My Birthday Boast!

Last Sunday I turned 23 years young.  We celebrated all week!  Birthdays are great fun.  They are also cause for reflection.  'What have I done with the years I've been given?'  'Who have I become?'  And there's temptation to compile that mental list of accomplishments, comparing my journey to the ones being lived out around me (or, let's be honest, the ones I see lived out on Facebook).  But I've realized that even on MY birthday, it's not about me.                                  

Romans 11:36 is one of my newest memory verses, reminding me that 'From him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!  Amen.'   It's all for Him; who I am, where I've gone and what I do with my years.  We celebrate my life, yes; with chocolate blizzards, bonfires and adventuring!  These boys treated me like an absolute princess!  But beyond that, we celebrate the One who breathed life into me, the One who orchestrates my days and guides me through this journey.

'How deep the Father's love for us, 

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure'

It's unlikely that I will ever be world renowned.  I may never acquire prestigious status or publish a distinguished work of art.  But I am a daughter of the King and if that's not status I don't know what is!  2 Corinthians 10:17 "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."   Some days I feel very accomplished; other days I lose my temper, I burn the dinner and hands are thrown up in frustration.  But the truth of the matter is that I am loved by the King of kings.  My life has been redeemed.  I am FREE!  I have been given specific and incredible gifts, designed uniquely for.. me!  When I use those gifts, when I live abundantly; loving BIG and spilling joy into all I do- no matter what I do- God gets the glory and everyday is cause for celebration.

I am humbled by the treasures I have been given, tangible and not.  I am journeying through life with the most incredible man I know and have the absolute privilege of spending each and every day raising our tiny son!  I am surrounded by wonderful people and... oh yeah, I live on an island!  :)  My life's work may not seem grandiose to some but it is a high calling that I would not trade for anything.  And all of this is simply a gift from my Heavenly Father. What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? 1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT  His grace is mind boggling; I am blown away by the love my Papa pours out on me daily.  And that is why I echo the words of a favorite song, 'How Deep The Father's Love For Us'; my birthday boast, my life song, may it bring glory to my King!

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection 

One of THOSE days!

One bloody lip, two poopy diapers and three cups of coffee all before 9 am.  Yes, it's been one of THOSE days.  The sweet iced tea spills, sticky mess all over freshly mopped kitchen floors.  And tooth number seven is cutting through tender gums, making the little man understandably, unbelievably dramatic.  I've called the gas company twice and still haven't talked to a real person, grrrrr!  Crab walking boy makes a bee line for the dog food for the sixteenth time and my crock pot was plugged in but not cooking for the last four hours!?
But then I read the statistic, the one that would usually go in one ear and out the other.  But this time it resonates.  The one about food in my fridge, clothes on my back and a roof over head and am I really richer than 75% of the WORLD?  And then I have a moment of sweet silence and I read the words from Paul to the Philippians and he says he knows the secret to THOSE days, to any days!  To be content no matter the circumstances, to realize how blessed we really are.  In chapter four of his letter lies the answer, 'I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.'  Whether the day goes according to 'schedule' or not.  'I can do all things through him who gives me strength.'

I realize it truly is one of THOSE days.  A day with sun shining and flowers blooming.  There's a snuggly head still heavy with sleep and a homemade cheesecake just because.  A day where we have money to pay that frustrating gas bill and my hard working husband comes home and takes the sweet boy out to mow the lawn.  They laugh together, shirts off and in matching camouflage shorts, cutting a trail through the sea of green.  It's one of THOSE days where I'm so incredibly blessed and isn't that really every single day?
It's a day not really even about ME but completely about 'him who gives me strength.'  He's the key.  He gives me eyes to see and I'm floored by the new perspective.  When days are lived out through the strength that Jesus gives we can be content.  We can be filled with joy despite frustrations, tears and sticky floors.  Praise Jesus for THOSE days because they remind me of my desperate need for the Strength that not only makes this life do-able but breathtakingly beautiful!

Just.slow.down...

Anyone else here struggle with being still?  I mean, seriously.  We live in a society that equates stillness with laziness.  And for good reason; people are either out there accomplishing things or... they're not!  You're a go-getter or... not.  And on the home front there are to-do lists in plenty; cleaning, cooking and a fifth load of laundry and somehow you're supposed to squeeze in a work out?  The dog needs brushed and those darn weeds aren't picking themselves and has it already been a whole week since I scrubbed you, toilet? 

