Susan returned from the grocery store on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, not too long after she left, with the back of the car filled with enough food to feed their family of six and all their guests for the next two days. Everyone who was staying home while Susan went shopping had a lunch consisting of canned soups, the only thing left in her cupboard, which was what made doing the grocery shopping so urgent. They all helped her unload the car after they ate, and afterwards Susan made a chicken casserole ahead of time for supper. She was just sliding it into the refrigerator to heat up closer to dinnertime when upstairs the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Jessie called.

Susan heard her run up the stairs, followed closely by Greg. Voices announced that the Wilsons had arrived, which immediately prompted Ruth and Bobby to leave via the kitchen door, stepping out onto the balcony where they headed towards the garden for the afternoon. Susan looked after them anxiously, wondering if she and their guests were driving them away.

"I don't think so," Cindy told her when Susan told her of her concern. "Personally, I'm thrilled to meet some of the people who helped you."

Susan smiled at her and nodded.

"Well, it sounds like they're here. Let's go greet them," Susan said. She picked up Melody and together the two women went upstairs.

c

Susan smiled broadly when she saw her old friend, Karen Wilson, standing in the middle of her living room, holding a little boy by the hand.

"Karen! It is so good to see you!" Susan said as she came forward to exchange a hug. "Welcome!"

"Susan! You look wonderful ... and this must be Melody?" Karen said. She studied the little girl in Susan's arms curiously while her husband John looked at Melody in surprise.

"Yes, this is Melody," Susan said with a smile.

"I know Karen showed me the pictures you sent, but I hardly expected her to look so familiar," John remarked.

"She looks a lot like her daddy, so of course she looks familiar, John," Karen told him.

"Of course," John agreed.

"This is Alan's wife, Cindy," Susan said, introducing the young woman who was with her.

"Nice to meet you, Cindy. Is Alan here?" John asked, curiously looking around. "Greg mentioned you have other company."

"He went shopping with Neil and some of the other men," Cindy told them. "You must be John."

"Yes, I am," John told her.

"Cindy, this is John and Karen Wilson, and I presume this is Peter?" Greg asked looking at the little boy. "He was much smaller the last time we saw him."

"Yes, this is Peter," John said.

"Can you say 'hello'?" Karen prompted.

Peter stared at them then hid behind his mother.

"He's a bit shy," Karen explained.

"That is quite alright," Greg told them.

"You remember Jessie?" Susan asked.

"Of course! My, how you've grown," Karen said looking at the girl who was almost tall enough now to reach Susan's shoulder.

"I'm nine," Jessie told her.

"I remember. Peter was born a few days after we celebrated your sixth birthday," Karen reminded her.

Jessie nodded. "Cindy's going to have a baby."

"Yes, I am," Cindy said, looking at her in surprise.

"When are you due?" Karen asked curiously.

"In March," Cindy said. "We're really looking forward to it."

"Of course you are," Karen told her. "A new baby is always a good thing to look forward to."

"Yes, it is," Susan agreed.

"How old is Melody, Susan?" John asked.

"She's 21 months, she'll be two in February," Susan said.

Meanwhile Melody was looking curiously at Peter.

"Down," she said to Susan.

"Can you say 'hi' first?" Susan prompted.

"Hi," Melody repeated. "Down."

John chuckled. "She's certainly a girl who knows her mind."

"She certainly is, about some things," Greg agreed as Susan set Melody on her feet, holding her by the hands to help her balance.

"Can she walk?" Karen asked curiously.

"Not yet. She cruises though," Susan told her.

She helped Melody walk a few steps to where she could reach the furniture, letting go of her hands when Melody grabbed onto a cushion. Immediately Melody began to move as close as she could get to Peter while still holding onto the sofa. The little boy moved back, and Susan could remember Jessie reacting the same way towards Peter when he was young.

"Be nice, Peter," Karen admonished. "This is Melody."

"Medee," Peter repeated.

"Her name is Melody," Jessie told him. "It means music, 'cause she likes to sing."

"Do you sing?" Karen asked.

Melody grinned, but otherwise ignored Karen, concentrating her attention to her efforts to get close to Peter.

"Peter," she said perfectly, stretching her hand towards him.

