Archive for dreams

5 Things You Can Do To Make Your Dreams Come True

By Jane · Comments (8)
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

A few weeks ago author Mary DeMuth tweeted this verse:

“Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” Psalm 105:19 NLV

I read it with breath sucked in and the room around me silent.

Could it be, I wondered, that the Lord is testing me? Might he be testing you as you journey toward that dream nestled snuggly in your breast?

Following after a difficult dream can not only drain vitality from your smile, but it can begin to plant seeds of doubt where there should be trust. That, of course, is the danger. The tape in our head can easily begin to sound like the miniature devil squatting with his pitchfork on the shoulders of Tom and Jerry, convincing us that all’s for naught and the status quo is not only acceptable, but desirable.

No so.

Unfortunately, instead of looking up and actually charting out our next steps, many of us leave those dreams in the “good idea” category and settle for the idea of the dream rather than sweating to making it happen.

  • we lie awake at night plotting out how we could start a business that would allow us to quit our jobs
  • we fantasize about what we’d do with the extra time we’d have after starting that business
  • we plan vacations and wonder if we’ll ever have the money/time/freedom to take them
  • we contemplate inventions that would surely revolutionize QVC (and our wallets)
  • we wonder if our work/writing/volunteering will ever be noticed
Friends, I’m waving a banner today proclaiming that all of those hours of scheming into the night are not wasted. I believe God plants passions and inclinations in our hearts that can be pruned and tested and turned into great works for His glory, given our willingness to step onto the road to pursuing his leading.

So how can we do this?

  1. GET CRYSTAL CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT. If you can’t articulate your dream or idea in one sentence, spend some time articulating it. Michael Hyatt had an excellent post about this today on his blog, entitled “The 140 character Mission Statement.” He also has a fantastic “Life Plan” eBook you can download.
  2. STOP WAITING TO BE PICKED. Jeff Goins, one of my favorite bloggers wrote a stellar post about how action is required by us. The idea that God will deliver your heart’s desire directly to your doorstep (with delivery confirmation and insurance) is bogus. Time and again in the Bible God says, “Now go…” It’s time for us to do the same. Learn your craft. Attend a conference. Take a risk.
  3. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP  Mary DeMuth’s “4 Important Lessons Running Taught Me About Business” has some great nuggets of truth that can be applied beyond the realm of business. Watching gravel crunch underfoot is tedious and uninspiring. Look up! Back straight! March on!
  4. BE DILIGENT IN PRAYER. Ask the Lord to continually open doors and, likewise, make it clear when they are closing. Pray for wisdom (James 1:5). Petition new opportunities, new people in your path, moments for meaningful conversation.
  5. GIVE THANKS for small graces along the way, a gust of wind in your limp sails, a passing glance at what may lie ahead. God promises that he who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. Philippeans 1:6. Believe it!

What dream are you pursuing right now? What would you add to the list?

 

Comments (8)
Categories : dreams, Goals, Matters of the Heart, Stay-At-Home-Mom/Working Mom, Work, writing/work
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Should Dreams Give Way to Pragmatism?

By Jane · Comments (7)
Friday, April 27th, 2012

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Lately my husband and I have been considering our life together as though we were authors or movie directors.

We’ve been asking, if we were characters in a book or screenplay that WE were writing, what would we be doing with our lives? How would we puppeteer ourselves?

Would I write a plot line that centered around trips to Costco and mowing the lawn?

Of course because this is real life, we have real responsibilities. We’ll never escape paying the electric bill unless we decide to “go Amish” and move to Ohio. Since I don’t see that happening anytime soon, we’re left to analyze the things we can control.

Passive acceptance or intentional decision-making?

This May our three children will be competing in 37 ball games.

THIRTEEEE-SEVEN.

My friend’s kids have games every single day in the month of May except for ONE.

Am I to think, “Well, that’s just the way it is if we want our kids to have this experience.” ?

