On The Other Side of Summer

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  ...Phillippians 3:13,14


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Oh wow. Summer time was brutal. 

^%$#)(*>!!

Almost didn't survive it this year. Eegads. Nope, ol' Debra went from this in early June--

To this in July and August --

She stayed inside the house both those months and man, cabin fever came early this year. So did my darn ol' winter weight.

Too many tests, I say! Too many tests.  😉

Now, sometimes I hung onto God like crazy and passed with A's or B's. But other times, oh, I whined and let the who-cares?-I-just-can't-focus-anymore fog roll o'er me. And got D's. F's.

But hey, in Today's world we must learn to 'soldier on'. Ask God to yank us out of Pity Ruts, so He can set our feet upon that straight road again. 

Anyway, today it's cooler--and Summer's grasp has been broken--hopefully for 2018's remainder. (We've got a dreamy 10-day forecast.)

I'm celebrating! Already feeling strong again, like the Real Debra (I actually missed her) though yes, part of me is disgusted by my Summer weakness. "You big baby," I say.

But no--not going there. Instead, I'm choosing the 'soldiering-on thing,' not gazing backward, but marching 'round the block again, reviving my poor yard and more faithfully writing here.

Oh, Life zooms too quickly to sink beneath regret or resentment-of-things-lost! Or to bog down, asking unanswerable questions. People all around us need our help, you know?

So today, I say rise up with me. 

Yet, if you can't? If it's still too hot where you are or something else holds you down? Please draw God closer and ask that He lift you mightily in Spirit.

Throw aside that 'regret blanket' and learn or be or do something new for others. Always, God's available to help us, always, He's there to do a new thing. Never does He leave us to ourselves. 

Whew. Thank-goodness.

"... let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."   ... Hebrews 12:1,2

"... for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."   ... Psalm 103:14

The good news? Summer causes me to super-rely upon God's strength and becomes a reminder to do this all year long, no matter how capable I feel within myself.


Forgive yourself, your weaknesses and everything that went wrong. Just do it, let it go--then move on.


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Tuesday while at my cafe, this song (but a different version) played and I thought, "Oh! Where do I know this song from? Where oh where?"

Finally while (nearly) crawling home over steamy sidewalks, I remembered: that French Canadian radio station out at the farm always played it!

Ooooo, you might enjoy this song, too. So fun, so French and it's not just a song, but one of those which is more like an experience. (And how wonderful when God uses certain things to cheer us. Tuesday and Wednesday here were ridiculous heat-wise, but this song made things better.)

Anyway, check out Dance Me To The End of Love here. So adorable, the old photos of couples and how we see them now, their love having survived, grown stronger.

And the French radio station--which zooms me back out to that sunny farm kitchen with the orange counter tops that I, oddly, miss--is here.

*****

So After Seven Years --

                                                           Ooooooo.... dreamy.  😉


"Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool."   ... Proverbs 19:1

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In 2 days Tom and I will celebrate 7 years at Hobbit Cottage. (Can you, my long-time readers, believe that?)

This morning I read those early blog posts, the ones declaring never again would I collect a bunch of stuff--and had to call myself a Big Fat Liar.

Hey, can we get real? 

I've become my own collecting-enabler. I bought back books I'd sold in 2011 then placed them upon 9 new sets of shelves to accommodate my Still Love My Stuff Habit. I've squeezed in more furniture, the kind that stores more things.

Fortunately I'm a 'daily straightener.' Organizer. There's that. Yet I'm also a pro at discovering hiding places for tons of books, clothes, dvd's, stock-up groceries and retro tchotchkes. Man, I've squirreled away in 860 square feet probably more than you have in 2,000. It's a wonder, really. 

On Facebook I see meme's like this one--

... and yeah, I click 'like'. And then go organize one of many book shelves, toss a few pieces of my fireplace's white dish collection into the dishwasher, then look-up this week's yard sales.

Er hem. But hey! Some folks love to collect both moments and things, Tom and I being two of those people. And if that's wrong, well, we don't wanna be right. 😊

Whew. Confession truly is good for the soul. I do try to stay pretty honest here, keeping in mind liars always get found out by God and super often by blog readers. Yikes.

Anyway if you ever reread posts about my early decluttering-is-awesome! days here, now you'll know I changed my mind. That's allowed, right?

But so is reaping (and dusting, organizing, moving around) what one sows--and facing possible consequences thereof.