"She can say your name," John commented to his son.

"She can say a lot of things," Jessie told him.

John smiled at her and the other children as they interacted with one another.

"This sure is a beautiful place you have here, Greg," John remarked looking through the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the Pacific Ocean.

"It's rather like the apartment you had in Sydney," Karen said.

"In some ways it is, only bigger," Susan told her friend. "The windows in our front room are intentionally similar."

"Are they?" Cindy asked. "I mean I thought they were in the movie, but that was just a movie. Were they really like this in the apartment you had there too?"

"They were," Greg told her. "The view we had while living in Sydney served as the inspiration for this room's design."

"I didn't know that," Cindy said.

"Would you like a tour?" Susan asked Karen.

"Please," Karen said eagerly. "Come on, Peter. Let's look around Susan's house."

"Go, Mummy," Peter said.

"Yes, we're going to go," Karen said, picking him up.

Susan picked up Melody and together she and Jessie began to give Karen a tour of the living spaces in their house. Cindy tagged behind, leaving John and Greg alone in the living room.

John looked after them, wondering if Susan's offer to give Karen a tour was strategic on her part.

"It may be," Greg said in response to John's remark.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Greg. Even with her disability, she is lovely," John told him.

"Thank you John," Greg said. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Please. You know why I'm here," John told him.

"I know what you told me over the phone, and what little I learned from the brief conversation I overheard between Matthew and his mother after he arrived home last evening," Greg said. "Based on that, I think I can infer the nature of your visit."

"But you would prefer I state it plainly," John said.

"Yes. I know you are aware we practice different religions in this house," Greg told him. "I suspect your concern has to do with that?"

"Yes and no," John began. "I accept your Judaism, Greg. I think from what Matthew told us last night, he does too."

"Us?" Greg questioned.

"Wilbury and me. I think he called initially to speak with Wilbury only, before learning I was staying with him. When he came with his girlfriend to see us in Wilbury's office, he asked to speak to us both," John explained. "Wilbury hasn't seen your movie, so Matthew wasn't certain he would understand."

"What, specifically?" Greg asked.

"The concept of reincarnation as presented in the Tropical Dream," John said.

"Do you?" Greg asked curiously.

John didn't answer his friend right away. Instead, he studied him, wondering if he was truly the same man he knew back in Australia three years ago. Had being home changed him? Was the faith he saw in Greg when he and Susan visited the outback, still the guiding force in his life? There was no way to know from the outside, of course, but as he looked around the large living room – a suggestion of a much larger house than anyplace he'd known Greg to live before – he wondered.

"I suspected before, Greg. I don't know as my understanding of reincarnation is the same as yours, but after seeing how you handled the topic in your movie, I think I understand how you see it – provided of course that your perception of the phenomena is in line with what you presented," John said.

"To the best of my ability to present the concept accurately, it was," Greg said. "Although I must tell you, we packaged our dreams and the memories of our past lives rather neatly in our movie. In real life, what you saw is but a fraction of what Susan and I have experienced, and rarely is the meaning so clear or the message so evident as I chose to present there."

"That is what I thought," John said. "Then these stories Matthew heard before coming to see Wilbury and me?"

"Matthew has been witness to our attempt to unravel and understand perhaps the most profound, the most troubling, and the most pervasive dreams of them all," Greg explained.

"He said this particular dream involves more people," John said.

"It does," Greg said.

He paused to study the other man.

"I understand that the whole concept of reincarnation, as we believe it to be, is in direct conflict with Christian theology," Greg suggested.

"Not exactly," John told him carefully. "The truth is, Greg, Christianity doesn't address it. Pure Christian theology tends to argue against it, and that is definitely true; but when one goes to the source, consulting the Word of God and what the scriptures say, the truth is, New Testament writers are very vague on the subject. There are hints of it in the Old Testament, as you know. And so from a purely Christian perspective, I can say neither yea nor nay about whether or not it can occur or if it actually exists."

"What do you believe, John?" Greg asked.

"I like to think I am open to the concept ... because of this. Do I think it happens for me? I doubt it. I've never had dreams of the sort you presented in your movie, at least none that I am aware of, although I'm also aware that a movie may not be the best source for making that interpretation," John said. "I did find the way you handled it very interesting."