Or should I be thinking, “This is craziness. We can play ball in the back yard!”

But baseball isn’t the only thing wanting space on our calendar: there are job commitments, church involvement, and volunteering at the kids’ school. There’s extended family to visit and friendships to maintain. Recitals to attend and music lessons to schedule.

All of these small moments stack up to make a life.

And although some of them are lovely and will be treasured forever, I am left examining the pieces asking, “How intentional are we being about the decisions we sow? And what kind of life are we reaping?”

I don’t think that we’re being intentional enough. Pretty soon I’m going to be 40 and left to wonder why I still haven’t driven across the country in an RV (and then returned home to write a book about it).

I’ll be left to wonder why I didn’t take advantage of these precious years of raising children and helping their creativity and curiosity bloom.

I’ll be left to wonder why I determined that the status quo was good enough and why I let outside responsibilities puppeteer the lives and dreams of five people.

So, should dreams give way to pragmatism?

Should we stuff down the passions God has delicately planted in our hearts because we have bills to pay?

I say no! Not anymore.

I want more and better.

The question is, eternally, what is the price…and am I willing to pay it?

How you can help me pay the price

My husband told me today that we could live out my RV dream IF I could make enough money to support the adventure through my writing.

I gulped down my Coke with wide eyes, taking his challenge by the horns.

Starting today, I am choosing to believe that this could happen.

I might actually live my dream. 

But to do that, I need to cast a wider net and invite more people into this conversation. They say it’s all in “who you know,” so I guess I need to “know” more people; I need to welcome voices who might be agents of change.

Would you help me to cast a wider net and get to know some new folks who might usher in this new era of intentionality? If you’ve been blessed or encouraged by something you’ve read here, would you please invite your friends to subscribe to this blog?  It’s time to open the doors to more open doors.

 I am convinced that dreams do not have to die at the altar of pragmatism. That’s too boring for our God!

I believe that He has something more in store for us all.

Will you help me chase that dream?

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What dream seems out of reach for you right now? Have you ever thought about going after it anyway?

 

Comments (7)
Categories : dreams, Finding Balance in Life, Home, Matters of the Heart, Seasons of Life
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For When You’re Wilting

By Jane · Comments (4)
Thursday, April 26th, 2012

There are times, I tell myself, when we all feel a bit drained.

Droopy.

Wilting.

It might start after a letdown at the office or in dealing with a child who makes hurtful choices.

It might be due to a lack of quiet in your home or seeing dreams deflate at your feet.

 

It happens at different times and in different places, but it happens.

Water Check

This plant was given to us after my grandma died, at the intersection of autumn and winter. I love it because it is a living reminder of her; it flowers and stretches upward and unfolds into an umbrella of green.

But today I found it cowering at the window, leaves drooping. It looked tired.

I hate to admit it friends, but I’ve seen it before and I know it’s my own fault.

The wilting invades when I forget to water it.

I find this same thing to happen in my own life: I let life turn up the heat and then stick my face directly in the sun, standing still at the windows. I bloom for a season, but soon enough–when without water–I curl up into a huddled mass of mommy-needs-a-break. I make a B-line for the nearest couch cushion and blanket.

Of course the water I need is the Living kind. I need to be drinking in the Word.

I’ll never understand why it’s so hard for me to be diligent in this area; why it’s so hard to wake up early enough to take a long cool drink before the parching sets in.

What should be my first hope is too-often my last resort. But I’ve learned to see the patterns and anticipate the turns in my heart.

