles and firsts.  They also get to do all the 'behind the scenes' work.  They don't get to clock out, these guys are in it for the long run and they don't always like it but they do always love me.  And that is the meeting she's talking about, the meeting that hurts but makes life worth living.  This meeting is what Jesus does for us, and now we do our best to follow His example.  '1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.'