And we go-go-go and we do-do-do in attempts to keep up or maybe just get caught up.  It seems downright silly to sit down for a second and breathe.  Moments spent lingering in the chair, watching the sun dip below the horizon, appear almost wasteful.  

The truth is that there is an enormous difference in doing nothing and deliberately quieting yourself in order to appreciate the moment at hand.  I'm supposed to be learning this simple truth right now.  Unfortunately, I'm struggling with slowing myself long enough to listen to the Teacher.  But His message is unrelenting in the most graceful of ways.  His words are everywhere I turn and I'm starting to pay attention.
'Be still, and know that I am God.' Psalm 46:10

'Life is so urgent it necessitates living slow.' Ann Voskamp 
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:24-26

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It's not just about consistent quiet times and being deliberate about prayer, although those need to be priorities!  Jesus wants me to soak up every last drop of goodness that He pours into my days.  Lick the plate clean, lean back in my chair with a contented sigh- that kind of savoring is what He desires!  And I've been challenged to count blessings, moments; the gifts that come in every shape, size and color.  Fresh lettuce from our own garden.  Fingernails dirty from a morning of play!  Laundry to fold, fresh and warm against my hands.  Hard working husband home for the evening. Laughter and tears and every single chance to 'train up our child'.  There's homemade kettle corn, teasing from my best friend and the torrential rain pounding on the roof and I'll miss the beauty of it all if I don't.stop.rushing. 

Haste makes waste.  This is what I struggle to comprehend: it's in the pausing and taking time to be still that I actually gain time.  This doesn't make sense to the world, but not many of Jesus' teachings do.  He says we need to lose our lives if we want to save them! [Matthew 16:25]  He says the last will be first! [Mark 10:31]  And he says that in him we will live, even though we die. [John 11:25]  I want to wrap my mind tight around these truths and live them out in my here and now.  The wind whispers through the trees and the stars twinkle and my Papa is calling, 'Slow down, Daughter.  In Me you have all the time you need..'

treasure hunt in the gooseberry patch!

I knew it was there, that patch of gooseberries.  Derek had pointed out the approximate location when we came to check out the house on day one.  It wasn't until this weekend, however, that Owen and I ventured out to do some berry picking (eating!) and were sorely disappointed.  These gooseberries, or 'poha' as the locals call them, are one of my all time favorites.  They're yummy enough, but the appeal reaches far beyond taste; the berries grow in individual, papery shells that have a striking resemblance to a Chinese lantern!  Who wouldn't want to eat them when they're wrapped up like a Christmas present!?  Now you understand why I was crushed to find them scattered on the ground, the berries either missing from the shell completely or nibbled on by bugs.  I was loudly expressing my displeasure as I knelt there on the ground, digging through the scattered plants.  Owen was verbalizing an opinion or two, as well!
Finally, giving up the search without a single berry in hand (or mouth!), I stepped back from the mess.  It was then that I looked up and saw the HUGE patch of poha berries directly in front of me!  I had been kneeling in the section that, for reasons unbeknownst to me, had been cut back with a weed whacker.  But the fully alive, bursting with berries patch just beyond it was triple the size!  I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the silliness of my situation!!  I was so determined to find even one berry in that tangled mess on the ground that I hadn't realized the hundreds of berries hanging just in front of me! And I thought to myself, as Derek likes to teasingly say, 'that sounds like a blog post!'

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day.  You find your rhythm, what works for your family, and you go.  There's nothing wrong with that.  Days are part habit and part 'this laundry has to happen or no one will have clean underwear!' with a little spontaneity sprinkled in to keep things interesting.  And it's beautiful and necessary.  I collapse in bed each night knowing that I'll wake up a little sooner than I would like and start again.  That's why it's important to take the occasional step back from it all and realize how blessed I am. Sometimes I dig myself right into a rut looking for buried treasure in my pattern of day in-day out.  It's as though I'm viewing a magnificent work of art but not grasping it's true beauty because I'm standing too close.  Nose pressed up against the painting, I'm unable to appreciate what those intricate brush strokes have been swirled together to create.
I'm certainly not saying that the individual moments, no matter how mundane they may seem, aren't ripe with potential.  But that's not what this post is about.  I'm learning a lesson in the beauty of backing up and glimpsing the big picture.  Just for a few minutes, taking a step back from all the dish washing and meal cooking and bottom wiping and whatever it may be that requires your all every single day and just realizing how incredibly blessed we are.