And so, today, if you’re wilting:

  • Turn off the noise.  The radio barks, the TV screams for your attention, and even while on “vibrate” your phone emits noise. Turn it all off. Completely. Let your mind be refreshed by the sound of nothing.
  • Be okay with resting. Sit down for a spell. Resist the urge to also fold laundry while you sit down. Resist the urge to check your Twitter feed while you rest. Close your eyes for fifteen minutes if you feel it would refresh you. Let your heart bring you to prayer or your body bring you to sleep. Set the timer so that you’re not lost into tomorrow. But be okay with it.
  • Grab your Bible. Open to a book like Philippians and soak in the promises of God. Receive grace. Receive peace. Absorb Paul’s contentment. 
  • Pray.  For strength. For the dust to settle. For wisdom in the desert; joy in a dry land.
  • Praise! Praise God for the ways he has blessed you. For the times he has lifted you up. For the moments he’s met you in your huddled mass of mommy-needs-a-break. GRATITUDE is a powerful weapon against wilting.
An hour after soaking my plant, it’s already coming back to life. Its head has returned its gaze to the sunshine and it is strong once again.
Water makes a growing thing beautiful.
Do you ever feel like you’re losing ground? Wilting? How do you gather up your strength?

 

 

Comments (4)
Categories : dreams, Faith, Finding Balance in Life, Matters of the Heart
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Do I Have a Story Worth Telling?

By Jane · Comments (3)
Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

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Despite the fact that I’ve never peeled back the cover or read a page, the simple idea of a book has propelled me to want more and desire better. 

More dreams, not more stuff.

Better planning and less wasting: time, money, talents.

More and better.

This particular book has a premise that struck to the heart: the author had planned to write about his life, but his agent was unsure that his life could entertain and compel. After all, would channel surfing and church on Sunday make for a best-selling page-turner?

In short, was his story worth telling?

A Turning Point

Jeff Goins is one of my favorite bloggers; he’s an “idea guy” whose words are my daily vitamins. He makes me want to write with more passion and dream the kind of dreams that flatten boxes and defy odds.

The other day I was making my way through a stack of emailed blog subscriptions and came to his post.

I had to read it twice.

In “The Secret to Your Next Creative Breakthrough,” Jeff reminds us that our life must support our career, not the other way around. Our life must inspire our art, just as the author’s life above had to be re-imagined to inspire his.

Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, the concept is still powerful: Does your life, does mine, inspire…anything??

Things got dicey when I came to this sentence. I stopped breathing for a moment.

“A writer can write a life he longs to live, or he can live one he longs to write.”

Wow.

 What This Sentence Means For Dreamers

I have an unwritten (it’s safer), probably-will-never-happen list of dreams (can’t afford them) that are hidden away in my heart (no accountability).

Yet this sentence makes me wonder: What if I actually charged headlong into those dreams?

What if? 

Ephesians 3:20 comes to mind,

” Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”

And so the questions are:

  • Am I living the life I long to write about? 
  • Am I trusting God to do “immeasurably more” than I ask or imagine?

The questions for you might be:

  •  Am I living a life that my children respect? 
  • Am I demonstrating integrity and living out the values I profess to believe? 
  • Am I inspiring someone…something…anything?

No matter which questions you’re asking, no doubt the answers are difficult. Real hurdles like bills and money and time constraints threaten to stand in the way.

But the beginning of this journey, I’m convinced, is in the asking. And today I’m asking for more and better.

Are you? 

 

 

Comments (3)
Categories : Discipline Issues, dreams, Work
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Hands

By Jane · Comments (0)
Sunday, February 26th, 2012

Do you ever ponder whether dreams come to you randomly or if God sends them for a reason? And if so, what are the reasons?

A few nights ago I had another dream about my grandma. This time it wasn’t jarring or haunting in the way that makes you bolt upright in bed, head trapped in a fog between reality and confusion.

No, this time it was peaceful. This time, it was sweet.

I remember being seated next to her on the beige sofa that once divided her small, assisted living apartment in half; afghan stretched meticulously across the back and tucked into the creases. Reaching out, I took her hand in my own, noting the way that years leave their mark on skin and veins.

I turned it over and over, studying the birthstone ring she wore to mark the lives of her four children. I studied the age spots and freckles I knew well; all markers in the march through decades.

