paradise .

three thousand miles away, there is a beautiful beach with white sands and pearly blue water .
if you wade into the water far enough, you spot tropical fish of blue and orange fluttering by your feet . on the horizon, the sun sets and the purple blushed sky fades off to make room for the stars . the phone rings . it's a phone call that your son just got suspended from school again . you rememeber those overflowing emails pouring out of your blackberry . uh oh . your car note is due anytime now . tuition is due anytime now . your baby's mama is due anytime now .

paradise is not the destination in which you choose to reside .
paradise is a mindset that pushes all things away into the "not now" file of the mind . it's a being of serenity and calm and peace . paradise can be in your parents house (doubt it) . paradise can be in some far off country . paradise can be in the back corner of barnes and noble , under a stack load of fictional books . paradise can be in a spouses arms . who knows .

with all of the stress & drama of today , let me tell you that there is true paradise in God's umbrella of protection . Things can get to you sometimes and life can really yank you by the collar ...but knowing that your burden is also God's to bear can be comforting at times . Even more so, knowing that God can & will take care of it is even more of the much needed "chill pill" . Give it to God and he will provide :)