The Land of Acceptance: Anyone Else Out There?

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."   --- Colossians 3:15

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Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but lately it's felt all 'best of times, worst of times' around here.

We purchased this for Daniel the Cat so I can walk him around:

We've prayed much for Daniel and what a test not to be consumed by concern, but rather, keep the hope of belief. Stay balanced in our living.

Then there's Tom who, we've realized, can't really walk anymore, himself, without a rollator or 2 canes. Oh, he 'goes like 60' on the treadmill while holding the horizontal arm bars, but then can barely hobble to his office chair 2 feet away.

"No more vacations", we muse. Even to do any walking locally is rough on Tom. We're still working through those levels of acceptance.

And no moving to an easier one-level house, either. Neither of us could survive that (unless we HAD to), even with having others do most of the work. At this time I don't mind our two sets of stairs here, rather, I appreciate the exercise. Yet years from now? I'm uncertain.

I'm grateful that Tom can do one-level living here, though, including stepping out to our wide, morning-sunny front porch.

As for decorating one more house on Earth? I'm working through the acceptance that will not happen. Perhaps I could redecorate Hobbit Cottage, but I like what I've done, what I've collected. So well, uh, no. Probably not, unless the changes are tiny. Easy.

Man, every night before bedtime I still peek at local real estate online. Not sure even why, other than I love old houses. Only rarely do I find nearly perfect houses like this one, below. Is this adorable, or what?

Then there's Neighbor Sally who I watch from our front porch as she now uses a cane or walker. Last week she turned 85. Twice lately we've chatted awhile on her front porch.

Then yesterday while feeling sad about all these walking, aging, problems, I opened an email from Joyce Meyer (for whom I'm so grateful). She'd had back surgery and had broken a leg bone afterward. She will turn 80 in June.

Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.

Another Acceptance Season. We all have them and usually I keep quiet, meditative, pensive during mine, working through the feelings, disappointments, with God, one at a time. Hence one reason I've not written here much lately.

Yet oh, how grateful I am for that 'stop and give me 20 gratitudes' challenge I described to you last time. What an attitude saver that's become.

How grateful I am for what's probably the most beautiful Springtime I recall in our 30 years here.

---and all my front porch hours, reading and staring at the river down the street.

---having Naomi here to help us (and the way she makes our Sunday afternoon lunches and shows us early episodes of The Goldbergs via Hulu).

---all my friends and books and Open Library and my gardens and cute upstairs rooms.

And the Holy Spirit without whom I'd probably have gone bonkers years ago.  ツ

How good this Life that God's given me! May I never take it for granted nor complain it all away, even during (temporary!) Acceptance Seasons like this one.

Often not until we release old dreams will God give us new ones which fit us better in our present circumstances (she tells herself repeatedly).

Let it go and thrive!

Oh, and please do today (or, well, soon) what you may not be able to do when you're older. How thankful Tom and I are that we took those vacations, those train trips, bought that tiny farm, decorated houses, and attended those car shows, estate sales, those concerts, those ----

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Wow, this video, The War Over Your Perspective, was timely yesterday! Focusing on the negative only makes life dark when we could have had  light, instead.

Creating a Culture of Books

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Yep, unfortunately some days lately ol' Debra's been like this---

... but always remember--we walk by faith, not by sight and oh, how sweet when faith floods our heart, pushing the lesser stuff, out.

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. *** "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15