I pressed into the soft spots I remember touching when I was young while sitting beside her in church; I marveled at the smooth, papery velum that wrapped around her bones and held her life inside.

We sat together: her and I, suspended in this dream that would help me remember and not forget.

We sat in the stillness with sheer drapes drawn and silky light filtering in, dust dancing on slanted rays.

And I felt, for a moment, as though I hadn’t lost her.

As though the hands I’ve warmed time and again would still reach out for me.

As though she were still with me.

And I woke up with God tenderly whispering that, perhaps, in many ways, she still is.

 

Comments (0)
Categories : Compassion, Deep Thoughts, dreams, Dreams & Memories, Faith, Family, Heartbreak
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3 Ways I Can Relate to Tim Tebow

By Jane · Comments (0)
Friday, January 13th, 2012

Tim Tebow (click photo for credit)

Before we go any further, let me assure you that “We both have ripped abs” isn’t going to make this list.

If you’ve seen a picture of Tim sans shirt, you’ll know why.

(darn all those Christmas cookies!!)

But in all seriousness, it hit me the other day as I was thinking about Denver’s mile high victory last week: the world has had pretty low expectations of Tim.

They say he’s college gold but can’t compete with Rodgers and Brady.

They say he should have been a running back.

They say a lot of things.

But mostly, they can’t figure him out.

Whether or not you agree with his vocal and high-profile faith, I think most people would like to see an underdog come out on top.

At least I’d like to think so.

As I’ve studied him and jumped off the couch rooting for Mr. 15, I’ve concluded that we have a few things in common:

1. (Tim, you should have been a running back…) Saying “I’m a Writer” freaks people out. They don’t really know what to do with that. They ask me if I’ve thought about getting another teaching job. Their quizzical sideways stare suggests that I should do something “for real”—you know, like “punch a time card” or “have a cubical.”

2. (Tim, you can’t compete at this level…) Trying to establish yourself as a writer is akin to specializing in hieroglyphics. You can’t just fart around and think you’ll master it. You can’t feel around in the dark. If you want to write, you have to write with abandon. I suspect a lot of people think it’s “cute” that I have a blog. “Nice” that I submit articles to magazines. I don’t do it to be nice and I don’t do it to be cute. I do it because I want to compete.

3. (Tim, we won’t believe in you until you prove it. And not just once–time and time again.) Even with practice–even publications to my name–I’m a small fish in a big sea. Doing something once just isn’t enough. Two and three times may warrant a quick double take, but it’s still not enough. Proving yourself as a writer means churning out quality work that is compelling and dynamic every time. And while you’re at it, why not amass several thousand Twitter followers?

What I’m learning from these obstacles is that I have to be my biggest believer. I have to pick myself. I have to possess Superbowl-level determination and self-motivation.

I have to block out the naysayers and chose to listen to the voice that whispers soft and steady: the one in my heart.

Do you ever feel like you’re swimming against the tide? Can you relate to Tim?

Comments (0)
Categories : Controversy, Current Events, dreams, Stay-At-Home-Mom/Working Mom, Uncategorized, writing/work
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Is It Possible to be TOO Laser-Focused?

By Jane · Comments (1)
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

I heard someone say recently that scientists are beginning to discredit the concept of multi-tasking.  Some say that there is no such thing. That, in fact, our human brains are capable of rapidly switching gears and refocusing attention, but that they are actually only doing one thing at a time.

I think these scientists are on to something.

Trouble is, my brain seems to have tripped on the “rapidly switching gears” command, because I have been camped out in project land for the last week, and it’s time to get back to life. Time to put in a load of laundry between brainstorming sessions and mop the floor that’s been begging for attention.

But it’s so hard!  I love being plopped in the middle of my ideas and schemes. Project land is very comfy…especially when wearing a cozy new robe in a quiet house. Instead, I am sucked into this beautiful, devilish machine with the hopes that clicking the right buttons will some how Willy-Wonka me into success and a paid-for vacation. You can almost see my eyes glazing over, can’t you?

