Posts Tagged dreams

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I have Jon Acuff‘s blog dropped in my email daily. It is quick to read and I like what he has to say. I thought I would share his post from today. It spoke to me and it may just resonate with you, also. (You can check out his website and blog here.)

A few years ago I accepted a position I knew was going to be a hard job. Very. I was walking in as the boss of 4o plus employees who had been influenced and mislead by poor leadership for the past few years. I knew I was going to be hated in the beginning. I was scared, but up to the challenge God had called me to.

The first thing I did in my new office was grab a piece of yellow construction paper and a marker. I wrote:

To avoid criticism: Do nothing. Say nothing. Be nothing.

I pinned it to my bulletin board as a reminder, every minute of every day. There will always be those who are against you. Especially when you are doing something they are too afraid to do for themselves. I think this is why I loved Jon’s blog today. Here it is.

Somebody hating on your dream?

What have I learned in the last two years about haters and dreams?

1. Hate only gets loud when you do things that matter. It won’t bother you if you decide to be average.

2. Some people take it as a personal attack to themselves when you work on your dream because it reminds them they are not working on theirs.

3. Hate is inevitable. Your response is up for grabs.

And if you forget all of those things, at least remember the image below, which is brilliant and true.

If you’re going to dream, you’re going to bump into some hate. Don’t quit just because you do.

I’m going to ponder on his words today. I challenge you to do the same. And seriously, check out his site. It’s good.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I often complain about modern technology and conveniences making us lazy, blah, blah, blah. It’s one of my soap boxes. However, I never – NEVER – complain about my DVR. I love it. Really love.

I am recording and watching both X Factor and The Voice. I know, you are supposed to choose a side and only watch that particular show. But I can’t. I love Simon Cowell. And I love Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. As judges, I mean. Therefore, both have space on my precious DVR.

The beginning auditions and eliminations are my favorite part. I am less excited when it comes to the point of the public voting. I find the beginning so exciting. And emotional. Yes, I cry. Tears. I love hearing their stories. Seeing the start of what is possibly an amazing journey. Hearing the passion of their dreams. Watching the clippings of their homes and noting that many of them come from very modest backgrounds. Some are truly poor and struggling to make ends meet.

For them, this truly is an opportunity of a life time. I can’t help but cheer for them. I am emotionally invested now in  their journeys. And I share their heart break when they are sent home. I’m chanting, “Don’t give up! Don’t give up!” I am hoping the brief glimpse of seeing a different lifestyle will give them the intestinal fortitude they need to continue pursuing their dreams.

The exciting part is some will NOT give up. They will keep trying. Keep pushing. Keep dreaming. On both shows, there has been young men come back for another tryout after not making it the first time. I love that. So do the judges. When you see they have not given up, you want them to make it this time SO MUCH.

I believe this is what John Maxwell calls failing forward. (Failing Forward is the title of one of his books.) These contestants are taking what they have learned from a failure, implementing the lessons, and trying again. They also realize that failure is an event, not a person.

Justin was so distraught one night lying in bed. “Mom,” he says with tears in his eyes, “what if I fail at football? Or other stuff I do?”

“Justin, sweetheart, you are going to fail a lot in life. A LOT.”

Shock fills his eyes. “Great Mom! Thanks a lot. Now I feel a lot better.” I laughed at his sarcasm. I continue to explain to him how failure is a good thing. It means he is trying new things. No one is great at every thing they do the first time. If a person is not failing, it means they are never trying anything new. Therefore, they are not growing as a person, or in their faith.

God isn’t calling us to live inside a tiny bubble that feels comfortable and where failure never happens. How is that going to bring Him glory? Plain and simple, it is not.

I want my children to experience failure early in life. So I can coach them to pick themselves up, dust off, think about the lesson that is surely in there, and TRY AGAIN. DO NOT GIVE UP. The dreams in their hearts now, and the new ones to come, are God-given dreams. Pursuing their dreams will bring God glory.

I want them to stretch far outside the comfortable, and into the land of great risk. I want them to walk in a place where dreams can only be accomplished with God’s Mighty Hand. I want them to experience accomplishments so great that people will ask, “How on earth did s/he do that?” So they can reply, “God did it through me.”

Here is a harsh reality, though. Most of good parenting is caught, not taught. My children need to see their Dad and I walking this talk. They need to have footsteps to follow in. We, as parents, have to dream God-sized dreams. Take risks. Try new things. This isn’t one of those areas we can use the “Do as I say, not as I do” parenting pass.

This is too big. Too important. Dream. Fail. Learn. Try. Don’t give up. Succeed. Give God the glory.

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7

Monday, March 5, 2012

Success Is A Matter Of Expectation

You must first expect to succeed if you want to succeed.
When  you expect good things to happen,
Strangely enough, they will happen.
Your expectation energized your visions and gives them momentum.
Since your life will always respond to your outlook, set your visions high.
The dreams  you choose to believe in will come to be.
You can’t expect to succeed beyond your wildest expectations
Unless you begin with with some pretty wild expectations.

Author Unknown

Monday, February 6, 2012

Act On Your Dreams  

Your destiny is not a matter of chance,
It’s a matter of the choices you’re going to make.
It’s not something you wait for,
But rather something you pursue.
Don’t wait for extraordinary opporunities.
Seize common occasions and make them great.
Opportunities sometimes come disguised in the form of misfortune,
     or temporary defeat.
You’re at this moment, standing right in the middle of opportunity.
You must make your own opportunities.
Start where you are.
You can live your dreams if you act on your opportunities.