James 1 :17 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Isaiah 64:8  'Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.'

Every good gift; every single one, is from Him!  Even situations that don't feel like a gift, they're part of the plan.  They're vital to the big picture.  They are part of the sculpting!  And all these moments, each and every gift; the hard and the sweet, the laundry and the lists, all weave together in creation of a masterpiece so beautifully intricate and painstakingly detailed that only one Artist, one Giver of gifts, could be responsible for such handiwork.

Psalm 103:1-5, 'Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles.'

And so I'm anxiously awaiting the ripening of all those poha berries in my backyard.  And I'm making deliberate attempts to quiet myself, 'stepping back' whether literally or mentally, and just saying 'Wow, God.. You are at work here!'  He is the Potter and I'm the clay and if I stop picking through the mess on the ground I'll realize the entire patch of goodness right in front of me!  May we spend more time thanking the Giver this week!  May praise and gratefulness bubble out of us as we go through the routine and check things off the lists.  May we realize and cherish the gift of life and the ones we get to spend it with.  And may we praise, with our whole heart, the Artist who sees the big picture and is always, perfectly at work creating masterpieces out of our messes.

perspective from a rooster champion.

10 months ago I had just evacuated my temporary cocoon home in Mom's belly.  What a wild ride it's been since then.  I've lived in three different houses, cut four teeth and expanded my palate by about 99%.  I've been riding in airplanes, meeting a LOT of family members, mowing the lawn with Dad and melting Mom into a puddle on a daily basis.  It's a hard job but somebody has to do it!
My favorites change so often, I'll just tell you what I'm obsessed with this week: frozen peas, mom's water bottle and the new pets that came with this house: three cats!  I love scooting around the living room in search of anything dangerous, pulling up on everything sharp and precarious and, if someone will just hold my hands, I'll run as far as you'll let me!  Needless to say, life is an adventure.
I'm really starting to catch on to things.  I mimic and clap and watch ever so closely for my parent's reactions!  I like to join in the fun when Dad and Mom are really cracking up about something, and when I start chuckling they laugh even harder!  There are a few things they just don't approve of, though.  For example: crawling out of my highchair or doing gymnastics on the changing table.  I don't understand why these activities are frowned upon but I AM starting to realize that they use the dreaded 'N word' every time I make an attempt.  (These guys missed the memo; they think they're running this show!)

The new place where we live came with 10 acres of land begging to be explored!  We take lots of walks around the property and we even planted a garden!  Mom and I lay in the grass and look up where there's a whole world of tree tops, cloud animals and soaring birds.  We also lay in the same spot, but on our bellies, digging in the dirt, inspecting each blade of grass and, if we're lucky, finding a lady bug or chameleon!  Perspective is an amazing thing; we're in the exact same spot, simply choosing what we want to focus on.
Last Mother's Day I was the size of a small melon; this Mother's Day I weigh 21 pounds and wear 12-18 month clothes!  I was 100% alive last year and Mom did get to celebrate.. but this year I'm alive and MOVING, so Dad and I really made her feel like a princess.  This year she knows a little more.  Mom's figuring out what it is to have part of her heart live outside her body.  She knows about loving so big that it hurts.  She struggles over clinging to each sweet moment while anxiously awaiting the next stage.  She's logged sleepless nights, changed hundreds of diapers and is learning about fit throwing.  Apparently, I'm responsible for some of her hardest cries and deepest laughs.  She recently told me, 'Being a Mom is the best 'job' in the world.'  I don't know what's so labor intensive about having a baby [pun intended..] but I'll take her word for it.

The word 'shy' is not in my vocabulary at this point and I  will go to anyone that has arms.  I think this is because I have so many 'aunties' and 'uncles' here.  This can make for some awkward situations in grocery stores.  But adults need to laugh more and I like to guarantee that wherever I go.  My latest tactic was having a 'yell-off' competition with the rooster in the post office!  He thought he had the best pair of lungs but, after going back and forth several times, it was obvious who the champion was.  [And yes, there was a rooster IN the post office...] Now, if you want to talk about awkward situations- Mom put a shoe on me the other day!?  Don't know what that was about.  Hopefully she doesn't attempt that for another 10 months..