"How so?" Greg asked.

"You treated the concept of repeat lives as a continuum, suggesting that life doesn't stop when the human body does, only to start again, but that it continues," John said.

"That is what I believe," Greg said.

"What is it you believe?" Karen asked as she returned to the living room with Susan. None of the children were with them, nor was Cindy, and John looked at his wife questioningly.

"They have this wonderful play area just outside the children's bedrooms. Cindy offered to watch Melody, Jessie, and Peter so they could play while we talk," Karen said.

"That was nice of her," John told his wife. "Are you certain you wouldn't rather spend time there too?"

"Do you need this to be a private conversation?" Karen asked.

"Not necessarily, but we may touch on some sensitive topics," John warned, "some bordering on theology and philosophy."

"Oh, I like those," Karen said and she made herself comfortable on the sofa near where the men sat. "Please, go on."

"We were talking about the concept of reincarnation, such as was presented in Greg's movie," John began.

"Oh, but that's all fantasy, John. It's the reason the movie is classified as fiction. I understand that," Karen said.

"Some people don't think so, Karen," John told her. "For some people, the ideas Greg presented are very real."

"Like who?" Karen asked.

"Greg was just sharing with me, this is something he believes," John said.

"You do?" Karen asked in surprise.

"I do," Greg confirmed, watching John's Christian wife curiously.

"Oh!" Karen said. "I know we talked about it before you left, but I didn't know you actually believed what you were saying back then."

"I consider it a private matter, but it is something I accept is possible, when it is the Lord's will," Greg told her.

Karen frowned slightly. "Is that where the philosophy part comes in John? Speculating that if the Lord wanted it to happen, it would?"

"You see it as philosophy rather than theology?" Susan asked her friend.

"Of course. Because to say the Lord couldn't do that, would be limiting Him in a particular way; and my belief in an all-powerful, all knowing, limit-less God prevents that. But, saying He could do something is different from saying He does do something. To me, that is where philosophy comes in; because to say He actually does something is a matter of theology," Karen said.

"An interesting point of view," Greg remarked.

"Could she be right?" Susan asked her husband.

"Isn't that essentially how you deal with it?" Greg asked.

Susan considered what her husband was saying. "Yes and no."

"How do you see this, Susan?" John asked.

"You don't believe in reincarnation too, do you?" Karen asked.

Susan glanced at Greg, then looked at Karen uncertainly.

"To me, the issue of reincarnation is not a black and white thing, where either you believe in it or you don't. I believe, as you say, it is something the Lord can do. Do I believe it happens all the time? No, I don't. Do I believe it can never happen? I don't believe that either," Susan told her.

Karen's mouth opened slightly as she tried to figure out what it was Susan was trying to say.

"I don't understand," Karen said.

"I don't either," Matt said as he climbed the stairs from the library, joining them in the living room.

"Matt! I didn't hear you come in," Susan told him honestly.

"I didn't think you did," Matt told her. "But it does sound like you are discussing the very thing I went to Mr. Wilson to ask about last night."

"I'm glad you could join us, Matthew," John Wilson said. "As you overheard, we were discussing the concept of reincarnation."

"Yeah. Did you tell my mom there is no such thing?" Matt wanted to know.

"Is that what you believe?" John Wilson asked the young man.

"I think so," Matt said. He glanced at his mom, then modified his answer to word it more strongly. "Yeah, I do believe that ... because as far as I can tell from reading the Bible, the scriptures don't say that."

"You are absolutely right, they don't," John agreed. "The scriptures most Christians take as cannon don't address the issue, one way or another. To some, that means it doesn't exist. In fact, I think you will find that most Christians agree with you, Matt. They also believe that is what it means."

"Don't you?" Matt asked.

"I try not to insert my own interpretation, bias, and preconceived ideas when I read the Word of God," John told him.

"What about you, Mom?" Matt asked.

Susan hesitated before answering. "I used to read the scriptures the same way you do," she assured him.

"Then what happened?" Matt asked.

"I was exposed to different ideas. As a result, I found myself re-evaluating what I believe, and what was at the core of my faith," Susan said honestly. "When I did, I found there were certain things I never questioned. Others I did, because that's what I'd been told by people rather than through the Word of the Lord."

