Tag Archive for: dream

Grip of Despair

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When despair wraps its
Ugly tentacles around my shoulders.
Squeezes, squeezes, then
Squeezes some more.      

Intense pressure weighs upon my heart.
Impending doom draws nigh.
Hope dashed—shroud of darkness envelopes.
Guard my heart. But, how?
Decisions made—I have no control.

Acknowledge crushed dreams.
Reject despair.
Yet despair returns full force;
Multiplied with mighty power.
No resolve in sight.

Then I hear a faint whisper,
Tell it to Jesus.
Tell it to Jesus.
There’s no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.

*****

DREAM Big!

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My husband and I did some after-Christmas shopping. While browsing the shelves for bargains, we purchased hand towel with the words: DREAM written across the bottom edge. Above the lettering appeared a spray of green leaves and red berries with a gold thread running throughout.     DREAM (Copy)

I didn’t pay a lot of attention to a possible meaning behind the word on the towel until several days later after the excitement of the holidays passed. This morning I picked up the towel and realized just how inspiring this towel could be for my writing in 2014.

I recently read a piece from Jeff Groins, How to Get Ahead During the Holiday Season (or anytime of year). He includes several tips about how to get ahead and stay motivated.

“Successful people aren’t successful because they’re like everyone else. They are successful because they’re weird. Because they do what others are afraid or unwilling to do.”

I began to ask myself questions while thinking about Jeff’s article. Am I that type of person? Am I willing to do what no one else will? Willing to be classified as weird?

If I am willing, I must learn focus, stamina, and balance. Only the smart ones will finish. Will I finish that book I’ve started? Query an editor about an article burning deep within? Jeff goes on to say, “I must put pain from my mind. And on the last day … you alone will be friendly with the dark.”

My desire is to “break out of the constant feeling of being left behind. Work harder; show up more often; and eventually, you will prevail. It’s not easy. It will require sacrifice. But it will also lead to victory.”

So Dream Big—I plan to dream so big others will look sideways at me concerned. Concerned that I possibly might have bit off more than I can chew. That is just fine. Because when I bite off more than I can humanly handle, that’s when God’s miraculous powers come into play. And into view for all to see, marvel, and glorify His holy name!

What are you willing to do to break out of the norm? Will it be staying up an extra hour to put the finishing touches on a manuscript? Or, maybe sequestering yourself away from the TV room and spending an extra 45 minutes in front of a computer, or reading and doing research for your project.

What goals or new patterns do you want to put into practice in 2014? Here are a few suggestions to get your thinking cap spinning:

  • Get up early to write
  • Less TV; less Candy Crush, Lucky Slots, etc.; more real writing
  • Exercise consistently (not just when the clothes don’t fit like they used to fit)
  • Read the Bible through in a year

Dear God, as I look at my new, unspoiled 2014 calendar, my desire is for a new me too. You’ve taught me much in 2013. I have grown, but there’s so much more internal growing to be done. This new me—I want to look more like You and less like the old me. Thank you for what You are about to accomplish in my life, my goals, and talents. The goals and talents You so graciously gifted me before the beginning of time. Amen.

 

Beauty and Majesty on Mackinac Island

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I just returned from a dream-come-true mini vacation. Three days on Mackinac Island, located in the State of Michigan between the states’s upper and Lower Peninsula.

The island is a national historic landmark and a motor-free environment since 1898. Only walkers, bicycles, and horses are permitted. The experience is truly stepping back in time. To top it all off, the 3.8 square miles in land (eight miles in circumference), the island is totally surrounded by water accessible only by boat or airplane. In the winter, snowmobiles are allowed if Lake Huron is frozen. More than 80% of the island remains preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.     purple flowers on Mackinaw Island (Copy)

Whenever I visit the Island, it’s a brand-new experience for me. Riding the ferry over, I still marvel at the majestic landscape, hotels, and homes as we approach the dock. The distinct smell of horses hits my nose first. Followed by sweet smells of fudge, candy, and popcorn. Clothing and trinket shops abound.

It’s only natural for me to get caught up in the pursuit of finding just the right souvenir. Will it be a shirt, hat, jacket or other item? Would this fit my grandchild? Or, so & so would love this!

