Crashing California

Tonight at #womenwithoutwalls -- what does #valor look like? our #proverbs31woman was not just a wife, a mother, an amazing woman who seemed to be able to do it all -- she was a fighter for her family, a strength in her home, and brave in the face of her world! Happy #womanofvalor day 😘💗 to all my ladies!! #creativity #visualart #visualscripture A photo posted by pearlstheword (@pearlstheword) on May 6, 2016 at 10:57pm PDT This last week I did a bit of an impromptu study of Proverbs 31, and the famous (or infamous, depending on your opinion) Proverbs 31 "woman". It's the Epilogue of the book of Proverbs in the Bible and outlines in poetic Hebrew fashion, the perfect woman. Honestly I never have paid much attention to this prose before. I had read Proverbs, but had not seriously taken it upon myself to meditate on that scripture. As I was preparing for a women's event this last Friday, it struck me that, being Mother's Day on the Horizon, it made ...

Learning about this today -- #happynewyearseve A photo posted by pearlstheword (@pearlstheword) on Dec 31, 2015 at 10:11am PST Well, it is the last day of the year.  I have been sick at home for the last two days with a stubborn head cold that doesn't seem to be letting up. It's times like these, times when I am confined to my little home, with the sunlight gently streaking along the walls, as the love birds sing (ie, scream) and my little bulldog sleeping on the couch, that I am reminded of what "rest" should be. There is some semblance of peace here, and for me— amid the sneezing, running nose and trips to the bathroom, to blow said nose— I am forced to quiet myself, make another cuppa tea and rest. Maybe I am getting older (maybe, lol, for real I am!) but I find myself asking this question a lot : "what is this world coming to?" It seems like an "old person question" because I can remember talks with my grandparents and t...

Along the salty, sandy bluff coast and rocks cradling the sea as monarch flew, a raven perched — gazing steadily at she. The Monarch, small, light and bright, the fairest of her kind. The Raven, stoic, feather's indigo ink, with eyes that pierced the blind. The Monarch fluttered, flew and danced along the green sea shore, she let the breeze lift her delicate wings, she let herself rise and soar. Up and down, to and fro with not a care in sight. She knew not how beautiful her wings, they were, she only knew sea breeze and sun light. She had vague recollection of a season now past, a season she came from the ground. She knew now she flew with wings colored anew, she knew she carried new sound. She sang of her kind, healing of the blind, she whispered secrets she was given. She knew she had purpose, knew she was worth it, knew of the creator's great vision. The Raven, upon the other hand,  perched herself high on a wire. Her eyes gazed solid upon the horizon, as...

well today was interesting 😫🙏🏻 #onethumbup #dontplaywithknives #seriously #iiiiissssshhhhhh A photo posted by pearlstheword (@pearlstheword) on Jun 18, 2015 at 6:26pm PDT He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ~ Psalm 147:3 Often times we don't know why we do the things we do. Two weeks ago in a rushed hurry I was cutting material for some signage for a work event and I cut right through the top left of my thumb.  Honestly, I wasn't even thinking, I was a machine, trying to be the fastest I could, after all I had about 50 signs to put together for the weekend, and it was already 4:45 on Thursday. It happened so fast, as all accidents do, and in a weird haze all of a sudden life is different. I was driven to ER, and sat for 4 hours while every 1/2 hour or so another portion of the process of cleaning, and tending to my finger was completed. The ER alone is a chaotic place, people in all varying stages of illness and brokenness.  A you...

So many of you know I have started a new job as of almost one month ago (YAY!!!) finally away from the old JC, I am now at a renowned animal center here in San Diego County, now known as HWAC ;) ... at first things were a little tough, but I'm one month in, getting used to the commutte (45 mins one way!) and starting to feel a bit more like I'm home. This last weekend, which seemed like a whirlwind in itself really, began with a show at a a cafe downtown SD called "Cafe 21" ... an upscale (and dare I say, Hipster) location. We were the entertainment for the night and pumped out a steady stream of originals (HUGE blessing) and instrumental music ... the event was interesting because we were part of the entourage of a ministry called Love On San Diego, which is headed by a couple people who love the Lord very much, and desire to bring the Love of Jesus into the gaslamp district, and that whole community. They basically take over a restaurant, anonymously paying people...

the traffic runs like blood through these streets, main arteries in the stop and go life. Mundane rumbles and rushing but standing still people, making their way from what they love, to what makes, what they love possible — in this world. That person, confined beside you in their comfortable luxury automobile, may have a wife, maybe a husband, maybe their marriage is the most beautiful thing, or maybe it's very broken. Maybe they have kids that are rebelling, maybe this time to and from work is the only moment they get to be with themselves, maybe it's the most comforting time, maybe the scariest. We are all paying for something. We all, in this culture, sacrifice our time, which is the most important commodity, for a bunch of shiny stuff, that somehow, makes this every day grind seem bearable. While we grow older, and more aches and more stresses creep up our backs, our necks, brace our temples with vices of various labels, we sacrifice more time, for more objects w...

I started the Daniel Fast last week. I felt that the Lord was calling me to this for a while, but it's such a pain, lol, it took me a while to commit ... after Murray left and after having Mexican food for a solid five days, I was ready to clean out my body and center my soul and mind upon what the Lord had for me. It also turned out that the day I began was the first day of Lent (!) How coincidental, ha! So I am certain that this is my season to seek, praise and learn about what it's like to just BE in His presence. (Sidebar, I am not doing the Fast for 40 days, lol, just the normal 21) I wasnt' sure exactly what I should be praying about in the beginning, but I really feel so strongly that Jay and I are in such a new season, that I am focusing my prayers around that. Yesterday the Lord hit me. I've been reading and praying in the morning and journalling like usual, but this time going through the Daniel Fast book that I have, so each day is a bit different and...