"What was that, Susan?" John asked.

"First and foremost, at the core of my faith is the belief that my relationship with the Lord comes before anything else. If I pray, walk with Him each day, and consult Him when I have doubts, then everything will be okay. I don't think the Lord actually minds when we question things. I don't think He would have given us free will if He did. Eventually, I came to know that what I believed before I was challenged, was based on what other Human beings told me. When it comes to things that aren't completely spelled out in the scriptures, I need to ask the Lord what to believe."

"Exactly," Matt said.

Susan arched a brow at him. "I also have to leave myself open enough to hear His answers. His answers might not come to me in the way I expect or think they should. Also, sometimes His answer for me, isn't what I want to hear. None of that is easy, but does that mean I should stop listening?" Susan asked.

"Definitely not," Karen told her.

Susan nodded marginally then looked towards her son.

Matt blinked. "I don't know, Mom," he said after a time. "You believe some funny things because of what you think the Lord has shown you in your dreams."

"I do believe that dreams are one of the ways the Lord speaks to us," Susan told him.

"Do you believe that?" Matt asked John.

"The Bible contains multiple stories of the Lord speaking to people in just such a way," John reminded him.

"I suppose," Matt said still looking thoughtful and concerned.

Everyone remained silent while he thought that through.

"In Greg's movie, he had you believing in this reincarnation thing because he did. Is that true?" Matt asked after a time.

"Not exactly," Susan started to say.

While at the same time, Greg said, "Definitely not."

"Isn't that what Brandon ... I mean Albert said? When they were talking about it around the campfire on the beach?" Matt asked.

"I believe there were lines in the movie which suggested that," Greg told him. "But in truth your mother never believed in reincarnation simply because I did. She didn't believe it when we met, and struggled for a long, long time with trying to understand what the dreams meant. From my observations, she was genuinely disturbed when she discovered we sometimes dreamed about the same events."

"Like you guys down in the cave. It seems like everybody down there dreams about the same thing," Matt said looking distinctly unhappy about what he was saying.

"What cave?" John asked.

"We have a cave on our property, John," Greg said.

John arched a brow. "A little one?"

"No. It's pretty big," Matt told him. "Do you want to see it?"

"Is it important?" John asked the young man.

"It's what I was telling you about last night, so maybe," Matt said.

John nodded thoughtfully. "I would like to see it, Matthew, but perhaps not immediately. Karen and I will be here, in California visiting with friends and family through the middle of January. Perhaps we can take a look at it some other time?"

"Okay," Matt said. "But what about this common memory thing? What does that mean?"

"You mean the common dream," John said.

"Yeah," Matt said.

"Wasn't that just in the movie?" Karen asked.

John looked at Greg, then at Susan. "Was it?"

"No," Greg said.

"Do you agree, Susan?" John said.

Susan considered what he was asking. "You know, being who I am, after going through the things we did, and all the conversations Greg and I have had about our dreams, I must say that the ones he put in the movie are all slightly different from the dreams I actually have."

"They are?" Greg asked in surprise.

"They are. I recognize the places, and the settings, and the events ... but I think the difference is in the point of view. I suppose there is always a difference in perception for how two people who experience the same event, remember it," Susan said.

"Greg suggested in his movie that you believe your dreams are memories," John offered.

Susan nodded. "I wasn't sure of that for a very long time ... but what else could it be?"

"A message from God, a way of telling you what He wants you to do," Karen suggested.

"Yes, I have considered that," Susan said. "And generally speaking, I do believe that is the purpose of my dreams, but the fact that Greg shares them was at first very unnerving. Greg's right. We do dream about the same events, but as I've said, from slightly differing points of view. Some of the details are always a little bit different."

"Setting that aside for the moment, I think you are on the right track with what you consider the purpose of your dreams to be," John told her.

"I fully agree," Greg said.

"You do?" Karen asked. "I thought to you, those dreams were evidence of your past live, not a message from the Lord."

"Couldn't they be both?" Susan asked her friend.

"How could they be both?" Karen asked.

"Consider for a moment ... couldn't a message from the Lord telling us what to do, be delivered in the form of a memory?" Greg asked.