I see this/that and I either say out loud or to myself, Liberty, Elijah, and Ezekiel would have fun riding on a horse-drawn carriage. My daughter, sister, and nieces would love shopping in this jewelry or clothing shop. Look at those beautiful flowers — wouldn’t my Mom love to see those? And, she’d known exactly what they are called.  

But there’s always a problem. Actually two problems.

  1. I want to bring back some token of the trip for everyone I know! And it’s difficult to know where to draw the line.
  2. I also would like family members and my friends to be there with me. Is that crazy or what?

Whenever I see beauty or experience something unique or out-of-the-ordinary, this is where my mind goes. If only given enough time and money.

Am I odd to wish my loved ones were there with me? Does anyone else ever think like this?

Mackinaw Island Marina

Mackinaw Island Marina

2 steps to Decision Making

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Wrestling with a decision?  — 2 steps to help make that decision:

  1. Seek to discover God’s will. Meditate in order to seek answers and direction. Come aside by yourself and quietly wait before God. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Jesus’ schedule was hectic even by today’s standards. People pressed around him continually. He knew what the word busy meant.

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus and his disciples had just finished feeding the 5,000. You would think the people would be satisfied and would leave them alone for a time, but such was not the case. “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31, 32).

2.   Get up and go!  “Arise, let us go from here” There’s a time to contemplate, and a time to do. Don’t linger or daydream anymore. Daydreaming time is over once I know what it is I am to be doing or saying. “But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commended me. ‘Come now; let us leave’” (John 14:31).

“Allow God to be the source of all my dreams, joys, and delights, and be careful to go and obey what He has said.” — Oswald Chambers

Do you have a quiet place where you can be alone with your thoughts and with God? It’s tough to come aside where no distractions bombard your brain. I get that, but you must make a concentrated, deliberate effort to seek out and dwell in this place until your mind is emptied of all but God-thoughts. Then, and only then, can God speak to you uninterrupted. His peace, which passes all understanding, will then guide you to the next step (Philippians 4:7).

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Review of “Lioness Arising – Wake Up and Change Your World”

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I was eager to discover the meaning behind the word “Lioness” and how it fit in with females in today’s world. Ms. Bevere’s walks the reader through the concept of a woman’s awesome strength and beauty, and how God purposely places women in key roles in history, the family, and in community.

In the first chapter, Ms. Bevere tells of her dream about a lioness. During this dream, she hears an audible voice, “with the birth of this son, you will awaken a lioness.” I have to admit the dream threw me off a bit. Ms. Bevere’s desire is for each of us to realize our unrealized possibilities. She longs to “awaken something wild, wise, and wonderful in you.” She uses challenging questions to spurn women on to greater heights in order to reach their fullest potential.

Ms. Bevere ended strong with her last two chapters, “Walking with a lion,” and “From a whisper to a roar.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” One of the author’s comments that stood out for me: “Don’t ask others to tell you what you alone can hear. In doing so, you give them power over the God-whisper within your heart. Honor what God whispers, and take the time to listen to what he imparts in excellence to you.”

As women, we have what it takes to succeed—strength, beauty, power, spiritual awareness—in whatever task God assigns us.  

It was difficult for me to keep coming back to complete the book—I’d recommend condensing the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Waterbrook Multnomah book review bloggers program, “Blogging for Books.”

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dreams…

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Noni Tari is quoted in Dare to Dream by Florence Littauer “God never simply buries our dead and broken dreams because He’d be burying our hearts along with our dreams. Instead, He creatively turns our failures into fertilizer for an even more wonderful dream, a dream with even more potential to become fruition.”

Isn’t it good to know that God cares about our dreams, passions, and ambitions? Even though a dream appears to be crushed (whether due to another’s fault or our own), God can still resurrect it. The dream may appear in a different form, but will bring us joy and yield a bountiful harvest of fruit.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for caring about even the minutest detail in my life. You do not slumber nor sleep, but are always on the job watching, waiting, and answering my prayers. I know You long to hear from me whether I’m happy, sad, or angry.

Ask:  Is there some hope or dream in your life today that you’d like to see happen? Have you told God about that desire? Are there steps I need to complete first in order to see this dream become reality?

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6:30 am and only 29 degrees!

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Awake at 2:30 am debating to myself about which wording to use in my writing project, got out of bed, worked on project, and went back to bed.

Alarm rings at 6:30—yet, now I’m wrestling about my dream and how it could have ended differently.

Maybe I should decrease my sweet intake…??

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