And there is that, also.

Hmm.

Be still my book-loving heart!

But is it really clutter if it doesn't bother you and you still enjoy it? Yep, ol' Debra still likes her stuff. Even so.
And you may quote me.


 "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices."  ... Colossians 3:9


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Seven years at Hobbit Cottage! Oh, the acceptance I'm learning here in this meant-to-be-temporary place. And oh, the freedom which comes after each victory.

But oh, how slowly this all takes place. heh.

                      Wow, six years after painting it, I still love my red door! It may take me longer to come up with ideas at this house, but at least I've found I re-do very, very little that way. 


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Daniel The Cat's new favorite sleeping place? Way up on top of our kitchen cabinets amongst my Fiestaware and other collections.

He knew there's no way I'd crawl up there again and again to bring him back down. 

He's consistently up there now, day and night. Darn ol' too-smart cat. 


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A favorite housework hack of mine 'round Hobbit Cottage? This-- 

After I clean our cheapo plastic bathroom door, there's still dark spots on it, so I 'paint over them' with this shoe polish.

I also use it in the same way on the bathroom door frame (and others), also our window sills. Such a quick fix when you don't wish to lug out a paint can and brush!

Really, I've wondered how I ever got along without this stuff.


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It's Still a Wonderful Life (No, Really)

‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’   ...  Jeremiah 7:23


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So I'm sitting here in my pretty aqua summer nightgown, my wet hair dripping after a shower and with no make-up. (Feel free to fervently thank God you can't see me.)  😉 

You (I) can't get any more comfortable than this and how good of Him to, through people, invent this Internet so I, we, can fling encouragement over zillions of miles.

Most times when I encourage folks, especially via writing, there's an ease, an unexplainable 'boost' which--when I'm just being oh-hum-me--is missing. Those ol' regular hours I'm quite vanilla and do not speak as I do in this blog (just ask those who best know me).

But I hope you've experienced for yourself the other-- that godly ease, that boost. Gee, it makes serving God, easier, and how good of Him to provide that grace, that anointing.

Yet sometimes, like last night! God purposely tweaks things, nudges us right out of our awfully-pleasant Comfort Zones--and down the road.

See, around 5:00 pm (in heat, humidity), we drove (through New York state thruways where, nervously, I grip the door's arm rest) to that (loud) restaurant where Naomi and Justin play (and I must scream in Tom's ear and strain hard, lip-read even, so to listen to folks beside me).

If you've read here long, you know that home is where ol' Debra's heart prefers to be. 

But oh, the afterward time! After I got there and saw how happy it made Naomi and Justin, after I heard their wonderful music with their violinist friend this time, after I (at God's nudging)encouraged, individually, 3 of Naomi's friends and after the more peaceful route home via our former old-timey town with 25 years of memories I'd never trade?

Oh, afterward comes Joy. 

Yes, that joy unspeakable and only known after obedience and helping and being kind. And after letting God use you, even if, first, you had to march through what you feared and didn't prefer in order to reach what you love--

--that which you are called to do during your short time here. With godly ease to help you.

It's still a wonderful life--with God--you know. Even these days with trouble all around. Even so.


" But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good."  ... 1 Corinthians 12:7 


"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them...  if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching ... the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness."   ... Romans 12:6-8

             (A special thanks to Danielle R. for the photo from last night.)


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Wow. There I was at our dining room table reading a new-to-me Janet Lambert book and this passage, below, stopped my breath. 

(To a young actor, Christy said), 

"I guess you like acting... I suppose it's fun if you know how."

(To which he replied --)

"It's wonderful. It's like flying or fighting dragons or running up a high hill or riding on a roller coaster."



Yippee! That's it. 

For decades, often, I've felt similarly--

--when I've sensed that God used me
--gave me words I'd never have thought of, myself,
--and nudged me out of 'that boat'
--to walk out on that scary water
--to encourage all those people
--when my natural inclination was to, instead, just hide.

But oh, Just Hiders and the Just Fearful leave this Earth unfinished, unfulfilled, unhappy: 


The bakers, sew-ers or singers who did not bake, sew or sing!
The repairers, helpers, designers who did not repair, help or design!
The painters, writers, teachers who did not paint, write or teach!


These (and many others) end their days in a sad discomfort--and who wants that?

Choose more, my friends. Step out of the boat and always, always choose more.

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