"How do you mean?" John asked.

"Don't the memories of our failings in the past, sometimes instruct us in regards to a better way of handling things in the future?" Greg asked.

"We learn from our mistakes. Of course we do," Karen told him.

"Do you also believe the Lord can use those mistakes to teach us?" Greg asked.

"Yes," John said. "I think most Jews and Christians agree on that particular thing."

"Quite so," Greg said.

"Which leads us to the question which years ago I found myself asking," Susan said.

"What question was that, Susan?" John prompted.

"If the Lord can teach me lessons from my mistakes, through the use of memories ... and he can teach me lessons through dreams ... couldn't the dreams be a form of memory too?" Susan asked.

"Sometimes they are, Mom," Matt said. "It's just these dreams you all think are memories from a past life I have a problem with."

"Which leads us back to the concept Greg and I were discussing when you walked in," John commented.

"What was that?" Matt asked.

"We were exploring the nuances of Greg's belief in reincarnation," John said.

Matt blinked. "He believes that after they die, they come back again ... sometimes multiple times, until the end."

"What do you mean, until the end?" John asked.

"That there's only so many times they can come back," Matt said.

"Is that right?" John asked looking at Greg.

"Are we are discussing in concept, the nuances of my belief in multiple lives?" Greg asked. "Or accepted Hebrew theology?"

John hesitated. "You make it sound personal," John remarked.

"That is because it is. I regard this as very personal ... for each person," Greg told him. "The Lord has created us each as individuals. Each of us is unique. I believe the parameters of each individual's life, are also unique."

"What do you mean by the 'parameters of each person's life'?" Karen asked.

"What task is given to us by the Lord to complete, during the allotment of days we have been given," Greg said.

"I think that much is true," Karen said.

"So do I," John agreed. "Susan? Is that your understanding too?"

To their surprise, Susan hesitated. "Yes," she said at last. "However how Greg interprets 'the allotment of days we have been given' is a bit different from Christian norms."

"Why would it be?" Karen asked.

"Because, the way I understand it, on occasion, the allotment of days granted to a particular soul by the Lord may not be defined by the length of a single physical human life," Susan said.

John arched a brow. "Which leads us back to what you were saying earlier. You believe that one soul is given a certain number of days, but that those days may not be contained within a single human life."

Greg cocked his head. "I don't know as I would have worded it quite like that, but essentially, yes. I believe that in some situations, after the physical body dies, the soul of an individual may be sent back, in order to carry on, in an attempt to fulfill the will of the Lord."

"You mean some people are allowed to start over," Karen said with a frown.

"Not precisely. Each soul carries with it the record of those things done since the beginning of its existence. Physically, one must begin as a child again, to be born into a new family in a different period in time. One must then reconstruct for his or her self what it is the Lord wishes of them. But they do not do so with a clean slate, as a soul fresh from heaven would do. Such souls carry with them the burden of errors made, sins committed, and the knowledge that they have yet to carry out the will of the Lord. The total number of days is still limited. I have heard knowledgeable rabbis speak of it in terms of a cap on the number of human existences an individual soul is allowed to experience," Greg said.

"Seven?" John guessed.

Greg arched his brow, surprised by the minister's insight.

"Did you discuss this with Rabbi Goldman? Or perhaps Rabbi Sloane?"

"No, but I expect the insights learned from such a discussion would be fascinating," John said.

"Why seven?" Karen asked.

"There are certain schools of theological thought who feel seven is a significant number when it comes to things governed by the Lord. According to those theologians who study such things, they believe heaven is organized into seven levels or layers. So is hell, legions of angels, those sorts of things. Not all members subscribe to all aspects of such thought, but the prevalence of the number seven throughout that kind of thinking is what suggested it to me," John explained.

"There is a certain consistency within the kabbalah to suggest such an idea," Greg said.

"What is that?" Karen asked.

"A collection of mystic writings studied by Hebrew scholars," John said.

"By rabbis you mean?" Karen asked.

"From what I understand, not all rabbis consider themselves to be experts on the kabbalah, but most do study it," John said.

"Precisely," Greg said. "When it comes to the topic secularly referred to as 'reincarnation' or 'multiple lives' there is a discipline within the kabbalah which is typically used as a guide."