My favorite time of day is when Dad comes home from work.  He is so much fun and always full of genius ideas.  Sometimes they seem extreme to our Mom but she usually comes around.  (If she doesn't, we just go to a different room and try it!)  Second favorite part of the day: story time!  I can't get enough of those books, especially now that I know about turning pages.  And, yes, I'm the only one allowed to do the turning!  Some of my books have moving parts, others have different textures, there's no end to the places we go and the people we meet in my stories..

The binding in my Bible is breaking but Mom says that's okay, it's the most important one and we'll turn the pages till it falls apart, then get another one and keep reading.  Mom says 'The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1' over and over and over, like she wants me to remember it or something.  I chatter all day long but these guys aren't fluent in my dialect yet.  The only words they consistently respond to are 'Dada' and 'Mama'.  I guess I have to ease them into this.  

Well, next time you hear from me I'll be reporting about my first birthday party!!!  (Don't mention this to my Mom, she gets way too emotional!)  I hope you all are doing well!!
Owen
[locally known as: Rooster Champion]

Along for the ride!

We're at it again!  This Pearl family has been busily boxing our belongings and venturing to a new (to us) house in a different part of the island.  Some call us vagabonds and I suppose I approve of that label!  I've never been a big 'roots' person.  Of course there is the occasional need to settle; becoming a wife or mama guarantees the temporary commandeering of your body by the 'nesting instinct'.  But I'm a wanderer at heart, invariably ready for the next adventure and always game for venturing into the unknown.
We loved where we were living, but circumstances were changing and we knew the door may be closing.  What we didn't realize was how God was already so marvelously at work.  Before we even had a chance to think the thought 'What's next..'  Derek was coming home from work asking me what I would think about moving!  We had been presented with an incredible opportunity to caretake for a family that is moving to the mainland for 3+ years.

I let the thought roll around in my brain for a few seconds before nodding my agreement, 'Okay!'  Of course, the decision making process was slightly more in depth than that.  We took time to pray it over and talk it out with people full of wisdom.  But in the end, we felt nothing but excitement and peace, so.. here we are!!  Our family is,  once again, in awe of the way God orchestrates each detail of our lives.  Just as one door starts to close, another opens.  His plans are extraordinary and we're happy to be along for the ride!

                                     

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

-words for my little man-

Owen Jerald, my little monkey-
Being able to glimpse life through your eyes is a gift.  I forgot that birds are fascinating and worthy of a dropped jaw at every single sighting.  Rain is a mystery and you've reminded me to lift my hands to the sky in wonder.  Your taste buds are crazy about home made chicken noodle soup!  And you have a chuckle that makes your Dad and I guffaw.  The expressions you produce are priceless; bits and pieces of your personality are surfacing with each day and we have a front row seat.  We also have a huge responsibility, with work to be done and countless lessons to be learned.  Thank goodness we can take the days one at a time; working through challenges and savoring sweet kisses.
You are right around the corner from ten months old and an absolute joy!  I love my days with you.  They are not without their spills and bumps and melt downs in the middle of Costco; you most certainly have a mind of your own.  But you are absolutely the sweetest thing I've ever known.  I loved having a tiny, sweet newborn.  But, lets face it, we couldn't do a whole lot of adventuring then.  Things are a different story now!  We can't get enough of the outdoors, unexplored jungle paths and story time under the bamboo.  We have some serious fun, little man.  And we're just getting started!
Jesus is working through your life to teach and refine me!  My faith has grown in tremendous ways these past few months.  I wrestle with answers for the questions I know you will have someday.  I dig deep into the Word for truth that I want to impress upon your heart.  Your innocence challenges me, your unwavering faith makes me yearn for a deeper level of trust in my Father.  Thank you for allowing me a fresh look at life.  Thank you for pushing me beyond my comfort zone (and yes, even for the sleepless nights) that I might realize my absolute inadequacy and run to the only One that call fill me all the way to overflowing.
I love you, sweetheart.
Mama