24.

My 24th birthday is one for the books. It was just a chill day, and I was surrounded by a few people I love as well as random and really sweet Peruvians who I might never see again.

I got to hear my maid sing "Happy Birthday" in English, get hugs, be loved on, teach, hear more "Happy Birthday" from some really cute kids, get Peruvian "Feliz Cumpleanos, Miss," eat good food (including to-die-for ice cream cake thanks to Steve Christy), be encouraged, laugh a lot (til my stomach hurt), dance a ton and just forget about some troubles.

It was a good day. Thanks, God. Here's praying 24 will see me continue to grow and learn, glorify the Lord Jesus, adjust to new circumstances, heal, meet new friends, reconnect with old ones, love on people, and find out where I'm supposed to be for a time.

If you know me even a little, you know about my tiny obsession with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. The man seems to express things I feel or have felt or will feel. (I'm pretty sure now that if you google Jon, my blog is going to appear, by the way.)

Anyway, he wrote this song (so I heard) when he turned 24. Enjoy.

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I wanna to be one today
Centered and true

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You're raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me
Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out....