"The writings of Zohar?" John asked.

"Then you have heard of them," Greg said.

"Yes. Melvin and I have had a number of fascinating discussions on the topic since you left Australia, in part inspired by what the elders we visited in the outback had to say about you while you were there," John told him.

"About us?" Susan said in surprise.

"Yes, you and Greg," John confirmed. "They told us a fascinating tale having to do with Dreamtime and twine trees."

"What sort of a tale?" Greg asked.

John leaned back in his chair. "Well let's see. They told the story as a parable, where the characters involved were trees. Then they led us along a streambed where we could see the way the two types of trees they associated with this concept typically grow. Most take root at a certain level of the thin soil, above the rocks that permeate the ground and thrive independently from there; but every so often, the seeds from the one or the other of those types of trees, falls between the rocks to a rich a layer of soil, beneath them in the ground. Because of the rocks, it's a place where most trees are unable to grow. If left to itself, such as seed may germinate, but it can't reach the surface so it inevitably dies. However, if seeds from these two particular types of trees fall into that space, one from each type of tree, when they sprout, they are able to help one another out. Their roots become entwined with one another ... I don't know, I suppose their enzymes are complementary or some such thing, but the result is, that when the two grow together, they are able to break through the layer of rock above the ball of roots. They may send out steams independently, suggesting to anyone passing by that they are separate trees, but at this level below the rock, their roots are entwined."

"Is that why they call them 'twine trees'?" Matt asked.

"I don't know, Matt. When I first heard their story, that is what I assumed. However their tale was more complex than that. The region where these trees grow is subject to fire. As we walked along the streambed, the elders showed us places where the trees which grew from the layer of the soil above the rocks had been killed by fire. The twine trees were burnt too, but because their roots were protected by the layer of rock, they didn't die. Once the fire passed, they would send up new shoots, which from the surface look like new trees," John said.

"But they weren't ... because they came from the same roots as the original tree," Matt said.

"Yes, exactly," John told them. "The original trees didn't die, even though from the surface there is plentiful evidence to suggest they did. According to the elders, this can happen multiple times until eventually, when the trees are very old, the trunks of the two trees grow together, wrapped around each other from the base. They are stronger than the trees around them and can survive perils others can not. The elders referred to the place beneath the rock where trees of that sort have their roots as being like Dreamtime."

"What a curious idea," Greg remarked.

"It is," John agreed. "Their whole concept of 'Dreamtime' doesn't fit very well with western philosophy."

Matt looked between the two men, taking in Greg's expression of amazement.

"You never heard this story before?" Matt asked.

"No. I suspected there was something that happened during that walk, however your mother and I were never privy to the content of what occurred."

John nodded. "I think we would have told you about it, if that was all we heard."

"Was there more?" Greg asked in surprise.

"Yes, there was. The elders specifically told us they believed the twine trees themselves were like the two of you."

"In what way?" Greg asked.

"I always thought it was because the tale involved two trees of different types who were stronger together, and joined beneath the surface in a place where the average eye can not see them. I thought it was their way of telling us, that although you and Susan are different from one another, there is something from the spiritual plane which compels you to be together, making each of you stronger than you are when you are apart," John said.

"Yeah, they are," Matt agreed immediately. "I never questioned that part, Pastor."

"Never?" Karen asked.

Matt looked at his mother thoughtfully. "No. I know she's supposed to be with Greg. Mom is so much better that way. She's happier, stronger ... she can take things that used to overwhelm her all the time. I know being married to Greg is where the Lord wants her to be."

"That's good to know," Susan commented and Matt grinned.

"Then that is why you consented to marry us," Greg theorized.

"At the time, yes, based on my interpretation of the message the elders were trying to convey," John said.

"Have you since changed your mind?" Greg wondered.

"No. But I've had a few years to meditate on the story they shared. Since then, I've begun to think there was more to it than that. I talked to Melvin about it after you left. He told me he believes the fact that the trees appear to keep coming back while continuing to live beneath the surface, is a significant part of the story ... a part I completely overlooked," John said.

"Did he say why?" Greg asked.

