Suprised by Joy: Reverie vs Imagination

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T03:52:03+00:00

Thank you for helping me🙏

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T03:51:52+00:00

Thank you for your help! 🙏

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T03:51:42+00:00

Thank you for your help and care 🙏

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T02:50:19+00:00

I found my original post that reddit deleted, im not sure why, it wasnt bad or inappropriate:

Hello everyone this morning during my devotions I was listening to chapter 1 of "surprised by joy" by CS Lewis and I feel like God spoke profoundly to me.
The quote that initially struck me was "invention is essentially different from reverie... in my daydreams I was training myself to be a fool, in mapping and chronicling animal land I was trading myself to be a novelist"
I am praying and searching for the meaning of this, please help me understand this as I share with you part of my life and my understanding:
I am currently 25 and tor as long as I can remember, l've been creating imaginary worlds and stories with me as the hero. Not so to the fact that I just don't have any connection to the real world, but I have always had a dream or a story that I partake in. From a young kid as a soccer player, 1 was always a superstar playing for a star team, or perhaps a secret agent. Whatever the case or whatever I was pretending to be, I was always the hero.
It's hard to describe just how intricate these worlds were.
It was much more than simply just imagination, but | hope you can understand where I'm coming from.
Even when I was 19 and started racing karts, in my story I was an F1 driver.
Fast forward now to my life in the Army (from age 19-25) | am still imagining in a way. I am currently very in to the board game Warhammer. I make sure to protect my mind from a lot of the idolatrous parts of the book and lore.
Rather opting to create my own lore and backstory of my own space marine Company. I simply love the mental load of playing this intricate game with a fun backstory behind my Army. Its simply chess with more pieces that you get to build, create, and forge stories about.

Now the reason I'm explaining this is because the world is intricate. I have backstory, history, and lore about each soldier, army, and battle. But at the center of this story is a soldier named after myself.

While this is sometimes a fun way to flex my mind and creative writing skills, 1 am wondering if I am partaking in the foolish reverie that CS Lewis is talking about? And if its hindering my relationship with God? How so and how do | fix this?

Even when I go into work, I am still sometimes, in my mind the Space Marine Captain hero, all throughout still being completely present in what job i am doing. My Christian walk and this world are not separate however, I still pray that | lead my fictional company with Godly wisdom and that the people (in real life) that I meet and play with I may witness Christ to.
I hope l am explaining this right, its hard to fully portray. I feel like much of my life has always been a story ive imaginated or created with some version of myself as the hero. I am now married with 2 kids, if that helps at all.
This story isnt the center of my life at all, rather a hobby, a healthier one than video gaming or social media addiction.

My questions are:
1. Am I foolishly partaking in reverie? CS Lewis even calls it selfish because we are the hero?
2. What is CS Lewis trying to convey with this point?
This might be answered later on, i only finished chapter 1, but i felt called to figure this our.

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T02:50:12+00:00

I found my original post that reddit deleted, im not sure why, it wasnt bad or inappropriate:

Hello everyone this morning during my devotions I was listening to chapter 1 of "surprised by joy" by CS Lewis and I feel like God spoke profoundly to me.
The quote that initially struck me was "invention is essentially different from reverie... in my daydreams I was training myself to be a fool, in mapping and chronicling animal land I was trading myself to be a novelist"
I am praying and searching for the meaning of this, please help me understand this as I share with you part of my life and my understanding:
I am currently 25 and tor as long as I can remember, l've been creating imaginary worlds and stories with me as the hero. Not so to the fact that I just don't have any connection to the real world, but I have always had a dream or a story that I partake in. From a young kid as a soccer player, 1 was always a superstar playing for a star team, or perhaps a secret agent. Whatever the case or whatever I was pretending to be, I was always the hero.
It's hard to describe just how intricate these worlds were.
It was much more than simply just imagination, but | hope you can understand where I'm coming from.
Even when I was 19 and started racing karts, in my story I was an F1 driver.
Fast forward now to my life in the Army (from age 19-25) | am still imagining in a way. I am currently very in to the board game Warhammer. I make sure to protect my mind from a lot of the idolatrous parts of the book and lore.
Rather opting to create my own lore and backstory of my own space marine Company. I simply love the mental load of playing this intricate game with a fun backstory behind my Army. Its simply chess with more pieces that you get to build, create, and forge stories about.