Author Unknown 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

One of my favorite pasttimes with my husband when we were dating and first married was dreaming together. We would literally spend hours, talking about our dreams and playing the “what if” game over and over. What if you won $20,000,000 right now, what would you do with it? What if you could build your dream house right now, what would it look like? What if you could be any profession right now, what would it be? What if you had $1,000,000 to give away right now, who would you give it too?

We both loved playing this game, dreaming and describing in great detail what we would do. The hubby liked this “what if” game much better than my other one. What if you had to have no fingernails and toenails or no eyelashes, eyebrows and body hair, which would you choose? He wouldn’t really play that game, he said it was stupid. Whatever.

Over time, with busy schedules, bills and children, we stopped playing the dreaming games. Some of the far-fetched dreams were drowned out by reality. I don’t think either one of us noticed it happening, it just is what it is. We both feel more than abundantly blessed with the life God has allowed us to have. And we have more than we could have ever imagined or dreamed about in our children.

On occassion, these days I find myself dreaming a bit, but about my children’s lives. Not just the things I hope and pray for them, but dreaming for them too. If I am not careful, I can overstep my boundaries with this. I want to dream with them, not for them.

I can get down-right giddy and obnoxious watching my boys play sports. It is so much fun and I get way too excited. Especially since I see some athletic ability developing in each of them. My surprise superstar is my 2nd son, Seth. Seth has a tendency to be less than coordinated and I often call him my “bull in the china closet.” But he has proven to be quite the football player. It is his first year playing, and he is playing flag football and learning so much about the fundamentals of the game.

Seth scoring his first of three touchdowns last week. In my mind, that red jersey becomes an OU Sooners jersey in full pads.

I heard a parent make the comment as Seth blew past the other players, “That kid’s got wheels!” My chest puffed and my chin rose. Yes, my child is the fastest runner on the team. Yes, indeed. My pride cup overfloweth.

By this time, I am standing up screaming at the top of my lungs. "Go! Run! Go Seth!" I don't know what is wrong with these moms that are so quiet at football games.

Seth flew past the last of his defenders but they stayed on his trail as they chased him into the end zone. Touchdown! My victory dance in my head, leaped years ahead to a Heisman Trophy, a multi-million dollar contract from the NFL, and straight into a booming acting career from that. (Because he loves acting. So I included a portion of his likes into my dream for him.)

I don’t think it is wrong to want great things for our children, and to be excited about their potential. It is fun to dream. But at the end of the day, what I really dream about – truly desire for my children – is that they follow God’s dream for their lives. He has a plan for them. It is significant. Divine. And don’t think anything less – it will be exciting.

 What do you dream about for your children?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

In this week’s homework for my Bible study class, we were challenged to dream. The author, Priscilla Shirer, had us write in our workbook what God would accomplish in our wildest dreams. You know dreams and wildest dreams are completely different, right? They are in my mind. When we went over this part in our class, we found that several ladies left that question blank. They found it very hard to actually pen what is in their wildest dreams. I did write mine in, with fervor and great joy. But when it came time to share it with others, I did not. I kept quiet.

The thought of my wildest dreams stuck with me all day, though. Sometimes, life comes at us so fast and furious, that dreams are a luxury we can no longer afford. Other times, we just grow comfortable going through the motions of day to day living, that we allow dreaming to slowly fade away until it is only a memory. It is something we used to do years ago, but now have forgotten how.

Sometimes I find myself so overwhelmed (in a good way) with all that God has already blessed me with, that I feel a little guilty dreaming of anything more. For example, my family. Tomorrow is my 15 year anniversary. My marriage is a miracle from God. It was not something I achieved for sure, but truly a gift from God.

Our 4 little people, my dream. This was taken when we stopped for lunch at a ghost town in Nevada. We all had a blast on that trip.

 

Seeing my book put together into a real book was a dream come true. But the feedback I was blessed with surpassed even my wildest dreams. I am so humbled, literally, that God would allow me to be a part of that.

 

Seeing it on a shelf next to other books is surreal. I know people write books everyday, I just wasn’t sure I could achieve it too.

While I was waiting in the carpool line, after thinking about the study and the dream question all day, I grabbed a pen and paper. I began dusting off some of my other dreams. Dreams that I can only achieve with God. Just as I know without a shadow of doubt, that He is the source of the dreams that have already become a reality.

The one that I wrote down in my workbook, well, I am still not quite ready to share. But sitting in the carpool line, I did write down the titles/topics of the next books I want to finish and have published. That I will readily share.

I am finishing Bedtime Thoughts for the Christian Wife. I would love to be finished by the end of the year. Seth wants to write a book with me, so we are exploring Bedtime Thoughts for the Christian Kid. How fun is that?

My other two books that I want to work on, and had started notes for one many months ago, are titled Believing Out Loud and The Plain Jane Family. (Of course, titles are always subject to change.) The Bible study I have been researching and writing notes to write is a study on Gideon. I am really excited about that one and now can’t wait to get back to it.  

I have found that when we allow ourselves to dream, we have energy and enthusiasm even for the mundane daily tasks. My children certainly have no problem spouting their wildest dreams. They don’t even hesitate, and the list is long. I don’t want them to lose that ability. God gives us dreams to achieve for His glory. He wants us to bear much fruit and honor Him with it. In John 15:8, Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

I believe we, as moms, need to start exercising our dream muscles again. Because how can we teach and encourage our children to never stop dreaming and achieving for God’s glory if we don’t know how to dream ourselves? I want to be good not only at dreaming my dreams, but my wildest dreams.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20

What is your wildest dream?