Shopping for business cards turns into a two-hour design fest in which I play with fonts and re-write my tag line. I upload a buffet of photos and logos just to make sure I pick the right one. I revisit the preview button and watch my card slide back and forth, all pretty in its unpaid, digital form.

But I admit: It’s getting to be a problem.  I am too focused on this one thing. 

Generally speaking, focus is a prized attribute. Athletes are applauded for theirs. CEO’s must possess it to ensure their bottom line. Jesus exemplified Kingdom focus during his time on earth.

But I’m finding that my project focus is keeping me up at night thinking and planning. I wonder if I’m becoming obsessive. I mentally threaten myself to shut down the computer and turn off the iPhone–or else no Coke at lunch.  It’s a scary thought.

So today, I need to blur the focus; re-direct my mental energies. I need to get the floor mopped. Make the bed. Plan for dinner. Check a few things off the to-do list instead of lingering on the to-dream about list.

Time to get on with life!

How about you? Do you ever struggle to pull yourself away from a project in order to “take care of life?” 

 

 

Comments (1)
Categories : Career, Chores/Duties/Jobs, dreams, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Stay-At-Home-Mom/Working Mom, Uncategorized, Work
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Haunted

By Jane · Comments (2)
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Nightmares are picking the scabs of grief: my grandma has been showing up in my dreams in the most gut-wrenching ways.

In her coffin.

Or standing behind a window pane, dressed in gharish clothes, beckoning me.

I run to her, but instead of her beloved and familiar scent of powder and perfume, my nose is filled with pungent formaldehyde.

Sleep eludes and my face presses into the pillow that catches my tears.

I wake up sobbing, wanting so badly to call her. To hear her voice. To feel the warmth of her smooth hands in my own; to study the maze of raised veins that map her years and sustain her.

But I can’t.

Instead I pick up the phone and call the life once-removed from grandma: my mom.

I cry into the air, giving birth to regrets and wishing to return to May when she was next to me laughing, white curls hugging the nape of her neck.

Mom says that instead of regretting, instead of longing to call the grave, I should remember to reach out to loved ones still here. I should seize the opportunity to send a note or connect with people God lays on my heart.

It sounds trite, but I know she’s right.

It won’t make the nightmares stop.

But it does help me to remember to love with all my might, right here. Right now.

No regrets…just love.

 

 

 

Comments (2)
Categories : dreams, Family, Heartbreak, Uncategorized
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Travel is My Love Language

By Jane · Comments (10)
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

You’ve never seen me having so much fun as when I’m out of the country, speaking another language, or weaving through streets I’ve never seen before. And if it’s a warm summer night with the stars like neon against a velvety indigo sky, all the better.

There’s just something about exploring an old city on foot, imagining the centuries of sandals that have walked the same path before me. Or walking into a bakery and ordering a flaky pastry in Spanish–and sitting down to eat it with the locals. Or walking the beach at sunrise and stooping to examine the smooth, pink underbellies of shells given up by the ocean after high tide.

Enjoying the beauty and adventure of a physical space, however, says nothing of the personal growth, intimate times of rich conversation with friends and family, or the wealth of knowledge you absorb from inserting yourself into another place or culture. Whether you travel within your own state or live to fill up another passport, I can’t emphasize enough the value of travel.