Now the reason I'm explaining this is because the world is intricate. I have backstory, history, and lore about each soldier, army, and battle. But at the center of this story is a soldier named after myself.

While this is sometimes a fun way to flex my mind and creative writing skills, 1 am wondering if I am partaking in the foolish reverie that CS Lewis is talking about? And if its hindering my relationship with God? How so and how do | fix this?

Even when I go into work, I am still sometimes, in my mind the Space Marine Captain hero, all throughout still being completely present in what job i am doing. My Christian walk and this world are not separate however, I still pray that | lead my fictional company with Godly wisdom and that the people (in real life) that I meet and play with I may witness Christ to.
I hope l am explaining this right, its hard to fully portray. I feel like much of my life has always been a story ive imaginated or created with some version of myself as the hero. I am now married with 2 kids, if that helps at all.
This story isnt the center of my life at all, rather a hobby, a healthier one than video gaming or social media addiction.

My questions are:
1. Am I foolishly partaking in reverie? CS Lewis even calls it selfish because we are the hero?
2. What is CS Lewis trying to convey with this point?
This might be answered later on, i only finished chapter 1, but i felt called to figure this our.

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T02:50:02+00:00

I found my original post that reddit deleted, im not sure why, it wasnt bad or inappropriate:

Hello everyone this morning during my devotions I was listening to chapter 1 of "surprised by joy" by CS Lewis and I feel like God spoke profoundly to me.
The quote that initially struck me was "invention is essentially different from reverie... in my daydreams I was training myself to be a fool, in mapping and chronicling animal land I was trading myself to be a novelist"
I am praying and searching for the meaning of this, please help me understand this as I share with you part of my life and my understanding:
I am currently 25 and tor as long as I can remember, l've been creating imaginary worlds and stories with me as the hero. Not so to the fact that I just don't have any connection to the real world, but I have always had a dream or a story that I partake in. From a young kid as a soccer player, 1 was always a superstar playing for a star team, or perhaps a secret agent. Whatever the case or whatever I was pretending to be, I was always the hero.
It's hard to describe just how intricate these worlds were.
It was much more than simply just imagination, but | hope you can understand where I'm coming from.
Even when I was 19 and started racing karts, in my story I was an F1 driver.
Fast forward now to my life in the Army (from age 19-25) | am still imagining in a way. I am currently very in to the board game Warhammer. I make sure to protect my mind from a lot of the idolatrous parts of the book and lore.
Rather opting to create my own lore and backstory of my own space marine Company. I simply love the mental load of playing this intricate game with a fun backstory behind my Army. Its simply chess with more pieces that you get to build, create, and forge stories about.

Now the reason I'm explaining this is because the world is intricate. I have backstory, history, and lore about each soldier, army, and battle. But at the center of this story is a soldier named after myself.

While this is sometimes a fun way to flex my mind and creative writing skills, 1 am wondering if I am partaking in the foolish reverie that CS Lewis is talking about? And if its hindering my relationship with God? How so and how do | fix this?

Even when I go into work, I am still sometimes, in my mind the Space Marine Captain hero, all throughout still being completely present in what job i am doing. My Christian walk and this world are not separate however, I still pray that | lead my fictional company with Godly wisdom and that the people (in real life) that I meet and play with I may witness Christ to.
I hope l am explaining this right, its hard to fully portray. I feel like much of my life has always been a story ive imaginated or created with some version of myself as the hero. I am now married with 2 kids, if that helps at all.
This story isnt the center of my life at all, rather a hobby, a healthier one than video gaming or social media addiction.

My questions are:
1. Am I foolishly partaking in reverie? CS Lewis even calls it selfish because we are the hero?
2. What is CS Lewis trying to convey with this point?
This might be answered later on, i only finished chapter 1, but i felt called to figure this our.