"He asked me what I knew of the writings of Zohar, and mentioned he'd had several conversations with Rabbi Sloane on the topic while he was visiting the outback. I've read up on it some ... enough to know what he was talking about, and once I did, Melvin told me he believes the way the trees keep coming back is representative of you, and Susan too. He seems to think their parable has something to do with multiple lives," John said.

"But the twine trees don't have multiple lives," Matt protested. "They are the same trees that were there before the fire, only they grow back."

"Which I think is the same concept Greg and I were originally discussing," John said.

Matt stared at them. "Because you think you don't really get to start over again?"

Greg cocked his head. "Based on the analogy used by the aborigine elders, from the point of view of the trees, that depends on what you mean by 'starting over again'. A tree sprouted from a fresh seed after the fire is starting life anew. The twine tree sends up new shoots, but isn't truly starting over, even though from a human perspective - someone simply walking along though the trees without the insight provided by the erosion of the streambed - they look the same. Both look like young, new trees. A human being will see the new sprout and interpret it as being a new tree, and in some ways it is, even though the life force for that tree is from another age."

"And the elders believe that for people, Dreamtime is like that place beneath the rocks under the soil where life can exist between times?" Karen asked her husband.

"Evidently," John said.

"Is that what you believe, Greg?" Matt asked his stepfather.

Greg considered the young man's question thoughtfully. "I don't know as the concept of 'Dreamtime' is something I know anything about, Matthew. Nor is the state or place a soul might exist in between periods of growth a topic I have ever studied. I believe Bobby has, but for myself, I prefer to focus my efforts on those periods of my life when I have the opportunity to grow and to learn and to hopefully fulfil the Lord's will, by making myself available to be part of His plan."

Matt furrowed his brow as he considered the ideas they were talking about.

"I consider it to be a place in the spiritual realm," Susan offered. "We know there are beings who live in that realm ... angels, archangels, and other servants of the Lord."

"Don't demons and fallen angels also live there?" Matt asked.

"You are delving into another area of theology which has several schools of thought, Matt," John said.

"Another one?" Matt asked in surprise.

"There are a lot of them," John advised.

"Why?" Matt asked.

"Because, the details of what people believe and why vary so much," Susan told him. "It's like I've told you before, sweetheart. What any two people believe is usually different from one another ... and that's okay, as long as you put your relationship with the Lord first."

"Is that what you've been teaching him?" John asked Susan.

"Yes," Susan said firmly. "Listening to the Lord, praying, learning to walk with Him, reading scripture and then seeing where it will lead you is how I've raised all my children."

"You don't tell them about Jesus?" Karen asked looking immediately concerned.

"I follow His teachings, Karen, and even He says the Lord our God should come first," Susan said.

"Of course ... I guess I never thought of it like that," Karen said with a frown.

"Karen had a very traditional, Christian upbringing," John told her.

"I did too, John. I accepted as true anything anyone associated with the church told me at one time ... until I discovered that sometimes, not even members of the clergy agree. That's when I began to distill down what faith meant to me to the lowest common denominator ... and that's what I came up with," Susan said.

"Did you decide that after you met Greg?" Karen asked, still looking worried.

"Not really. I learned to verbalize it better after I met him," Susan said while exchanging a glance with her husband.

"I believe I challenged Susan's level of faith rather severely at one time, however she never wavered on this one point. And, once she decided where the Lord was leading her for what to believe, she has never wavered from that," Greg told Karen seriously.

"Are you still a Christian?" Karen wondered.

"Yes Karen, I am. I always will be. However when you focus the meaning of faith down to that basic level, I've found that most people actually do agree. Even Greg does, which at one time I found encouraging," Susan explained.

"Do you agree with Susan's definition of faith, Greg?" John asked curiously.

"I do, John. Of course, there is a lot more to it than that for both of us, and on some of those things, we definitely do not agree. However, it is true that on this one fundamental thing, we do. Susan and I put the Lord first in everything we do. We promote and encourage in each other an active prayer life. We listen for what He will tell us, and act according to His plan to the best of our ability. If we have learned nothing else from our past, I do believe we have learned this much," Greg said.

"What about you, Matthew?" John asked. "Do you agree with your mother's definition of faith?"