Prompted by Jeff Goins’ masterful post entitled “3 Reasons to Travel While You’re Young,” I thought I’d list my TOP 10 favorite travel memories and ask you to leave a comment with your own top 10. I purposefully left out the wonderful, languid nights around a fire reminiscing with college friends because they’re almost too personal to explain their worth. Instead, I focused on experiences with the destination. In no particular order:

TOP TEN TRAVEL MEMORIES:

  1. Swimming with sharks in the Bahamas. Uhhh, NO. I wouldn’t do it again, but it’s a fun memory!
  2. Snorkeling off the stunning coast of Cozumel. Wow. Loved it. Scared me a little, but I loved it.
  3. Riding a train up to Machu Picchu; it felt like being on top of the world.
  4. Seeing giraffes and zebras in Africa–not in a zoo.
  5. Hearing my shoes echo in Westminster Abbey, London.
  6. Winning 2nd place in a sidewalk chalk contest in Washington. [what a fluke!]
  7. Feeling a wild manatee brush against my legs off the coast of Florida.
  8. Witnessing the start of the Occupy Wall Street Protest, NYC.
  9. Going to sleep under the sun in the back country of Grand Tetons Nat’l Park, and waking up to a foot of snow…and falling…
  10. Wading icy tide pools at dawn with our kids at Cannon Beach, OR, and seeing secrets revealed while the rest of the world slept.
Can you see why this is my love language?
OK, your turn! What are your Top 10 travel memories?

 

Comments (10)
Categories : Discoveries, dreams, gratitude, Nature/Outdoors, Our World, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation
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Mike Rowe Has a [Great] Point

By Jane · Comments (0)
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

If you’ve ever seen a Ford commercial, watched Discovery’s Dirty Jobs, or heard a deep, soothing voice narrating Deadliest Catch, chances are you know who Mike Rowe is.

One of the things I appreciate about Mike [besides the OBVIOUS], is his commitment to the average working class men and women of this country. Having grown up loving a factory-working dad, I was practically standing up cheering when I listened to Mike speak to Congress . If you’ve never watched the video, please do it.  I can’t say enough about Mike’s passionate plea and personal reflections. Which brings me to today’s thoughts:

After visiting Ellis Island earlier this month, I’ve spent a good deal of time considering that what was awaiting immigrants was, overwhelmingly, a hard life filled with more challenges. They may have been free—but most were also staggeringly poor.

Could it be that we are regressing back to such a reality today?

We are seeing more and more families struggling in our current economy. The middle class is shrinking and college grads are both unemployed and shouldering thousands of dollars in student loans they cannot pay. Masses of humanity Occupy Wall Street to plead for fairness and opportunity. The job market is strained; deflated altogether.

So what does this mean for the next generation of workers? For those in this generation who cannot find work?

Have we become too accustomed to a life of luxury and ease? Do we expect a cushy office job with stock options and a travel allowance? Have we become a nation with an entitlement mentality?

Fifty years ago it was respectable to specialize in plumbing or electric. A young man who gained an apprenticeship was celebrated. Going to work with a brick mason promised a lifetime of honest pay.

Now, those careers are viewed, by and large, as “leftovers” for those who don’t go to college or who can’t “cut it” in a “real” job [read: pressed shirt and tie]. We’ve forced our students to choose between Tech center training and AP courses, and for the most part, the reputation of non-AP kids is that they’re heading nowhere.

But is that true?

Should we shrug off dirty jobs and work that requires a shovel and some muscle?

Perhaps it’s time we start changing the way we look at these “consolation prize jobs” as Mike puts it. Perhaps the only way to get America working again is to herald those jobs as real opportunities for a viable paycheck without the burden of student loans.

I believe it will continue to become more and more important for our country, and certainly for our children, not to close any doors to them. Not to pass along the bias of book education over sweat equity.

Just as we welcomed all who were willing to work to pass through Ellis Island at the turn of the century, we should welcome—and applaud—all who are willing to work in the early years of this century.

Let’s re-imagine jobs in 2011 and beyond so that we can all go after our dreams and cross our own Atlantic oceans. Let’s encourage our kids to get dirty—and get America working again.

What do you think about Mike’s speech to Congress? Agree or disagree? Why? 

[photo]

Comments (0)
Categories : Deep Thoughts, dreams, Education, Family, Kids in School, Our Nation
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