My Paradise is Changing with every Breath

I use to get lost in the paradise that I assumed I wanted.  I was lost in the normalities of society, thriving on the things that gave me satisfaction in the time being.  I was young and foolish.  I was looking for life in all the wrong places.  Sex, drugs and rock n' roll seemed to be the motivators for a lot of our world, and while I was stuck in between a rock and a hard place, my thought and perception of life changed.  

Now I find that my Paradise is changing with every breath I breathe.  2014 was nothing short of great, and if I were to magnify my paradise down into the paths I have walked, you would find this...

My dearest Baby Fenway Eden; you will be 35 weeks this Friday.  

It is crazy to think that just 7 months ago, I was walking into my living room, from a day of golfing, to a Happy Fathers Day card sitting on the kitchen table.  Surprised and ecstatic, I broke into a joyful tear as your mother walked down the stairs, laughing and crying.  You were but a little bitty thing, only a week old, but my love for you was ever so great, and has continued to grow since the day you were created.  It's funny the way God works some times.  His timing is impeccable, as we found out of your existence the day before we left for Kentucky, our new home.  Nervous and scared of what the future might hold for us there, it all seemed to slow to a halt as thoughts of you and what you might become, filled our minds. 

I received these as a gift 2 Saturdays ago, at your baby shower, and I still get goosebumps just looking at them.  Soon, your warm feet will fill the closely knit yarn of these soft shoes.  The first pair of shoes your feet will ever fill, but it will not be the last.  

I can not wait to witness the uttered first steps of an uncertain baby, or the mumbled words that come from your Cheerio filled smile.  To have you crawl into bed with us and cuddle because you feel safe, or to feel the soft kiss of your lips on my cheek.  

I can't wait to hold your hand.
I can't wait to brush your hair.
I can't wait to call your name.
I can't wait to tuck you in at night.
I can't wait to go to Father/Daughter dances.
I can't wait to teach you to ride a bike.
I can't wait to take you on adventures in the woods, or help you cast your first line.

What ever it is, you are going to grow into a beautiful young woman and I pray that as you grow, the love in your heart will also grow.  The love for your Creator, the love for people, the love for adventure and new beginnings, and the love for the unknown.  

Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female, He created them.

You were created for a purpose.  You were created to fulfill something that is so much greater than anything we could ever muster up in our simple minds.  You are going to bring so much joy to those people who choose to surround themselves with your presence, but more importantly, you are going to bring joy to your Creator, the Lord.  He longs for you.  He is constantly pursuing you, and I pray that even now, as your grow in your mothers womb, that you would feel the warmth of His love.  That you would seek His comfort beyond all else and know that His path for your life is more important then that of this world.

I love you so much Fenway Eden, and I can not wait to meet you, face to face, and bring you home.  You are going to be a legend.

And this is what 7 months, going on 8, looks like.  

I have the most incredible, beautiful wife ever, and with 2014 coming to an end, I can only imagine the happiness she will bring me in 2015.  

I am excited for date nights and late nights,
sleepless nights and ridiculous fights. 
Baby whines and fine wines,
new fears and joyful tears.
Bottles galore with room for more,
little clothes and shoes in rows.
Stroller rides and ocean tides,
rocking chairs and crazy hair.
Changing diapers and hanging pictures,
taking our daughter on little adventures.
Happy dogs and fire logs,
making dinner with the mom-of-the-year winner.
Carving pumpkins and putting up lights,
singing lullabies deep into the night.
Wrapping you up and holding you close,
putting in time for the things I love most.

You are going to be one hell of a mother, and I know that our daughter is going to be a better woman because of you.  There is something about you...the way you look, the way you talk, the way you laugh, that has a way at getting the best out of people.  Doesn't matter the mood I, or anyone for this matter, is in, you have a natural tendency at brightening the day for anyone around you.  And I am thankful that I get that treatment everyday.  Thank you for being the best wife/mom that anyone could ever have.

Plus, you go really well with a nice, steaming cup of coffee.

When was the last adventure you took?  Are you seeking Gods beauty outside the confinement of your home or office cubicle?  I sure do hope so because God doesn't intend for us to live our life out of the 6x6 box we tend to spend 75% of our time in, assuming 42.7%  of that 75% you spend sleeping.  You are meant to explore and indulge in the goodness that God has created around you: nature.  

Just recently (9 days ago) I had the opportunity, again, to go on a surf trip with my bud Bobby.  Mr. Pete's hamburgers, Pipes for breakfast, Starbucks, 2 days and a hunger for a good time.  This was by far one of the greatest ones yet, and although short, I got to experience God in an entire different way.  

A short 1.5 mile walk to 4 breaks known as Trestles...Uppers, Lowers, Middles, and Churches.  Beautiful waves, long lefts, long rights and great split peaks.  70 degrees with light winds off shore.  Four of some of the most well known breaks in the world, it brings you back to what life is really all about.  The idea that life comes and it goes, as the tide trickles on the beach, but no matter what tide it is, low or high, we are called to enjoy it.

You know, one of the characteristics, if you will, of Trestles is that there are these rocks right as you hit water that you have to pass through before you can paddle out.  Jagged, rough, slippery from algae, and irritating none the less.  I don't think I have ever paddled in without a cut or two on the pads of my feet.  But without these rocks, without these obstacles, it wouldn't be Trestles...it wouldn't be the surf that so many around the world flock to.  

A few weeks ago at my church, we heard a video testimony of a woman who at an early age, suffered from a stroke.  It was a rare genetic disorder that caused her to have a stroke at 25 years old, with no signs of anything being wrong.  She had no idea it was going to happen and as a result, she almost died and lost a lot of mobility that she once had.  To top it off, she has just had a baby 6 months before that, and was adjusting to a new life with her husband.

She said something simply remarkable that has been circling my head for the past four weeks coming out of that video:

"We have been very blessed to suffer at an early age, so we now know how to live the rest of our lives."

Who says that?  Blessed to suffer?  I don't think I have heard but maybe 2 people in my entire life say that.  Often times, the first reaction to suffering that one can conjure up is anger; hatred and confusion.  Why would this happen to me? How can God allow this to happen?  This is not how I planned my life to be.  But thats exactly right!  You didn't plan your life and as I stated before, the plan God has for our lives is much more important than anything we can muster up.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."


This lady and her husband suffered hardship.  They suffered struggle and major life change, but the fact that they have changed the course of that challenge into something good is amazing.  To see that they now can live their life knowing that through suffering, their love for Christ has grown tremendously, is what God wants us to see.  You are meant to suffer, and life is not a free ride.  Life is its own beast, throwing curveballs and right hooks.  And you can't escape it, no matter which way you go.

Duck dives are a life saver to surfers, to say the least...a perfected art.  It allows one to push under and through the wave, with their board, rather then going over the white wash, which causes a lot more hardship and struggle in getting out.  You can chose to push through life, fighting back or struggling with the white wash.  It's your call. 

And like the rocks in Trestles, sometimes you have to walk through rough spots to get to something really great.  And once you are there, those little cuts don't seem so bad anymore.

Now, with all that is coming this year, I wish everyone the happiest, most fulfilling New Year.  Remember, one thing is for sure, we are all just passing through and in the words of Oscar Wilde:

"To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all."

Don't let this...

...be your destiny.

Make 2015 the best year you have ever had.  See you on the other side.

-JTD-