"Yes, I do. I also agree what she is describing is the starting point for faith ... but, it's just the beginning. As a Christian, I believe there is so much more to it than that," Matt said emphatically.

"I don't think I heard your mother or Greg arguing with that," John said cautiously.

Matt nodded.

"Do you feel any better?" Susan wondered.

"I don't know, Mom. I still worry about this past life thing in regards to you ... even if it is just one sort of long, drawn out single life you mean when you talk about it. It still means being born over and over again," Matt said.

"And dying multiple times, to be assessed and sent back," Susan said. "I understand. Matt, for what it's worth, I know you've heard us say it before, but for Greg and I ... we both believe this is our last time. We are somewhat desperate to get it right, which should be in line with what every Christian also believes."

Matt frowned. "I'm not sure that makes any difference. You are still being misled ... and by talking about it the way you do, you are misleading a bunch of other people too ... making them think they might have a chance to come back."

John cocked his head. "Is that part of what you believe?" he asked Greg.

"Not precisely. As I've said, I do believe the allotment of time for each individual is finite. None of us knows at the beginning or at any point before we get there, how long our lives will be. I have reason to believe, based on what I can remember and my personal study of the kabbalah, that this will be the last life for me, because I can remember six others distinctly that came before, and I've never heard of anyone being given more. That doesn't mean it can't happen, only that I don't expect it, and I'm certainly not living my life with that expectation," Greg said.

"None of us should," John agreed. "As for how long we are given ... I agree with you. None of us knows for sure. We could die tomorrow, or we could live a great number of years. Also, I have read some of the studies done by various theologians in this area after Melvin introduced me to it. Personally, I am not ready to discount the idea that life in the spiritual sense may extend beyond what we see here. That was already something I believed before I converted to become a Christian, although when I apply Christian beliefs on top of that idea, it is tempting to believe the destiny of the human soul after the end of physical life, is to exist in the afterlife, according to how one is judged."

"Do you think a person can come back?" Karen asked her husband curiously.

"In the way Greg and Susan have been trying to describe it to us, all I can say for sure is, I don't know. I'm not ready to say it's impossible or doesn't happen or that the Lord would never create a soul He might ask that of. I suspect most people don't know ... even if they have lived and come back," John guessed.

"That is more than likely true," Greg said. "Although Susan and I are getting better at helping some individuals who are curious or otherwise show some interest, determine that."

"How can you?" Karen asked.

"I think he means through his dreams, Karen," John said.

"Not my dreams, John. Each person has his or her own dreams. Some of those dreams are sent to them by the Lord. It is up to each individual to determine what their dream means," Greg said.

"Which is what we were saying before," John recognized.

"Yes. Some dreams can be discovered to be memories. Those are rare, and even when they occur there is a process one can follow in order to ensure they are not being misled," Greg said. "However, whether a person's dreams turn out to be memories or not, their goal should always be, to try to understand their message from the Lord."

"That I can agree with whole heartedly," John told him.

"But how would you know if a dream is a memory?" Karen asked.

"Often dreams we end up suspecting are memories are dreams an individual has repeatedly," Susan said. "Not all of them are, but some of them might be. However, the first step we recommend for anybody is to pray about what you dream. Find out for yourself if you can gain any clarity through a conversation with the Lord. Sometimes a dream is simply the way the brain has to process a person's experiences or fears. But sometimes, memories of specific events have a lesson contained in them. They tend to be less malleable than other types of dreams. There may be something you did, that you wish you'd done different, or something that happened that by remembering it, you know from your dream, you should never do."

"Like being aware of drafts when you are down in a cave," John said.

Susan arched a brow at their guest. She looked at Greg, and he was doing the same thing.

"John ... I wonder if we should take a break from this for a while," Greg suggested. "I don't know if we've alleviated any of Matthew's fears, however I have found that things like this take time. Matters dealing with faith and belief cannot be addressed in a single day."

"That is true, John. It takes time to meditate and pray when you hear new things," Karen reminded her husband.

"That is very true," John agreed. "Perhaps it is time to check on the children? And perhaps to meet more of your guests?"

"I think that is a very good idea," Susan said. "Maybe it's time we showed you all around our home and the grounds. Greg and I have been extraordinarily blessed since returning to America. I can't wait to show it to you."

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