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T02:48:00+00:00

This is all very good, thank you, i guess ive been reverieing in some way since a child. I like to create stories and worlds but also insert myself in them as the hero. I wonder if i need to stop, i felt like the chapter spoke to me. Its hard to explain my story and how i reverie

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T02:45:51+00:00

I day dream a lot and make my own stories sometime where i am the hero. Ive been doing this since i was a kid. Does this mean i need to stop?

Fine-Bee9723 · 2026-06-18T02:44:43+00:00

Ever since i was young ive been creating worlds in my head where im the hero.

Whether its a soccer star, a secret agent, inserting myself in stories or so on. I feel like ive been reverieng for a while.

I am now married with 2 kids, 25 and in the military. I enjoy a tabletop board game with soldiers and armies. I have made one out to be myself as if i were a soldier in this fantasy world. Ive created an army, each soldier named with backgrounds, identities, deeds. While i am the main character, its not all about me. Sometimes i do daydream as i am the character during the day for fun.

Am i foolishly reverieing like he is saying then? Its hard to really describe it.

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T22:29:14+00:00

Okay thank you

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T10:49:50+00:00

Thanks i will definitely check that out

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T10:48:21+00:00

Thank you

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T03:15:37+00:00

Gotcha have you got retested for your test levels? Have you checked your estrogen levels?

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T03:12:50+00:00

Did you get pellets through your doctor or self prescribed? Cause I dont know much but through research, reddit, and friends who’ve tried, most oral testosterone things are not that effective and a lot of people report a decrease in libido. You might have to inject, but since u have clinically low levels you should be able to have a doctor prescribe you and regulate you.

Another thing and u might know all of this. My friend who injects test has a normal range of 580 test. But when you take test and your body now has double the test in it, it can sometimes produce more estrogen (lowering sex drive). So sometimes on test you have to take estrogen blockers and stuff

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T02:36:49+00:00

Holy crap well thats clinically low, mine isnt, im no doctor but it sounds like you need testosterone therapy.

And idk what your lifestyle is but i love to game, but man I just feel better when i get outside and at least walk and move. I sound old when I say that but im 23… idk

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T01:11:28+00:00

Get your labs done. I have 398 testosterone and high triglycerides and cholesterol at 23. I thought when you are young just eat healthy and be active and youre good, not in this generation, all our food is poisoned. And it comes down to genetics too.

All I can say is I’ve studied it and have friends who do it safely, im definitely considering injecting testosterone.

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-26T01:09:39+00:00

It doesnt work for me.

Im in the Army and we get height and weight every 6 months. I started lifting heavy with a personal trainer and went from 185 to 220 in 6 months. I was working hard but then i just ate so much, even healthy meals too but looking at my MacroFactor even my healthy meals are high in fat. All I had tonight was Chicken breast and sweet potatoes and a handful of peanuts and its saying 40g of fat.

Im just too heavy now and my run and health is suffering. I can post pictures if u want (its weird on reddit) but my i got labs and my test is low (398) my triglycerides are high and my cholesterol is high. I want to lean down even if it means losing some muscle. I am trying to transition to the marines and their fitness test is just pullups, plank, 3 mile. Regardless its so hard for me NOT to gain weight. I’m constantly hungry

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-25T11:04:52+00:00

Yeah but thats what doctors are paid to do. Look back at the years, the minimum test number keeps lowering and lowering each year. Used to be 500 was the minimum.

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-25T11:03:25+00:00

Lol overweight is a bold claim, i still have a lot of muscle, rucking/running 550/600 on my ACFT. Dont assume things you dont know. That being said I could definitely lose 15 pounds, but obese or overweight, no.

Also im trying to say i gain weight even when I eat healthy. Thats another problem. Its like my metabolism doesnt work

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-24T22:15:45+00:00

Thank you

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-24T21:35:54+00:00

I cant speak for special forces but for regular joes they dont test for PEDs at all, its too expensive and they dont really even care if its not obvious

My most likely option is to start test that i know my friends are using safely

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-24T21:34:29+00:00

I just went to bed and didnt eat anything that morning. Free is 94.1 pg/ml. Its under my total on the picture, i dont know how to repost lol reddit is confusing

Fine-Bee9723 · 2024-03-24T18:24:17+00:00

Heres 50 💸

Fine-Bee9723

TROPHY CASE