AD has moved…

Anomalous Darlings has officially moved to anomalousdarlings.com, hence why I missed Thursday’s post (website building is HARD work)!

Although all of AD’s posts were transferred to the new website, I will keep this website open (anomalousdarlings.wordpress.com), for when I (or anyone else) craves some AD nostalgia!

Unfortunately, if you have been receiving email updates/following notifications about post from AD, those did not transfer to the new website. To remedy this, I have designed a newsletter that will go out weekly (on Fridays), but you will have to sign up for the newsletter through the new website (anomalousdarlings.com).

On to a new domain,

It & You

Hope you and your family had a fantastic Father’s Day!<3

Our minds are not good stewards over themselves. Left as the sole caretaker of our thoughts, emotions and feelings…it performs poorly every single time!

“I carry it and I care for you.” -God

There is “it” and then there is “you”. “It”, is the problem/challenge you are facing, a temporary irritant. Whereas “you”, is the spirit within, the dimension of you that will live forever in Heaven. Since we can’t identify God with our physical sense, it is easy to forget that He cares about our earthly existence and well-being, just as much as our eternal.

Whether you are struggling with an “it”, “you” or both, know that God is heavily invested in all that you are and is with you until the end of time and beyond!

Until Thursday,

ANTSY

Last Friday, everything seemed to be “off”. I got stopped at every light, someone was in my park and I left my spoon for applesauce. On my way to my car (after my supervisor was late returning from lunch, delaying my departure), I saw a rainbow on the asphalt. I was amazed at how two little sticks could be perfectly positioned in a circle rainbow…in the middle of a busy, windy parking lot. It was as if it was placed there for me!

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” -Proverbs 16:9 NIV

The vision of my Friday didn’t include being antsy or slurping up applesauce with a straw. However, my idyllic day also didn’t include seeing a wonder of God in the parking lot either!

Ten days, ten months, ten years from today, I have mental pictures of where I want to be and what I want to be doing. Yet, my mental pictures don’t include all the pre-arranged blessings that God has already interwoven into His plan for my life.

God had unimaginable ideas when He was creating you and as He guides your steps, He reveals them to you!

Until Sunday,

Your River

Why am I thirsty for things that You are plentiful in, for Your River, God is overflowing?

Your River.
It flows through and to me

Your River.
It surrounds and engulfs me

Your River.
It moves and destroys obstacles for me.

Your River.
It cools and sustains me.

Your River.
It’s never-ending and available to me.

Your River.
It leads and guides me.

Your River.
It calms and stills me.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.” -Psalm 42:2 TLV

We all have innate desires in life, that only God can fulfill. The true test is running to Him and not the empty fillers of this world…

Until Thursday,

Quiet Time

I am somewhere between being a busybody and an intellectual junkie! Although there are benefits to seeking intellectual challenges and mentally-stimulating activities, there must be a balance. Spoiler alert: I haven’t found it yet, but everyday I know that I am getting closer 🙂

Today, God told me that I need more “quiet time”, time that I am not contemplating life, planning my life 10 years from now or doing any other mentally-draining activity.

We all have counterproductive habits that sometimes seem impossible to kick. However, whatever those weaknesses may be (mental/overthinking, physical/under exercising), you can be confident of two things:

1. Jesus experienced the same struggle and was successful as a man (Hebrews 4:15)
2. God is more than willing to supply wisdom and advice, when you ask (James 1:5)

Here’s the good news, you already have the victory and dominion over your bad habits! The process of changing them won’t be easy, but you can find comfort in knowing that you win in the end!

Until Sunday,

Reborn

This past weekend, my beloved orchid of three months, finally surrendered its blooms and entered a resting period. Although I was sad to throw away the-now lifeless blossoms, I knew that she would bloom again in next year. I always amazed by how perennial flowers die, lie dormant all winter and then burst out of the ground during the springtime!

In John 15, Jesus talks about how God is The Gardener, he is The Vine and we are The Branches. God is constantly revealing and pruning the ‘weeds’ in our lives, that drain our energy. In life, as we seek to act, love and look like God, we are regularly undergoing the process of dying and reawakening.

The ability to ‘die’ and rise again, better than before, is testament to inner strength and determination! As a healthy, living man, Jesus wasn’t much help to us, concerning our salvation. Yet, as a resurrected man, he was the antidote for sin, supplying us with grace and mercy!

Until Thursday,

Seeing You…

I like guarantees! Any company/business that is willing to guarantee their products and offer me a full refund, if I am not satisfied, have an edge over those that don’t. However, nine times out of ten, establishments boast those guarantees because they know that their quality is consistent from order to order.

God gifted us the most reliable and renowned invention to-date…Jesus! Through Jesus and grace, we have salvation and unlimited access to God.

“Every good gift bestowed, every perfect gift received comes to us from above, courtesy of the Father of lights. He is consistent. He won’t change His mind or play tricks in the shadows.” -James 1:17 VOICE

On top of guaranteeing us things we don’t deserve, He also gives us daily good gifts. Now, that’s a bargain bundle! We get air in our lungs, protection throughout the day, favor to guide us, a permanent home in Heaven and so, so much more!

Today I caught myself “pramplaining”, which is praying but complaining, at the same time. After taking the time to count the blessings in my life, I couldn’t help to say, “God, there is so much good around me and I am seeing You in all of it!”

Until Sunday,

GRATEFUL

Happy Memorial Day!

My heart is appreciative to all the families that have lost loved ones and/or made sacrifices, so that my family and I could live in peace! It takes special people to willingly sign up for the military, knowing the (potentially fatal) risks involved.

There are many things we could complain about, but our blessings will always outnumber our gripes. Your life was ordained for a purpose, one that Jesus and soldiers both felt was worth dying for! We could never compensate for the price of a life, but we can govern our lives with intention and gratefulness!

Life is precious but expensive…I am so thankful that I didn’t have to pay the price!

Until Thursday,

Disposable

God am I disposable, or are you shielding me from those that don’t mean me well and are incapable of loving me the way I deserve?

God and I have been having discussions about my social life ever since I found my books to be more reliable than human beings! I hate to be bleak, but after a few not-so-pleasant encounters with some of God’s special children, I tend to keep to myself!

Sometimes, I feel like people only think of me when they need or want something. It’s like I am some sort of unfeeling, robotic voice-machine that is available at their disposal. However, it’s not my feelings that govern my life but what I know, which is that Jesus always prioritizes me and he never asks for anything in return!

Not everyone is interested in getting to know you or developing a relationship (business, platonic, romantic etc.) with you. Not everyone will be able to see past how advantageous you are to them. And that’s okay!

God always has a way of revealing people’s true intentions and protecting us from them. You’re not disposable, but irreplaceable and anyone who can’t perceive that, can be escorted out the door they came in 😉

Until Sunday,

With Kindness

If you want to know anything about me…ask God and my mother! Those two together, know me better than I know myself!

Apart from loving me unconditionally, I am grateful for how God convicts in the spirit and my mother corrects in the natural, both with kindness. The old saying is true…it’s not what you say, but how you say it!

Satan likes to paint mental pictures where constructive criticism towards us is perceived as a threat to our worth. And in moments, when we are hearing things from The Holy Spirit and/or our loved ones that we would prefer not to hear, it’s easy to mistake Satan’s counterfeits as authentic.

God always operates through grace, not spiritual condemnation and our loved ones (most of them) have sincere intentions!

Until Sunday,