An Alternate Reality Anyone?

Did you ever watch Fringe?

If so, you'll recall that a huge part of that show revolves around an alternate universe. You know, a world like ours with people who look exactly like us as individuals, yet everything is slightly skewed because of--mainly--the different choices and decisions made by our other selves.

I think I used to live there. heh.

It's just that my world before my mid-30's felt wildly different than this present one. I felt unlike everyone else and that made me uncomfortable and pretty moody. I'd wonder if God had fluttered me down to the wrong planet because people kept saying they didn't understand me and I didn't get them, as in, why they found certain books exciting and I'd be bored (or embarrassed) by page 5. Why they longed for loud groups and I wanted some blessed peace and quiet. Why the preachers who inspired them, made me leery. Etc.

Yep, must have landed here by mistake, I'd reason. Just better try to fit in so no one will suspect this mistake. :)

But I didn't want to fit in--I wanted to be me, the real one, even within this wrong alternate universe (so to speak). 

Finally around age 35, God showed me that most of us share these feelings to an extent until this becomes our own reality:

"Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself
and our hearts are restless
until they find their rest in You;
so lead us by your Spirit
that in this life we may live to your glory
and in the life to come enjoy you forever..."   ... St. Augustine


What connects us all is Him-- life in Him, loving Him, being anchored in Him. That's when we become who He created us to be--and accept our own uniqueness--with so much peace that we can now accept others' differences, as well. And become one in Him due, in part,  to knowing their same extremely creative Creator the One who's not much into making duplicates, but one of a kind.

Although this present world isn't our permanent one--even though Life down here feels a bit skewed--if our once-restless heart truly holds God, our anchor, we'll know real rest. Contentment. Acceptance of our zany co-habitors, foregoing the temptation to make them over into versions of ourselves and choosing, instead, to pray they, too, will find that heart rest.

And we'll know peace, assurance that we're right where we're supposed to be, in the correct universe and everything. 





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Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


Philippians 2:2  ... then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.


Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?


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God created this amazing world for us, His kids, and 'gave us all things richly to enjoy'. So there must be a way--with Him--for us to gratefully enjoy Life, making all our many complaints about this world, well, most likely displeasing to Him.

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Here's a song to accompany this post. I've shared it before but oh, it always sounds new to me each time I play it. Love, love, love...

Mother's Day

Oh! Does that blow your mind, or what?

When I see ballistic blog or Facebook posts (or rants in Real Life) about whatever (crazy) latest governmental decision, it occurs to me that many Christians don't really believe what Mrs. Bush says here, that we too often, sadly, fall for the distraction, instead. 

(Thanks, Pat, for sharing that quote at Facebook!)

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Happy Mother's Day, everyone! Rejoice and celebrate that God invented motherhood today, all days, too.

Tom and I celebrated yesterday by just being together which felt especially good after his work week in New Hampshire. We ate Chinese food and watched the Dog Whisperer and Fringe shows which I'd seen while he was gone --as usual, I'm blessed that we enjoy many of the same things.

And my sweet daughter sent us another box of healthy organic snacks, another perfect gift, arriving at the perfect time. She'll call later this afternoon so I'm anticipating that.

Happy sigh. God is extremely good.... all the time.

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It's that kind of day here, too... Blowy, cold, with white clouds in blue skies.

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Meanwhile, Down at The Spa....

So! What was my adventure this week?

Tom traveled to New Hampshire with a business partner on Monday morning, he's been gone all week, and well, I'll only mention his trips on the day of his return because that feels safer, wiser.

So anyway, ol' Debra's been Home Alone. 

Well, alone with Jesus, Grace and Daniel and Sammy The Cats. And oh.... have we all had fun.

I sat outside with the sun upon my face and puttered and did all the spade-digging, planting, clipping, mowing I longingly dream about during winter. 

I read on the front porch, gazed down the street to the peaceful, sparkling river with seagulls circling above and relaxed in Tom's recliner while watching a bazillion instant-Netflix episodes of Dog Whisperer (such wisdom!) and Fringe (I love sci-fi. Deal with it). :) And ate easy, little meals, heating them in our George Foreman counter top oven.

I rewarded any bits of housework with either tv or books or inhaling the warm crab apple tree blossoms and felt like I'd taken a working vacation. And truthfully? I try to live my life 'on vacation': working, yes, but while my brain, my emotions, (during these turbulent 2013 times, especially) remain calm, soothed, as though on a spa vacation, if you will. 

This week it seemed simpler to do that. 

I felt like I lived these words out loud:

"Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls."  ...  Matthew 11:29

Refreshment, blessed quiet. Yes, those words sum-up my 'spa home week'. Add healing, too, from the sadness of the news I hear, even with Grace beside me, news of horrible times I believe we weren't created to bear mentally without Jesus holding us up. These past five years, especially, I've found I must stop, take extra 'pause days' just to heal from being alive in this Millennium.

Yet then I move on, healed from the heart, quieted, and prepared to face what needs to be faced, with the joy of God, His strength and all the peace, contentment and heart-calm I can hold in order to see more good days. With Him.

See? I told you not to get excited about my upcoming adventure. :)

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The older I become the more I believe this: A lousy attitude leads to a lousy life and a good attitude leads to a good one. On the inside. I'm speaking of Life on the inside.

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"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You."   ... Isaiah 26:3

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden {and} overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]"   ... Matthew 11:28